What was Naps like back in 1962?

1. Students began entering Naparima College after sitting the Common Entrance Examinations.
2. The retirement of James Sammy after 50 years of service.
3. The College was in mourning after the passing of Edward T. Lute who retired as principal one year earlier.
4. New members were added to the teaching staff: Jennifer Gregson (Mathematics), Jean Springer (Physics), Clyde DeBoug (Geography and French), Victor Cowan (Spanish and Sports), Edward Henry (Music) and Wylla Mulchansingh (Art).
5. Music was introduced into the curriculum.
6. The “Naparima College Choral Society” was inaugurated.
7. Rosie K. Mohammed was the first girl in college history to win a full Science Certificate.
8. Krishna Gooriesingh was the first student to attain a distinction in Health Sciences, a subject that was introduced into the curriculum a year prior.
9. Twenty-One Full Certificates awarded with distinctions in Mathematics, English, Chemistry and Geography.
10. Twenty Distinctions in the Cambridge School Certificate examinations in English Language, Literature, Geography, Elementary Mathematics and Health Sciences.
11. Inter-form/Inter-class football was re-introduced – Class 3A won middle school while Class 2C won lower school.
12. Naparima was defeated by Presentation College in both College League and Intercol football finals.
13. Naparima defeated Presentation College – Chaguanas in the Junior Cricket finals
14. Junior Intercol Team defeated Presentation College and won the Herde Shield for the first time.
15. Carl McClashie broke the College 100-yard record in eleven seconds.
16. Jerome Ramanth was awarded Best All-Round Student
17. Roy Jagroopsingh was awarded Best All-Round Performer in Sports
18. Clarence Harnanan was awarded the Prefect’s Prize in general proficiency.
19. Lennox Boodoo was awarded the “A.R Sinanan” prize for most progressive student
20. Grant House won the Inter-House Football Trophy
21. Sammy House won the Inter-House Cricket Championship
22. Flemington House became Sports Day Athletic Champions
23. Walls House was awarded the “L. Jaggernauth” Shield for Inter-House All Round Proficiency
24. Victor Albert became the Class A Table Tennis champion.
25. Naparima College was the only school in the country to contribute to the United Nations “Freedom from Hunger Week”.
26. The building of the Walls Pavilion by the then “Old Boys’ Association”

The BCN (Blue Circle Network) is on the air

The Swan Pose by Patel & Warner

Naparima College on Parade and Independence Celebrations, Skinner Park

NAPS 1962

NAPS 1962

Mr. Emmanuel Ramesar, Bursar with janitors Samaroo and Hamid

Carl Mc Clashie

NAPS 1962

NAPS 1962

NAPS 1962

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Be it our existence as a colony or when we gained the status of an independent nation, one fact remained the same, the spirit of Naps was alive and well. According to Rabindranath Maharaj, Assistant Chief Prefect of the Student Council:

“Naparima is better and its students are being taught not only to be responsible citizens, but also to identify themselves as proud Naparimans in an Independent Trinidad.”

The post What was Naps like back in 1962? first appeared on NAPS Alumni.

Bake & Shark (sometimes wrongly called Shark & Bake) arguably falls into the BIG three of Quintessential Trini Dishes (Doubles & Roti being the other two) From humble beginnings It has surged in popularity, primarily driven by the work done by Richard’s Bake & Shark Hut on Maracas beach. This has spawned several new establishments on the beach as well as the dish itself being commonplace in fetes, weddings or any event seeking a scrumptious dish. The hallmarks of the dish are its simplicity and taste; bake, some choice garnishes and some fried shark and you are set for a good time. Unfortunately, this popularity has resulted in our sharks having an unrelenting horrible time. Is this fishery sustainable? Do we need a culture shift? Please allow me to take you on a little journey to uncover some answers and learn some hard truths.

Sharks are ancient creatures, the earliest fossils dating back to 450 Million years ago, that predates all dinosaurs. In this time, they have evolved into almost 500 unique species, with the most familiar to us being Great White (the star of Jaws and countless other movies), Hammerheads (famous for their distinct head shape), Mako (renowned for their speed in the water) and Tiger sharks (for their distinctive patterned skin), Trinidad & Tobago’s coastal waters are home to more than 40 distinct species, which is very impressive for our country’s small size and great for our biodiversity. In our ecosystems they are key apex predators, whose importance is often overlooked.

