HEADMASTER DAY

A man is honoured not for what he received but for what he gave. The much awaited vibrant morning of 23rd April 2007 arrived when we celebrated the 5th Ordination Anniversary and the birthday of our dear Headmaster, Rev. Fr. Melwin D’Souza, with great fervour and enthusiasm. It was an occasion to show our respect, love and affection to him. He was escorted with reverence to the dais by the Principal, Vice Principal with the Josephites gathered all around on the college field.

The programme commenced with a special prayer by Ms. Gloria French invoking God’s blessings on our Headmaster and wishing him good luck and happiness for all his future endeavours. This was followed by the unfurling of the College Flag and the melodious College Anthem. Every young soul soured with zest and enthusiasm as they greeted Father with flowers, bouquets and cards. Melodious songs rendered by the junior section boys followed by the senior section boys added more hue to the joyous occasion. The students compared our Headmaster to a banyan tree giving shade and support to one and all and a source of inspiration, guiding and leading them towards the path of excellence. Ms. Siji Varghese on behalf of the teachers thanked God for having chosen Fr. Melwin to be part of the closely knit SJC family. She also said that he is not only a man of words but a man of action displaying courage, conviction, co-operation, determination, responsibility, understanding and perfection not only in academics but also in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, creating a congenial atmosphere to work in. This was followed by a smart and well synchronized march past by the college students. Our respected Principal, Rev. Fr. Louis Mascarenhas in his speech congratulated Fr. Melwin and specially dwelt upon his multiple qualities. He thanked him for his selfless services and tireless contributions for the growth of the college. Fr. Melwin expressed his gratitude to all for the wonderful programme and warm appreciation that he received on that day especially taking pride to be a part and parcel of this prestigious and widely acclaimed institution. Mr. F.W. Moore who conducted the programme thanked everyone who had made the day a success.

No one wants an end to such joyous moments for it was followed by a gathering of staff members exhibiting their regards to Fr. Melwin through speeches and songs. The beautiful programme concluded by a sumptuous treat of delicious delicacies, leaving a lasting imprint on all and hoping to celebrate many such joyous moments with him and praying to God to shower all His blessings upon him so that he remains happy and healthy all throughout his life.

Our country is marching towards the goal of becoming a knowledge economy. S.J.C., as a premier institution of Allahabad, from its very inception has contributed immensely to the development of this country. On 11th of October it climbed another milestone by inaugurating a state-of-art computer lab which is designed to cater to the latest technological needs of the society.

The inauguration ceremony commenced with a solemn procession by which Most Rev. Isidore Fernandes, Bishop of Allahabad and Chairperson of S.J.C. was accorded a warm welcome by the teachers and students. The Chief Guest, Most Rev. Isidore Fernandes inaugurated the computer lab by cutting the ribbon. Soon after the inauguration Rev. Fr. Louis Mascarenshas, the Principal of SJC, welcomed the Bishop and said that SJC has always tried to accommodate new ideas and techniques in its mission of imparting knowledge. He also thanked the Bishop and the management for their approval and guidance. Thereafter the boys welcomed the Chief Guest with flowers.

After the welcome ceremony the Bishop proceeded to bless the lab. In the introduction he said that we have become a global village because of the information technology. He lauded the efforts of the management and staff who have worked tirelessly to realize the vision of founding fathers of SJC. Then the Bishop read a Biblical passage and offered prayers to God and implored the blessings of the Almighty over the Computer Lab and all those who will be utilizing it. After the prayers the Bishop, along with the Principal, Vice-Principal, Headmaster and the Head of the Computer Department, lighted the lamp which symbolized the presence of God in the Lab. He then blessed the lab by sprinkling the Holy Water. At the end the acting College Captain Mohd. Shan proposed the vote of thanks. Mr. Francis Moore, one of the Senior most teachers of SJC, conducted the inauguration ceremony.

The whole family rejoices when its head celebrates his birthday. 28th of September was a day of excitement and rejoicing for all the Josephites as they were celebrating the birthday of their dear Principal Rev. Fr. Louis Mascarenhas. He was escorted to the dais with due honour and respect. It is our Indian tradition to begin every function by invoking the name of God and so the function began with Scripture reading and special prayer by Mrs. P. Raphael asking God to shower His choicest blessings upon the Principal. The college flag was then hoisted by Father Louis, which was followed by college anthem.

As a mark of love and respect, the Vice-Principal, Headmaster, teachers, captains of the college and the students presented the Principal with flowers and bouquets. Meanwhile the choirs of Junior Section and Senior section filled the air with musical notes by singing melodious B’day songs. The main attraction of the day was an impressive and well-disciplined march-past by the students. Then the college captain Abhay Mittal felicitated Rev. Fr. Louis and said that he possesses rich qualities of mind and heart. In his address, the college captain enumerated various achievements of Fr. Louis especially in the field of social work and education.

