1997 - 2001: One more time at GCT

When you ask someone who has built their career, family, and life itself, what would be the one place they wish to go back to? It's almost always either their school or college. Schooling is when life is lived with no idea of the course or the destination. But college, it's one last time you can enjoy life before you succumb to the weight of responsibilities and duties. And when I saw the 2001 passed-out folks of GCT returning to their alma mater, it felt like they were here to relive those days one more time.

The evening prior to the big day, the main auditorium was embellished with carpets, banquet chairs, garlands, vases, and a banner at its roof. The timeless oval was draped with a perceptive poster displaying all the chief events of departments at GCT. Don't mistake this as the only pre-event preparations done; the actual drill was underway weeks prior, which included organized e-registration for the event, picking souvenirs customized at that for everyone who had registered, staging skits, orchestra, choreos, and whatnot. Some of them even came that evening to personally check in on all the arrangements and to meet the junior volunteers in person for a prep talk.

The morning arrived, and so did the attendees. Around 170 people flew in from 12 different countries to have a glimpse of life at GCT again. The entrance of the venue was filled with bear hugs, squeals, laughter, and nostalgia. Meanwhile, the reception desk was utterly chaotic with people in line to collect their presents. The happiness in their gestures when they recognized each other, that amusement on their faces the moment they saw their pals now bald and grey, was endearing. Not to mention, they stepped in the avenue with strowing blossoms and loud cheers. You should have seen the playful banter they were pulling off with the garlands at the reception desk. Adorable.

So, everyone was seated, the stage was set, and with the dignitaries occupying the dais, the ceremony officially began. And when I say they took charge of everything in the ceremony, I mean right from syscom setups and master of ceremonies to performing culturals. One could say the MCs that day were having the time of their lives with how passionately they were hosting. The dignitaries were introduced one by one, and all of them emphasized the importance of reunions and how they give you 10 years of extra life. I believe it resonated with everyone present in the venue. Who are GCTians without the habit of giving back? Well, the current captains of the GCT badminton team were presented with cash incentives by the then-badminton players—so their juniors could soar even higher. And with further adult talks, the morning session came to an end. Wait, before you conclude they probably moved to lunch, it was something even more exciting—group photos and a walk around the campus.

The set for capturing memories was thoughtfully organized. There were segments for department photos, PR photos, all boys, all girls, family photos, couple photos, and whatnot. Snaps, laughter, howls, cheers. Pure unadulterated joy everywhere. With the shots taken, the entire batch took a stroll along the campus with Chenda Melam leading the folks and everyone grooving to it. At the end, everyone gathered in front of the legendary clock tower for the big batch snap. Then it was time for lunch served at the openAudie. The lunch was a full-course meal of soup, starters, entrees, and desserts curated for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. The ice cream was my favorite part of the lunch.

Now comes the most awaited part—the culturals held at Main Audi. It looked more like a full-blown department function than a reunion. The culturals commenced with the MCs joshing back and forth and the crowd erupting in laughter. The best part? Every performance had a story. The MCs opened this “suitcase of memories” and pulled out an intro for each act—it was like a walk down the memory lane. The dances are powerful, the songs are refreshing, and the skits are funny yet creative. As always, the dance brand of GCT, Eliminators, came in like a storm and took over the stage with their power moves. The batch collectively presented the team with a cash incentive in awe of their work. And the event came to an end with Mustafa blasting off the speaker and the attendees rising for an emotional wave with unshed tears yet happy smiles at having these moments to relive as a GCTian. Classic millennial things! Overall, the afternoon at Main Audi was something that should not have been missed that day.

After the cultural events were over, tea and snacks were served hot. Sipping chai on one hand and spilling tea on the other—the evening came to an end with conversations and goodbyes. What struck us the most was that none seemed unapproachable or rigid. On the contrary, all of them returned a smile when passed one, kind enough to come say hello and ask how college is treating us. All of us who volunteered that day had at least one lesson to take home. The conversations went from how they jumped from companies in a job hunt to settling down in San Francisco comfortably now. Their parting words:

“GCT is a level up for all of us. It is for you as well; it might not seem like it now, but you'll understand sooner or later."

And honestly? They were absolutely right.

Credits:

Patron: Dr. K. Manonmani, Principal of GCT

Staff In-charge: Dr. M. Kalpana

Editor in Chief: Mathimalar V (IT 23-27)

Article prepared by: Sujithasri K (Civil 24-28)