the ink october 2014
TRANSCRIPT
The InkOctober 2014
STRESS:
TUNE OUTTHE STRESS
Page 03Page 02
CONTENT
Joseph Nti, Editor-In-Chief
The InkOctober 2014 Edition Hello readers!
Boy has time gone by fast, we’ve barely been here and it’s already a month. Piled up assignments, impending pres-entations and group meetings that last forever are things we have become all too familiar with (welcome to Ashesi class of 2018). Despair not, here’s a silver lining; its gets better. Now I know you’re probably shaking your head vigorously or wondering if I’ve got my head screwed on right but trust me it does. Don’t crumble under the pres-sure, at least not yet. Be the glass half full type (pardon the clichéd reference) and take it all in stride. Lectures will get unbearable and food at the cafeteria will take longer than it should but don’t let the stress get to you. Get some good vibes going; it’s no one’s respon-sibility to keep you happy. Hope you like our new edition.
Happy reading!
THE EDITORSJoseph Nti, Carl Agbenyega, Ewruabena
Hagan, Akyere Graham, Ahomka Mills Robertson, Akosua Dei-Anang, Mawuli Adjei,
Victor Eghan, Nii Apa Abbey
GRAPHIC DESIGNMichael Annor, Nii Apa Abbey
PHOTOGRAPHYMicaiah Wiafe, Daniel Bonsu
EDITORIAL
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTKezia Fosu-Whyte, Kuukua Bartels-Kudjoe,
Manuel Ocansey, Hector Amoah, Jesse Opoku-Asiedu, Bryan Achiampong, Victor
Eghan, Edem Spio, Samir Sulemana, Jeanne-Barbara Debre, Ebenezer
Gwumah, Alfred Achiampong Ashesi Student Council, Ashesi Business Club,
Saams Pizza
COVERModels: Nathania Mante & Jason Simpson
All rights reserved. Copyright © The Ink 2014
SPOTLIGHTKuukuaRebecca
CheckPoint
Baby Mourinho
Mirrors
International Students AssociationAshesi Business Club
Troski JournalLights, Camera, Action!
ASC Column
The KissUnforgetting the ForgottenOne Day I’ll Write About This Place
Apa’s Milkshake
FASHION
SPORTS
POETRY
CLUBS
FEATURE
ASC
STORY
RANT
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SPOTLIGHT
Page 05
It’s pretty cool when you know someone who is equal parts of upbeat and ‘I no dey bizz’. It’s even better when that person is a wall gecko-fearing, piano playing, sports gbee. The fun is endless. If you don’t have someone like her in your life, no worries, we’ll allow you to borrow her just this once.
by: Kezia Fosu Whyte and Edem Spio (2018)
KuukuaSPOTLIGHT
I’m a happy person. I’m
really really scared of
wall geckos and I like
Math. I hate to read
and I’m the boss of my
sister.
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SPOTLIGHT
Tell me about Kuukua.I think I’m a happy person. I’m really really scared of wall geckos, very scared. And I like Math. I hate to read and I’m a Chelsea fan. And I’m the boss of my sister (laughs).
Is there a very special male in your life?Oh no. Right now, there’s none. But since first year I’ve been hitting on Michael Annor but he’s not minding me. I’m still working on him (smiles)
And does he know that?Oh yeah he knows
And is he responding in any way?No. He’s not.
What inspired you to choose your current major?Honestly, nothing. I came to Ashesi because it’s the best in Ghana and I had just three options to choose from. I simply picked what I was most interested in. I liked Economics a lot when I was in high school. So yeah.
Why did you get involved with Adesua Ye?I generally just like to help so I saw the Adesua Ye team in my first year and decided to help when I was in my second year. I love to teach and showed up a lot and now I am an executive.
Apart from Adesua Ye, are there any other projects you’re a part of?Right now, there’s a club we are trying to set up in Ashesi but my team members and I have been quite busy so we haven’t started yet. It is aimed at helping entrepreneurs in Ashesi with start-up capital, to help their businesses after they graduate.
So what would you call the typical Ashesi life?I’d say there’s no typical Ashesi life- Ashesi is what you make it. Some people say it’s boring but do nothing to make it fun. My opinion of the typical Ashesi life is sleeping during the weekend (laughs), having fun on Thursday nights because we are mostly at home during the weekends and then lots of group work (laughs).