Thereafter, Fr. Louis distributed prizes to the toppers of each class and those who had full attendance during the academic year 2006-2007. By then everybody was waiting to hear from the B’day boy. He thanked all the teachers and students for supporting him and praying for him. He congratulated all the students who have excelled in studies and other co-curricular activities. He urged the students to make best use of the opportunities provided to them. At the end of the function Mayank Darbary, the Vice Head Prefect of the college proposed the Vote of thanks.

The students of the Junior Section of St. Joseph’s college, Allahabad, had organized the Art & Craft Exhibition named “Our Talented Craftsmen” which was displayed in the College Gymnasium from 23rd to 28th October 2007,manifesting their creative efforts and talents.

Rev. Fr. Louis Mascarenhas, the Principal of S.J.C along with the Vice Principal Rev. Fr. Jacob Bona D’Souza and Headmaster Rev. Fr. Melwin D’Souza escorted the Chief Guest Mrs. Saloni Goel, wife of Mr. Ashish Goel, D.M. of Allahabad to the Gymnasium where the Students with flowers welcomed her. Thereafter the Chief Guest inaugurated the Art and Craft Exhibition by cutting the ribbon and lighting the lamp. Then Pulkit Garg, a student of class 5, introduced the Chief Guest to the teachers and students and enumerated her educational qualifications and her activities in the field of environment. Thereafter, the Principal, Rev. Fr. Louis, welcomed the Chief Guest and appreciated the work of creativity displayed by the students. He thanked the teachers for guiding the students in their endeavour. He also presented the Chief Guest with the College Memento. The Chief Guest in her presidential address not only appreciated the exhibition but also urged the students to be more creative in their studies so that they can lay a strong foundation for a beautiful society. She called upon the students to use environment friendly material while preparing different items for the exhibition. After the presidential address, she gave away the certificates to the winners of Rangoli Competition. Rev. Fr. Melwin Wilson D’Souza, the Headmaster of the Junior Section, proposed the vote thanks and acknowledged the role played by the art teachers viz., Mrs. S. Jospeh, Ms. S. Baptist and Mrs. J. Robinsion, in guiding the students to think creatively.

A spectacular Christmas programme was held on 20th December 2007 before the college closed for winter vacation. The atmosphere in SJC was filled with gaiety, emotions and excitement. The college gave a beautiful festive look with a big Christmas tree, a life size musical Santa Claus, melodious Christmas carols that filled the air and crib that displayed the scene of the birth of Jesus Christ. It was an occasion for sharing the joy of Christmas with all. It was a beautiful occasion for all the Children of the Junior Section to display their talents.

Rev. Fr. Apolin Lobo, the parish priest of St. Joseph’s Cathedral was the chief guest for the function. A large number of parents and children were present for this wonderful programme. The function began at 3:30 p.m. The students welcomed the chief guest and the principal by presenting them with bouquets. Thereafter the chief guest along with the Principal, Rev. Fr. Louis Mascarenhas, Junior Staff Co-ordinator, Mrs. N. Srivastava and Junior Section College Captain, Rohan Simon, lighted the lamp which signified the presence of the Almighty God and symbolized the victory of light over darkness. Then the Principal welcomed the chief guest, the teachers and all the parents and wished everyone Happy Christmas. In his welcome address he said that Christmas instills hope in us, brings peace to us and imparts us love, so we have to create hope in people who are lonely, sick and frustrated. He called upon the people to share peace and goodwill in word and deed.

At the beginning of the programme, Rodrick George read out the verses from the Holy Bible, which narrated the birth of Christ. Keeping up the rich Indian tradition the students of class 4 and 5 performed a beautiful rhythmic dance and welcomed the guests. The youngest members of SJC family i.e., the students of class Prep, presented a wonderful dance and enthralled all those who gathered there. Thereafter the students of classes 3, 4 and 5 put up a thought provoking Hindi skit which was based on the theme- victory of good over evil. This was followed by Christmas Tableau which depicted the birth of Christ and the events that took place during the time of First Christmas. Then the students of class 2 put up an action song which narrated the fall of human beings and salvation through Jesus Christ. The main attraction of the programme was the English Skit named ‘Christmas in the Twenty-First Century’ through which the students depicted the relevance of the message of Christmas even in this modern age of information technology. The audience really enjoyed the Christmas Carols presented by the students of senior as well as junior section.

Thereafter the Chief Guest gave a Christmas Message in which he said that Christ has come into this world to establish the values of peace, harmony and justice. He was of the opinion that the selfishness of man has caused a lot of damage to the environment and as a result the earth has lost equilibrium and there is absence of peace and harmony. He called upon the people to defeat the darkness that exists in this world in the form of hatred, selfishness and other vices of the world. While appreciating the programme he said that the students have really brought out the true message of Christmas.

At the end Santa Claus visited the campus and wished Happy Christmas to all by distributing sweets to our little babies. The programme came to an end with the vote of thanks proposed by Rohan Simon, the Junior Section College Captain.

