Abu Dhabi: Agnesian-Aloysian Reunion brings fond memories alive
Oswald M D’Souza
Pics: Prakash D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi, Feb 2: It was a day of nostalgia for the former students of St Aloysius and St Agnes College/Schools of Mangalore on Friday February 1 when they met for a long-awaited reunion held at the scenic Golden Tulip Al Jazira Hotel and Resort, after exactly two years.
It was a moment of joy, laughter and tears for the former students to reminiscence their golden past they spent in the corridors of their respective institutions. They gathered along with their families for a day of fun and frolic from all over UAE and from parts of other Gulf countries, to participate in this extraordinary extravaganza.
The organizers lived up to their promise of giving their comrades and their families quality entertainment throughout the day.
The bright sunny day with a fantastic cool weather interspersed with chilly winds added extra charm to the day’s activities.
The ambience, the stunning stage and the dance floor gave the event an added attraction.
The day’s proceedings started with All Aloysian-Agnesian band playing soft music to set the tempo of the day.
It was the arrival of the live-wire and seasoned master of ceremony Neville D’Souza that gave a boost to the event when he took over as the main anchor of the event.
The eye-catching opening ceremony with Agnesian and Aloysian committee members who had worked so hard for the success of the day arrived at the centre stage to the beating of drums – a unique presentation with colourful ballons with the both chairpersons – James and Jacintha holding the respective college flags marched towards the dais as part of the inaugural ceremony.
Jacintha Mendonca, the chairperson for Agnesians for 2013 event, welcomed the gathering on behalf of both Agnesians and Aloysians and explained the path they tread since the start of Alumni movement in the UAE. She thanked and appreciated the efforts and hard work put in by their dedicated committee members since the past months.
College anthems of both colleges were sung by the former students of the respective colleges and the colourful blue and white balloons depicting college colours were released symbolically marking the inaugural of the event.
A beautiful welcome dance – fusion of eastern (Bharathnatyam) and western dance was performed by the children of the alumni to the cheers of the audience which gave a much desired start.
Soon after the formal ceremony it was time for fun.
The live music provided by All Aloysian/Agnesian band proved to be an instant it. The combination of eastern, western including English, Hindi, Konkani, Tulu, Kannada, Sri Lankan songs catering for the taste of both young and old raised the pulse of the event.
As part of the foremost competition a tug of war was arranged for the mixed groups of Aloysians and Agnesians and it proved to be an entertaining competition and an ice breaker for the holiday crowd.
The eventful day also witnessed variety of entertainment including the Gangnam style dance competition for the youngsters and children. It was a competition with a difference, that had the audience spellbound. A large number of couples and children took part in the entertaining competition and brought out their best, displaying flair and grace.
In the adult category Colin D’Souza and Jeralyne Pinto were judged as first followed by Evane and Carina as second and Avril and Aseela took the third place. In the kids category Melony and Melody took the first place followed by Anaga and Sanskrithi the second place. The judges had a tough task selecting the best performers.
During the break, the main sponsors, associate sponsor, co-sponsors and support sponsors were felicitated.
This was followed by couple games, hat decoration competition etc which kept the attendees busy throughout the proceedings.
Bingo, novelty dance, lucky draws, raffle draws and spot prizes kept the crowd eager and alert right through the day. There were lots of prizes up for grabs including air tickets, gold, hotel stays, safaris and electronic items.
The highlight of the day was the “Rainbow” Dessert Contest, which attracted numerous entries giving the ladies ample scope to display their culinary skills. Winners were declared courtesy Rainbow milk products.
The novelty dance too had attractive prizes, it was an excellent opportunity for the attendees to mingle with each other.
The foot tapping music provided by Aloysian Agnesian band kept the audience on their toes and gave ample opportunity for the young and old to dance to their hearts content.
The music played with the DJ Joel during the intervals also kept the audience busy on the dance floor.
The children were kept occupied throught the day by means of face painting, clowns, henna and jumping castles with lot of gifts and goodies to take home.
James Mendonca, chairperson for Aloysians proposed the vote of thanks.
The master compere Neville D’Souza did a splendid job in his unique style, keeping the audience on their toes and proved once again why he is a much sought after MC.
The last session of the day – the ever popular Baila session stole the show was the ultimate, wherein the crowd became ecstatic and wanted more as the final number was played. The entire crowd joined for the dance swaying and dancing to the tune of the fantastic electrifying music provided by the band and the DJ Joel.
At the end of the day the crowd did not want to leave the floor asking for more. The day’s event concluded at 7.45 pm.
The Agnesian Aloysian Band proved once again that they were the best. Their efforts in providing quality music with their outstanding performance was appreciated. They provided, popular English, Hindi, Kannada, and Konkani numbers and the crowd thoroughly enjoyed. A sumptuous lunch was served in the afternoon.
It was indeed a memorable event and a day to remember for a long time to come. The organizers worked hard to make this event a great success and deserve all applause.