Stephen's alumni meet was about old bonds, food faves

Time blurred as St Stephen’s alumni from different decades came together for a nostalgic lunch in Delhi recently. From meeting old friends to connecting with seniors, the afternoon was filled with meaningful conversations, music, and dance. Talking about how she never felt the need to go out during college, Arjuna award-winning cricketer Anjum Chopra recalled the popular Kamla Nagar as 'KNags' and said, "Bahar jaane ki zarurat hi nahi hai – college aa gaye toh bahar jaana hi kyun hai? College itself is an event."

'You get to widen your intellectual horizons in college'
Alumni spoke about the values and opportunities the college gave them. Siddharth Singh Longjam, Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor in the Ministry of Defence, class of 1990, recalled his initial days. "When you sit in the cafe, you tend to overhear, or you are sitting and quietly listening to a lot of colleagues who are experts in speaking. That kind of learning experience is equivalent to reading hundreds of books every day," he shared. Dedicating his success to the college, economist Prasenjit Basu from the class of 1986, said, "You get
to widen your intellectual horizons in college to an extent that is almost impossible to replicate anywhere else."

'The proud feeling of being a Stephanian always remains'
Whether you graduated in the 70s or are a current Stephenian, you know it’s cafe and not a canteen, residence and not a hostel. Anjum, from the class of 1997, said, "The enormity of being a St Stephen’s alumna and the proud feeling that we get is going to remain the way it is." Meanwhile, talking about the college cafe’s ambience, author Satya Saurabh Khosla, class of 1978, recalled, "There was nothing in Delhi to offer like our cafe had."

Commenting on the famous rivalry with Hindu College, Siddharth said, "It was a very healthy competition. They had several plus points. And it’s always good to exchange notes and see what the other people are doing. It helps in life." Adding to the conversation, George Abraham – class of 1979 and founder of an NGO for the visually impaired – described the air of superiority often associated with Stephanians as "foolish." "It’s the people you learn from," he said. "If you distance yourself because of this so-called superiority, you’re missing out." Remarking on the importance of alumni events, actor Abhinav Chaturvedi, class of 1987, said, "It’s important that we give back to the college."

Food that Stephenians reminisced about

• Mince, the famous chicken cutlets
• Scrambled eggs and toast
• Bhel puri from across the street