In any ecosystem Apex predators play a critical roll in maintaining balance. Sharks will hunt and kill weak and sick prey fish which improves the overall health of the system. Also, by keeping the number of other large predators in check, the biodiversity of the system is maintained. Apex predators also control the prey species spatial habitat which governs their feeding patterns and diets. This control is essential in coral reef and seagrass systems. A general rule of thumb is a healthy shark population equates to a positive indicator for ocean health, such is their importance.

In Trinidad & Tobago our recorded data shows that Sharks rank fourth in our total estimated landing in artisanal fishing (800 tons per annum) This is an undeniable underreported figure, as it does not account for catches from recreational fishermen, or sharks which are finned and cast away. Additionally, our data collection systems are underfunded and ad hoc. There is one targeted shark fishery on the north coast, which targets the Brazilian sharpnose shark, recorded data suggests that most of the catch composes of females carrying pups. This brings us to the major issue with the shark fishery, reproduction.

With sharks being at the top of their respective food chains, they have evolved to have very long gestational periods and very few offspring. This measure ensures the oceans are not flooded with predators. For example, you would have a Brazilian sharpnose shark having a litter of 2-8 pups after a 10-month gestation, compare that to a Spanish mackerel (Carite) which can have 500,000 – 1,500,000 eggs in its spawning cycle. A large percentage of the Carite fry do not make it to adulthood, but this is a stark comparison to shark reproduction. It also is the reason why shark fisheries are extremely fickle and sustained fishing is not sustainable. It’s a simple numbers game, sharks simply cannot keep up.

Conservation of our sharks must take precedence. Sharks have historically been feared and hated, their reputation steeped in infamy due to their portrayal as the Maneater villain in movies and the scandalous exaggerations of their attacks. The misinformation and stigma have led to a society which has little empathy for their plight. People tend to view sharks as a trophy fish to catch and have no qualms with killing one as some sort of heroic act. Trinidad & Tobago has zero documented cases of fatal shark attacks. In fact, the recorded data shows just one shark attack in 1938 for a surfer in Manzanilla. This is essentially a non-issue for us.

Consumers must also carefully consider their health when consuming Shark meat. Due to the pollution in all our coastal environments, Shark meat is very unfit for consumption. This is due to the bioaccumulation of toxins and metals. Bioaccumulation is the process which there is an increase in contaminants in aquatic life as your move up the food chain. Sharks being at the top of the food chain in conjunction with their long-life spans make them the most prone to harbor dangerous levels of toxins, in particular mercury. Removing sharks & other top predators such as grouper or barracuda from your diet will help limit the risk associated with seafood intake.

Education is required especially with our children as it is with a change in their mindset can we ever hope for sustainable and impactful change. We need regulations on our fisheries. We need to end ocean trawling and other indiscriminate large scale fishing practices. We need more publicity on the importance of these creatures and campaigns for their protection. We need to create protected areas in our oceans so sharks and other marine life can have a chance for their numbers to rebound. Conservation works, Palau created the world’s first shark sanctuary in 2009. Since then, the return of life and diversity of all species has been incredible.

What does this mean for our island dish? As Trinbagonians we need a culture shift. We have so many better options we can replace this bake and shark with. Bake and lionfish (which would also help us control an invasive species) Bake and kingfish or bake and shrimp are apt choices. Perhaps most fitting is Bake and catfish, but this is a culinary faux pas in Trinidad & Tobago. It is widely touted as the fish being used anyway in huts, under the guise of being shark, if this is indeed the case then surely with some creative rebranding (think White Oak), we can ease off the bake and shark indefinitely.

Supply is there to meet our demand, but this supply is limited and waning. We as a people should always strive to demand better. Better in this case, is bringing an end to our Bake and Shark purchases. The change starts with the individual, your actions can make a difference, Make that difference!

The post The Bake & Shark Conundrum first appeared on NAPS Alumni.

Sports Day 2019 was formally opened by our Principal, Dr Michael Dowlath, Vice Principal Mr Roger Ali and special guest, the Deputy Mayor of San Fernando Vydia Mungal- Bisessar. These officials were treated to our Walk Past, where all students and teachers got in their respective houses and walked rhythmically to the scout band’s trumpets and drums. Order was a priority as the houses donned their respective colours: Flemington- yellow, Grant-green, Sammy- blue and Walls- red, as they lined up on the savannah grass. The day promised to be a good one and this promise was kept.

