What It Is

The time I spent in teaching English as an associate professor was a challenging time indeed! I worked in the community college’s learning center, and was associated with a special government-funded program for students, offering support and service. Normal activities included teaching with the help of computers for students in all disciplines, auxiliary classes, and other classes. But special duties concerned “special” students. Some were from financially-strained families; some were skilled but could not pursue an education; people from ethnic groups; and those with learning disabilities. Even those who were mentally handicapped or were victims of emotional disturbances were accepted. So we were always busy with organizing thoughtful and seasonal events, having celebrations, conducting contests, and distributing prizes and trophies.

Since we were as keen as the government in promoting student success, we took to the program in a big way. the prize-giving ceremonies were only a culmination of all the hard work put in. Students, tutors, sponsors–all were rewarded for hard work, for bringing people together, for progressing in academics, and so on. Catalogues of awards and trophies would be ordered by me and two of my co-workers. Along with friends, we would pore over these books as if they were really great classics! Yes, the budget was limited, but that did not prevent us from choosing unusual trophies along with the more pragmatic awards.

Now, if the recipient is someone well known to you, it is easy to choose the trophy. His/Her personality, likes and dislikes, his/her style–will decide what must be ordered for him/her. To take a case in point, there was a quiet-natured gentleman who was retiring from service. This man was extremely devoted to his work and very organized. So we ordered a plaque made of wood and gold and had our appreciative words engraved on it.

The September 11 bombing brought a crunch time and many co-workers decided to retire from service. What they got were stipends for each year of service that they had put in. They were now unemployed, but those who got to stay in their places and needed the jobs were overjoyed. Even then, we were in charge of the awards ceremony. There were the usual retirement parties with the paraphernalia of speeches, food, itineraries, and so on. But the trophies we ordered were special. The learning center Trio program were known as STAARS (student academic and retention services). So we hunted around and finally got golden figures holding up giant stars. The recipients felt like Academy Award winners! This sure beat the time-honored way of recognizing people, and the recipients would have happy memories for years to come.