Silchar Collegiate School’s 45th foundation day celebration: An evening well spent

While Wankhede stadium in Mumbai was very much the center of attraction of the most of India, yesterday, as Mumbai Indians failed to chase a below par 118 run target set by Sunrisers Hyderabad, for Silchar, the point of attraction was Rajiv Bhavan. The largest community hall in South Assam was houseful, there were many standing inside the hall while a few decided not to enter and there was hardly any place to even take a turn, forget sitting. No, it was not some Bollywood singer performing for which people gathered, the occasion was foundation day celebration of Silchar Collegiate School, often touted as the undisputed number 1 school in Barak Valley.

Few went wearing white and grey uniform, few were all dressed up, some went up on the stage to perform and the few best ones were felicitated in front of the jam packed audience. The 45th foundation day was an ecstatic moment for the Collegiate fraternity, whistles turned to roars as the programme began with children’s performances, and gradually when the representatives of senior classes went up on stage to exhibit their talent, the screams kept getting louder and louder. Mime, Traditional and Western dances, Drama were in the offering for the audience and as the acts rolled on stage, the screams rose to a crescendo refusing to die down.

Mandira Dasgupta, headmistress Silchar Collegiate School had a task in her hand and that was to shush the ecstasy, the crescendo… there was no duster to bang on table, her loudest “silenceeee” would not even reach the first row but her presence on stage did manage to create some room for few words. She held the microphone and said ‘hello students and parents’ and the screams returned but this time to welcome her, she went on to say “Nothing is impossible, everything is possible” and thunderous applauses showered her verses, she emphasised on how Collegiate continued to provide quality performances at every level starting from KG I to Class X. She used the occasion to boast about 2017 HSLC performance, “129 students appeared 126 got first division, three – second division,” the boast came with a caveat though, “To the ones who are going to appear in 2018, I am telling you all I don’t want a single second division, so you all work hard I know you all can get first division,” she added.

The headmistress along with other senior committee members felicitated the distinction holders following which the final and most exciting phase of the event began. The climax of the evening left all mesmerised, a group of students performed on national anthem. “Jana Gana Mana” and formed a human pyramid which caught many eyes. “It was perfect ending and the best act of the evening,” said an alumnus who attended the ceremony on invitation.” We asked a 13 year old young boy, why is he wearing school uniform while his friends were decked in jeans and Ts… he replied, “If you wear school dress, three can enter using one pass otherwise only two, I came with both my parents and that’s why I wore school uniform.” The ‘Havana’ appealed the most to him, “That for me was the best act of the night,” the awestruck school uniform clad youth expressed.

Another group of alumni was very unhappy with the length of the programme, “Last  year it went on for so much longer,” they said in unison adding, “the act featuring Nepali language in it appealed the most to us, it was different and very well-coordinated.”

Every year Collegiate school produces great results, 100 on 100s, state highests, stands and so on and so forth, with result comes responsibility and many institutions bundle down failing to live up to expectation, but Collegiate has passed the test of time; time and again for 45 long years. By the time the 45th foundation day celebrations ended the giant room was filled with perfume of promise; promise to deliver a great 2018…

Many posts were shared on social media with photographs and videos, one such random post read, “It was an evening well spent” and that probably is the best and most suitable remark to conclude with…