So what’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you wake up?Usually I’m sad because I don’t want to wake up. Usually I’d be angry because I’m like “ooooh right now, it’s morning.”
What do you do to kill time – when you’re bored?When I’m bored in class, I try and participate in class because it makes time go by faster. I’m likely to answer questions and give comments. If I’m waiting for someone, playing Candy Crush will do. But recently, my phone died and I don’t have Candy Crush on my new Nokia.
What’s your personality type?I think I’m more of an introvert than an extrovert.
Have you tried asking him why?He said he just doesn’t like me. I’ve tried everything. He just doesn’t like me.
So what relationship tips would you give us based on your experiences?Ummm, you should be truthful and I’ll say, maybe if you hear rumours, you shouldn’t just go and attack. Find a way to handle it.
So we just want to know, where do you see yourself five years from now?Hopefully, I’ll be in construction and real estate; that’s architectural engineering.
You’re doing Business Administration now. How do you hope to merge with architecture?Well it’s just the first degree. I plan on doing my masters right from here, do a course in engineering and eventually I will get there.
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CAMPUS
We have heard about your involvement in sports and music. Tell us about it.I play basketball. I’m not the star player though (laughs). And I’m in the Ashesi sports committee and on the AFA. I’ve been playing the piano like my whole life so I’m a star on that one.
But what do you find hardest to do?One is reading. Another, multi-tasking- I’m really bad at doing two things at the same time. One would obviously go the wrong way.
On a usual Monday morning, what would we find Kuukua wearing?I like wearing shorts so probably a pair of shorts and a top.
Booty shorts?Oh no (laughs). Knee length, at least or a dress. Nothing complicated.
When would you say was your best year in Ashesi?My first year- I used to go out, sleep a lot and I didn’t have as much group work as in my sophomore year.
How ambitious are you?For my piano experience, I realised the targets I set for myself were really met. For example, last summer, I wanted to be able to play a song and I was done before the summer ended so I started another one--a Beethoven one but I couldn’t finish it before I came to school . I’m not big on competition though. If I’m fighting with someone over something, I’ll just let it go.
So would you for any reason at all want to be the ASC president?(Pauses) I don’t think I’d want to be the ASC president. Recently, I spoke to someone who was praising Odame because she had heard that it was very rare for an ASC president to be on the Dean’s list. And I was really sad because I want to graduate with one of the Cum Laudes. That’s one of my main aims and I don’t want to jeopardize that.
Wouldn’t you rather be the ASC president graduating with the highest honour?Oh I would like that. But it’s a risk I would rather not take. (Laughs)
SPOTLIGHT
UBORARARE
5th Dec | Black Tie | 1800 GMT
RebeccaPage 11Page 10
SPOTLIGHT
For every Superman, there is a Superwoman. It’s time to get up close and personal with the First Lady of Ashesi University College.
by: Bryan Achiampong
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SPOTLIGHT
You have to be open, you
never know where things
are going to lead you. So
always be opened minded
& ready to learn from
others.
How did you and Patrick meet?I didn’t meet Patrick at Swarthmore, we actually went to di�erent universities. We didn’t work together either but had mutual friends as our workplaces were close. So there was a house party we were both invited to where we met through a mutual friend, and exchanged e-mails. It was not phone numbers being exchanged back in the day.
What are your interests as a person?When I was younger I was actually a competitive gymnast. I did this through my early college years, but I sustained an injury which prevented me from competing. I then picked up karate which I do with Patrick as well as yoga.
Why did you not pursue a career related to gymnastics?I was very passionate about sports, but after I injured my knee I switched my attention to academics. I even switched schools to be in a smaller liberal arts school in order to direct more focus to my academics. I studied physics as an undergraduate and achieved a bachelors in science.
The first day of orientation, I was told to look for the cute lady. How do you relate to that remark?When I was younger I saw that as very bland, but being older I see it as more of a compliment to be proud of. So I have no problem with being referred to as the cute lady.
How is it switching roles? From Patrick’s wife at home, to the first lady of Ashesi, then a lecturer?That’s a very good question, and I believe I do my job well. It is cr to identify who I am at each time of day. When I’m teaching I do it to my fullest capacity. Thus no reason for conflict between my roles. I also believe when you’re doing a good job, people recognize you for what you do, not for your a�liations.
