EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL

The Managing Committee is pleased to present this issue of School Tie. Response has been excellent from India and abroad, made easier by the Internet.

“The old order changeth, yielding place to new….” Thus wrote Lord Tennyson. The Managing Committee has seen some recent changes, with long serving stalwarts such as Reza Najam-es-sani, Rohinton Pavri, and Behram Shroff stepping down to allow ‘younger blood’ to take up the responsibility. Their contribution to the formation, growth, and development of the Alumni Association is greatly appreciated by all of us. Fali Mehta stepped down as President with Adil Irani taking his place. A warm welcome to the new inductees in the Managing Committee – Dinesh Advani, Kavi Desai, and Rahul Divan.

Adil Irani

Deepak Mehta

Bimal Goculdas

The School now has a well-equipped Gymnasium, with the latest equipment for keeping the students slim and trim and help them exercise themselves, through their ‘work out’ sessions for all sports.

In the field of sports, the U-16 cricket team reached the Quarter Finals for the Giles shield after a gap of 10 years. The U-14 cricket team, too, made it to the quarter finals.

Our boys won the interschool debates of ICSE schools at the Zonals and qualified for the Nationals in Bangalore. The Alumni Association awarded the participants handsomely.

In football, the U-16 made it to the finals in the ‘A’ division. The U-10 team unfortunately against lost in the Finals. However, the enthusiasm for football has not decreased and the sporting spirit is still very visible. Adrian Mascarenhas deserves special mention as he created a new record in the 100 metres hurdles (14.3 secs.) at the Junior Athletic State Meet at Sangli and represented Maharashtra in the All State Junior Athletic Meet at Cuttack. Our ace swimmer, Rehan Poncha bagged several State and National awards but unfortunately, had to leave us to complete his school career in Bangalore.

The interaction between alumni and our students has been very commendable. The Alumni Association organized Career Talks in their field of specialization, which were deeply appreciated. The cricket and football matches on the school grounds brought alumni and students together to revive the Marian spirit.

The following staff members viz. Ms. N. Waghmar, Ms. A.D’Mello and Ms. Sheila Serrro have retired after a long innings at St Mary’s. May God be with them in their new environment and time of retirement.

March 1999 ICSE EXAM RESULTS AT A GLANCE

The football season has almost come to an end and it’s cricket now. Incidentally, our U-16 football team emerged as runners-up in the Division ‘A’, Mumbai Schools’ prestigious football tournaments.

Cricket coaching is in full swing and soon the boys will begin their matches for the Harris shield.

The Annual Sports’ Day has been scheduled for November 19 or 22, pending availability of University Grounds, Marine Lines.

I take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Alumni Association for their valuable contribution to the school in so many different ways, inspite of constraints of time, etc.

I was privileged to attend the Second Jesuit National Alumni Congress, together with Mr. Robert Lawrence, a member of the Executive Committee as representatives of the St Mary’s alumni Association, at St Xavier’s College, Calcutta, from January 22 to January 24, 1999. There were almost 400 delegates present from all parts of the country, including our neighbours, Nepal. The Congress was inaugurated by His Excellency, the Governor of West Bengal and the keynote address was delivered by Mr. Siddhartha Ray, a renowned Jesuit Alumnus and an eminent lawyer.

The Bombay and Western region (Gujarat) contingent made a significant impact at the Congress and not only will the next National Congress be held in Mumbai in 2001, but the Jesuit World alumni/ae Congress too, will be hosted in Mumbai in 2003.

RECENT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES

the Association has been fortunate in receiving relatively more support for its activities in the last 12 months or so.

An Alumni V/s School Football Match was held in September 1998 in which the former put-up a spirited display but were beaten 3-2 literally in the last minute; however, some of the oldies are still nursing their injuries!

