Personally… | On Students Today!

A Teacher’s Observations | & Encomiums

5th February 2024 | The Day Today

Well, this blog post would seek to highlight certain laudable and noteworthy characteristics of our students, from my observations today.

Hence, this post would also double up as a diary entry as well.

Firstly, this morning while on my way to College, I was intrigued by quite an unfamiliar sight – a kid pillion-riding with her dad, reading a Book. Probably it was for her school work or college work. 

But still, I was so amazed to see, for a change, a kid reading a book while on the move! And not flipping through her cell phone! Sharing the snap here for all of us!

Secondly, Prof. Sundhar had shared from his newspaper reading today. It’s from The Hindu’s Education Plus, on Book vs Screen, and how they play a very important role in a student’s development.

Thirdly, today, I was delighted to know that Gayathri K had posted her vlog on ‘Significance of Smile in our day to day Life’ as part of her Monday Motivational Series on her YouTube Channel.

Says Gayathri – 

A Smile is something that we all require, but we don’t give much importance in our day-to-day life. We influence the people around us through our smile, she adds.

‘Through a smile I’m transferring a positive vibe to you. She also traces an occasion back in school, when a simple phatic communion like ‘Good Morning’ done with a smile has a huge motivational effect on us. It helps spread positivity around us, and also helps in developing strong bonds with people around us’, 

says Gayathri. 

Apt and awesome inspirational for a Monday! Keep up the good work, Gayathri. So proud of you.

Then, I got to visit MCC-MRF Innovation Park to scout for cabins for an upcoming event. Ms. Aarti Ram and Ms. Srimathy accompanied me to the MMIP. Srimathy was our student from 2005 to 2008.

Fourthly, when I was checking mails in my post box, in the Staff Room, I was delighted to find a lovely mail that was from a British Council Post Card.

It was from Dr. Nazneen, penned from the Chennai Book Fair, on 20th January 2024. Sharing it with us all here, for the lovely memories and for posterity sake as well. 

It struck a chord in me, for quite a few reasons. Chiefly, since it was a renewal of the art of letter writing – a long lost art at that! So delighted I was, that I immediately shared it on my WhatsApp status as well. So happy for you, Dr. Nazneen!

Fifthly, I then met with Vishnu, III BA English and Souparno, I MA English. So delighted to know that, they are able to balance their commitments in the Hall, along with their academic work. 

Also, quite happy to note that, Vishnu Prasath has recently won the Best Paper Award for his paper presentation in SDNB Vaishnav College, Chennai.

On an aside, I still remember his paper that he presented in SDNB College last year, as a student of II BA English, on ‘Musical Allusions in Haruki Murakami’. Last year our II MA student Pinky had got the Best Paper Award there.

Vishnu has also started a Readers’ Club and he’s been regularly hosting sessions as part of the Club for many months now. Kudos, Vishnu. We are so proud of you.

Souparno has also been consistently presenting papers in Conferences all across India. I’m doubly excited to share with you the lovely news that he’s part of the team that’s instrumental in reviving the Debating culture in MCC.

Well, Shri P. Chidambaram is expected to be part of this Debating Revival in the upcoming weeks. [19th February?]

Moreover, I’m so glad to note that Souparno has presented four papers in International Conferences thus far, in this particular academic year. Last year he was also part of the panel that interviewed our Principal for more than three hours. We are so proud of you, Souparno. Keep up the good work.

Sixthly, Suhash also shared the good news that he’s going to publish a book soon. I wished him the best. I’m sure you can soon expect a review of a lovely book from Suhash on our blog soon.

Seventhly, Carol, II BA English, had so punctually come to meet me today, after her CAs. But I wasn’t there. So she promptly left me a message for an appointment for another day.

Eighthly, Anthea Isaac, a vibrant research scholar with Dr. Ramasubbu Annan, had posted her wonderful February Motivational on her vlog today on the topic, ‘Regretting Regrets’, where she gives a valuable byline, ‘It’s time to start normalizing regrets’.

Anthea Isaac, by the way, is also the granddaughter of late Dr. Isaac, HoD, English, American College, Madurai. Sharing a rare snap of Dr. Isaac, from my American College Album Collection clicked during Pegasus 2001. 

So proud that she’s the ward of Dr. Ramasubbu Annan, Principal, MTN College, Madurai. One of the best research guides a research scholar can ever aspire for!

Ninthly, I would also like to share a lovely note of gratitude that I had received from one of our best students, Benedicta Liza who’s got into Queensland University recently. She had written a long note of gratitude to me, saying how the Study Abroad Seminar had helped her and inspired her to study abroad.

I find this trait a very highly noble trait amongst students today. So proud of you Liza. You have set a noble trend for others to emulate.

Finally, on a similar vein, I would like to share and to acknowledge a note of gratitude from a past student (Ms. Rana) from Siliguri, near Darjeeling. She had sent a mail to the Principal, stating that she would like to donate her first month’s salary for deserving students of our College, as her way of giving back to the institution that had shaped her for five long years, and had given her an identity in society today. 

So yes! at the end of the day, I can proudly say that our students today are quite focused, quite committed and involve themselves bigtime in whatever good they’re doing. 

They not only set goals, but also keep themselves focused on their future, by meticulously planning their time, and organizing their schedules accordingly. In addition, they also ensure that they honour their commitments.

Above all, their deep sense of gratitude for their alma mater and for their teachers, is simply amazing, and is, for sure, the icing on the cake.

Keep up the spirit, dear students. We are so proud of you!

You may want to read our past blog post HERE, for a past take on Students Today.