Writing Challenge

Remembering The Days Of The Old School Yard

High School Challenge Sweet 17

Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles

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Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles

9 min readMar 4, 2023

The high school challenge was initiated by Scot Butwell but I’ve seen a lot of Medium-ers answering the questions. I wondered if I’d have anything at all to say but well, I am going to have a go at it. I have been tagged, haven’t I? And now, it looks like everyone has been hanging out without me. 🤨 Hmm. My answers are going to be . . . very different from almost all of yours!

Because — in India, we don't have terms like freshman and sophomore and jock and high school rings and fight songs. In fact, high school finishes in the 10th grade. After that 11th and 12th grades are Intermediate or Junior College or Pre-University College. Graduation was something that only happened while acquiring the Bachelor’s degree. Of course, these days things are different, and even first-graders graduate. I love it!

Some background here…

From first to fourth grade, I went to Little Flowers Primary School, Mumbai, now Higher Secondary School. My mom and her cousins also studied there and in fact, I had the same teachers as she did. Fifth grade was in Chennai; Sixth grade was at Mount Mary’s Convent, Mumbai. Seventh grade was at Keyes High School in Secunderabad, after which I moved to St.Ann’s High School, Secunderabad for my 8th, 9th, and 10th grades. Our school was founded thus:

Msgr.Dominic Barbero invited the Sisters of St.Ann of Divine Providence to Hyderabad Vicariate and Mother Enrichetta Dominici selected six sisters who arrived in Secunderabad on 3rd March 1871. The Sisters were entrusted with the orphanage and education of girls. Source

I am stunned to know that my school is 152 years old almost to the day! 😲 As a Roman Catholic school, it was run by very strict nuns.

I studied there until the 10th grade, after which I went to Junior College or Intermediate or the 11th and 12th grades at Kasturba Gandhi Degree and PG College for Women. Then, I moved to St.Francis College for Women for my BSc first year, after which I moved to Chennai to study at Ethiraj College for Women to finish my second and third year after which I got my BSc degree majoring in Zoology, Botany and Chemistry. Head spinning yet?

Let’s go!

When did you graduate?

I assume this means 12th grade, so that would be 1980. Seems like a long time ago. Oh wait, it IS a long time ago! Sweet sixteen!

2. Did you carpool?

Nope. Hardly anyone had cars except maybe a handful of students’ parents who dropped them off. Some rode the school bus or cycled to school. Me, I was lucky I had legs and walked to school. Or hopped on the bus with my friends so we could hang out together. That was rare because my family did not have the concept of pocket money. I walked to school, carried lunch — what else could I possibly need? Hehehe.

3. What kind of car did you drive?

Never had one. Still don't have one. Unlikely to have one. Prefer to walk or use public transport. But I did admire photos of cars.

4. It’s Friday night football, were you there?

Where? This pretty much sounds like “where were you when the lights went out” to me. Because I’d reply “in the dark”. Ha!

Hanging out with friends was somewhat restricted at home. I was expected to be back home “before the lamp was lit” which would be 6.30 pm, at the latest. We were discouraged from talking to boys. Not that it stopped us, but still. We simply operated on a need-to-know basis with our folks.

If I wanted to go to a movie with my friends, it meant a long hard battle, or permissions and bribes and promises from my side. Sometimes I chose the easy way out — lying my way through it. Pretend I had special classes which basically meant fun times with friends. A girl had to be creative, no? And for curious minds, I did not go out on a date until I was 21.

5. What kind of job did you have?

None that paid me, anyway. It was normal to babysit for neighbors or help the elderly with chores or take care of the sick. I also managed my mom’s tuition students because I enjoyed it. Later in college, I taught French and Science to high school students to earn some extra cash. A little went a long way then!

6. Were you a party animal?

No. Still not one. I prefer small intimate gatherings of friends. If the gatherings are larger, I’d have to know most people. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been to parties — but only when I can’t avoid them.

7. Were you considered a jock?

Never. Hehehe! I went to girls’ schools and colleges throughout where the main school games were basketball, cricket, kho-kho, and baseball. I was not a sportsperson but did participate in non-competitive group stuff for fun, for the sake of participating. Also took part in non-competitive sports day activities. But generally preferred the creative arts — drawing, painting, music, and dance. I went to music and dance class.

