’89 Batch Reunion: Prelude
The lead up
BITS Pilani. The place that means so much, that influenced me in my young, impressionable years. As it did with every single student that passed through its corridors. For the last 25 years, it had taken a back seat in my mind – although always been on my wishlist to visit again, never once did I make a specific plan to do so. Then out of the blue, Vidhya contacts me a year ago, as I am walking around in a grocery store in Amsterdam 6000 kms away: “We are working on a 25th year Silver Jubilee Reunion of the ’89 batch. Would you be willing to be part of the yearbook team for this?”
Vidhya knows how much I love messing around with photos – she has seen several examples of this in my online albums and photobook creations. I think about it for a day and announce to Vidhya that yes! I’ll do it. However, even at that point I don’t know whether I will be able to go to BITS for the reunion – that’s too far ahead planning given some family circumstances (as I suppose it was for many people).
In the months leading upto the event, we – Pramad, Lux, me, with generous help from Vidhya, came together to create the yearbook – a remote team working from 3 different time-zones, 4 cities. If BITS did not teach us this, I don’t know what did! It feels most natural, the collaboration is very warm and enjoyable apart from being professional and creative.
Vidhya asks me to make this a unique creation – not any standard yearbook following a template. From past batches’ experience, it is clear that it would be impossible and incomplete, if we try to make “then” and “now” pics. So what might be a good alternate that people would cherish and want to display proudly? I start with creating a collaborative album on google photos to let people easily share their own special photo memories. Thanks to over 25 contributors we get over 800 photos within 6 months. I spend several weekends experimenting with software tools and layouts for creating the print book – and more weekends compiling the pages and pages of crowd-sourced photos.
The Tamil-speaking printer and designer, also working with remote clients, which was somewhat out of their comfort zone, came through brilliantly with their part. The rest as they say, is history 😉
Thanks for all your warm compliments on the yearbook, it was totally worth the effort!
The yearbook was the extra push I needed in order to make definite arrangements – to register, to request days off, to book flights. Well okay, the yearbook, and an ambitious Himalayas trip which I want to combine with the reunion visit. By then I have convinced Priya to register too, even though she is a bit on the fence about actually making it – so glad you made it, P! Dramatically at the last minute!
The whatsapp girls of ’89 group setup by Vidhya – given my general abhorrence for group chats, I was quite sceptical. But I must admit it played a good role as a bonding platform – getting everyone warmed up after 25 years. Closer to the date, the whatsapp Magic Beckons group of everyone who had registered, played the same role, now including the guys too.
In those whatsapp groups everyone has reverted to their 21 year-old selves. Unapologetic to be so excited, looking forward to 4 days of time travel!
