A lazy, windy afternoon right after the 2.50 p.m. classes, at the green benches. And nothing better if accompanied by the occasional guitar strums and jhalmudi. That was an ESSENTIAL part of college for us and even though I missed my classes at times (in other words, bunked), I would never really miss out on the ‘green sessions’. You see, that was the elixir of our college life. Even the advent of a stupid ‘CCD’ could not mar the fun of green benches.
And then, we are not the only ones. Through the years these green benches had become such an inevitable part of Xavier’s – from random lazing hours to sweet guitar tunes to the tense, nail-biting wait for part 1 or part 2 results.
I guess the green benches had seen all, tears of joy and sorrow, ringing laughter and of course the mending and breaking of many a heart (it would have been gross injustice not to mention this).
To those like us, wishing to hold on to these cherished memories, a word of advice – do not go to college anymore. To see the way all those moments of our college-lives have been brought down to a mere pile of rubble is simply sad. The damage is done. As for the people in authority who sat through this, it’s just they never understood the pulse of Xavier’s and probably never will. They are too insensitive for that. The question is, why do the students have to suffer for that? And why does a tradition like ‘green benches’ have to be compromised with?
The students’ voice was never heard. Not even when we, the students, raise our voices against a crime like this. And so at the end of the day, we have to see our fond memories in a heap of bricks.
For all you know, in the coming years there might be a ‘barista’ instead of a canteen, keeping with the ‘times’.
