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     Volume 4 Issue 7 | August 6, 2004 |


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Event

Service to the Nation

Srabonti Narmeen Ali

A throng of Scholastica Alumnus of all ages -- ranging from college students who were back for summer vacation, to established and successful career-people -- walked through STM (Syed Tanweer Murshed) Hall on Thursday, July 29, 2004 to celebrate the launching of the school's first Alumni Association get-together.

Organisers Samir Ahmed (A-Level batch of '01), Ashiq Alam (O-Level batch of '99), and Shaat-el Elias (A-Level batch of '01), worked alongside with Faria Mustafa from the Corporate Office, Anuza Haque, Manager of the Chairperson's office, Fazla Rabbi, Assistant to the Chairperson, Shahana Parveen from the Finance Director's Office and Saira Choudhury, to put this evening together. Sponsored by Transcom, the event was in danger of being postponed due to the current flood situation in Bangladesh.

"It just didn't seem right for us to be celebrating while the country is going through such turmoil," said Yasmeen Murshed, Chairperson and founder of Scholastica.

Rather than "celebrate" in the midst of such suffering, the organisers decided to turn the evening into a charitable event. Not only were donation boxes were stationed next to the registration desk, but the "gala dinner," they had elaborately planned, was cancelled. Instead, light refreshments were served after the launching ceremony and all the proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund.

"After much thought we came to the conclusion that we should meet tonight but do so in a spirit of community feeling and sympathy for the loss which so many are suffering," said Murshed. "Thus we decided to forgo the elaborate dinner which was planned."

"It sort of justifies the grand scale of the event, just knowing that all the money is going towards the relief and aid of flood victims," says a student from the O-level batch of '82. "I was impressed with the way Scholastica has grown. It's beyond my imagination. When I was in school, it was a one-storied house in Dhanmondi next to the Abahoni field. Our economics room was the size of a small dressing room. But we really had the best time of our lives in those classrooms. I felt a bit out of place in this new and shiny building."

As out of place as some people may have felt in the new building, the launching ceremony of the Scholastica Alumni Association definitely proved that those "good old days" were not forgotten. MC for the evening, Anami Karim (O-level batch of '98) began the evening by announcing a presentation of snapshots and slides from the formative Scholastica years. Giggles and muffled laughter from the audience indicated that the presentation did indeed bring back fond memories for some of the older students.

After the slide show trip down memory lane, two Alums from the O-level batch of 1978 -- the first batch of graduates ever -- Farah Kabir and Kazim Ziauddin said a few words about the school in their day.

"I do have to say that the only problem I have with Scholastica is that it has prevented Yasmeen Murshed from continuing her teaching," said Kabir towards the end of her speech. "For those of you who have never had the opportunity of being in Yasmeen Apa's classroom, you really missed out."

A tremendous and enthusiastic round of applause followed these words as Anami asked an emotional Yasmeen Murshed to come onstage and say a few words. Murshed encouraged her ex students to show community spirit by donating money and taking initiative, like the three organisers did by building up funds from the ticket sales of this event and donating it towards the relief fund.

"You are all from a privileged background," she said. "So I ask you to think about what you have gotten from Bangladesh and think about what you can give back. I see the Scholastica Alumni Association as a synonym for the development for the nation. This night is a beginning, very much like the beginning of Scholastica itself, which for me was a vision of working with people. We are all in this together. I am sure that the new Alumni Association will make community service its goal and 'Service to the Nation' its motto. Please count on all of us here at Scholastica both as a corporate entity and as individuals for all help and support in this effort."

In the spirit of the event, the Alumni Association and Yasmeen Murshed presented plaques to the people who made the most difference in the lives of the students -- the faculty and the staff. Overcome with emotion, the staff and faculty filed offstage, while Anami asked Wasima Parveen, English teacher and current Principal to say a few words about her experiences of being a long term teacher.

"The event was extra special for a Scholastica 'lifer' like myself because I saw some of the people who are directly responsible in making me the person that I am today -- my teachers," says Azra Salim, a former student from the A-Level batch of 1995. "Seeing all my old teachers made me feel like a kid again. It made me proud, to be a Scholastican coming back to attend an event like this."

The first half of the evening slowly drew to a close as organisers Samir, Ashiq and Shaat-el invited Yasmeen Murshed up to present her with a plaque and asked her to help them officially launch the Alumni Association night.

"If this was any other occasion I would be scared to pull this string in case there is a bucket of paint attached to it," she admitted to a chuckling audience. "But I have full confidence that these three gentle, gentlemen would never dream of doing such a thing."

Together all four of them pulled the string hanging from the ceiling and a shower of balloons and confetti came falling down from the top of the stage, amid deafening applause and cheers.

A thirty minute break followed the launching ceremony in which refreshments were served in the canteen downstairs. After refreshments alumnus and faculty reconvened in the auditorium for a performance by one of Bangladesh's pioneer rock bands, Miles. But the highlight of the event still remained in the fact that this new born association had, in such a short time, raised so much money for a good cause. Proceeds for this event, including ticket sales, donations for raffle gifts and other personal donations amounted to about Tk. 3 lakh.

Apart from the entertainment and the "Samaritan" feel of the evening, many people just enjoyed hanging out with their old friends.

"Coming back here made me realise that you can take us out of Scholastica but you cannot take the Scholastica out of us. I can't believe how people as grown up as we think we are, could behave like such brats when we got together. It was like we never left school," says Sabrina Ahmad, O-Level batch of 2000.

throng of Scholastica Alumnus of all ages -- ranging from college students who were back for summer vacation, to established and successful career-people -- walked through STM (Syed Tanweer Murshed) Hall on Thursday, July 29, 2004 to celebrate the launching of the school's first Alumni Association get-together.

