The Montfort Chronicles

This church is probably the most monumental and distinguished edifice of the brilliant campus we had. A campus, dignified in no small part by the silent strength immanent in the mute, rough hewn stone that all our structures were built with. Not for Montfort lesser materials such as brick. It had to be stone, cut down from ancient quarries by strong men who worked from dawn to dusk in the blazing sun. From afar came these stones, nearly a century ago and tedious and long was the route they took. Up winding roads into the hills they came, at a time when such modern conveniences as cars or trucks or macadamized roads were a pipe-dream. Stone upon single stone, our forebears built, from the ground up, this beautiful campus of ours. It was a time when men were real men, women were real women and little, fuzzy creatures from Alpha Centauri were real little, fuzzy creatures from Alpha Centauri, to quote Douglas Adams. Sweat and blood built these foundations. Each stone is ebullient with history, each speck of lime and mortar shrieks in silent agony to tell tales of times long past, each stained-glass window and decades-old pine tree curses God for its muteness. Gold and silver are not without charm, diamonds and sapphires sparkle bright, but only stone betrays innate strength and stoic composure. Stone does not hanker for gaudy splendor; it aspires to quiet dignity, maintaining stolidly a resolute, firm demeanor. Stone is objectivity, stone is Ayn Rand, stone is forever; the way diamonds can never be. Forever will stand these buildings of ours, though wind shall beat upon its wall and rain pelter the rooftops; though insidious mist shall leave its damp between rafters and termites work their way through wood, these buildings will stand their ground, yielding not to the elements or to the intent of such human designs as drive our present steward, the Reverend Bro GKJ.

This above building was built in 1931. Still too, this date remains carved on the structure, like an epitaph upon the tomb of Ozymandias, urging the reader to look upon it and tremble. As upon most of the older edifices, atop this too looms a stone cross, that blesses and protects and more importantly, looks classy as hell. Subsequent building followed in due course, with the Brothers’ parlour, the infirmary and it’s adjoining teachers' quarters being built at around the same time or earlier ( I never was good with dates ) . Mayfield came in a few years later, but still held fast to the artistic vision of the pioneers, inasmuch as it employed unpolished stone for the structures. Still too, the building continues, fueled by the desire for new space as well as the satiation of the ego of our present principal, but sorely lacking in artistic quality are these new architectural monstrosities. The extension of the 8th and 9th classrooms were absolutely fucken unnecessary. A good campus needs as much free space for trees and grass and such as it needs infrastructure. An estate crammed with buildings( as ours threatens to become) resembles more a concentration camp that a school campus. This seems to have escaped the mind of our head honcho, and he seems infatuated with reclaiming all natural land to continuing his shrine to concrete monstrosities. The demolition of the Charmettes was a totally unnecessary move. I cannot quite fathom why we needed so many fucken tennis courts and any perceived need of a cricket field is foreshadowed by the loss of the old world charm that lazy cows strolling about on a grassy maidan had about it. Come on KJ, you robbed us of tradition man. This was hallowed ground, as is every inch and nook and corner of Montfort; you desecrated it macha. Wat macha? Why?

I fully understand and support your desire to build an indoor stadium; Montfort’s gotta change with the times or it’ll die out like the dodo. Improvements on this scale, though wildly ambitious, are deserving of applause as they indicate your foresight and vision. While you’re at it, you might as well knock down the senior block public toilets and install new ones with Western-style closets. Face it, the Indian squat style is past its prime. Some things have to go; this should. The only reason our toilets were so dirty is cos they had no proper flushing system; western bogs could change that.

But for God’s sake, leave the trees be, man. And don’t you lay a finger on that chapel. That’ll leave good ole’ Eugene Mary spinnin’ in his grave.

Do any of you fellas know which was the first building in Montfort to be constructed?