Reflections on Being at Kodaikanal International School
February – April, 2020
By David and Nancy Piet

 

Nancy and I have been Corey’s guests at KIS since mid-February. During the Field Day weekend of March 5-6, I was asked to say a few words at the Alumni Banquet on the theme of “paying it forward.” The evening honored visiting alumni as well as the reunion class of 2010 and the graduating seniors from the class of 2020. The question I posed was, “What do the names Kodai, Highclerc, KIS evoke in each of you? No matter what recollections or memories each of us has, Highclerc, KIS and Kodai are part of our DNA, and those of us who studied here will forever be bound to this place. Many of our life-long friendships were forged during our time here. Through the Alumni Office and our own connections, we have many friends and acquaintances … a global network that is unique in that it derives from a high school and not a college or university.”

I left Kodai in 1960, but Nancy and I have returned many times beginning in 1973. The time before our current stay was in 2015 when we spent only a few days here. This time we had planned to volunteer for one month – mid-February to mid-March. However, in the latter part of March the global pandemic COVID-19 also affected KIS and Kodai ,and our current flight home is delayed until May 2nd. Any KIS students who could be sent home were sent home; IB exams were canceled as well as actual graduation, but the Seniors had their class picture taken by the Chapel and were given a mock graduation ceremony with awards presented and a special dinner; the remaining students are taking virtual classes from the dorms or from home; Ganga Campus was closed, and students moved over to the main campus. Suddenly, daily life took on a far different and more sinister tone. Our stay, too, has been extended due to airport and border closures around the world; however, we are safe and comfortable here at the school. Both the school and the municipality, as well as Tamil Nadu, have done a good job by taking the pandemic seriously and locking down both the school and the municipality. Fortunately, this hill station is easy to shut down since there is only one road up and down. We are comfortably situated in an on-campus apartment, have access to walking around either the campus or the immediate environment, and can eat any/all meals at the school’s cafeteria. So, we are very fortunate to be able to stay put here for the foreseeable future.

When we first arrived in Kodai, and prior to the onset of COVID-19, Corey asked us to work with the KISCO Office (Management, Alumni and Development), the SEED (Social & Environment Education Department) and Health Department, the KIS Environment and Humanities Center, interview a Development Officer candidate, and further develop KIS’s Strategic Framework. I worked with Alumni Coordinator Manjusha Ninan on upgrading the Alumni database; Nancy and I worked with Chief Marketing Officer Stephanie Cauvet and the SEED Department on developing the first annual “Palani Hills Agents of Change Symposium.” The Symposium, now postponed, is intended to recognize and honor the achievements of individuals and organizations from the Palani Hills who have been instrumental “Agents of Change” involved in environmental programs to build better communities. KFI agreed to partially fund the Symposium which SEED hopes to make an annual event. Nancy helped teach a few 9th grade health classes and interacted with the students. She and I then turned our attention to the further development of KIS’s Strategic Framework. We have also been documenting several of the projects that KFI has partially funded as well as other reflections on our time here.

But, before going into what our time has been like between our arrival on February 14 and the onset of COVID-19 on March 20 when life was simpler and KIS and Kodai were bustling, we need to stress how difficult the situation has been for Corey, the Senior Management Team, faculty and students. Corey and the SMT have been under immense stress over the last weeks in a rapidly evolving and ever-changing environment. His/their leadership and willingness to make the hard decisions have been both extraordinary and impressive. Equally, if not more impressive, has been the unwavering commitment to KIS of the maintenance staff, the cooks and kitchen staff, the cleaners, the security guards, the drivers, the Dispensary doctor and nurses, who collectively are the backbone of KIS and keep it operational. It is they who contribute daily to the success of KIS and to the lives of the teachers and students.

But the Highclerc/KIS and Kodai that I remembered both as a student and over various visits since 1973 is far different now in 2020.

Life before COVID-19:  Life at KIS and in Kodai was normal for this time of year. The Budge was open for shopping; people could take walks around town; boaters enjoyed the lake, bought snacks from the many vendors and shops lining the lake road; strolled Coaker’s Walk; or hiked farther afield. In mid-March everything changed, especially with the all-India 3-week lockdown.

