Returning to one's alma mater always holds its own romance. Visiting the abodes where one literally came of age can be quite a nostalgic experience.The batch of 1962 of Mount Carmel College experienced just this at a alumni meet held in the City recently. Anxiety, excitement and contentment writ large on all the faces at the meeting.
There were, among the audience, friends who had last met 50 years ago, those who were meeting after 15 years and some seeing each other after only a couple of years. Business cards were exchanged, new ties were forged and old memories relived.
While some of the old Carmelites had gone on to achieve high positions and status, others were happy settling down with their families. What most people had to say was that it was a pleasure to return to the Carmel family and feel like the old times were back again. All these women — now grandmothers— admitted that they did the same things Carmelites do even to this day — bunk classes, scale the walls of the college, chat on the driveway and catch up on movies on the first day itself.
"Oh, we had so much fun in college and I think those times give us a lot of courage to face any situation in life, even to this day. We were such a lively batch and there was so much activity around all the time," explains Sheela Bolar, founder and principal of Innisfree House School, JP Nagar.
Sheela was instrumental in getting the batch together. She scanned through old college registers for details and made repeated phone calls and managed to gather 35 women from the batch of 1962. Prominent among them was Congress leader Margaret Alva, who flew down from Delhi just for the meet.
Sheela recalls, "Margaret was a debator in college, which she continues to do. Many among us are homemakers but I was never one to settle down to a quiet family life." Sheela will soon bring out a coffee-table book on the batch of 1962. "The book will have pictures of the batch taken in 1962 and at get-togethers after that, as well as our most recent pictures. I hope to release it soon," informs Sheela.
Usha Ramaiah, a mountaineer, bird watcher and an animal activist who still goes on short treks even at the age of 70, says, "There are a few of us who stay in Bangalore and meet quite often. We've been such a close-knit group that we share our joys and sorrows together. It's only because we meet often that we were able to plan the meet."
Those who came for the reunion were each given a memento of a picture of the batch, taken in 1962."The picture was placed in a glass frame with a golden rim, marking our golden jubilee," says Sheela.
There were, among the audience, friends who had last met 50 years ago, those who were meeting after 15 years and some seeing each other after only a couple of years. Business cards were exchanged, new ties were forged and old memories relived.
While some of the old Carmelites had gone on to achieve high positions and status, others were happy settling down with their families. What most people had to say was that it was a pleasure to return to the Carmel family and feel like the old times were back again. All these women — now grandmothers— admitted that they did the same things Carmelites do even to this day — bunk classes, scale the walls of the college, chat on the driveway and catch up on movies on the first day itself.
"Oh, we had so much fun in college and I think those times give us a lot of courage to face any situation in life, even to this day. We were such a lively batch and there was so much activity around all the time," explains Sheela Bolar, founder and principal of Innisfree House School, JP Nagar.
Sheela was instrumental in getting the batch together. She scanned through old college registers for details and made repeated phone calls and managed to gather 35 women from the batch of 1962. Prominent among them was Congress leader Margaret Alva, who flew down from Delhi just for the meet.
Sheela recalls, "Margaret was a debator in college, which she continues to do. Many among us are homemakers but I was never one to settle down to a quiet family life." Sheela will soon bring out a coffee-table book on the batch of 1962. "The book will have pictures of the batch taken in 1962 and at get-togethers after that, as well as our most recent pictures. I hope to release it soon," informs Sheela.
Usha Ramaiah, a mountaineer, bird watcher and an animal activist who still goes on short treks even at the age of 70, says, "There are a few of us who stay in Bangalore and meet quite often. We've been such a close-knit group that we share our joys and sorrows together. It's only because we meet often that we were able to plan the meet."
Those who came for the reunion were each given a memento of a picture of the batch, taken in 1962."The picture was placed in a glass frame with a golden rim, marking our golden jubilee," says Sheela.