North Eastern College past students seek unity

Billed as a team-building exercise, the event is expected to begin at 5 pm and features a historical overview of the school and contributions by past students from specific year groupings.

It is hoped that by the end of the reception, those in attendance would form an umbrella association mainly to absorb the various alumni groups that have developed over the years. Oliver Roopsingh, one of the driving forces behind the event, said the school’s strength has always been its reputation as a family institution.

“We (students) knew everybody. It was a family and that was good,” said Roopsingh, who entered the school in 1964. “In those days, the population was small. But, today, a lot of children at the school do not really know each other.” Saying that discipline also was at an optimum, Roopsingh noted that the school, during its early years, also offered a range of extra-curricular activities, including chess, photography and naturalist clubs.

“We had lots of sports and drama. We also had an active debating team and we used to come up against Queen’s Royal College and cut their tails,” he joked. He said all of the alumni groups needed to become one unit.

Nichelle Farrell- Windsor, who has been a prominent member of one of the alumni bodies, agreed. She said for too long, groups of students have been operating in an individualistic fashion.

“There is need for a more unified approach.

With this cocktail event, we are hoping to reconnect in a more meaningful way so as to bring structure and formalise the alumni officially,” Farrell-Windsor told Newsday.

“This, of course, will enable us to do more as an organisation which, in turn, will help our school and bring some of the positive feelings we left with to the present school population.

Our goal is to create a database and to register officially the alumni to move forward.” Farrell-Windsor acknowledged that other groups also have been attempting to establish a fully-operational alumni association.

“In 2013, I came together with Hermoine James, Jamila Draper, Rondon Thomas, Lue-Ann Henry, Usha Garib and Nicholin Brathwaite,” she said.

“We created a group on Facebook for all years which to date is the largest group thus far of 1,228 past students.” Farrell-Windsor added: “We have two events, one of which was more of a success that the other. One was a sport and family day at the school and the other a backyard Dutch party.

“We also created a tag line, Liming with a Purpose, and sold polos to help us achieve our events and database goals.

Farrell-Windsor said the group also collaborated with another past student, Beverly Baptiste, on Unite, an all-inclusive Carnival party which was held in 2014.

With the motto, A Pleasant Seat of Sweet Learning, North Eastern College is widely regarded as the mecca of education in east Trinidad.

Since opening its doors in 1961, the seven-year institution, known for its impressive folk choir, has produced students who have distinguished themselves in various fields, both locally and internationally.

These include Energy Minister Franklin Khan, late Brig General Roland Maunday, late Assistant Commissioner of Police Winston Cooper and retired school teacher Maura Cooseelal, the school’s first head prefect.

During the 1980’s, North Eastern College grew in prominence when student Delia De Silva led the school to an overwhelming win against Providence Girls in the first ever National Secondary Girls’ Football Tournament.

Hermoine James who attended the school in the mid-1980s recalled the quirky habits of some of the teachers.

James said the school, now led by principal Juslyn Ramlal, prepared her for life. Lamenting the violence and indiscipline that is prevalent in many schools, James added: “I see kids today and it makes me want to let them know it’s not about fighting or misbehaving. There were times that we had fun with football, drama club, music and even calypso competitions during Carnival. They don’t do those things anymore and I think we want them to know that and experience it as well.” James said the school gatherings she attended over the years were very enjoyable. “Just meeting old friends and reconnecting was quite enjoyable,” she said.