Sapat race champions Grant House teachers

Musical Spots, which is an adaptation to musical chairs turned out to be a crowd pleaser, as contestants had to step on the spot when the music stopped. This was a game of concentration and agility mixed with fun, with Grant house emerging as winner of this inaugural fun event. The traditional Sapat/Ski race, a teacher fun event was featured once again with the customary spills, thrills and locomotive skills of members of staff. Grant House took this tandem event with the other houses still waiting to get out of the starting blocks up to press time. Grant House certainly took the prize for fun events on the day.

After intense semi- finals, the tug-of- war came down to Sammy vs Walls. With two out of three pulls to decide the winner, each team thought they had a chance. But, there was no stopping Sammy as they pulled their own weight and the weight of the Walls house as they won the first two pulls with little difficulty.

The staff race was another highly anticipated event that saw Dr Dowlath speeding down the track only to be surpassed by Miss Sarah Toolsie 3^rd, Miss Calan Salazar 2^nd and Mr Kerry Manohar 1^st. With students shouting in support of their favourite members of staff, some teachers claimed they did not hear the whistle, which left them at the starting line waiting for next year’s race.

Victor ludorum Jeron Pantor takes the lead in the 1500m

The day belonged to Walls House’s Jeron Pantor, who was crowned Over 18 Victor Ludorum for the second year in a row. Those in attendance felt honoured to witness the grace and speed of this star footballer and national rugby player. After placing third in the marathon behind Kyle Roopchan 2^nd and Adam Francis 1^st in the previous week, Pantor looked like the proverbial ‘man on a mission.’ Cheers of  Pantor! Pantor! were heard all over the ground as he won gold in five events on the day- the coveted 100m sprint, 200m, 800m, 4×100 relay, and the 1500m. Mr Nazim Mohammed, Mathematics teacher said, “Pantor didn’t even break a sweat as he was too good for everyone.”

In an exclusive interview, Pantor was brimming with emotion as he said, “I feel really proud being able to represent such a great institution like Naps. I am happy Playing football and taking part in events to help my house come out on top for Sports Day. Growing up I’ve always had a passion for sports and in everything I do I try to put my best foot forward. Winning the Victor Ludorum back to back is great and humbling at the same time, as it serves as a bit of a motivation for me to keep excelling in life.”

Not to be left out other athletes were recognised as Victors in their age groups namely, Kern Cedeno under 18(Flemington), Reuben Ramnanansingh under 16(Sammy) and Alex Kangoo under 14(Walls).

Dr Dowlath underscored the importance of Sports Day to the students as he said, “We want them to understand that life is more than just passing an exam.” The Principal went on to say that a day like this can, “Make them more aware of the skills and abilities they have.”

Sports Master Mr Richard Nagaur was pleased with the day as he said, “It is all about participation and having fun. I would like to thank all the teachers, students, parents and administration for making today a great success. Sports Day 2020 will  be even better!”

Sachin trying to convince us to have a cooler race in 2020

Manny and Kern Cedeno

The post Walls House Runs Away With Sports Day 2019 first appeared on NAPS Alumni.

The build-up to the game was of World Cup proportions as both classes boasted of star players such as Kern Cedeno, Joshua Dowlath and Arvind Ramnarine of 3N and Marvin Waldrop, Darius Deonarine and Jkwon Bailey of 3P. A gentle shower blessed the pitch earlier that day making the playground a perfect mixture of grass, earth and moisture.

From as early as the fifth minute referee Keane Subero brandished his red card, giving Waldrop his marching orders. The triple crown champion was left regretting his repeated infringement as 3P were left with six players in this seven a side tournament.

The first goal came moments after from Cedeno as he slotted past keeper Darius Deonarine, giving 3N a 1-0 lead. However, it was Bailey’s attempted overhead kick that sent the crowd in a tizzy, just as the halftime whistle blew. The halftime chat with player/ coach Aditya Persad worked wonders as Skipper Bailey equalised with a sizzling free kick from just outside the penalty box. Bailey turned villain moments after as keeper Narad Kissondath saved his penalty attempt a la David de Gea.

With the score tied, 3N got a go ahead goal which came as Cedeno volleyed a right side cross that hit the underside of the crossbar before nestling in the back of the net. The luchtime crowd showed their appreciation with cheers from all supporters. Before the crowd could catch their breath, Bailey fired from the half line beating Kissondath to his right- score 2-2 with eight minutes remaining. Bailey lead his team admirably as one would have never guessed they were a player short. One fan shouted, “We playing better with less men.” This was probably true as with six minutes to go Bailey completed his hattrick, giving 3P the first lead of the game- 3-2.

