As we enter the green campus of BVRIT, what catches our eyes, especially, in this part of the year is the pleasant mango orchard beaming with the delicious fruit. The sheer sight of the fruit is delightful and arresting. The sight of the tender green leaves, the smell of the mango leaves, the mouth watering variety of the heavenly fruit, the chirping of the birds on the mango trees – all delight our senses. And that is not all. Not to forget the tradition, the college has the custom of giving a heavy pack of mangoes to the faculty. Wow! BVRIT, we love this custom. It is all the more fabulous as the sweetness of the fruit is irresistible and all pervading. It is as sweet as the sight of the water lilies happily tossing their heads from the pond in our campus; as sweet as the heart of our founder Chairman who is standing tall near the pond; as sweet as the smile of our current Chairman; as sweet as the countenance of the staff; and as sweet as the conduct of our students. It appears as if it is ushering a sweet time ahead in the campus.
Too much of sweetness? But that was no exaggeration. No, not in the least. When I say the sweet countenance of the staff, I am reminded of their kind deeds. I still remember, on my first day at college, I had to open an account in SBH, Narsapur. And I was hesitant to go there alone as the place was new to me. Then understanding my state, one of my colleagues, not only offered to go along with me though she had no work there, but also lent her vehicle to me for the same. That was a good gesture from the staff here to a new recruit. I felt comfortable on the very first day at college with such people around and this was important to me as the active part of the day we spend at our workplace. Thus began my journey at BVRIT on a positive note. Next, I also remember the day I forgot my laptop in college and realized it after reaching home. But there was nothing to worry. Because when I called and told one of my colleagues who resides in the staff quarters about it, in the night he immediately went to college, got the staff room opened with the help of the security guard, took the laptop home and returned it to me safely the next day. By the way, the teaching faculty not only help each other but they are also very encouraging and helpful to the students in all their constructive endeavors. Am sure, the students of BVRIT know that.
Students! Yes, I did say, “sweet conduct of the students”. I really mean it. It was in the last week, when I was about to begin my class after the lunch break for the first year Computer Science Engineering students of section A, I noticed a sheet of paper on the floor near the first row of benches. Some students were hurriedly walking into the room, some dodging, and some jumping over the paper. Then I thought, these freshers badly need to take lessons on classroom etiquette and have a Swach Bharat programme in the class too. Then came Monica, who also hastily walked into the class but quickly picked up the paper, put it on the nearby computer table, placed the mouse on it, and then sat in her place which is usually one of the back benches. She could have thought selfishly that it was none of her business or she could have thrown it in the dustbin. But it was very thoughtful of her to think that the paper may be of some importance to somebody, so she put it on the table. I was amazed and acknowledged the same in front of the entire class. Then I was taken by another surprise. Instead of having their heads down and envying the girl for the praise, all the students clapped as a token of appreciation for her. I felt happy as they displayed optimism and broad outlook. I also decided to shelve my lecture on tidiness as no paper was seen on the floor. Though it is a simple incident, it was touching and inspiring. It revealed the humane side of the students and I think, students with good attitude do have an edge over others during placements and also otherwise, where ever they go. Small things do matter a lot. It also left me wondering whether the credit of their good conduct should go to their parents or to the positive and pleasant atmosphere of the campus or to both!
I have many sweet memories associated with – students, classrooms. As teachers we appreciate commitment on the part of the students in their academics. In that direction, sometimes we have to take some measures to infuse a sense of time management among the students especially, when it comes to submission of assignments and records. As a teacher, I thought that the measures should be beneficial to the students and as an English teacher, I thought that it should be related to improving their language skills. If a student delays submission of record by a day, then normally I ask them to write and learn 50 new words and I would randomly pick 3 words from the list and ask them to give the meaning of the words. If they give the right answer, I would accept their work for correction. Then I modified the action to 20 idioms and sometimes 20 one word substitutes and asked them to construct sentences of their own. Ah, let me digress a little here.
You know something, I am writing all this sitting in the college bus. The journey is a sweet memory too and it is worth the mention. But for the journey, I wouldn’t have shared with you my experiences. At college, we are tied up with our academic responsibilities, and back home, I need to attend to my household chores. Now while I am penning down my thoughts, the bus is passing through the beautiful Narsapur forest. It is a visual treat. It is the best part of the journey for me. It is an oxygen bank which enlivens our spirits and relieves us of our exhaustion. The monkeys are a special attraction in the forest as the sight of their playfulness eases our tension. Generally, people go trekking to forests for a holiday and enjoy once in a while. But we are the fortunate lot to enjoy the serenity and tranquility which the green woods has to offer, everyday. It gives us an opportunity to begin our day on a pleasant note.
Back to the narration, let me tell you something interesting. It was one of my lab sessions, and I observed a cheerful boy who seemed to be very excited about the topic in discussion and was cross talking during the activity. Guess what the action was this time? I asked him to stand up and translate 2 lines of a lyric from a Telugu film song if he wishes to sit in his place. OMG! the word film song lit the faces of all the students and they were smiling prettily. On request, Sathvika came and sang the lyric: “Seethakalam Suryudilaaga Koncham Koncham Chusthave…..” That was a beautiful song and very timely too as the temperature turned down and it was cloudy with a slight drizzle outside. It was a Herculean task for the boy concerned, because he knew little Telugu. But thanks to his classmates who came to his rescue by supplying the relevant English words. Here I must confess one thing, I liked the way they were trying to help him and the way the boy took it sportively. Good team work and it was also enjoyable. It has given them the much needed break of 10 minutes after a 2 and a half hour oral presentations in the lab session. It also dawned on me that film songs can be great stress busters and that actors are doing a benevolent job in the society. Most importantly, it is a sweet memory for me as it was so good to see all the students happy. So it is Wah Taj! Oh, no. It’s Wah Charminar! Oh, no no. It is Wah BVRIT! J
