Miller Hall

The Beginning of The New Miller Hall

"The old order changeth Yielding place to new."

Our most cherished MILLER HALL came down on the 19th of October 2012 leaving the hearts of many heavy with sadness.

It is hard for many of the old students, teachers of yesteryears and to some of the present teachers to forget all the little happenings within the walls of good old Miller Hall. Built by Mr. Kuruvilla Jacob and named after Rev. William Miller the old hall was more than a building. It was once home to everyone within the campus.. The Hall stood as a witness to the fun and laughter that was present there and the floor always smelt of the mixture of fallen grains. The echoes of the Meston fund dramas in which the students were transformed into heroes, heroines and villains were still embedded in the minds of everyone!. Nobody wanted to lose the hall which held such cherished memories. The decision would have raised the eyebrows of many, but this decision was only made after much speculations.

This stately old building, constructed in 1950, had lived its life and the walls were crumbling. Mere renovation was neither feasible nor architecturally appropriate. The dilapidated condition was obvious. We had pillars supporting the roof. There were plenty of repairs and renovations done in the past but all these had only proved that a mere cosmetic uplift would not suffice.

Secondly, the students gathered in this hall throughout the day for some activities or other. The hostel students spent longer hours for their studies and dinner. There was a risk and great danger involved especially during monsoons.

Thirdly, we all know that the school is doing excellently well. It is growing in leaps bounds. The strength has increased. This has led to a deficit in class rooms.The conventional method of teaching is replaced by new technologies and this requires class rooms which would support these technologies. The school of course boasts of large campus. This kind of a playground and space cannot be found in any other school in city. But already two blocks have been built in the playground and we cannot afford another building .This would only result in the loss of our play fields Which cannot be allowed

So, it was decided to bring down crumbling building and construct a new multipurpose Miller Hall in its place. This hall would contain classrooms, labs, conference hall, kitchen and dining hall which cater to the changing trends. This project is the most expensive one the school has planned so far.

The demolition ceremony happened on the 19th of October 2012 at 4.30 in the evening Dr.Jefferson Christopher, former headmaster removed a brick which announced the starting of the demolition. Earlier Mr. Arun Mammen, OBA President enumerated the reasons for the demolition and elaborated on the expenditure involved. A few letters recalling the memories of the Miller, Hall which the old students had mailed was read to the audience. It was an evening of mixed feelings. The skies vented with pouring rains. To some it was showers of blessings; others whispered that the heaven was crying at the demolition.

After the demolition was over the ground breaking ceremony took place on the 19th January 2013. Rev. Spurgeon said I the prayers after which Dr. Alexander Jesudasan. Principal Madras Christian College, laid the first brick followed by our Headmaster and Asst Headmasters.

The new Miller Hall is slowly coming up.Soon there will be a new hall catering to all our needs and supporting all causes. Change is constant. The old order should be replaced We cannot turn the hands of clock backwards and stay with conventions. It is necessary that we move ahead with the changing without stepping away from the traditional values.Looking forward for this magnificicent new building

The new Miller Hall was inaugurated on January 23rd, with a grand celebration. The chief guest for the inauguration ceremony was Dr.K.Rosaiah, Honourable Governor of Tamil Nadu.

With this new reconstructed Miller Hall, MCC School had added another stupendous building, to its Infrastructure for the benefit of the students.The school has been growing in leaps and bounds. When we look at the history we find that the school moved to the present site at Chetput in the year 1950. The school had a hall called Miller Hall, named after one of Its renowned Principals, Rev.Dr. William Miller. The hall had a Kitchen and a Dining hall. The hall was also used to host various cultural events and was dear to the students of yesteryears.As the years rolled by,the hall was gradually getting worn out and its dilapidated condition was life threatening for the students, especially to tho hostellers who gathered there to Study and Dine. Renovations and repairs were done time to time but they did not serve the purpose. Soon it was felt that a mere cosmetic uplift will not suffice and the hall should be demolished and a new hall built in its stead.

The growing number of students led to a deficit of classrooms. The new primary school which was started recently was doing well and needed more class rooms. It was decided to convert the laboratories into primary class rooms and have the labs moved elsewhere.

With all this in mind, the management decided to bring down the old hall and build a new G+3 storeyed multipurpose hall. The foundation stone for the new building was laid on 11th October 2010. The old miller hall was demolished on 19th October 2012. The construction of the New Miller Hall started on 19th January 2012. The ground floor is now completed and the expenditure incurred is Rs. 3.15 crore. The major contribution was from our magnanimous alumni and the school management shared the rest. The ground floor consists of Physics Lab, Chemistry Lab, Dining Hall, Kitchen, Hostel Office and Hostel Superintendent's Cabin.

The preparation for the inauguration started a month before. The agenda for the day was devised and revised to make the function a success. Every small detail was planned meticulously. The building wore a festive look the day before. On the morning of the inauguration we had a solemn prayer service led by Rev. Peter Francis, St. Andrews Kirk in the presence of the college principal Dr.R.W.Alexander Jesudasan Bursar Mr.C.Sundaraj and Ms. Ravathy Bonns, Principal, MCC Matriculation Higher Secondary School. Soon, the guests started arriving. Due to the space constraint the parents were seated in the auditorium. An LED screen was kept for them to watch the inauguration. All eyes were fixed to the entrance and excitement filled the air as everyone was eagerly waiting for the arrival of His Excellency, The Governor of Tamil Nadu. He was not a minute late or a minute early but arrived at the exact time fixed in the agenda. He was given a ceremonial welcome and ushered on to the stage by our Headmaster,the Principal and other dignitaries. The programme began with a prayer song and an invocation to the Tamil Goddess. Dr.G.J.Manohar Headmaster and Correspondent delivered the welcome address. Mr.Arun Mammen, Managing Director, MRF Pvt, Ltd and also President of the Old Boys' Associathon and Dr. R. W Alexander Jesudasan, Principal and Secretary, Madras Christian College gave the felicitation address. The Guest of Honour for the programme Dr. Besant C. Raj, chairman, MCC Association delivered his address. There was a small video presentation about the Miller Hall which was followed by His Excellency DR.K. Rosiah unveiling the Miller Hall plaque and declaring the hall open. Then the architects and the donors were honoured by the Governor. The Governor gave an enlightening speech and also appreciated the school for its unplugged service in the field of education. The programme came to an end after MrParthiban Prasad AHM had rendered the vote of thanks followed by the National Anthem

At this juncture we render our heartfelt thanks to the alumni and to all those who contributed towards this cause. We hope and pray that we would be able to generate their support in future endeavours too.

As we surge towards development and success we pray that the Almighty would bless us in all our endeavours and guide us in our pursuit for excellence.