The Nation Newspaper

Category: Campus Life

  • Caleb University Joins International Association

    Caleb University Joins International Association

    The Department of Mass Communication, Caleb University Lagos, is now an institutional member of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR), one of the few such institutional members in Nigeria

    This was announced by the Head of Department, Professor Nosa Owens-Ibie, at the 2nd edition of the annual End-Of-The-Session Get-Together held at the permanent site of the university in Imota, Lagos State.

    He pointed out that all full-time and adjunct lecturers in the department have accordingly been registered as members.

    The Dean of the College of Social and Management Sciences, Professor Olukunle Iyanda, stated that with the rate the department is moving, it will soon become the reference point in communication training in Nigeria.

    He commended the Head of Department for his relentless efforts to build a model mass communication department; and advised that all should work towards making her the best in Nigeria.

    Mr. Dipo Oyedeji, a friend of the department, in appreciation of the strides made by the department, donated five laptops and a public address system.

    Deserving staff and students were also awarded prizes. A 100L student, Miss Margaret-Mary Awere Osiobor, was announced the next beneficiary of the Charles Emelue ‘CEO High Performing Female Economic Support Scholarship’ which entitles her to the sum of N20,000 monthly until graduation.

    Paul Aroloye and Ifedoyin Idowu as the Most Improved Students, Oluwadamilola Adesanya for the Best Academic Performance, Buari Oluwatosin and Osiobor Margaret-Mary as the Best Class Governor and Deputy (100 Level) respectively.

    Janet Jiya was awarded as the Best Voluntary Group Activity Leader, Ayishat Amoo, Adedamilola Adesanya, and Adetutu Onadeko were awarded for the Best Media Attachment performance, Bukola Kilasho for the Best Brand Caleb Performance, Kingsley Okeke and Stephanie Okocha as the Best Dressed Students.

    Lecturers awarded were Mrs Ijeoma Onyeator, Mr Ayotunde Alao, Mr. Emmanuel Richard for Selfless Service as Adjunct Lecturers, Mrs Ifedolapo Ademosu for Selfless Support,

    Mr Adegbenro Adebanjo, for Outstanding Selfless Service as Adjunct Lecturer, and Dr. Charles Nwachukwu for the Best Comparative Performance among Academic staff.

    Others awarded were Mr. Tunde Kajogbola for the Highest Individual Contribution through the Mass Communication Forum, Mr. John Ojo for being the Most Supportive University Staff, Ajayi Ademide for being the Most Versatile Student, Ajayi Paul as the Best Role Model, and Margaret-Mary Osiobor as the Star Student of the department.

    Professor Owens-Ibie, the Head of Department, in his address, enumerated the various achievements of the department during the session.

    The End-of-the-Session Get-Together featured drama, special numbers, comments by staff and students of the department, parents and other staff of the university, and the cutting of a special cake by final year students. One of the performers at the event was Ebunoluwa Oke, a student of the department and winner of the 2nd edition of the ‘Voice of Caleb’, a keenly contested reality music talent show in the university.

    The End-of-the-Session Get-Together is held every year to bring together staff, students, and parents/guardians.

    The Department of Mass Communication, Caleb University will produce its first set of graduates in June 2013.

    Meanwhile Mrs Bukola Akingbade, CEO, Bytesize Digital Marketing Agency has emphasised the importance of ideas in the present day, when she advised marketing professionals to think about ideas first before considering what channel to employ. She spoke on “Channel Neutrality: New Ideas Make the World Go Round” at the 14th Mass Communication forum of Caleb University, Imota, Lagos.

    She stressed the need for professionals to tailor messages in line with their understanding of consumers’ language, needs and brand sensitivity.

    The CEO also stated that advertisers should ensure that their ideas and messages are compatible with various media as the consumers are not stationed in one channel since channels are neutral.

  • ‘How we escaped death’

    johnson Ikudayisi and Temitope Orebe, who are Ekiti State students’ leaders studying at in Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, escaped death in a road accident. They were returning from Ekiti after sorting out bursary and scholarship payments when they had an accident.

