A school for life

May 06, 2010

“Looking back on boyhood years, even unhappiness acquires a certain glow”
-Ruskin Bond

And there it was, is and will always be standing magnificently in the middle of Park Street, with its head held high in the blue sky, with two words inscribed on its logo- ‘NIHIL ULTRA’. It stands there with its mystic appearance, inherent glow of academic excellence and co-curricular brilliance. A hundred and fifty years of glory in education-St. Xavier’s Collegiate School. Only to a very few would Xavier’s be only just a school. To most of us, Xavarians, it is our second home, if not the first. I can say without any hesitation and second thoughts that we all are very “Proud of our school and happy”.

I remember the day I first stepped into the primary section of the school in class three, holding my mother’s hand. I had been scared by the thought that I’d be so far away from home for such a long time as I usually did not like unknown places and I was almost in tears. Little did I know that I would be crying a great deal more when the time would come to finally say goodbye to my school days. It still seems as though it were only yesterday…

Time flies. Nine years later, when I know that my school life will soon be a history, I wish I could live it all over again. Being a Xavarian is not only about going to school and coming back, but also about the feeling of being one with a tradition, a culture and 150-year-old heritage. There is a saying that we only appreciate the value of something when we feel that we are about to lose it forever. What I know I would miss the most is the unity, harmony and integrity among the students and the teachers because out there is a world divided-a world mainly of self centred people, who care only about their own benefits, a world from which we had been shielded from for so long. The world is so wild but we have our own paradise inside the grand yellow walls.

Friends. How different life would be in the absence of school mates! The friends we make in school are friends for life because they have no personal interest in their personal gain as their love for us is unconditional and that is why when two Xavarians meet miles away from their home in some different country, they say to themselves, ‘I am not alone. Here I have my friend.’ In this world, true friends are the hardest things to find. I’m fortunate enough to say that Xavier’s has given me a lot more than just education. Apart from other great gifts, it has given me life-long companions, who are ‘men for others’. Even in spite of the sad empty feeling of missing our school, we find a new strength as we realise that a brotherhood of great ‘men for others’ is always behind us supporting, helping and being there when we need anything. Just then, when we look back on our lovely school building, we can only think of the two most sacred words we have learnt in school-‘NIHIL ULTRA’. And so, we step into the outside world with courage in our hearts and dreams in our eyes.

Wherever we go and whatever we do in life, we always carry with ourselves the school badge-but this badge is not a shining piece of metal but is an invisible etching on our inner selves. It can’t be seen, but is always there with two words engraved clearly on it-‘NIHIL ULTRA’. Nothing Beyond.

“Let’s all give a lusty cheer-HURRAY! For our school so dear.”