What inspired you to develop the strategy for giving such a hefty workload to students?I started that, learning from experience, and developing the strategies that eventually make students understand it better if you break things down. The excess practice leads to student’s success in the course.
You seem to love to dress in African prints, what is your inspiration for that?Actually I’ve really come to appreciate bright colours and patterns. I used to wear more drab attires. But I just can’t resist the beautiful cloth, patterns and the lively feeling it gives me.
What would you do right now if you were not a teacher?I actually enjoy teaching. I initially wanted to do engineering but believe it or not I was avoiding some challenging math courses and got discouraged. However I love teaching and I’m very pleased with how things have turned out.
What do you do with your free time?What free time? As a working mother, your free time is your time for your family and is pretty limited. However I do enjoy reading and hanging out with my family, although I probably have to develop new hobbies.
Where do you see yourself ten years from now?I may be ready to do something di�erent in the next ten years, maybe pursue a higher degree though I really love teaching right now.
What do you think of the Class of 2018 so far?It’s a terrific class, the first two weeks with them has been amazing, and they seem to participate a lot. I’m expecting a lot from the 2018’s.
What is your advice for anyone reading this article?You have to be open, you never know where things are going to lead you. So always be opened minded and ready to learn from others.
SPOTLIGHT
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FASHION
OTHER LOOKS
Photo Credit: Eugene Afranie & Daniel Bonsu
It’s the era of Dashikis; every-one is wearing them. This month, CheckPoint is bringing you Ashesi’s own twist on the trend. So, what do you think? Who rocked it best?
Baby Mourinho
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SPORTS
You are a�ectionately known as “Mourinho”, please shed some light on this nickname .Jose Mourinho is my mentor. In a way, he inspires me. He makes me want to be a better coach. He makes me want to win things. He makes me want to improve constantly whether it is in terms of understanding the tactics on the field or employing new training methods. Don’t get me wrong, I make my own decisions. I have my own thought processes. I have my own philosophy when it comes to football. However, I draw inspiration from Jose Mourinho so I am sure that is where the nickname comes from.
What do you think about your squad’s chances for the upcoming season?I think we have a brilliant chance of winning the league – there is no doubt about that. I am confident in the squad and I am confident in myself. We have a brilliant chance.
Every football league has its share of nail-biting drama and controversy--especially when there are colorful personalities involved. Allow us to introduce you to APL’s one and only Baby Mourinho. If you’ve seen the curious manner in which he blends Asamoah Gyan’s Alkayida-ing + Azonto self and Jose Mourinho’s antics, you’ll understand what we mean.
Why the role of coach, did you never dream of scoring goals in finals in front of cheering fans?No. I used to be a Ballon D’or aspirant but due to my, injury I had to find a new channel in which to direct my e�orts. I’ve always felt I had the tactical know-how when it comes to football.
Your injury. Tell us more about that.Oh yes. I was quite the player in my younger days but a broken leg stole my dreams of being able to play competitively.
Was coaching the natural next step for you?Yeah. Because I’m good when it comes to the details of football. I knew immediately that coaching would be the area in which I could make my name. Coaching was my calling.
With the number of coaches in the League, what do you believe makes you special?It’s all about passion for me. I believe that the passion I have for what I do and the way I am able to transfer that passion on to my players and motivate them is what makes me special. At the end of the day, the value of the coach is seen through the performance of his players.
What do you think about the other teams in the League?Red Army is a strong competitor and I know they will do well. L.O.L. are the loudest team in the APL. They are constantly making noise about their chances. They did so last year and had nothing to show for it. They do not live up to expectations. Based on what happened last season combined with my team’s morale, I believe that my squad has a very good chance this season.
Tell us what you believe the greatest moment of your managerial career has been?When I was in High School, I personally led Christian High to the ISAAG championship. That was one of the sweetest achievements of my managerial career.
Alright, Coach. Finally give us a prediction as to where you team will end up this season.1st!!!!! (Emphatically)
by Ahomka Mills Robertson
SPORTS
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POETRY
You are a�ectionately known as “Mourinho”, please shed some light on this nickname .Jose Mourinho is my mentor. In a way, he inspires me. He makes me want to be a better coach. He makes me want to win things. He makes me want to improve constantly whether it is in terms of understanding the tactics on the field or employing new training methods. Don’t get me wrong, I make my own decisions. I have my own thought processes. I have my own philosophy when it comes to football. However, I draw inspiration from Jose Mourinho so I am sure that is where the nickname comes from.