Organisers Samir Ahmed (A-Level batch of '01), Ashiq Alam (O-Level batch of '99), and Shaat-el Elias (A-Level batch of '01), worked alongside with Faria Mustafa from the Corporate Office, Anuza Haque, Manager of the Chairperson's office, Fazla Rabbi, Assistant to the Chairperson, Shahana Parveen from the Finance Director's Office and Saira Choudhury, to put this evening together. Sponsored by Transcom, the event was in danger of being postponed due to the current flood situation in Bangladesh.

"It just didn't seem right for us to be celebrating while the country is going through such turmoil," said Yasmeen Murshed, Chairperson and founder of Scholastica.

Rather than "celebrate" in the midst of such suffering, the organisers decided to turn the evening into a charitable event. Not only were donation boxes were stationed next to the registration desk, but the "gala dinner," they had elaborately planned, was cancelled. Instead, light refreshments were served after the launching ceremony and all the proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund.

"After much thought we came to the conclusion that we should meet tonight but do so in a spirit of community feeling and sympathy for the loss which so many are suffering," said Murshed. "Thus we decided to forgo the elaborate dinner which was planned."

"It sort of justifies the grand scale of the event, just knowing that all the money is going towards the relief and aid of flood victims," says a student from the O-level batch of '82. "I was impressed with the way Scholastica has grown. It's beyond my imagination. When I was in school, it was a one-storied house in Dhanmondi next to the Abahoni field. Our economics room was the size of a small dressing room. But we really had the best time of our lives in those classrooms. I felt a bit out of place in this new and shiny building."


(From L to R) Organisers Shaat-el Elias (O-level batch of 2001), Ashiq Alam (O-level batch of 1999) and Samir Ahmed (A-level batch of 2001) pose for the camera after a successful evening.

As out of place as some people may have felt in the new building, the launching ceremony of the Scholastica Alumni Association definitely proved that those "good old days" were not forgotten. MC for the evening, Anami Karim (O-level batch of '98) began the evening by announcing a presentation of snapshots and slides from the formative Scholastica years. Giggles and muffled laughter from the audience indicated that the presentation did indeed bring back fond memories for some of the older students.

After the slide show trip down memory lane, two Alums from the O-level batch of 1978 -- the first batch of graduates ever -- Farah Kabir and Kazim Ziauddin said a few words about the school in their day.

"I do have to say that the only problem I have with Scholastica is that it has prevented Yasmeen Murshed from continuing her teaching," said Kabir towards the end of her speech. "For those of you who have never had the opportunity of being in Yasmeen Apa's classroom, you really missed out."

A tremendous and enthusiastic round of applause followed these words as Anami asked an emotional Yasmeen Murshed to come onstage and say a few words. Murshed encouraged her ex students to show community spirit by donating money and taking initiative, like the three organisers did by building up funds from the ticket sales of this event and donating it towards the relief fund.

"You are all from a privileged background," she said. "So I ask you to think about what you have gotten from Bangladesh and think about what you can give back. I see the Scholastica Alumni Association as a synonym for the development for the nation. This night is a beginning, very much like the beginning of Scholastica itself, which for me was a vision of working with people. We are all in this together. I am sure that the new Alumni Association will make community service its goal and 'Service to the Nation' its motto. Please count on all of us here at Scholastica both as a corporate entity and as individuals for all help and support in this effort."

In the spirit of the event, the Alumni Association and Yasmeen Murshed presented plaques to the people who made the most difference in the lives of the students -- the faculty and the staff. Overcome with emotion, the staff and faculty filed offstage, while Anami asked Wasima Parveen, English teacher and current Principal to say a few words about her experiences of being a long term teacher.

"The event was extra special for a Scholastica 'lifer' like myself because I saw some of the people who are directly responsible in making me the person that I am today -- my teachers," says Azra Salim, a former student from the A-Level batch of 1995. "Seeing all my old teachers made me feel like a kid again. It made me proud, to be a Scholastican coming back to attend an event like this."

The first half of the evening slowly drew to a close as organisers Samir, Ashiq and Shaat-el invited Yasmeen Murshed up to present her with a plaque and asked her to help them officially launch the Alumni Association night.

"If this was any other occasion I would be scared to pull this string in case there is a bucket of paint attached to it," she admitted to a chuckling audience. "But I have full confidence that these three gentle, gentlemen would never dream of doing such a thing."

Together all four of them pulled the string hanging from the ceiling and a shower of balloons and confetti came falling down from the top of the stage, amid deafening applause and cheers.

A thirty minute break followed the launching ceremony in which refreshments were served in the canteen downstairs. After refreshments alumnus and faculty reconvened in the auditorium for a performance by one of Bangladesh's pioneer rock bands, Miles. But the highlight of the event still remained in the fact that this new born association had, in such a short time, raised so much money for a good cause. Proceeds for this event, including ticket sales, donations for raffle gifts and other personal donations amounted to about Tk. 3 lakh.

Apart from the entertainment and the "Samaritan" feel of the evening, many people just enjoyed hanging out with their old friends.

"Coming back here made me realise that you can take us out of Scholastica but you cannot take the Scholastica out of us. I can't believe how people as grown up as we think we are, could behave like such brats when we got together. It was like we never left school," says Sabrina Ahmad, O-Level batch of 2000.


 

 

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