Mrs. J. Robinson

The 17th of January, the birthday of Fr. Jacob Bona D’ Souza, was a day of great joy for the entire SJC family and a special function was organized by the staff and students to mark the day. The programme was conducted by Mr. Francis W. Moore and began with a special prayer by Mrs. P. Raphael, who invoked God’s blessings on Father Bona.

Fr. Bona then hoisted the college flag, which was followed by the College anthem. He was then garlanded by the Principal and Headmaster, and other teaches. On behalf of the students, the College vice-captain, Kunal Joshi wished Fr. Bona and in his speech thanked Fr. Bona for his contribution to the college. Next, students greeted Fr. Bona with flowers, as the junior as well as the senior choirs sang birthday songs.

A march past followed, with Fr. Bona taking the salute. After this, Fr. Louis spoke about Fr. Bona as he had known him, a sincere, co-operative and always content person. Next, Fr. Bona himself spoke, thanking God and emphasizing His role in his life and expressing his gratitude for the day’s function.

The programme ended with the college Vice Head Marshal Akash Saha raising the vote of thanks. Chocolates and College Calendars were distributed in classes, as a staff get-together and refreshments followed in an extended lunch break.

Kunal Joshi
XII – C

A function was held at St. Joseph’s College on the 26th of January 2008, to mark the 59th Republic Day of India. Colonel Babu Joseph, Head Quarters, Allahabad, Sub Area, was the Chief Guest for the function. This was a day for us to remember the founding fathers of our constitution. Even though India attained its Independence on the 15th of August 1947, the constitution of India came into effect on the 26th of January 1950.

The day started with the invocation of God’s blessings by a special prayer which was made by Mrs. M. Kujur. Then our Principal, Fr. Louis, welcomed and introduced the Chief Guest and enumerated his many achievements, and also highlighted the importance of the Republic Day.

This was followed by the hoisting of the national flag by the Chief Guest and the National Anthem. The Chief Guest then took the salute of the College March Past which was lead by the College Vice Captain, Kunal Joshi.

After the March Past, the College Vice Head Prefect, Mayank Darbari, addressed the gathering. The junior section students then performed a colourful patriotic dance to celebrate the Republic Day. This was followed by a patriotic song sung by the junior section choir and then by the senior section choir.

The Chief Guest gave a very inspiring speech to the students and highlighted the problems which our country faces today. He remembered those who sacrificed their lives for the sake of unity and freedom of our country. He told us to aim higher in life so that the nation can be proud of each individual citizen. He concluded his speech by quoting the former American President John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country”.

Our principal then presented a College memento to the Chief Guest as a token of our appreciation. A vote of thanks was raised by the College Vice Head Marshall, Akash Saha. The master of ceremonies for the function was Mr. F. W.Moore.

College Vice Head Prefect
Mayank Darbari

“Ships are always safe in the harbour, but they are not meant to be in the harbour, they are meant to be in the voyage of life to unknown places.”

On the 9th of February, 2008 we gave a hearty farewell to our elder brothers, for, the time had come when they would leave the safe harbours of SJC to travel in the unknown journey of time.

The morning began with the usual morning prayer that was followed by a special prayer by Mr. F.W. Moore. The outgoing college captain, Abhay Mittal, then unfurled the college flag. This was followed by the well disciplined march past. The College Captain, Head Prefect and Head Marshall then expressed their feelings and remembered their thirteen years of stay in this institution. They also gave some advice to the juniors. After this, the senior section college choir presented a beautiful farewell song to give their best wishes to their outgoing elder brothers. Then our Principal, Fr. Louis Mascarenhnas, gave his blessings and all-important advice to the outgoing students. Our master of ceremony, Vinayak Mehrotra, then invited all the class 12th students to a special farewell program organized by the students of class 11th.

In this special programme, our College Vice Captain, Kunal Joshi, welcomed everyone. This was followed by the melodious group songs from the students of class 11 which was applauded by all. During this time, lunch packets were served to the students. After this, the stage was left for the class 12 students who came forward and gave wonderful performances in the form of songs, jokes and skits.

Then the class teachers of each section- Mr. Rakesh Sharma, Mr. F.W. Moore, Mr. S.B. Rai and Mr. Abbas spoke about their experiences with these students. They told them that they were all gems and they loved them all. Mr. Manoj Singh also shared his experiences. Then a representative of each section came on the stage and shared his experience with all of us. Our College Vice Head Prefect then gave a farewell speech.

Then, Mrs. A. Harris conducted a special prayer that was followed by the lighting of a candle which would be kept burning in the College Chapel throughout the duration of their ISC exams.

Then our Principal gave out mementoes to the outgoing students as token of love and remembrance. The event concluded with Md. Asim Shaan proposing a vote of thanks and reminding us “THERE ARE NO DAYS LIKE SCHOOL DAYS”.

Vaibhav Dubey, 11 - A