Chennai, November 15:You don’t expect a vice chancellor to croon popular Tamil film songs from the 1960s. But then, the audience at Raman Hall in Anna University on Saturday was not the usual sober gathering of students. The fifty-odd men had belonged to that fraternity 25 years ago, (1979-’84) and had gathered to celebrate the silver jubilee, which was why the vice chancellor, Mannar Jawahar, hit the rewind button instead of giving an inspirational speech. When Jawahar recalled moments spent on compound walls’ or visiting friends in hostel on Sundays because the food was awesome, teenaged children looked embarrassed and made fish eyes at each other, but their salt-and pepper haired parents got into the spirit of it all and giggled like school children.
Being the first batch of students (102 in all) to come under Anna University (when AC Tech came under its umbrella) and the last one when engineering courses were for five years (they are four now), the historic get-together was one where smiles never ended and happiness filled the air. After graduation, they may have gone their different ways, but recognition was instant and nicknames flew fast and furious as the alumni came face to face. A printout, recalling classroom capers’ made children of adults, and more episodes were discussed among friends and simultaneously explained to the families, and the air turned celebratory. Khalid Abdulla, who runs a packaging unit in Chennai, was busy multitasking, being an usher and also networking with old friends.
Danabhagiyam Ravichandran and Jayanthi Raja Srinivasan, wives of former batchmates, struck an instant friendship. Quite a few of the alumni sneaked out of the auditorium where formal’ speeches were underway, watched over by Dr GS Laddha, the former dean of AC Tech, A Kalanidhi, former VC and T N Ramamurthy, dean of AC Tech.
“We were mentally tuned to the jubilee event for the last one week,’ said T Ganesh, who runs a leather unit in Chennai. Arulmozhi, his wife, looked on with a tolerant smile as Ganesh rushed to embrace two of his old batchmates. Nostalgia soon gave way for some serious planning, as California-based Bommi Bommannan said the alumni wanted to give back to the University “which has shaped our lives when we entered as raw 17-year olds.” The specifics, the alumni agreed, could be discussed later in the evening.
—Agencies