What do you think about your squad’s chances for the upcoming season?I think we have a brilliant chance of winning the league – there is no doubt about that. I am confident in the squad and I am confident in myself. We have a brilliant chance.
Every football league has its share of nail-biting drama and controversy--especially when there are colorful personalities involved. Allow us to introduce you to APL’s one and only Baby Mourinho. If you’ve seen the curious manner in which he blends Asamoah Gyan’s Alkayida-ing + Azonto self and Jose Mourinho’s antics, you’ll understand what we mean.
Why the role of coach, did you never dream of scoring goals in finals in front of cheering fans?No. I used to be a Ballon D’or aspirant but due to my, injury I had to find a new channel in which to direct my e�orts. I’ve always felt I had the tactical know-how when it comes to football.
Your injury. Tell us more about that.Oh yes. I was quite the player in my younger days but a broken leg stole my dreams of being able to play competitively.
Was coaching the natural next step for you?Yeah. Because I’m good when it comes to the details of football. I knew immediately that coaching would be the area in which I could make my name. Coaching was my calling.
With the number of coaches in the League, what do you believe makes you special?It’s all about passion for me. I believe that the passion I have for what I do and the way I am able to transfer that passion on to my players and motivate them is what makes me special. At the end of the day, the value of the coach is seen through the performance of his players.
What do you think about the other teams in the League?Red Army is a strong competitor and I know they will do well. L.O.L. are the loudest team in the APL. They are constantly making noise about their chances. They did so last year and had nothing to show for it. They do not live up to expectations. Based on what happened last season combined with my team’s morale, I believe that my squad has a very good chance this season.
Tell us what you believe the greatest moment of your managerial career has been?When I was in High School, I personally led Christian High to the ISAAG championship. That was one of the sweetest achievements of my managerial career.
Alright, Coach. Finally give us a prediction as to where you team will end up this season.1st!!!!! (Emphatically)
Team: Field Marshals
Prediction: 1st Place
Achievments: ISAAG
Championship Qualification
So you expect Those words to change me somehow?With crisscrossed brows and armsAll I can see now is daggers,Swords, knives and spearsCutting and smearing themselves with my blood,And I thought that I was the one needing help...I mean,If I were the devil I wouldn't need you to tell me.And I thank you,For pretending all this while to mean well.I choose to appreciate the e�ort you put inSpelling out my disgrace and my mistakesAs if I wouldn't know if I missed what I took...You spook me,But what shook me,Was that the biggest miss I took, was listening to you.If I got a Cedi for every time you bullied meI would have wiped out poverty,I would have rid our streets of the hungry and the needyWith each dogmatic rhetoric you feed me,With every smock you fed this flockYou mock me...I didn't come to you to be retold my woes,Not even as though you could heal my
soul,But in hopeThat you could at least whisper from that which you hold,Mister preacher...I am judged,I am ostracized,I am mistaken for someone I am not...And I came to your service to service me,To improve me, Not to wound and bruise me...You are worse than the world I was trying to escape,You take my heart and pierce it with a stakeAnd when you realize you made a mistake,You try to mend it But you always use the wrong cello tape...But I won't let your failure change my view of Jesus,So I won't judge you.I am the sinner but I'm more saved than youSo I won't smudge you...So instead of telling me what you think about me,Or about what I do,Rather leave me God's words,Be the mirror to show me who I am supposed to beAnd leave it to change me...
MIRRORSMIRRORS
by: Samir Sulemana (Class of ‘16)
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CLUBS
International Students AssociationPresident | Mychal Adrian George(2016)
Vice President | Makani Mweembe (2016)General Secretary | Frida Karwitha (2016)
Financial Secretary | Itumeleng Ralebitso (2017)
Public Relations Officer | Momodou K. Sowe (2017)Head of Events Planning | Marilyn Seyram Akolatse (2017)
Assistant Head of Events Planning | Pierre Adeniyi Shoboyejo (2017)
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AD
Page 25Page 24
FEATURE
TROSKI JOURNAL
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FEATURE
“Gradually though, interacting with all these people has made me realize how important meeting the needs of even just one person is. Satisfying this need might just be one step towards national development.”
