I was told to write a review of our annual even, VIVA, so this is what I wrote:
Vibrancy
and Vivacity
The sunlight broke through the
hills, illuminating the rows of eager children desperate to fight their way to
victory in a competition or perfect a newfound talent in the workshops. The
lofty hills provided a stunning backdrop to the mega event that was to begin in
a few minutes.
The bell rang. A wave of students
fought their way to their designated rooms, separating as they pounded up or
down stairs. It was not long before the twanging, singing, yelling, screaming,
clicking, and tapping filled the corridors, exhibiting the exuberant
pandemonium ensuing from the many rooms.
Brilliant in its conception yet
simple in its execution, Vibgyor’s Viva provided a stepping stone for all those
children who required something new, something momentous to enter their lives
at home and at school. When it was first introduced into Vibgyor High, NIBM Pune
last year, it was as though a dream had come true. It was the wish of many to
master the art of archery, yet it seemed as though this hope would eventually
dissolve into nothingness. The school seemed to read our disheartened minds and
revealed to us that there would be a VIVA, and it would include Archery,
Fencing, Photography, Graphology, Robotics, and many other amusing yet
endlessly helpful topics. Such joy that filled our hearts! It is inexplicable,
all-consuming. It was as though all my wishes had come true in the single
moment that our respected Principal, Mrs. D. Ahlowalia, revealed to us our
school’s plans for the upcoming VIVA.
It is incredible how certain ideas
flourish with age. I must admit; my belief that VIVA could match its previous
success seemed a tall order to me. Yet, once again, I was surprised. To say
that it had exceeded all the students’ expectations would be an understatement.
To say that it was unbelievably successful would be closer to the truth.
This year, VIVA took a scientific
turn. This bore no complaints from me; I had always found myself as a more
educational and less athletic person. Forensics held a certain charm for me: I
have always been fascinated by crime solving through biology. It is as though
one receives all the mystery and adrenaline he can hope for; all the while
using advanced scientific techniques to discover the absconding culprit.
This was not the only modification
in VIVA this year. Vibgyor provided the children to flaunt their looks and
personality in the “Viva Prince and Princess”; allowed budding swimmers to
showcase their talents in the “Splash Dive” swimming competition; and allowed
teams to dribble their way to victory in football and basketball. The winners
of the events would be given the opportunity to visit the original Vibgyor in
Mumbai for the Mega-Viva event, that, I remember wistfully thinking, must have
been incredible.
VIVA is original. I have never seen
any other school offer anything as complex, unique, and helpful and the VIVA.
It is a method to release our tension and reveal our hidden talents to those
who believed that we were beneath them.
Yet, on the last day of VIVA, I look
at the faces of my fellow schoolchildren and they all say the same statement:
Ah….Viva
is over, now we must return to drown in the sea of studies.
And then:
It
was so fun. I can’t wait until next year.
