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Tribute to Campuses: Shaping lives!

by with No Comment ExperienceLifestyleLovePoemUncategorized

STRANDOMS: the stray and random thoughts

MAY 24 ,2025

S.RAMKUMAR

Tribute to Campuses: Shaping lives!

Campuses, the places where we learn and work, visibly influence our outlook and happiness, offering cherished memories for a dynamic life. They are like extended homes for a wishful mind, available to us to refresh at any moment, helping us to think and be happy, no matter where we are.

The three campuses I’ve had the privilege to experience (chosen from many) are the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (COVAS), Mannuthy, Kerala (where I completed my undergraduate and postgraduate courses and began my career as an Assistant Professor), The University of Reading, UK (where I pursued my PhD and postdoc, and later visited as a researcher), and the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research (RIVER), Puducherry (as Faculty and Dean)

At COVAS, Mannuthy, 1987

COVAS, Mannuthy

The sunsets viewed from the men’s hostel (the only one at the time), the verdant corridor of trees beside the lovely green stadium, and the small hill behind the campus, accessible by crossing the canal, make COVAS a truly unique life experience. The transformation from teenager to young adult, the newfound freedom with lifelong friends, and the wonderful, connected faculty and staff all contribute to the freshness and richness of being on that campus. These experiences shape us for the future. All our loves—studies, sports, arts, friends, fun, tours, classes, outings—blend seamlessly within the wider canvas of a campus that truly lives.

At Whiteknights Lake, Reading, UK 1991

The University of Reading, UK

The landscape with Whiteknights Lake at its heart offers a stunning view, and daily walks within its grounds open up new perspectives. The changing seasons—spring with its vibrant tulips, summer with lush green grass and trees, autumn with yellowish-brown leaves gracefully falling, and winter with days when the lake freezes over, allowing geese and ducks to walk on the ice—have been odes to this campus. Every season holds sweet sentiments that linger through the years as you live.

Canteen Garden, RIVER, 2020

RIVER, Puducherry

RIVER boasts a sprawling green campus with buildings nestled like small mushrooms within a verdant forest. The trees, predominantly neem, provide much-needed freshness throughout the day as we walk and work. The fruit trees, herbal garden, canteen garden, the pond, and the animal rehabilitation enclosure all embody a philosophy of “growing with the green.”

“Campuses truly remain with us!”

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LASTING LOVE

by with No Comment EducationExperienceLifeLifestyleLoveProfession

STRANDOMS: the stray and random thoughts

MAY 5 ,2025

S.RAMKUMAR

LASTING LOVE

True Love is heart’s find of the beautiful virtues of another person.

While physical beauty might initially draw the eye, it is the enduring qualities of affection, sacrifice, and unwavering care that truly bind souls together.

These deeper virtues weave the fine fabric of a real and lasting love, with varying shades!

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Love..

Changing our mindset

by with No Comment Love

STRANDOMS: the stray and random thoughts

April 10,2023

Prof. S. Ramkumar

LifeStyle

ADAPTABILITY : the ability to change "MINDSET" depends on the strategy

PREJUDICES

CHALLENGE

We hold onto beliefs formed from childhood, which can limit our perspective, unless it is reviewed and learnt continuously with the changing times.

STRATEGY (How to change)

Decide self, to keep an open mind. Actively seek out diverse viewpoints. 

Read books by different authors, watch documentaries on unfamiliar topics, and have conversations with people from different backgrounds. 

Question your own assumptions, and be open to changing you mind.

COMFORT ZONE

CHALLENGE

We create the space of thinking and doing which we feel comfortable. We resist stepping outside our comfort zone, where familiar thoughts and actions reside.

STRATEGY (How to change)

Set small, achievable goals that push you slightly beyond your comfort zone. 

Celebrate your progress, no matter how small. 

As your confidence grows, gradually increase the difficulty of your goals, which you can!

SELF IMPORTANCE (Ego)

CHALLENGE

We all have ego and it is good as far as it defines our selfworth. Often we tend not to change some things because of bigger ego we carry. Ego can be both helpful and harmful. A healthy ego provides selfworth, but an inflated ego hinders growth.

STRATEGY (How to change)

Focus on learning and improvement rather than “proving yourself”. Celebrate the achievements of others, and see them as inspiration, not competition.

EXPECTATION (FROM OTHERS)

CHALLENGE

Fearing disapproval from others can prevent us from taking risks or trying new things.

STRATEGY (How to change)

Recognize that you can’t control the expectations of others.

Focus on your own goals and values, and surround yourself with supportive people who encourage your growth.

PASSIVITY (Laziness)

CHALLENGE

A lack of motivation can make us resistant to change.

Passiveness makes us slow or not to change. In a way it is inherent laziness to do new things.

STRATEGY (How to change)

Break down large goals into smaller, manageable steps.

Find an accountability partner who will support your efforts.

Reward yourself for completing tasks, and celebrate your progress.

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LOVE ..

by with No Comment Love

STRANDOMS: the stray and random thoughts

April 10,2023

Prof. S. Ramkumar

LifeStyle

LOVE ..

(Love is an experience of search; it is a means than an “end”. Though we try to see the beauty of love and often plunge into the feel of love, the path in search is the pleasure of love. Nature depicts this in different ways. Love is a veiled beauty, beneath which is the stable symbol. This may be unseen, unfound. In life the path itself is the journey of love, or search for love!)

1.

The twilight ripples of shade
wavers in the moonlight to
swaying shapes,
gruelling
to glance that stable beauty .
As a flickering flame
of a glowing lamp,
that dances
with the kiss of the breeze
that browse through –
the search to see the beauty “still”
grows eager and dear !

2.

Silhouette of the sylph
spreads the smile from
the trembling lips,
whisking
through the cool of night
warping the minds
with that misty veil.

3.

The glow that glare
under the moon,
the shining eyes of bright 

beneath the brows
of the seagulls’ wings the seas in the eyes
with the depth of
calm and color
valour and vigour
ripples and rattles –
sails
to the unseen shores
and unfound treasures of love.
The jittery joy
to drench
in the spoondrift
beside the sea!

4.

In the hymn of silence,
the beams of moon
knit the subtle veil for her!
Beyond is
the charm of cheer,
the wait for the unseen
beauty!

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