    Johnson, 500-Level Dentistry, was the chairman of the Federation of Ekiti State Students’ Union (FESSU) electoral commission, Temitope, 400-Level Law, is the president of the union at OAU.

    The duo had gone to Ado-Ekiti to meet officials of the State Scholarship Board and the Governor. After the meeting, the students’ leaders left for Ife.

    However, 20 minutes into the journey, the bus they were riding in somersaulted at Igede-Ekiti and rammed into an electric pole. The pole fell on the bus.

    Reliving the incident, Johnson said he was typing a message on his phone when “we heard a loud sound and that was the end”.

    He said: “A power line fell on the bus and we were not electrocuted. I shouted blood of Jesus. We were 15 in the bus. How we escaped is still a mystery to us. Nobody could say if the accident happened as a result of over speeding.”

    Johnson noted that he was in shock before Temitope got a cab to take them to Ekiti State General Hospital, Iyin, Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government.

    He said at the time they left the scene of the incident and the hospital, some passengers were in coma and they left for Ife that same night.

    On the lesson learnt, Ekiti said that he would move closer to God now that he has been saved.

    He advised the officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to rid the roads of bad buses that were not road worthy.

    The drivers, he advised, should be made to undergo training before they should be given driving licence and periodic training for their staff.

  • The making of campus journalists

    The making of campus journalists

    Students from different higher institutions gathered at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) for a national conference and workshop organised by the UNILORIN’s chapter of the Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ). The theme of the conference was: Nigerian campus journalism: Renaissance and reformation.

    The event was held in the university’s expansive auditorium.

    Speakers included Dr Mahfouz Adedimeji, a lecturer in the Department of English Language and former Director of Information and Protocol, UNILORIN, Mr Adedayo Thomas, Director of Outreach, African Liberty Organisation, and the chairman, National Union of Journalists, Kwara State chapter, Mr Abiodun Abdulkareem.

    Also present Olaiya Templer, Guardian, Wale Ajetunmobi, The Nation; Faith Olaniran, Campus Trace magazine and Stephen Oladipupo, Campus Vibes magazine among others.

    In his lecture entitled: Positioning campus journalism for change, Dr Adedimeji opened with a quote from late Pini Jason, a columnist with the Vanguard: “Our society has lost its manners and now it is about to lose its mind. Your responsibility as a fine writer is to help this society retrieve those values that made us great in the past which this generation about to take over does not care about anymore! If you must be part of that recovery, then, you must not lose your head.”

    According to the don, journalism thrives on words, which he said are the building blocks of language. He said journalism had been defined in many ways but added: “A journalist, either campus-based or society-based, deals with words and makes words work.”

    He said: “There is no doubt we are living in a world of words today. Everywhere you go, words keep on dazzling your eyes on the pages of newspapers, magazines, books and the computer. Words keep on blasting your eardrums from speakers, radio and television sets. On many occasions, what we read, what we hear, what we watch, determine to a surprising extent who we are and the world we live. Words are powerful. Words are wonderful. Words are awesome. Words are breathtaking as confirmed in the Holy Books that ‘in the beginning was the word; and the word was God.”

    While noting that a writer’s pen was more powerful than the gun, Dr Adedimeji described writing as a weapon of mass destruction, stating that many government officials had been kept on their toes because of the activities of journalists, who he described as the watchdog of the society.

    He regretted that campus journalists and their counterparts in the larger society reported lies and block the truth despite taking the truth as the basis of journalism.

    Adedimeji said journalists were an integral part of our modern society, describing them as oxygen of democracy.

    He urged the campus writers to wake up to their duties and responsibilities, stating that they must stick to the principles of journalism which are truth, objectivity, balance and fairness.

    Thomas spoke on Role of the pen in creating a prosperous future. He said: “As campus journalists, you should be advocates of fairness, justice, integrity and entrepreneurship. These tools will give you an edge over your peers in the political, economic, and social set up.”

