A Vibrant-Zestful-Ebullient, Lively-High-Spirited St Aloysius College Alumni Association (SACAA) Reunion Bash 2024 held in Gusto & Full of Life
Mangalaluru: A Vibrant, Zestful, Ebullient, Lively, High-Spirited ‘St Aloysius College Alumni Association (SACAA) Reunion Bash Was held in Gusto & Full of Life on 12 January 2024 at the St Aloysius College Open Air Grounds, Mangaluru. 12 January every year is a date that no alumnus of St Aloysius Institution wants to miss, because it’s the date of St Aloysius College Alumni Association (SACAA) Reunion Bash, which is held without fail unless there is an earthquake/cyclone/floods- or unexpected Pandemic that ruined the fun years ago.
For years SACAA Reunion has been hosted without skipping any year, and this year was no exception. High school or college seems like just yesterday. That is until you’re browsing through your Internet or WhatsApp an invitation for the SACAA Reunion. It’s shocking, the realization that much time has passed since we were hopeful professionals, entrepreneurs, scientists, doctors, engineers etc. These were the people who were involved in the important school/college years of your life. Aside from all of the activities and fun at school/college, everyone has a place in the memories you made there.
Where the heck did the time even go? It doesn’t matter if you were the class clown, a bookworm, or the most popular person in your institution. When you all head back to a SACAA Reunion, it’s almost like you’re introducing yourself, because, with time, you have changed. Yes, it is all so surreal. While you may not need help remembering the good old days, you have to make sure the right words characterize the extreme feels you’re going to get standing next to your high school or college buddies, all grown up, some in their golden ripe age, some having their hair turn grey, few of them lost a few teeth, some in their still young middle age, and some still very young? Anyways, looking back at your pics is going to be a time capsule for that moment — the day you thought would take forever to come when you graduated.
To the Alumni and well-wishers of the 143-year-old St Aloysius College, Mangaluru, it was ‘all roads leading to St Aloysius College’ on 12 January 2024, the Aloysian Alumni Reunion Day. Over 600 Alumni along with their family members and friends assembled at the venue to meet the Jesuit Fathers, teachers, classmates and friends to relive glimpses of their School and College days as students and enjoy some fun-packed moments. The programme began with a prayer by Ms Sharanya, a SAC alumnus, followed by a welcome address by Dr Richard Gonsalves-the Convener of the event,
Sunil Kunder, the SACAA President gave an introduction to the programme and announced the names of donors. Dr Alwyn D’sa-the Registrar of SAC raised out the names of the two persons who were felicitated on the occasion-they were CA Nitin Shetty and Capt John Prasad Menezes. Also, two young CAs and alumni of SAC, who completed their exams with distinction namely CA Ms Ancita Manisha Gonsalves (Daughter of Dr Richard Gonsalves) and CA Ms Navya Shetty were felicitated by Herald Fernandes-the SACAA executive committee member.
The Rector Fr Melwin Pinto Sj presiding over the programme briefly explained the significance of the SACAA Projects Expressing his gratitude for the great support given by the alumni and well-wishers to the institution he thanked them and solicited their support in the future as well. Sunil Kunder proposed the vote of thanks The stage formal programme was followed by a session full of fun and games. Now it was all set for Revelry time, where the vivacious, ebullient, lively, full of life, high-spirited, scintillating, vibrant, zestful, energetic, dynamic, and whatnot- the “one and only” star attraction of the evening Compere Manoj Louis kept the crowd alive and in a revelry mood through his witty punchlines and professional compering.
A live band of College students named Rhythm Mates consisting of Samson Coelho-Male Vocalist; Ms Preemal female vocalist; Deon Sequeira-Guitarist and Wilson Fernandes-Keyboard performed excellently, with their Bollywood, Western, Konkani, and ending their session with non-stop Baila, which brought the revellers on the dance floor to shake their hips and body. Audiences were swayed to the melodious songs from a few alumni. Former student and faculty in Journalism at SAC Reuben Machado mesmerized the audience with his rendition on flute. There were a bunch of games, and winners took home awesome prizes, like a trip to Paris. They wish! According to the organizers, they had worked tirelessly for the last couple of months to reach out to as many past SAC students to attend the function, and they were lucky to get hold of a large number of alumni who showed up for the event.
SACAA Reunion was a time to cherish the moments and fun that the alumni had when they were students of this prestigious institution. It was a nostalgic journey down memory lane for these classmates/students of SAC who came together for the Reunion Bash. The memoirs of yesteryear were once again rejuvenated as they all shared their memories of those olden, youthful, cheerful days full of happiness and joy. To enliven the atmosphere there was not only live music but also a floor dance and lots of friendship cum fellowship, together with a sumptuous spread of food that added spice to the occasion.
‘Classmates’ of the 1975 Batch of St Aloysius High School Turned ‘Classmates‘ at the SACAA Reunion 2024 Bash!