An Alumni v/s School Cricket Match was organized in October, 1998 in which Ketul “Kadi Pehelwan” Patel (1984) (managed to get many a overthrow from the school team by walking half-way down the pitch and also the guy with the camera), Mihir “Jhavda” Jhaveri (1984) (stood 6’ 3” and did not need to wear an abdo guard as no one could bounce the ball that high), Robert “Panther” Lawrence (1972) (fielded like a panther in the covers), Sunil “One Ball” D’souza (1972) (he got out on it almost dislocated his shoulder and the batsman’s head), Media “Boxer” Jalali (1972) (so generously provided the trophies that were presented to the school players), Masoodi “Cool” (1972) (was the coolest guy on the team), Shyam “Balsi” Balsekar (1984) (actually lasted out for more than one over much to the surprise of every one) as also the Vice President Mr. Paul Machado (a nippy bowler) and the Computer Master Mr. Melbon D’silva (a nippy bowler) participated on behalf of the Alumni. A pleasant time was had by all. By & large, the Alumni team did reasonable well despite their advanced years and lost with just 3 balls to spare. The Association presented the trophies with Kaustubh, Adil & Mayank (the Captain) of the School Team duly winning the ‘Best Batsman’, ‘Best Bowler’ & ‘Man of the Match’ awards respectively.

Sushil Sukhwani, Bimal Goculdas, Shyam Balsekar, Behram Shroff, Dr. Hemant Sawnani & Sunil D’souza of the Association conducted a Vocational Guidance Talk at the School in November 98 in which various career options were outlined/discussed. There was encouraging participation from the St. Mary’s Boys and the Alumni had to contend with some rather penetrating questions. Fr. Evarist was very supportive as usual.

The Annual Dinner was advertised extensively and turned out to be a grand success. While there were a few hiccups pertaining to the arrangements, the same have provided food for thought with regard to the planning for the next Dinner.

The erstwhile PTA of St. Mary’s School (ISC) [they have had themselves ‘wound up’ recently] has been generous to this Association and we would like to record our thanks to all the people concerned at the P.T.A. on this account. These funds shall stand the Association in good stead while carrying out its charitable activities.

The Association was also fortunate in receiving permission from the Director of Income Tax (Exemption) Mumbai that exempts donations received by the Association from the payment of Income Tax under Section 80 G of the I.T. Act 1961; this status should provide a further fillip to the Association’s activities in the near future.

The dinner on Friday 20/11/98 was a milestone in the history of our school. It was the largest gathering of alumni till date with appx 725 of us there. The previous best attended dinner was 425 people.

Despite a higher price at the gate yet 80 people came in at the last minute. The live band didn't really take of and similarly the recorded music as the mike was being grabbed by the enthusiastic Marians to make all sorts of speeches etc. Ft Evarist picked out the Lucky Winners for the 2 BA Bom - Lon Return Air Tickets and several other prizes. In fact there were over 50 prizes to be distributed which resulted in dinner being served late and it becoming more of a prize distribution than a dance, but all the Marians were least bothered about the announcements and just continued to have a good time. People were really loosing control over emotions meeting old friends after so many years.

The dinner was a Parsi Menu and was finally jumped on by all those after having their fair share of beer. There were Bun Chops and Kheema Gutli for starters.

There were souveniers such as a Golf T-shirt as well as a polo neck, both in white with lovely colorful logos ( I'll try to put a picture on the next mail for orders) an Umbrella, School Badges and Ties, some old sweat Shirts and some School Publications on sale too. Marians and their better halves were caught walking through the hallowed halls and the grounds narrating fond memories from their school days.

The managing committee was in all extremely satisfied with the dinner and invites comments from those who attended. For those who didn't make it there, we would like feedback on the webcast.

We unfortunately did not get a count of how many were there from respective batches so I invite those who know, to share it with us along with any suggestions on how to have a better function next year. I know that from my batch ( 85) there were 13 guys. On behalf of the Alumni Association I'd like to thank each and every one who attended for making it a memorable evening and especially to Fr. Evarist for making the event possible.

A TRIBUTE

I stand here all alone. The silence frightens me as I am held transfixed, unable to move. The darkness shrouds all there is to see, and even as I grope around blindly, wildly a calm pervades my very soul, and I begin to see with my mind's eye.

Its all there. Just as it always was. The tiles glistening in the light, slippery as an eel. The awesome pillars bearing the burden of an entire building sagging just that little bit with age but yet not ready to give in. The stone platform where the assembly was conducted. There it is the passageway on the right, that dreaded place where the staff-rooms were housed. Its all there, just as it always has been, and then all of a sudden there I see him. All alone, fumbling with a rubber ball at his feet. I stand there amazed by the little boy as he juggles the ball with his feet, dribbles 2 unseen, non-existent opponents, sets up a goal and shoots. Bravo. He calmly collects the ball and goes through the motions again. and again…and again…and something in my heart longs to speak to him and then he sees me and he knows.. he just does… just as I do…

After all I would recognize myself anywhere…. And memories of those days tumble into my head….the day I first became a member of that great institution… no it was something more than just a school, it was an attitude… a way of life.