With four minutes to go some supporters started to leave the playground, thinking it was all over for 3N. Cedeno asked the crowd to stay, when he equalised with a rocket of a free kick that left Deonarine puzzled as to what just passed him. The crowd obliged. Ramnarine and Dowlath pressured 3P’s defence, but the final pass was elusive. Penalty kicks must have been on the minds of everyone but 3P would have none of it. With seconds left, Bailey’s shot hit the crossbar and rebounded to striker Vishwesh Pattanaik who rose to the occasion and nodded the ball in the corner of the goal, leaving the goalkeeper wishing he was elastic. The enthusiastic crowd stormed the field momentarily as assistant P.E teacher Stephen Harripersad called the crowd to order. Just after the restart referee Subero blew his whistle, giving 3P a 4-3 victory over rivals 3N.

At the post- match conference Bailey said, “As a footballer you always dream of scoring a hattrick and it was my honour to help my class in winning this championship.”

Pattanaik who is well known for his cricket talent, was humble as he said, “ I’m just happy to be part of a winning team.” The under 14 fast bowler also added, “My cricket training and fitness helped me a lot in this tournament.”

3N’s captain Cedeno said, “It is a difficult loss but that’s the game of football. I look forward to next year’s tournament, when hopefully we can win.”

Mr. Richard Nagaur P.E. teacher also gave a brief comment on this year’s tournament, he said, “I would like to thank my assistant Stephen Harripersad for his support throughout the tournament. With him we were able to implement a successful programme as the hosting of the games was part of the School Based Assessment for the students studying Physical Education at the CSEC level.” He went on to give thanks to the Principal, Dr. Dowlath for supporting the competitive nature of the boys at the interclass level as well as facilitating Physical Education at both Ordinary and Advanced levels.

Photo Credit: Pete Sankar (3N)

The post 3P Crowned Interclass 2019 Champs in Seven Goal Thriller first appeared on NAPS Alumni.

Bailey scored ninety goals for WJU over a four-year period, a record that is hardly likely to be broken. He was All-American from2000-2002 and lead his team to a Great Lakes Championship in 2000, finishing fifth in the nation.

Not only was he named Rookie of the year at WJU 1999, he was also named the Secondary School’s Football League Most Valuable Player in 1998, where he played alongside other Naps greats such as Leon Brown, Sanjeev Katwaroo and Erasto Neptune.

Upon completion of university, Bailey realized his dream of playing pro-football for teams in North America such as the Montreal Impact and the Baltimore Blast (indoor).

He has the unique achievement of winning a championship in both outdoor soccer as well as an indoor.

Our football manager Percy Samlalsingh describes Bailey as, “A consummate professional and a perfect role model to his players, as he balanced his academia and football with great success. It was rare in that time for players to complete university and go on to play professional football.” Former goalkeeper at Naps, Sunil Ramdial says, “Joel is as dedicated as they get and he never ceased to amaze us on the football field.”

Bailey just missed out on the Soca Warriors 2006 World Cup campaign, but represented the red, white and black five times in 2007. After hanging up his white boots he obtained a Master’s degree in Sport Management, and was once the Director of Football Operations with TTEC Professional Team.

In the 2017 season he and his assistant Ronnie Hunte took Naps U-14 team to the South League and Knockout Championship and to the semi- finals of the National League. This year is proving to be a more challenging one, but there is still the knockout to come.

Bailey is proud to be a Naparima College alumnus, class of 1999, and is even more proud of being one of our youth coaches. He says, “I see coaching as a way of giving back to Naps, as it was through Naps that I achieved so many of my goals.” He was in high praise of our Principal, Dr. Dowlath and Percy Samlalsingh for their belief in the positive role that football plays in the lives of students. Bailey also paid homage to our late sports master, Mr. Roy Jagroopsingh whom he described as being, “a very influential figure in his life.”

Outside of football Bailey is quite the family man. He takes joy in spending time with his wife Sharon and his three sons Gianluca, Dario and Donato.

The post Naps Under-14 Coach Bailey in Wheeling University’s Hall of Fame first appeared on NAPS Alumni.

