Nostalgia and joy livened up IITGN campus as alumni from India and overseas returned for Homecoming 2017; myriad emotions witnessed at campus.
It was a morning of December 23. The campus of IIT Gandhinagar, usually peaceful at this time of the year (winter vacation), sprung to life. Coy smiles, ceaseless laughter and gleaming eyes of more than 120 alumni from India and overseas transformed the campus into a melting pot of emotions, as they returned to their Alma mater. It was Homecoming 2017, the annual alumni reunion, that retrieved the “good old days” for them.
Organised by the Office of Alumni Relations at IIT Gandhinagar, the event hosted alumni from the past BTech, MTech, MA and PhD programmes. Over the two days, the alumni revisited their college days. Faculty-alumni and student-alumni interactions, Halla Bol (student-organised informal sports competition unique to IITGN) and cultural evening remained the most sought-after events.
Prof Amit Arora – faculty coordinator at Office of Alumni Relations, IITGN – while welcoming the past students said, “College has a special place in a person’s life. After graduating, all of us reach different positions in life, changing jobs, shifting apartments, buying groceries and having dinner with spouses. Life sure is no longer the same. Yet, at some point during the day, week, month or the year, we miss the place we called ‘home’ for several years. At Office of Alumni Relations, we try to give that chance to our alumni to relive those college days again.”
The crowd was overwhelmed with emotions when Prof Sudhir K Jain, Director, IITGN addressed the alumni. As he started speaking, gleaming eyes and thundering claps lightened up the auditorium. Professor Jain said, “IITGN is what it is because of all of you. You are the most vital member of our family. We started in 2008 and have come a very long way from our initial days. It makes me immensely happy to see your success and even happier to see that you have taken time out and travelled from far and wide to be here today. Your presence is a testimony to the love that you have for the institute, and this tells us that we are doing great!”
Guest lectures by prominent IIT alumnus and PAN-IIT members, sports and cultural events – all being a vital part of their college experience – invited resounding applause and praise from alumni. They also brainstormed over how they can contribute to their Alma mater’s growth and development.