8. Were you in the band?

Sure. Our school assembly had a schedule. Mondays were inspirational speeches, Tuesdays were western music, Wednesdays were devotional bhajans, and so on. I sang and danced. And had great fun. My favorites were songs by The Beatles. Bhajans were fun too!

9. Were you a nerd?

I might have been. I was pretty serious about attending classes, getting my assignments in on time, and freaking out when my friends didn’t. And yes, I was at the top of my class. I’d die of embarrassment every time my wicked classmates called my name out loud in junior college — when our Principal was in the vicinity. Her name was also Vidya. Also, I was that student the teachers called to write out the rosters, fill in the grades, write notes on the board, make handouts, etc. Decent handwriting and all.

10. Did you ever get suspended?

Nope. But my mom did get called to school by my Principal often to complain that I sat at the back of the class and read story books. I remember one instance when I was reading Knock, Knock, Who’s There by James Hadley Chase. So pissed that she confiscated the book before I could finish it. Hmph!

11. Can you sing the fight song?

What is the fight song? We did have a school song, though! Hehehe. Here it is! None in Intermediate college (11th/12th grade).

12. What was your high school mascot?

No mascot but we had a school motto depicting a beehive with bees and the motto “Sicut apis Operosa” (as busy as bees). The hive symbolizes the school community in which students like single cells are cemented together to form one harmonious unit. This emblem was engraved on the school badge and tie we wore with our school uniform.

13. If you could go back and do it all again, would you?

Not all of it, but yes, for some of the moments. Time spent with my then-best friend, who passed away the year after we finished high school. I will always miss her. With all the moving around—six schools and three cities from grades 1 to 12 and two cities for three years of college, I was a somewhat lonely type. Sure I laughed, joked, and hung out with classmates…but there was always a sense of detachment. The feeling that the time would come when I’d have to move on, soon. Somehow I was/am fine with that.

I would certainly like to enroll in a course and sit in a classroom, though. Love the feeling.

14. Are you still in contact with people from high school?

Yes. Thirty of them in a WhatsApp group. Still feels like old times when we talk like we are still in high school. Lucky me. We call each other often, have Zoom meetings, and also meet in person when we’re in the same city.

15. Do you know where your high school crush is?

I don’t think I had one. I mean, I did not even think of one. We went to school to study, seriously. Nothing less was expected. NO talking to boys. Not counting my classmate’s handsome cousin, whom I admired from afar, who would ride the same public bus with us, get off at the same stop, cross the road, and head off to his school, flipping his gorgeous hair and flashing his golden brownish eyes. Eh. What? I am not even sure what I would have done if he had talked to me. Wait he did that once. I dropped a book and he picked it up and handed it to me. I just took it and moved on. Boring!

But in the 11th and 12th grades, we had a French teacher who was super hot. 🔥. I will not name this teacher now but I, along with my classmates, enjoyed many many many hours gazing at the small of her back, the swing of her hips, her waist, and her amazing smile, dazzled by the sound of her voice speaking French. Until we were jarred awake when she asked us to get out of her class if we couldn’t pay attention. But we did pay attention . . . did that not count?

16. What was your favorite subject?

Loved them all. Math, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Social Studies, History, Language (French and Hindi), and, hold your breath, Moral Science Education. Yup! I enjoy the learning experience. I like to do well with whatever I take up. Even though my undergrad subjects were Science, I did go on to complete an MBA in HR and Marketing as well as a Diploma in Training & Development. My first love continues to be Science, though. I would have loved to pursue a course in Forensic Science. Still would, if there’s scope for doing so.

17. Do you still have your high school ring?

Our school didn’t have one. But I think I have my school badge and the memento they gave us when we graduated somewhere in a box. We are used to using the phrase “passed out of school”. Poetic justice no? Passing out. Haha!

18. What was your favorite part of high school? (bummed this question off Brett Jenae Tomlin’s list)

Growing up. My adorable teachers. Some lifelong friends. And a very happy phase at home in our family with my grandmother, uncle, and mom.

MarkfromBoston 🌻Ukraine tagged me in his post