My jaw dropped (it really did), as I saw the most amazing sight ever, a sight I have seen before many times on TV and youtube.
There he was lying on the sand next to a leatherback turtle. Cameras were rolling, director was directing and I was disbelieving.
His grey hair shone in the morning sun and he seemed to be having a conversation with the turtle.
It seemed forever, like the length of a Bollywood film before he finished his take and lumbered towards us. At 91 he wasn’t graceful but grace does not make class.
My heart raced like a thousand African drums (my form 1 students never fail to use this simile).
“Good day Sir. I brought the family to meet you, can I please have your autograph?”
“Good day”, he replied.
Yes! Eat your hearts out people, Sir David Attenborough spoke to me. We shook hands too, imagine that.
“Sure”, he said as I pulled out my sharpie marker pen and hallmark card that I had in pocket since I left home.
He bent his head, pressed the card on his upper thigh and signed his name.
“Thank you Sir”, I said, but he was too tired to respond. He ambled away to his hotel and I walked away with the honour of having met the world’s greatest naturalist. We did meet again at breakfast by the way, check out the pics.
Before I go, remember the part where I was with the wife and baby on the beach at 630 am? Well, upon his arrival back to jolly old England, the BBC headline read, “Sir David Attenborough regrets missed family time”. It’s good to know my family and I could inspire a man who has inspired millions across the globe.

Sir David in his element

Family Portrait

 

Getting that elusive autograph

The post The Hunt For Sir David Attenborough first appeared on NAPS Alumni.

I thought about this question but could arrive at no easy answer.  So I sought help by discussing it with Naps graduates I happened to meet.  I was amazed at the variety of suggestions they made.

1. High on the list was “Dormitory Life” and the fact that students from various parts of the country had to learn to live together. A kind of bonding took place and blossomed into life-long friendships.  Tales of the exploits and experiences of dormitory boys became legend.  Brotherhood of the Dorm, indeed.
2. Canadian Mission:
   It is no secret that the Canadian Presbyterian Mission came to Trinidad to minister to a particular section of the community, a disadvantaged section where poverty and deprivation were widespread.  Education was the key to upward social mobility.  The opportunity for progress, the chance to make something of themselves, was grasped with both hands by the Indian Community (as well as by other poor boys like myself).  The motivation was strong and therefore application, hardwork and dedication were the result.
3. Religion:
   Nowadays with increasing violence and deviant behaviour plaguing even the schools, there is much talk of introducing religion into schools.  Naps was always a deeply religious school.  Religion was part of the atmosphere part of the culture.  Religious knowledge was on the curriculum and the daily ritual of morning worship was a vital part of school life.It is significant that the first Principals of the College were priests.  Note too that when the time came to appoint a local Principal, Rev James Seunarine was chosen to continue the tradition.

   These priests were men with a mission.  Probably conversion was at the back of their minds and so they preached the liberal values of the Christian ethic in particular the core Christian doctrine of love as well as honest work.

   For these Principals the College was a home away from home and they came to regard the students as family.  In those early days the Rev. V.B. Walls and his wife, Marion, were ‘in loco parents’ to the students.  They created at the school an atmosphere of caring.  Rev. Walls seemed to have developed over his twenty-five year stewardship a personal relationship with each student.  He had a phenomenal memory of the name of each of his students and nothing can replace that kind of intimate contact between teacher and student.  I remember in particular, Rev. Walls keen sense of humour.  He was always telling jokes.  He was one of the most popular and beloved of principals at Naps.

4. The Staff:The influence of the Principal, the leader who has the vision the leader who knows the kind of student not detract from the influence of the staff in general.  As Lara has found out, teamwork is the answer.

   During Rev. Walls stewardship Naps was fortunate to have the support of two outstanding stalwarts, the legendary Ivan “Doc” Bissessar and James Sammy their talents complemented one another.  I call them the great triniavirate.  They “ruled” Naps for over twenty-five years and so provided in those early days the kind of stability necessary to establish long-lasting traditions and values and build the Naps Spirit.

   Many Naps students will remember these three gentlemen for their loving kindness, their caring, their discipline and the leadership characteristics they presented as respected role models.  Men of strength, they towered over us like giants.  Mr. Sammy fathered eight (8) boys and Mr. Bissessar had no children but they both performed their duties with affability or sterness as required.  To hear Naps graduates talk, it would seem that their fondest memories are the “strokes” they got from Doc.

   The staff were a mixed bag of characters that students will remember for this or that oddity men like Hassanali, Best, Hall, Paray Ramnarine, Ramdath Ramkissoon, Sam Naranjit etc.