    On building a prosperous nation, Thomas charged the participants to always engage the government in ideological warfare by writing to criticise anti-developmental policies of government, which he said had stifle entrepreneurship.

    After lectures, the participants were taken on another session by the campus editors present at the event. Ajetunmobi, CAMPUSLIFE Editor, described campus journalism as a complex trade, with “objectively.” While narrating his ordeals as a campus journalist in UNILORIN, he urged the student-writers to write to break grounds and traditions with the objective to leave the campus a better place.

    Templer noted that campus journalists remained the voice of the students and conscience of the public, who must understand issues and engineer social change. He said campus writers must demonstrate to students they were the bearers of their trust.

    Olaniran, a former CAMPUSLIFE reporter from the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT MINNA), charged the participants to be an all-round writer, adding that campus journalist must know their strength and improve on their weaknesses to harness their potential in writing.

    Delegates attended the conference from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, University of Ibadan (UI), Ibrahim Babaginda University (IBB), Lapai, Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), University of Calabar (UNICAL), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Delta State University (DELSU), Federal School of Statistics (FSS), Oyo, among others.

     

     

  • Akwa Ibom medical students hold orientation

    he national body of the Federated Association of Akwa Ibom Medical Students (FAAKIMS) has held orientation for its members admitted into the University of Calabar (UNICAL) in the 2012/2013 academic session. The programme was held at the Medical Laboratory Science lecture room II.

    The national president, Daniel Johnson, in his address, congratulated the freshers for being among the selected candidates offered admission into the institution.

    Johnson, 400-Level Medical Laboratory Science, told the students the essence of the association, which he noted was to forge a common front for indigenous students across the country studying medical and medical-related courses.

    He said the association was fine-tuning modalities towards ensuring that members were paid medical study grant to assist them in their various courses of study.

    Johnson advised the freshers to obey all rules and regulations of the school, urging them to behave like typical indigene of Akwa Ibom State.

    The national secretary, Raymond Ekemini, advised the freshers to attach importance to their studies, as well as disregard all acts capable of undermining their studies. “Do not allow the true essence of your being in the university to be overshadowed by frivolities such as cultism, examination malpractices among others which have been source of worry in present day society,” he warned.

    Iniobong Augustine, one of the new students in Medical Laboratory Science, said the orientation was an eye opener to the realities of campus life.

    Present at the event were the association’s Financial Secretary, Umoh Ebiti, Treasurer and Patricia Umoren, among others.

     

  • Dept holds discussion

    Dept holds discussion

    The Nigerian Economics Students Association (NESA), University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) chapter, has held its maiden roundtable discussion tagged “Reform efforts and unaresolved socioeconomic problems in Nigeria”.

    The discussion had in attendance the Head of the Economics department, Dr Hakeem Mobolaji, his counterpart in Al-Hikmah University (AL-HIKMAH), Dr Waheed Ibrahim, Senior Special Adviser to Kwara State Government on Small and Medium Enterprises, Alhaji Lukman Adam and lecturers of the department.

    Dr Mobolaji, in his welcome address, noted: “Socio-economic problems have persisted in Nigeria because Nigeria is competitively corrupt and we are consistently inconsistent.”

    The panel of discussants was composed of three groups from academics, government, and students. Alhaji Adam represented the government, Dr Ibrahim and Dr Saka represented the academics, while Dayo Akinola and Hammed Adebowale represented the students.

    Dr Abdulhakeem Kilishi of the department moderated the discussion while each group did justice to the topic from their own perspective in three sequential rounds.

  • Who is a role model?

    The most important single influence in the life of a person is another person…who is worthy of emulation – Paul Shafer

    The pupils were well-composed as I walked into the class. It was my first time in the school after I was posted to the school as a Corps member. I was introduced to these future leaders as their new English teacher. After my brief introduction, I also asked to know them one after the other. I was excited by the drama that attended the session.