I remember my first few days. A shy, reserved boy was accepted willingly and included in everything by everyone, right from the class gossip to the games of mud wrestling we enjoyed then. I remember those hours of practice I put in alone in the morning so that I could be proficient at that one sport everyone played…. Football…. I soon learned that working with a smaller ball helped me dribble and control the bigger football better ….. I made it that very year to the school team…

Wait its fading.. there's someone else there in his place… An older looking more mature boy slowly walking along the corridor.. deep in thought…or wait.. is he thinking or is he memorizing something….right then he looks at me.. and smiles….just as I do… There I was in the 7th and 8th … probably conjuring up the worst possible fate I would have to suffer at that very days English Elocution Competition, my very first….. God how could I let him talk me into it…… I still remember the stage, the blinding lights ….. the huge audience and the fear… yes, the fear more than anything else….. I don't remember speaking but I did win a prize at that competition….winning a prize at something I thought I could never do… I guess all I really needed was someone to make me believe in myself…to see what I could not…. I remember competing in many other competitions…. Sometime winning, sometimes losing but more importantly always daring to participate….. I still remember that thrill…. The applause.. the celebrations and the upsets but most importantly the lessons I learned from all of these….and I remember that boy who goaded me, and begged me, and threatened me… all this to show me my true self…my true potential… yes, I remember him….so well….

And as I look up to catch just one more glimpse of him he's gone, and I wander along in that labyrinth of corridors…as sure as a bee in its hive…. After all i did grow up there.

There he is again…. no longer the shy, unsure bespectacled boy he once was, but one who was confident… so sure of his abilities and talents.. How he had changed…. For the boy who was too scared to dare to the young man who dared to something new all the time…

There he was talking gently to a boy of about 9 or 10… his words seemed to be soothing the boy…. As I drifted in closer I heard him saying ," You have it in you, you just don't know it yet… I remember myself so much as yourself…unsure…all I needed was someone to see what I could not.. to make me believe… Today I can see what you cannot and the time has come for me to continue that tradition…. So sacred to all us Marians, the tradition of believing in ourselves…. The tradition of leading… so go forth…that stage in your battleground… the battleground on which you shall taste victory.. a triumph over your lesser self…..".And I walked away before he spotted me… he had learnt his lessons well the lessons so lovingly taught to him by everything around him… by all the events that marked his life at that school. He would grow up to be just like me I thought. As I wandered out of my school a tear came to my eye… yes he had grown up to be exactly like me…

Nikhil Gahrotra

1. AQUADEXTROUS (ak wa deks' trus) adj. Possessing the ability to turn the bathroom faucet on and off with your toes.

2. CARPERPETUATION (kar' pur pet u a shun) n. The act, when vacuuming, of running over a string or a piece of lint at least a dozen times, reaching over and picking it up, examining it, then putting it back down to give the vacuum one more chance.

3. DISCONFECT (dis kon fekt') v. To sterilize the piece of candy you dropped on the floor by blowing on it, assuming this will somehow 'remove' all the germs.

4. ELBONICS (el bon' iks) n. The actions of two people maneuvering for one armrest in a movie theater (airplane).

5. FRUST (frust) n. The small line of debris that refuses to be swept onto the dust pan and keep backing a person across the room until he finally decides to give up and sweep it under the rug.

6. LACTOMANGULATION (lak' to man guy lay' shun) n. Manhandling the "open here" spout on a milk container so badly that one has to resort to the 'illegal' side.

7. PEPPIER (pehp ee ay') n. The waiter at a fancy restaurant whose sole purpose seems to be walking around asking diners if they want ground pepper.

8 PHONESIA (fo nee' zhuh) n. The affliction of dialing a phone number and forgetting whom you were calling just as they answer.

9. PUPKUS (pup'kus) n. The moist residue left on a window after a dog presses its nose to it.

10.TELECRASTINATION (tel e kras tin ay' shun) n. The act of always letting the phone ring at least twice before you pick it up, even when you're only six inches away.

