Nostalgia, bonds and new memories under the Winter Solstice sky
The Winter Solstice at Shiv Nadar University campus was special this year. The day celebrated across cultures around the world saw the campus host its fifth alumni reunion. The events on Saturday (December 21) and Sunday (December 22) saw former Shiv Nadar University students pause, reflect and celebrate the lifelong bonds they had created on the campus; the cynosure of all were the toddlers who attended the event with the alumnus.
The sun-kissed, balmy University Activity Center was a perfect venue for three friends – Tanish Gandhi, Ishwar Jindal and Nimesh Batra from the Batch of 2022 to catch up with old friends and their seniors.
As an associate at Bain & Company, Batra says, "As part of the sustainability and responsibility practice of the global management consulting firm, I am often asked how my degree in International Relations at Shiv Nadar University has helped. My answer to them is my research grounding. Helping Fortune 500 companies build their corporate sustainability programs is the preliminary work the team I am part of works on. I have excelled in this only because of the exposure I got here."
Jindal, who completed his bachelor's in management studies and did his Master's at the London School of Economics, says the university has prepared him to function more professionally as his time at Shiv Nadar University has played a pivotal role in developing his personality. "We got many research opportunities here to work with our professors and build projects. This had a big impact in making me think more inclusively," says Jindal.
The reunion kicked off with lunch, with alums and faculty sharing memories. This was followed by an address by Anubha Bali, Senior Director of the Career Development Center and Alumni Relations Office. Extending a welcome to the alums and their families, Bali thanked the volunteers for their contributions and unveiled the Alumni magazine's seventh edition.
The reunion was special for Santhi Tummala from the Class of 2018, as her husband, Varun Sai Poluru, accompanied her. The couple travelled from Canada to attend the reunion. "I have been hearing about the campus from her for six years now… she seems to have not missed anything. The campus is stunning," says Poluru.
Meanwhile, for Tummala, it was nothing less than being on a time machine. "My morning walks and enjoying the sunrise from the lake are my forever memories. I owe so much to the university. It has helped me develop self-confidence and given me direction," says Tummala, a security engineer at Morningstar Research Inc. in Canada.
In the evening, the alums took a stroll to the Biodiversity Park and enjoyed the special lemongrass and clementine tea prepared by the gardener, Hemraj.
Sipping the hot cuppa, Aadiya Gupta from the Class of 2022, who did her Master's in Economics, said it was at Shiv Nadar University that she realized the value of helping others. "Everyone in the University is happy to help even after a student graduates. I have great memories of this campus and my wholesome experience here. This place has taught me to ask for help and be available to help others in need. The faculty here has made me understand that there are no difficulties that can't be solved," says Gupta.
As a few brave hearts tried their hand at horse riding, some went to the cricket field and Indoor Sports Complex to start where they left off or to show friends some new skills they had learnt in cricket, badminton, and basketball.
As the mercury dropped, they gathered around the bonfire, a norm during alumni reunions and winter solstice, to share memories. The DJ cranked on the music as the time flew, and everyone got together to shake a leg.
As the reunion weekend ended, the alumni departed with hearts brimming with nostalgia and renewed connections. The warmth of the bonfire and the joy of shared moments remained etched in their minds, a testament to the lifelong bonds nurtured at Shiv Nadar University. With promises to reunite in 2025, they left, taking a piece of the campus’s spirit with them—proof that no matter how far life takes them, the essence of their time here continues to bring them home.