   Devoted teachers who all had an impact on the students.  An important element on the staff was the immigrant teacher whether from Canada, Jamaica, Barbados or Guyana.  These men brought colourful variety to the teaching staff.  There also developed a strong tradition of recruiting to the staff outstanding Naps students.  This system provided continuity of teaching methods and approaches to subjects.

   Another element was the presence of a few female teachers like Wilma Samlalsingh, Joyce Meghu and Mrs. Lute.  These ladies brought to the staff a touch of female graciousness that has always been welcome at Naps.

5. H.C. Girls:
   The young ladies who came from Naparima Girls High School to take their ‘A’ Level Exams at Naps managed to exercise a strong influence on the Naps spirit far in excess of the smallness of their numbers.  Naps boys are not at all deficient in their appreciation of beauty.One of the things that most graduates remember is undoubtedly the “doubles” tradition.  Some graduates have even made a remarkable claim that “doubles” was a Naparima College invention.
6. Football:
   Another striking memory was the football chants- the razz a taz zim boom bah and especially the one, “we go win next year”.Recently I attended a farewell service for Roy Jagroopsingh, retiring Physical Education Teacher at Naps.  His contribution to the Naps spirit was duly extolled.  He succeeded in changing the chant “we go win next year” from one of defeat into one of triumph.
7. Site:
   Some graduates even claimed that where Naps College is situated had something to do with the creation of the Naps Spirit.  In early days Naps was at the South West boundary of the town a rustie setting.  We remember the woods we explored and how we came upon the mysterious “Sa Grado Tomb” as well as the “dungs” and guava trees.  We remember o Flat Rock where many Naps boys learnt to swim.  So Naps was always close to nature.  On a clear day we could see Venezuela across the Gulf.  The sunsets here were awesome alsa! Encroaching urbanisation has changed all that.  The view from Naps hill were inspiring.  On one side lay the San Fernando Hill and the town nestled around it.  On the other side the vista opened up to the distant world.  Inward to the community outward to the world.
8. Our Motto:
   Life at Naps has always been a rich “callaloo” of experiences which have made their contribution to the shaping of the Naps spirit and which have therefore made the task of pin pointing what exactly the Naps Spirit is very difficult indeed.  For my part, I would like to develop the idea of the significance of our school motto: A Posse Ad Esse, whoever chose that motto encompassed in four words the whole challenge and opportunity that lie at the heart of the meaning of education.

Education is a creative process.  We are challenged to develop our minds, our feelings, our imagination, our talents, and our character in order to make ourselves the best human being we are capable of becoming.  It is a creative enterprise, an adventure, a lifelong search for the abundance that life offers us.  At Naps faced that challenge.  Naps boys are challenged to imagine the rich possibilities and to grasp the opportunities that make their lives.

We who passed through Naps were lucky to have met teachers who realized the importance of the development of the whole personality.  Not only the cognitive skills but also the social and artistic.

The extra-curricular programmes have always been strong and active.  I remember the old senior Literary and Debating Society which give students the opportunity for self expression as well as experience in group dynamics, leadership and in the organising of events.

Naps has always stressed the cultivation of voice and speech.  Every year students participate keenly in the Oration and Elocution contests.  I remember the Blue Circle Network and supplement, the in-house radio and newspaper institutions.  The training and experience some students received here stood them in good stead in later careers in the media.  [Congrats to Sir Trevor Mc Donald].

The there was the Shakespeare Festival which helped produce budding dramatists like Errol Sitahal, Ralph Maraj, Tony Hall, Devindra Dookie, Errol Fabien, Melville Foster, David Sammy and Shane Bickram.

Long before other schools jumped on the Carnival bandwagon, we at Naps had our annual Carnival and Calypso competitions.  Art and Music have always been on our curriculum.  And the Indian Arts have not been neglected.  (Hail Rikki Jai).

So there are numerous influences, many ingredients in this thing called the Naps Spirit.  We experience it.  We feel it.  We see it at work in Naps and the wider community.  Could it be just a myth?  If it is, it is a myth that is well worth believing and sustaining.  Thank God there are institutions like Founders Day Celebrations and the Old Boys Association, which help to continue, maintain and perpetuate the myth.  Wherever we may roam, Naps will always be our home.

The post The Naps Spirit by James Lee Wah first appeared on NAPS Alumni.