    And then the prologue continued. I took that opportunity to ask them two questions I usually ask kids of their age. The first question was on who they wanted to be in future; the second was on who their role models were. The responses I got from the first question thrilled me but answers to the second question were uninspiring. I reviewed the list and they were names of celebrities that had nothing to do with their chosen career. Being a new teacher, I stomached my dissatisfaction and resolved to create a session to discuss their misconception with them.

    In this clime, we often take celebrities as role models. Once a person is in public glare, whether he is an exceptional teacher, artiste, footballer or politician, he or she is deemed a role model. Then, people start looking up to him or her. But then, this notion is absolutely wrong.

    Wikipedia defines a role model as “any person who serves as an example, whose behavior is emulated by others.” Historically, the term ‘role model’ first appeared in Robert Merton’s socialisation research. He stated that “individuals compare themselves with reference groups of people who occupy the social role to which the individual aspires.”

    Undoubtedly, role models are good. They help us turn out to be the person we want to be and stimulate our passion to make difference. It means that one is on the right track and can be the best he wants to be. It is all about the right choice. To be like someone we often see on the television screen can be detrimental to one’s career. If the admired personality is a well-known celebrity, does it make him or her a role model?

    Anyone apart from celebrity can be one’s role model. It is not necessarily the person must be rich or influential. A teacher, an uncle, or an ordinary man on the street with exemplary lifestyle and career can be our role model. Notwithstanding, it is never a crime to take a celebrity or a famous person as a role model. As Ben Johnson put it, it is not a shame to follow the better precedent.

    We cannot choose a role model just because the person has a style we admire. The choice of celebrities of the pupils was influenced by their addiction to the TV. Most of the celebrities we confer the function of a role model do not worth it. The fact that a particular actor is excellent in interpreting roles in movies does not make him a role model, albeit he is superb in his field.

    By the way, who is a true role model? A true role model possesses the qualities that we aspire to have. He or she is someone who has affected us in a way that makes us want to be better person even though we have not met them physically. His or her life gives us the replica of ourselves in the future and reminds us that we can make it beyond the limit our admired persons attain. Above all, a true role model is that individual that influences one to make the right choice in life.

    Denzel Washington sees a role model as a mentor – someone one sees on a daily basis and learns from them.

    On the other hand, role models are humans and as such, they are not expected to be infallible. They have emotions, feelings and weak points. Sometimes, they fail to live up to expectation as a role model. A role model has not stopped being one just because he or she has done something unexpected of him. That good side of him could still be emulated.

    The fact that those people have made it and seem to have made an indelible footprint in their career does not make them different from any other person when it comes to the acts of the flesh. One really needs to define what he wants, so that he can differentiate those qualities and virtues he venerates from the ones that happen to be the extreme side of his role model which should be discarded.

    As famous and charismatic Bill Clinton is, a lot of people make him their role model. But, that does not erase the Monica Lewinsky scandal from our memories.

    As promiscuous as he was, legend has it that Picasso, a famous artist, got married to Fernande Olivier and separated from her later in 1912 to marry Eva Gouel. After the death of Gouel in 1915, Picasso got married again to Olga Koklova in 1918 and she had a son for him. He later found rest in the bosom of a new love, Marie Theresa Walter and had a daughter, Maia, through her in 1935. In other to enlarge his artistic horizon, Picasso fell in love with Dora Marr, an artist who photographed Guernica as he painted it even though he was still with Walter. Picasso’s emotional life was said to have become enigmatic after he met French painter, Francoise Gilot in the 1940’s while he was still with Maar. Before Picasso and Gilot parted ways in 1953, they had a son, Claude and a daughter, Paloma. Picasso moved on with his amorous lifestyle and later got married to Jacqueline Roque in 1961 and she became his next companion.

    All those women in Picasso’s life were said to have influenced his works during the time they were together. Despite his troubles with having an unsettled home, Picasso nevertheless produced great artworks that are still felt and revered till date. That weak point of his was his inspiration.

