Everheard of jinxes? Of course you have. The great thing is to be a part of the jinx, a sufferer or at least a member of the group that suffers. It wasn't really a jinx, just a way for the outlet of dissappointment and frustration inside every Loyolite after every TCS IT Wiz.
It was almost incomprehensible. How could Jayachandran and Jian not win?They,that dynamic duo with brains enough for four, were constantly outwitted and relegated to second place (ugh!!).
How could Justin Thomas and Gautam Das fail? Once again second place seemed and was their fate. Why did Arun TP finish (you guessed right) second. All of them, the best quizzers in Trivandrum in their times, in case of the first two, the best (or one of the best) in India. They were beaten by lesser fancied opponents, opponents whom these enterprising Loyolites would have creamed elsewhere.
One can be forgiven for thinking that some jinx has been cast on our school. The school with a rather good quizzing history, has not since produced quizzers of the calibre of the above mentioned names. But still modest quizzers have managed to bring the school into the limelight - a journey capped by winning the TCS IT Wiz in 2008. Meet one of that pair which finally won- yeah, its me.
A long journey when I continously witnessed my seniors finish second, cheering wildly for every right answer they gave and leaving for home shaking my head. The journey almost reached its climax when we qualified to the finals in 2007,only to put up what may be the school's worst performance yet, a third place. But finally we reached the climax, and for the first time since the inception of the quiz, Loyola were crowned champions.
Its been a fantastic journey- from standard eight when we came, naive and got just four out of 20 in the prelims. That was the toughest prelims many faced and many quit after that. We had the sense to hang on and in the end we showed that perseverence pays. From four out of twenty to getting19 out of 20 in our final year has been a fantastic journey. We persevered and had a fair bit of luck.
Finally winning the quiz on tie breakers itself was a great symbolic moment- five years ago, when I had come for my first TCS quiz, Loyola were defeated in tie breakers. Despite many hiccups, despite being awed by the moment, despite history,despite many messups, despite missing lots of simple answers,despite an unconvincing perforance we managed to win. A win I sincerely believe that our school has a right to have. We have given our school something nobody else has. I am proud of it. I thank all my seniors who inspired me, all whose losses I was able to avenge.
Thank You Loyola for that one opportunity.
One came and constantly paid visits to this venue as said earlier, vowing to better oneself for the next time. After three appearances (just that, amongst the multitude of people displaying affection to their school, as an outcast in want of some fame and recognition)the time was finally over and one was the same as one was (that 'one' is me!!). Kudos to baasi and team, though i write this a year after their feat, for pursuing their dream and ultimately fulfilling it.....
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