Yes, a few ‘Classmates’ of the 1975 Batch of St Aloysius High School Turned ‘Classmates’ at the SACAA Reunion 2024 Bash, and shared the good old fun that we all had during our School days. It was a nostalgic journey down memory lane for us classmates who came together at the Reunion Bash. The memoirs of yesteryear were once again rejuvenated as we all shared our memories of those olden, youthful, cheerful days full of happiness and joy. To enliven the atmosphere there was not only food and drinks, but a few of us shared a few jokes and naughty things we did while at school. And apart from fun and frolic, and lots of friendship cum fellowship, there was a sumptuous spread of food that added spice to the occasion.
Being an old student of St Aloysius High School 1975 batch, I had the immense pleasure of meeting a few of my buddies whom we had lots of fun with during our HS days. The batch of 1975 has produced many doctors, engineers, scientists, and bankers, among many other posts-to name a few- Dr Ananth Agarwal- the Founder and CEO of edX, an online learning destination founded by Harvard and MIT, USA; Dr Shivasharan – a renowned Environmental Scientist based in UK; Nazir Ahmed- CEO of a Bank in USA; among many others. Since many had other engagements, only a few could join for the SACAA rEunion, but it still felt great.
L-R: Ludovic Lobo; Peter Pais; Alfie D’Souza; Shivanand Rao; Arun Bhat; and Jude Rego
Ludovic Lobo, who worked in NSE Stock Exchange in Mumbai; Alfie D’Souza- was employed as Lab-Tech/Quality Control in a Chemical Plant in Chicago, USA for 24 years, and now a journo with Mangalorean.com; Peter Pais- worked in Toyota Company, Muscat, now settled in Bengaluru, Shivanand Rao-managing Rao & Rao automobiles, a family business in Mangaluru; Arun Bhat- managing ‘Mango Grove’ a veg Restaurant/Businessman; and Jude Rego, managing his business of Insurance/Stocks In Mangalore Anyways, it was great to see old classmates after decades, and happy to see a bunch of those grainy little images that looked hauntingly familiar.
Oh, the memories! How they all came rushing back! That was the expectation. The reality was different. It was time to get reunited with the school chums. When I saw Guys at the reunion, I decided to let bygones be bygones. I ended up feeling pretty good about my classmates. The biggest surprise was how little most of us had changed. The people who were interesting characters back in 1975 were still interesting characters!
On WhatsApp, we are in touch via personal chat. The bond I share with each of my friends doesn’t need to be the same as the rest of the group. School days memories are the best part of your life and only school friends can understand what you were at that time. We the bunch of this Class 1975 express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to our Alma mater because what we are now is only because of the education, training and discipline given to us by the Jesuit priests, our teachers and not forgetting the non-teaching staff. A BIG thank you to St Aloysius Institution for making a difference in our lives- Long live St Aloysius Institution- and Long Live the 1975 Batch! Cheers until we meet again for yet another get-together of the “Brady Bunch?” of the 70’s!
Like it is always said that “Once an Aloysian, Always an Aloysian!”- and so it was, for all these Aloysians in pride meeting together and cherishing their good old days at the SAC, and rejoicing on their achievements that their Alma mater was responsible. And 12 January Every Year, the old “boys” of St Aloysius College- Mangaluru join in for the great fun, and the crowd is predominately mixed, with young and old, gents and females, boys and girls, who were joined by a bevvy of Jesuit priests in their best attire in formal slacks and shirts- but everyone had a jolly good time.
As the sumptuous buffet spread was opened, the baila beat reverberated through the venue and those who could not resist dancing, both young and old, had a gala time. To sum it up the SACAA Reunion 2024 will go unparalleled in history, while the snapshots incorporated along with the report here speak for themselves. Many exclaimed, “Oh what an awesome reunion it was!” I will keep 12 January 2025 marked on my calendar to be free that day and attend the next Reunion bash for sure!
Happiness is being with an old college mate after a long time and feeling like nothing has changed. It’s the oldest story in the world. One day you’re twenty-one and planning for someday, and then quietly and without you ever really noticing, someday twenty-one and that someday is yesterday. And this is your life. Sometimes you have to accept the fact that certain things will never go back to how they used to be. Sometimes, even when you are having a good time, you can’t help but stop and think about how much you miss the old times. We have had a good time while we were young, but it is in the nature of Time to fly. We did not change as we grew older; we just became more clear ourselves you always go back to the people that were there in the beginning.
Meeting up with people from St Aloysius Institutions gives us a little piece of the past back. And no matter how much things have changed and continue to do so, we’ll always remember the people we shared those golden years with. That’s the fun of going to a high school reunion: it’s seeing the people who you were close to all those years ago, and re-exploring the relationships of the past. Reunion reveals friendship potential that hasn’t yet emerged in the past. On the lighter side of vein-“Reunion after a long separation is even better than one’s wedding night”- this SACAA Reunion 2024 with music, songs, dance and drinks in full swing the party raved till late at night and the SAC alumni/ae finally reluctantly bid goodbye to each other, while specifically asking for more such reunions to be organized and draw plans to repay their Alma Mater in the best way possible.
We Alumni of SAC take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere. And as they say “An Aloysian is Always an Aloysian”- and that’s what we are, and will be Proud to be an Aloysian! Kudos to Sunil Kunder, the President and his SACAA team for a job well done!