    Going by the definition of Wikipedia, would anyone have emulated Picasso given his personal way of life? I know readers would say: “That was just his weak point but he was still a great artist.” Nobody will say Picasso is a bad example to be emulated in marriage, so he should not be taken as role model in art.

     

    Taiwo, a Corps member, NYSC IBADAN

     

  • Rotaract Club gives school a facelift

    Rotaract Club gives school a facelift

    The Rotaract Club of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) has repainted the Government Primary School in Obufa Etuk, Cross River State, as part of its service to humanity.

    Members of the club painted walls of classrooms in the school and chalk boards. The students divided themselves into groups and painted three blocks of the school.

    Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, the club president, Solomon Obio, said the club decided to paint the buildings because of their deplorable condition. He said giving a facelift to the school would give the pupils hope.

    In a related development, the club held a health awareness programme with the pupils in the school.

    Edem Effiom, one of the Rotaract Club’s members, who was a facilitator in the awareness programme, told the pupils why they must wash their teeth in the morning and evening. He also taught them on how they could wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating.

    John Julius advised the pupils not to join bad companies, urging them always behave well. After the programme, sachets of close-up tooth paste were given to the pupils.

    The deputy Headmistress, Mrs Egwudo Udoh, praised the Rotaract members for choosing the school to carry out their humanitarian activities. She noted that the painting had beautified the school and the pupils were happy to receive the training.

    She prayed for God to reward the efforts of the club members, saying it was a demonstration of the love the club had for the children and the school.

     

  • Students groan over okada ban

    Students groan over okada ban

    Students of the Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, have bemoaned the ban on commercial motorcycles (okada) in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State. They said the last two weeks had been challenging as many of them walked under the sun to school.

    CAMPUSLIFE investigation revealed that the ban may not be unconnected with the activities of kidnappers in the local government, who use motorcycles to commit crime.

    Abraka, the main campus of the university, has been under siege since last year when the activities of kidnappers grew uncontrollably. The development has led to the drafting of policemen to the area.

    In 2011 the university witnessed series of kidnapping of both lecturers and non-academic staff.

    Mrs Stella Mouboghare, wife of the Commissioner of Basic Education and staff of the university, was seized last year March. Members of the university community responded with protest, which culminated in a solidarity strike by the university staff.

    In January, the treasurer of the DELSU chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Mr Martins Denedo, was kidnapped and rescued by security operatives stationed around the university.

    The state government, in its effort to check the kidnappers’ activities, decided to ban the activities of Okada in the area last month. The ban was announced a week to the commencement of the first semester examinations.

    This, however, did not go down well with students, many of whom lamented lack of alternative to access the campus. According to many students, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, tricycle and the campus shuttle provided were not adequate. They complained that the vehicles did not extend their services to corners of the area unlike motorcycles.

    “These days, I leave my house at least 30 minutes before my lecture time because I have to walk to the road and then wait for a shuttle that is going to my direction. The situation is pathetic,” a student told CAMPUSLIFE.

    Another said: “The problem is not the ban on Okada, it is the lack of access roads in the community. It is a right decision at the wrong time.”

    A respondent, who spoke to our correspondent, urged management and state government to address problem of transportation being faced by students in the area.

  • Pastor preaches holiness

    Pastor preaches holiness

    A pastor, Samson Oluwamodede, has warned students against committing sin, urging them to embrace holiness.

    Oluwamodede gave the warning during a prayer session organised by the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) last Sunday.

    The prayer was held at the university’s Relaxation Centre. The man of God is the founder of the Prayer Centre Church of God Worldwide. He said he was in the institution to pray for the students to be successful and to warn them against certain sinful acts, which were in contrast with the standard of God.

    The prophet told the students that everything they needed to be successful in life was in Christ Jesus, adding: “all that is expected of you is holiness.”

    He said: “God will come at anytime to harvest the world; there is grace and mercy for you this time, be holy as our God is holy.”

    Oluwamodede, who warned the students against indulging in fornication, advised students to desist from prostitution and cultism.

