By Cleric Ethan Fortes for BISMumbai

As part of the Diamond Jubilee celebration, the staff and students of Don Bosco High School & Junior College, Lonavla staged the musical Crosswinds for their Annual Day on 28 and 29 January 2023.

On the first day, the musical was graced by the presence of Mr Sitaram Dubal, who is currently serving as the Inspector of Police of Lonavla. As an Inspector of Police, he has brought about a tremendous change in the law and order especially with regard to traffic rules. The Guest of Honour was Fr. Godfrey D’Souza, former Provincial of the Province of Bombay.Ms Ruth Dethe, former Principal of the institution, was the Chief Guest for the second day, while Mr Apurba Chatterjee, a retired teacher of the institution, was the Guest of Honour. 

The Chief Guest and the Guest of Honour of the respective days presented awards to various students on achieving various milestones and accomplishments. The toppers of the school and junior college for the Board Exams were felicitated for their achievement. Some of the students were also awarded scholarships for their accomplishments in academics as well as various co-curricular activities conducted by the institution. The Principal, Fr Ranson D’Souza, also presented the Annual Report.

The highlight of the evening, the musical, was composed by Mr Joey Mendonza and his team. The story focused on the life at Don Bosco, Lonavla, and the influence the Salesians have on the aspirants and students of the school. Each scene in the musical portrayed a particular aspect in the life of Don Bosco Lonavla, like the dynamics involved in one’s interactions with one’s fellow mates or the uniqueness of a good night talk or the importance of prayer, work and study in every Salesian school. The students of Classes 10 and 12 also performed a special dance on the theme ‘Tolerance’ to spread the message of peace and universal brotherhood.

The musical was a huge success as many benefactors and well-wishers present found it exquisite and delightful. Mr Carl Correa, a past-pupil of Don Bosco Lonavla, said that he was thrilled to see the level of involvement and energy of all the staff and students in staging the musical. Ms Vaishnavi Kadu, a teacher, added that the hard work put in throughout the preparation of the musical was clearly seen in the quality of presentation.