Golden Girls of '75: Sophia High School graduates to reunite after 50 years
In the midst of a newly imposed national Emergency in 1975, a class of 65 girls graduated from Sophia High School with big dreams and the education to make them come true. Life took them in different paths to far off corners of the world and varied careers but 50 years later, theyre set to come together, reminisce and once again get to know the girls, now women, whose presence coloured their childhoods. Its been constant excitement from everyone, says Namitha Shetty, director of Shankaranarayana Constructions and Hotels, who is organising the reunion at Bangalore Club on Dec 2. The celebrations will begin today with an informal lunch. There have been so many surprises. I had lost touch with many and when word spread about the reunion, I started getting calls from my classmates, wanting to talk. I was equally curious about them and the first thing I asked is to send me a picture because I dont know what they look like now! adds Shetty with a laugh. On Tuesday, the class will reunite for a lunch along with a few fun activities to get conversations going, including a photo booth and a quiz. Shetty explains, The photo booth has little posters taking us back in time to 1975 the Emergency, the prices of different commodities, and trivia like that.The quiz is all about our school days with questions about teachers, subjects, and other things we had at school in those times. The alumni will also leave with a thoughtfully-compiled yearbook detailing the accomplishments of each alumna with pictures to go along with it. The school, one of the iconic girls educational institutions in Bengaluru, has produced distinguished alumni since it was founded in 1949. Looking back on her time at the school, Dr Shalini Chandrashekar Nooyi, now the principal and dean of MS Ramaiah Medical College, says, With the kind of education that Sophias has given us, you can see that many of us have become women leaders doctors, businesswomen, and have become accomplished people. Sophias taught us to have confidence in ourselves, she says. Indra Lakshmanan Menon, the chairman and managing director of Senapathy Whiteley Group, echoes similar sentiments, saying, The school was classy but everyone wasnt affluent we had kids from all backgrounds, we had all races and religions and we were so cordial and loving toward each other. That doesnt mean that Menon and her classmates didnt get up to any girlhood mischief. Even though she says, there was very little room for it, Menon recalls with a laugh, We sometimes bunked class and went through the back (of the school), through the Bangalore Golf Club to Ashoka. It had just opened and was a big thrill in those days. One bottle of Coke was one or two rupees, so we bought two bottles, and 10 of us drank it. With old recollections coming alive, the group abuzz with chatter is ready to make new memories, promptly dressed in their house colours Anderson (yellow); Barat (red); Bennett (purple) and Julie (green).
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