    He said: “Always remember the son of whom you are.” He noted that those who partook in unholy acts would not be part of the the Kingdom of God. “Malice, greed, fornication, putting on trousers and artificial hair-do by ladies can lead one to the hell fire,” he said.

    Quoting 1st Corinthians 11 vs 6, the pastor warned students against worshiping in churches where female do not cover their heads and wear trousers, saying that God is not present in such churches.

    He said prayer for students and management. He prayed for peace to continue to reign and rebuke the spirits of untimely death that might be hovering on every student and member of staff.

    The cleric promised to always visit the school every last Sunday of the month to pray for the students. Some of the students who spoke with CAMPUSLIFE described the prayer as timely as the first semster examination approaches.

     

  • Iginor as metaphor for child abuse

    Iginor as metaphor for child abuse

    Over the years, the case of child abuse in Nigeria has been alarming. With no end to the cases of child abuse in every part of the country, it appears no one cares.

    In the Federal Polytechnic, Bida (BIDA POLY), Iginor is a form of child abuse, which is common in the city. Just as Almajiri has remained worrisome in the northern states, Iginor is deemed an open embarrassment to the locals of Bida, especially the educated among them.

    In Nupe dialect, Iginor means “a child” irrespective of gender. But on the campus, the term is used to describe an adolescent, who roams about the street and off-campus hostels to sell petty wares and help students to fetch water in return for money.

    These children, which are between the ages 5 to 18 years, are released by their parents to learn Arabic education but they are sent out to hawk on the streets due to financial problems of their Mullahs, who cannot feed nor provide the basic need of life for them. Therefore, these kids are sent out to source for what to live on and most times, they are given targets to be brought back each day.

    To attain the targets and to cater for themselves, Iginors embark on begging or labour work. Such children are usually aggressive and violent as they are exposed to pressure and hunger. The kind of work they do to make living demand energy. They visit hostels to wash clothes for students, and go to restaurants to do all sorts of menial jobs. Through such activities, the kids are exposed to molestation, hunger and other forms of social violence.

    The female among them risk being rape. There have been cases when some of them are sexually abused by local youths, who forcefully slept with them.

    A case of child abuse was recorded recently when a young female hawker entered one of the off-campus hostels. In broad daylight, the minor was raped by a male student. Friends of the rapists tried to bury the matter, but it still became public knowledge with the incidents being broadcast among students. But the matter ended there.

    Similarly, not too long ago, a young boy, whose age would be below seven, was seen struggling to carry a 25 Litre gallon of water on his head in order to be given N20. When asked on what he wanted to do with the money and why he had to fetch water, the chap said in Nupe dialect that he was asked by his parents to go and work in order to bring money. When asked if he was in school, he said he had not started going to school.

    These are some of the cases where underage children are subjected to hard labour and molestation because of pecuniary benefit. Of course, it is simply a child labour, which offends all known codes of human civilisation. Asking adolescents to do strenuous exercise, which many adults cannot do is child abuse.

    These children wander about without going to school. Without education, they will end up to be losers in whatever perspective we may look into it. Some of them are not even attending the Arabic schools for which they are sent much less western education.

    This practice must stop because these young ones are leaders of tomorrow. They are the future hope and pillars, without which the future may look bleak in terms of development. If Iginor is allowed to flourish unabatedly, all the violence visited on the kids will stick in their brain and they may grow up to become criminals in the society within which they live. This will surely be a setback for the society because increase in rate of crime is being attributed to increase in number criminals being bred in the society.

    It is important that children’s right be protected, preserved and maintained. The basic children’s needs are quality education, effective health care, shelter and nutrition.

    Once these basic necessities are provided, there is no doubt that they can perform wonderfully well in their undertakings and can deliver as leaders of tomorrow. No one knows who among today’s children will lead the nation to a greater height tomorrow. When a child’s rights are denied, the hope for a better tomorrow is prohibited.

     

    Precious, HND II Mass Comm., BIDA POLY