OUTSTANDING ST. MARIANS

· TU Professor Named 1998-99 U.S. Professor of the Year

Sujeet Shenoi (Class of 1976), associate professor of computer science at The University of Tulsa, has been named the 1998-99 U.S. Professor of the Year for research and doctoral universities by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Shenoi was selected for the national award from among 191 professors representing the category of research and doctoral institutions across the country. Three other professors won in the categories of community colleges, baccalaureate colleges, and master’s universities and colleges.

Shenoi and the other professors were honored by the Carnegie Foundation at an Oct. 8 luncheon in the nation’s capital for their "extraordinary dedication to undergraduate teaching, commitment to students, and innovative teaching methods."

I thought i'd let everyone know about this chap Rehan Poncha of our school. He's a great swimmer. At various inter club events he won 13 golds,2 silvers and 8 bronzes setting 2 new records. at the YMCA inter school competition he won 3 3 golds,1 silver medal and set 3 new records. at the Maharashtra State National Selections he won 2 golds,3 silvers and 1 bronze setting 2 new records -at the Greater mumbai state selections he won 1 gold,3 silvers and 1 bronze setting 1 new record.

At Nationals he won 2 golds and 3 silver medals and bettered 1 national record. -was selected to represent india at the asia pacific age group meet held in Taiwan where he won 2 bronze medals. To date he has won 59 golds,82 silvers and 49 bronze medals in various competitions

· 9 scientists selected for Bhatnagar award

NEW DELHI, SEPT.26. Mr. V. Sampathkumaran and Mr. Sunil Mukhi (Class of 1972) from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, are among nine scientists who have been selected for this year’s Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award – the nations highest award for science by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) here.

The two share the prize in physical sciences for their outstanding work on condensed matter physics and string theory respectively.

In Defense of Plastics

So-called environmentalists these days are clamouring for a ban on plastics. These people have little knowledge on the subject, which, as the saying goes, is dangerous. Several accusations have been hurled at plastics, the majority of which I will deal with here.

In fact, the truth is quite the opposite. Firstly, plastics last much longer than other materials and hence waste disposal is reduced. Secondly, plastics are excellent low-cost insulators e.g. polystyrene insulation for refrigerators, hence reducing electricity consumption and consequently pollution. Thirdly, PVC, the most common plastic, contains 50% Chlorine which is obtained from naturally available salt. This saves finite materials like oil.

The main example cited here is that plastic bags can suffocate children. True, I accept. But which foolish parents allow toddlers to play with plastic bags unattended? It’s the same as calling for a ban on kitchen knives because children kill themselves with those! Plastic bags are not designed to be toys. Once you respect that fact, plastics are as safe as any other household object.

For all those supporters of paper, I would like to ask: What is paper made from? The answer is ‘trees’. Global deforestation is a major issue today which plasto-phobes seem to ignore. Plastics can be recycled just as well as paper. In fact, 99% of PVC is recycled in the United States.

There are over 2000 Chlorine compounds found in nature. Approximately 30% of all medicines contain Chlorine. It is a question of how you use these products. Scientists estimate that half of all known chemicals, whether they contain chlorine or not, whether they are natural or not, can cause cancer in high doses. There are over a thousand chemicals in coffee. Only twenty-six have been studied so far, of which fourteen are carcinogenic to animals in high doses. It is important to note that the level of dosage is far more important than the chemical itself.

Plastics are an essential commodity which we cannot do without in our daily lives. Can you imagine a hospital without surgical gloves, blood bags, or IV tubing? What better material could we use to make raincoats? The uses are many, and growing every day. As educated citizens in a developing country, we should take a complete view when faced with hype from ill-informed environmentalists. Having vested interests, they spread half-truths which are taken as gospel by a well-meaning society intent on preserving the environment. It is essential that we continue to use plastics in the manner they are designed for.

NORTH SOUTH EAST WEST ST MARYS IS THE BEST "

I remember myself chanting this slogan quite a number of times during my years spent in St Marys.

May it be the field of sports, academics or extracurricular activities we were always the best.

