I SSUE 2 A MONG O URSELVES 3 Editorial ith the coming of autumn, North Point now enters Winto a new chapter for this academic year, with its own activities and events to look forward to. With this transition the 'Among Ourselves' Editorial Team present to you the second issue of the 'Among Ourselves' magazine for the year 2019. With this new issue we bring to you new ideas fresh off the boat along with some new additions from the Editorial Team. We are grateful to all the boys who have contributed their articles for this issue and it is our humble request that you continue to do so. Writing, unlike many other art forms, is unique. It single- handedly tests the many abilities and overall calibre of an individual. I believe that all the boys whose articles you shall now read, ranging from the Primary students upto the Senior students, all have managed to push themselves to their individual limits and convey to us their thoughts. I sincerely hope that you, dear reader, will enjoy reading this magazine and feel satisfied with it. The third issue will be the last issue of the 'Among Ourselves' magazine for this year and our plan is to make it the larget issue till date, but we cannot achieve this feat without your support and contributions. So, to all the staff and students of North Point, the water does not flow until the faucet is turned on, so turn on the faucet of your creativity and let it all flow out. The Among Ourselves Editorial Team 2019 Teacher Guide - Mrs. Anupama Roberts Reviews - Vinayak Milan Pradhan Editor-in-Chief - Mahin-E-Alam Samden Lama Dukpa Text Editors - Md. Ismail Razee Art Section - Nisheet Budathoki Jonathan Prateek Lopchan Mihir Dev Choudhury Design and Layout - Hrishikesh Rai Articles - Vaibhav Gurung Rishabh Agarwal Dhiresh Sarda Mahin-E-Alam Aranya Sen Photography - Yuvraj Ghimiray Hrishikesh Rai 4 A MONG O URSELVES I SSUE 2 “Our learning will have to be a source of help to others, especially the needy ones.” – Fr. Leo Alphonse Raj SJ the new PD building. I have seen the PD classrooms being shifted from one place to the other over the years. My Priestly Ordination happened at the JMJ auditorium. The canteen has been shifted now to the PD ground. The infirmary has gone back where it was once. And of course the young men are different every year and I may be new to many but most of the staff know me (Though I lived one year earlier it does not look like that to me). I feel I am not a new person to the Twin Towers. At the same time, new people and new problems and solutions along with young men filled with lots of talents to share with others, give me a sense of hope and happiness that we together can create a better NP. Q. How did you feel when you were first told that you would be the Principal of SJS, NP? It was a shock as well as a surprise. When Fr. Provincial started talking to me I sensed that something was coming but I didn’t think it would be NP. The reason being that I am young, less Q. Though it has been a month now, we would still like to experienced unlike many great men who had been here before extend our warm welcome on behalf of the North Point me. So I asked Fr. Provincial to give me some time. He said family. Could you please tell us something about yourself? “you can take your time but you have to say only YES”, ah… ah… Then I understood that there was no choice left other It is true that it has been a month now, but I am not a new than taking up the responsibility happily. I understood that the person to the North Point family and am familiar with the Society of Jesus had kept their trust in me. So here I am! saying that "Once you are a North Pointer you are always a North Pointer". When I came here during my second year Q. How do you envision reviving some of North Point’s old of Regency, just before going for Theology studies, Fr. Kinley traditions? SJ told me that when Regents come into NP for their regency I will do as much as I can, along with the Jesuits and staff, to either they go out with flying colours or leave half baked. Many revive some of the trademark traditions. It will take some time of the senior Jesuits have told me that NP has its own traditions but surely I will. Due to various reasons some of the practices training young Jesuits when they join the Society of Jesus. I have been stopped but things will be sorted out. One such is think I was lucky to be part of the former. And so I was sent that wanting to resume the HMI course. If the parents and the to London for my theology studies. My heart was always here students vouch that they will be responsible men and women though I did not know that I would be sent again here so early for others and conduct themselves well, we will start from to take over a big responsibility. I am aware I can’t fill the shoes this year. The first Friday mass has resumed already. And the of great men who passed out from here but am sure with the great tradition of never giving up on anything till we reach the help of every member of the NP family, past and present, will pinnacle for AMDG, will continue. work together to build a better society and to form our young Q. Lastly, what message would you like to bestow on the men to be men for and with others. Also I was always in touch with a few staff members and I kept myself updated and I have students as well as the staff of NP? seen NP growing from strength to strength. The responsibility As I am writing this I was told that we won the ISC Fest dance is new and tough. But when I have so many good staff around and Creative writing competition held at Loreto Convent me, I think, as Julian Norwich said “All is well and all manner School. Congratulations to you young men! This is what I have of things are well”. To say something about myself, I am from been thinking to impart to everyone who is associated with the Tamilnadu, from the diocese of Sivaganga where the famous NP family - that we never give up! We fight till the end! We Jesuit Saint St. John de Britto was martyred. I joined the society need to put our heart and soul in all that we do, striving always in 2001 and after many years of formation at various places am for MAGIS! At the same time being proud of our success, not back here. pride, and deeply rooted in reality and learning from it as they Q. You were here at North Point a couple of years ago. come our way and constantly reminding ourselves that our Could you elaborate on some of the most striking changes learning will have to be a source of help to others especially the that you have notices so far? needy ones. In fact, the infrastructure has not changed much except for I SSUE 2 A MONG O URSELVES 5 A Burma Boy of the ‘Home in the Mountains’ - Mr. Ban An Khaw I arrived at North Point on a cold dreary February evening in 1958 as a thoroughly naïve Burma boy with my brother C.K. Cho, cousins Sunny Thein Aung and San Tutt Thein. My uncle Harry Saing who was a Depelchin Gold Medalist as well as a phenomenal athlete when he was at North Point, accompanied us because we could barely speak English upon arrival. Within a few months, I could speak English well enough to get into arguments and fights. However, 8 years later I graduated from North Point with a first division in the Senior Cambridge O level and Indian High School standings. In between my arrival and completion of my Senior Cambridge high school exams, many life-long friendships were made and memorable events were born. On my very first night at North Point, “Boss” (Alexis) met me and asked if I were Harry Saing’s nephew. Then, he said prophetically, “You shall win the Depelchin Gold Medal.” I did not realize what he meant and did not have a clear concept of why I was at North Point. My weekly report cards alternated between Green and Yellow. I remember getting straps from Fr. Coffee for my Yellow report cards. My understanding as a naïve young boy was that since I had paid my dues I could start mischief all over again. Mr Ashley Moss was my class teacher that year. Our accomplished former ambassador and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, I am Chit Myine Cho (C.M. Cho) class of ’65, St. Kasit Pyromya, was my class-mate and I sat one bench Joseph’s College, North Point. Since I left India, I have been in front of him. Due to my incessant talking in class using my Chinese name Ban An Khaw, since I am a Sino- and the LD study hall, combined with my hot Burmese Burmese. I came to the United States at the end of October temperament you may have guessed what the colour of 1987 after attending North Point College for 2 years.