The weather couldn’t have been more perfect during our time here. Except for a few evening rains early on, the skies have been “Kodai blue” with cool evenings and warm days. With Kodai closing itself  down   to tourists and the all-India lockdown of March 24, the good news is that the town is quiet with no tourists and no pollution!

Accommodations: KIS has several accommodations for guests and alumni both on campus and at former Mission compounds. We started our stay in Lakeview #3, which is a 4-apartment block down near Phelps and Wissy dorms and next door to the Carlton Hotel. The veranda overlooked Kodai Lake, which we enjoyed early in the morning and during sunset. Recently we moved up the hill to Airlee #2, a cozy apartment near Boys’ Block so that a KIS family could temporarily move to Lakeview. Both apartments have been comfortable and well-appointed, and we are thoroughly enjoying our stay. We may also take any/all meals in the Cafeteria but since the apartments had full kitchens, we often had breakfast and dinner there.

Student Life: The KIS website provides detailed information on student life at KIS.  We enjoyed meeting and having daily interaction with the upper grade students, especially the seniors, on campus and in the Cafeteria.  We spent time with them, and their dorm parents, at the Bartlett East dorm.  KIS has a large and multi-cultural student body.  While academics is central to KIS, students can also participate in music, drama, robotics, sports and outdoor and community projects.  KIS is truly a school “that the world needs.”

Cafeteria/Food Services:  Mealtime in 2020 is a far cry from the 1950s.  Residential catering is provided by the KIS Food Services at two main dining halls equipped with full kitchens, and a Gymkhana Snack Bar, an attractive outdoor fast-food counter. All meals are nutritional and pleasingly prepared by the Head Chef (yes, that’s correct) and the Food Services Team of 50. Multi-cuisine dishes include both veg. and non-veg. from a variety of cultures. The “dining hall” is now two stories with seating on both levels. Meals are served buffet style with fixed but open-ended times so that faculty and students can eat when they wish.

Field Day: March 5-6 this year, and so different from the 1950s.  On a beautiful weekend, the event was kicked off by a giant and raucous pep rally which was held in the Covered Court with the three Houses — Orange Tigers, Blue Hawks and White Horses – vying for supremacy.  Following the pep rally, the school band led the teams to Bendy Field and the raising of the school flag, taking the Olympic Oath, and the lighting of the Olympic Torch.  Blue has had the winning edge for several years, but the competition on the field in 2020 was fierce but good-natured. Blue won again.  At the end of the student competition, 100-meter relay races were held with teams of staff, parents and alumni.  This year the    alumni team was pitted against KIS staff.  After several years of drought, the alumni team (including myself) won over the KIS staff.  Fortunately, the alumni team had five speedsters from the visiting Class of 2010.  Then the traditional biryani lunch was served on the field.  That evening the Alumni Banquet was served in the Alumni Hall with alumni, parents, Reunion Class of 2010, the Class of 2020, and KIS faculty and staff.

KIS Environment and Humanities Center: The Center, housed in the old Swedish School on the way to the golf course, is remarkable in what it is doing both for KIS and the Municipality.  The co-directors, Dr. and Mrs. Rajamanikam, along with volunteer Clarence Maloney, have made the Center into a learning center aimed at raising the awareness levels within various communities to help cascade social and environmental issues.  Activities include resident study groups and topics on solid waste management, recycling, infrastructure in rural communities, and identification of flora and fauna native to the Palani Hills.  We joined this dynamic couple for a bird walk in Bombay Shola designed to expose a group of pre-school teachers to the wonders of nature.  Another trip took us to Annanagar, the largest slum area in Kodai where some forty percent of KIS’s maintenance staff live.  We are also working with them on other projects.

Volunteering at KIS: There are several ways to volunteer which can be found on the KIS website.  One area is the Experts in Residence, another is to communicate with Corey about various needs that KIS might have; but one of the most important ways is to donate to KIS directly or via KFI at https://www.kfi-us.org/donate-kfi/.

(Under the new CARES Act, your cash gift in the USA to KFI could reduce your taxable income in 2020 by up to $300 for individuals and $600 for married couples as determined by your tax preparer.)