CHENNAI: St Bede’s Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School, one of the oldest schools in the city, now has its own state-of-the-art auditorium on the school premises. The auditorium, which was inaugurated on Wednesday, has been built as part of the school’s centenary celebrations. “After planning and toying with the idea for seven long years, we finally managed to build and inaugurate this auditorium,” said Father Stanley Ignatius, principal of the school. With a 2,400-seating capacity, the ‘Centenary Auditorium is one of the largest auditoriums in the city, only after the auditorium at SRM Polytechnic College, which can seat 10,000 people at a time. Indonesian doors, white and brown vitrified tiles from China, brown carved chairs, modern acoustics and above all, a 66 -foot-wide stage, make this auditorium one of a kind. “This is a multi-purpose auditorium. Apart from holding school programmes we are also renting it for hosting marriage ceremonies and other functions,” added another official.
With an increase in the school strength, the need for a bigger auditorium arose. “We previously had a pretty small auditorium amid the class rooms. When it wasn’t enough to accommodate everyone during school functions, we moved to the ground. We badly needed a big auditorium, but lack of funds was the issue,” said an official from the school
Father Stanley credits the Old School Boys’ Association, the alumni group, for making their dream come true.
“Seven years ago, the management approached the association and told them about our need. They immediately agreed to contribute and collect funds from parents and teachers to build a good auditorium,” he added.
The entire fund collection process took a long time and people contributed whatever sum they could afford, starting from `100. “As they collected, we along with the management and other old school boys, began laying out the plan for this auditorium, finally at the 107th year of the school, we have inaugurated this masterpiece,” said Father Stanley.
V Sudarshan, executive editor of The New Indian Express, presided over as the chief guest of the 107th Parents Day held at the newly-opened auditorium, on Friday.