On Monday the 7th of
this month, the SRC week was launched by Mr. Michael Baafi, a lecturer and the guest speaker. With him were
the others like the queen mother of Adabraka community, Nanabanyin
Dadson, who was later announced as the chairman of the program, Mr. Ogochukwu
Nweke, the dean of student affairs, Mr. Ato Afful, a lecturer and
supervisor of radio discovery a campus based radio station where I
host ‘the request-line every Tuesday and a good number of the SRC executives.
A prayer was said by Mr. Ato Afful which was quickly followed by the
introduction of the chairman by Miss Angeline Laryea, a
student. After her introduction of the chairman was the chairman’s speech of
acceptance. His speech was followed by that of the SRC- AUCC chapter’s
president, Sangmorkie Tetteh’s speech on the theme
’making higher education relevant to the economic growth of Africa' which
was also followed by a speech from Mr Ogochukwu Nweke, the dean of student
affairs on the theme. Mr. Michael Baafi, delivered his speech after this and
formally launched the SRC week with the assistance of the queen mother after
she had arrived with her company a few minutes later. ‘We cannot afford to fail Africa’ she had said in her speech. According to
her, our level of education should show in everything that we do. For instance
a dress made by a university graduate should differ from a SHS graduates’. Then
came a speech from a representative fromCAL-BANK. The final speech was that of
the chairman of the occasion, closing remarks after which was a closing prayer.
This was done by Alibaba Mohamart, the vee p of the Journalist for Human Rights
(JHR), AUCC chapter. We called it day.
Day
two of the celebration was marked with a quiz between the four halls; baobab,
adinkra, discovery and African unity hall. The quiz wall all about AUCC and
discovery hall emerged winners with 48 points, followed by baobab with 26
point, then adinkra with18 points and African unity following with 7 points. A
short break was given after which were debates between the halls; discovery
and baobab halls set the ball rolling on the topic ’the high rate of unemployed
graduates in Africa should be blamed on the academia’ discovery hall for the
motion once more emerged winners over baobab who were against the motion with
78 points against 66. Adinkra and African unity battled it out on the
topic ‘education at the tertiary level is not the panacea for Africa’s woes’.
Adinkra secured 88 points for themselves speaking against the topic whilst
African unity secured 85 points speaking for the motion. These two halls
emerging as winners came together at the decider segment to debate on the topic ‘acquisition
of a degree should be a requirement to qualify you as a member of parliament’. Adinkra
hall topped it all with 82 points against 71 of discovery. During all this
time, a donation by AUCC students was ongoing at the Accra psychiatric
hospital.
Day three of the celebration was all about food. A
cocktail party was organized on campus late in the night. Palm wine and
other beverages were served along with chicken with good music at the
background.
Day
four was a day to ‘represent your school'. Each student was
expected to wear their high school uniform after lectures if not to school. I
wasn’t left out, I got a vest from Adisadel college and a tie
. The afternoon session was all about African dishes. This was a competition between the halls once more. Adinkra once more emerged winners. According to the judges, ‘they cooked very difficult meals in a short time and it was well done'. After the announcement of the winner for the cooking competition was an inter-halls dance competition, there was male competition as well as female. Adinkra won in both cases. Later that evening was fashion night which didn’t turn out well.
Day five
was inter-hall games, the activity almost every student was
waiting for. The day finally came and at the el-wak sports stadium, the halls
battled it out. The games started with the women soccer. Although most of the
women wanted to play a full time, they were only allowed to play penalties.
First, adinkra hall played against African unity hall whilst
discovery hall played against baobab hall. As Adinkra won against African
unity, Discovery hall also won against Baobab hall. The two halls, Adinkra and
discovery had to play against each other for a winner. It was a tough game,
however, there had to be a winner. Discovery hall finally won the penalties
after I missed my second penalty shoot.
There were rain showers
when the track games began. I stood in the fourth lane representing the Adinkra
hall. With my eyes set on the finishing line, all I heard was ‘GO’.
Everyone had started with some fire and surely, there was not going to be a
tie. The slimmest of us all, representing Baobab hall took the first position
although she had fallen at the finishing line, followed by me, then African
unity and finally discovery. I was however cheated of my position; instead of second,
I was given the third position.
Baobab and Discovery
hall started the men's soccer. Discovery once more beat Baobab hall.
During this time, the women's volley ball was ongoing. Adinkra hall vs. baobab
hall was the opening match. 'I cannot afford a loose when I am part of the
team' I told myself, 'we have to win'. It was a 'dream come true' when we beat
baobab hall two straight. Discovery hall ladies beat African unity ladies in
the volley ball, hence had to meet the winners of the first game, Adinkra hall.
However, the ladies of Discovery hall proved that they really could play volley
ball when they beat us two straight.
The men's soccer match
between Adinkra and African unity was in play all this while. African unity
hall beat Adinkra hall for the first time. The men athletics took off shortly
after. Baobab luckily enough had two of their men taking first and third
positions, Adinkra had one man taking the second position and the rest belonged
to discovery and African unity hall. The winners of the two games battled it
out. Discovery beat African unity to become the winners of the men's soccer
game. In the men's volley ball, African Unity played against Discovery hall
whilst Baobab played Adinkra hall. Also for the first time, African Unity beat
Discovery hall as Adinkra also beat Baobab. The two teams as always had to play
against each other to determine the winner, just like their women, they won
against Adinkra. Baobab and African unity played for the third and fourth
positions.
On the sixth day, which
was a Saturday, there was a health walk in the vicinity of Adabraka after which
was a 'kenkey party'. This was to foster unity amongst the students in
various halls and levels. The JHR, AUCC chapter set off to Cape Coast to make a
donation to the Ankaful psychiatric hospital.
The seventh day was
celebrated in the house of God. For successfully taking us through the week, we
had to thank Him and that ended the celebration.