Mr Cedric D'Souza , Mrs Marie Martin Rodricks, Miss Nargis Whagmar ( I

really liked her ),Mr Dhananjay Khade, Mrs Elizabeth Ninan, Mrs Olga Nazareth, Mr Ignatius

D'souza, Mr Sheikh, Late Father Castale, Father Austin, Father Berkie, and many more. The list continues.

· Just got to know about this great service to mankind (read Marians).Like to hear from all CO73 whereever you are. Not too many news about us floating on the site. Gear up guys and keep in touch:

· Hi ! It is really great to touch base again with school days. Thanks and good luck to the person or persons who took on the responsibility and the challenge to start the website. I have now got confirmation that Mr Dyer is no more. He was a great teacher. Studying him smoke and play cards and spending time with us in the lunch interval to solve the daily Times of India Crossword is something I will remember. I can from browsing so far gather that most of the people who are registered are mostly day-scholars. It looks like I and my other 3 brothers (hope to get them registered soon) who live in Australia are the only few boarders who can haunt the web site. Therefore I welcome a response from any and all boarders before and after 1968 to touch base with news of how life has fared with one. I am going to visit India from 7th to 31st Oct 1998..would love to meet anyone who remembers me and the good old days ! best wishes

· You may not know this, but I used to play for the Soccer, Hockey and Basketball teams in my time at St. Mary's. I also won the school championship in Athletics in 1962. Good to hear the boys are still sports mad and doing well. Look forward to further news. Keep well. Cheers,

· By the way, your site on Mary's ISC is really great. Even though i was from across the road: it was nice to go through it. Seen a lot to warm the heart. Thx to U, Samant is on my desktop now to whistle away my blues. Thanks again. Keep up the good work. By the way, always wanted to know: What did U ISC boys think of us; SSC boyz? Curious.

Those of you who remember the good times you had at St. Mary’s Villa in Khandala there is some great news. The Villa has been completely refurbished and is open for reservation by any one interested. As you all know the pristine location offers a great weekend get away, within two hours drive from Bombay. Self contained rooms are available at Rs.215 per head per day including breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dorms are also available at Rs.250 per head per day. For reservations and other details, please contact between 9 am to 12 noon:

Mr. Diego D’souza

One of the most vivid memories that I have about school was the inter-house football finals that we played during our 9th & 10th Std. (1984/85). There was enough football being played every monsoon - the inter class, inter house, and if you were good enough, the inter school (those were the days that cricket was still second to football). There were times that some teams were far superior to the other, and you had a one-sided game (which was always good for the ego of the winning side), but when you had a fairly even game, that is when the excitement started.

One such time was the 2 finals (played in successive years) between the White House and the Green House. Both were even sides with the White having Reza in forward, Rahul Divan in mid-field, Green having Viraf Dumasia (no one could catch up with him - our only hope was that normally he ran faster than the ball!!), and Samir Bahl. The twins Greg & Gary were also one-a-side. In fact, most of the school team was represented there.

The first year, after a grueling 90 minutes, the scores were drawn at 1-1. There was no concept of the "golden goal" and after another 30 minutes - the agony of penalties. The Green House won that year.

Revenge came the next year. Same finals, the same teams nearly the same players. Again the scores were tied after full-time and after extra-time. This time after penalties, the White House came out on top.

Thinking about it now, I wonder how we used to have the energy to attend all classes, play football, do your HOMEWORK (there was no getting away from that), and then go to school again the next day. But just the feeling of standing in the middle of the big field, slight drizzle against your face, and the knot in your stomach that always comes before the start of a big game. I could do anything to relive those days again !!!

Vinay Chainani

St. MARY’S ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Come all you Marians with your better halves and have a ball with lots of prizes to be won. Umbrellas and T-shirts will be available at the dinner. Like last year the dinner will be telecast live on the Internet.

PRIZES

Airline Tickets Weekend Stays Dinners (for 2) Gift Hampers

The above prizes are sponsored by a small group of St. Marians. If anyone else wished to sponsor please call any of the below mentioned Committee Members. Invitations for the function are available with persons and places mentioned below:

Keki Master 4150759 2047323

ERRATA: In last year’s School Tie, we had published an elegy for the late Kenneth Dyer. It was brought to our notice that there were several errors. We apologize for this and are attaching a corrected version of the same.

March 1999 ICSE EXAM RESULTS AT A GLANCE

RECENT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES