On the 29th of January 2010, the students of the 10th and 12th standards finally bid adieu to their alma mater- Bishop Cotton Boys School. Well some may call it a graduation, some convocation but it is indeed a sad day in their lives. Some have spent 14 long years of their lives within the portals of this institution and it is by no means an easy task to bid goodbye.

The Graduation Ceremony commenced with the School Captain Dharamveer leading the graduating batch followed by the Office Bearers and the students. This was followed by a special song by the Choir and a prayer. The students then took the School Leavers Pledge- a solemn oath promising that the values instilled in them by the school would never be forgotten. This was followed by the Principal’s address. Our Principal spoke on behalf of all the teachers and expressed his sadness as he witnessed his own children graduate and take the next big step in life.

The student’s farewell speeches followed next. Dharamveer bid an emotional goodbye to the school and the faculty members. The emotions could clearly be seen on his face as it was the last time he would be speaking at Cottons. Devesh Ballal spoke on behalf of the 12th Standard students. His speech was full of humour yet brought out his grief. Although he had the audience rolling in fits of laughter, his sadness was seen on his face not in his words. Niteesh Sood brought out beautifully the mixed emotions of joy and sorrow in his speech on behalf of the 10th standard graduating batch.

As is customary, not only the students but also the parents were asked to speak their hearts out on behalf of their fellow parents. This year Dr. Sudarshan Ballal, father of Devesh Ballal and Mr. Mehrotra, father of Pulkit and Praful gave their views about graduation and recalled fond memories of their toddlers in the school. All the speeches were greatly appreciated by those who witnessed them.

The Chief Guest for the evening was none other than Mr. Nandan Nilekani, one of Cotton’s most loved boys and Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India. He spoke about his experiences as a Cottonian and also gave the audience some valuable insight into the UIA project. Following this was the solemn ceremony of Handing over of the Office School Captaincy. Abhirup Paul the school captain designate was handed the office of School Captain by the Principal.

The Most Rev. Vasanthkumar, Chairman of the Board and Moderator, Church of South India gave the benediction seeking the blessings of the Almighty on the students who had to face the mighty and ugly world that awaited them. The candle lighting ceremony followed and it was indeed a spectacular sight to behold in the dark. The light that dispels the darkness was what would lead them into greener pastures. The audience was then invited for a lovely dinner on the 1st eleven field. Thus came to an end the Graduation Ceremony for the academic year 2009-2010.