Page 29Page 28
Inspiration: There are numerous photo blogs out there; from Humans of New York, to Portraits of Boston, even Humans of Ghana. These photo blogs are cases of photographers doing exactly what they love and telling stories while at it. I started Troski Journal myself along the same lines of telling people’s stories. Eventually, it dawned on me that these stories could go far in positively changing the lives of their tellers.
Troski, also known as trotro, is one of the most popular means of public transport in Ghana and this is my primary means of visiting all these places. I sat in a trotro one day brainstorming ways in which I could use my photoblog to have a positive impact in the community and bring about a necessary change. I realised where I was and I just knew. Troski Journal was born.
AIM: The idea of Troski journal is three fold.1. To take pictures of people in Ghana because its what I love and post their stories.
2. Use these stories to link the photographed people to potential customers and or benefactors. In the long-term, we are looking at starting up a crowdfunding website like kickstarter.com to help create a system in monitoring incoming donations and ensuring transparency to the general public. Also NGO’s and StartUps can be featured on the blog upon request.
3. Do heavily subsidized photography services for NGO’s and StartUps who need to satisfy criteria set for them.
Lessons Learned:Well, I’m learning that there is a lot of need in the country and sometimes it’s just depressing. -- I have a project called ‘Its our Nation Too’ geared at reducing indi�erence in the youth towards governmental issues. We are working closely with the National Commission for Civic Education to visit high schools and interact with students focusing on courses such as design, entrepreneurship and leadership. Troski Journal has given me enlightenment on why there is some sense of greatness in being bold and taking the first step.
Being able to address the needs of the citizens, even as a citizen myself, one person at a time, has been more than humbling. I feel that when Troski Jour-nal gets to the point I envision, it would be the point of e�cient resource and wealth distribution in our country.
Troski Journal has given me enlightenment on why there is some sense of greatness in being bold and taking the first step.
FEATURE
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ASC
Hello everyone, the welfare committee of the Ashesi Student Council has the mandate of ensuring the wellbeing of all students on campus. This semester, the committee is making frantic e�orts to complete various projects that were initiated during the previous academic year. These include a taxi rank project, lecture hall cleanliness campaign and a ‘bring your bowl’ campaign. The welfare committee is also partnering with the Judicial and Electoral Council (JEC) of the student council to extend the university’s honor code from its use solely during examinations to a broader application in student’s everyday lives, in order to encourage the trust in our community. Details of these projects are outlined below:
Lecture hall cleanliness: Towards a cleaner and healthier campus, the welfare committee through the posting of notices in lecture halls, seeks to sensitize students and encourage them to imbibe the culture of keeping lecture halls clean at all times. This includes taking rubbish they make during time spent in the lecture halls away with them and as much as possible, avoid eating in lecture halls.
Taxi rank project: To ease the burden of the lack of available public transportation, the welfare committee is working on the establishment of a taxi rank right outside the gate of the university to provide transport services after working hours and during weekends. Measures like the provision of ‘Ashesi taxi’ stickers are being put in place to track taxis that would be allowed to operate in the taxi rank.
‘Bring your bowl’ campaign: The use of Styrofoam packs on campus is likely to have adverse e�ects on the environment and contribute largely to the university’s waste. The packs do not degrade easily so in our bid to save the environment and reduce expense on waste collection, the welfare committee has embarked on a campaign to encourage sta�, students and faculty to buy and bring along their own bowls when purchasing food from the two cafeterias in operation on the school’s campus.
The CookoutAn Ashesi Entertainment Committee Initiative
ASC COLUMN
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CAMPUS
Ashesi Business Club aims at reinvigorating the business culture on campus. We are extending open invitations to all students (CS and MIS students included) interested in business and networking. ABC provides a platform for students to sharpen their business sense, through real world application, be it in service projects, or developing their own ventures. We arrange networking sessions with major players in corporate Ghana, and organize seminars aimed at refining students for the corporate world. Our meetings are every other Tuesday at 5 pm, in a location that will be announced each time via email.ABC
CLUBS
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STORY
That's what I was thinking.
"But what about you?" she asked. I smiled. "Don't worry. I'm fine. I'm the cousin of Iceman, you know," I said jokingly. She laughed.
“Yeah, it's working,” I thought to myself.
"Let me help you put it on," I said, straightening out the jacket. I had sprayed it in the morning. It was by impulse that I did it, but now I was thanking God that I did. She pushed her hands through the sleeves of the jacket. I stood behind her, adjusting the jacket and also smelling the sweet fragrance from her hair. I resisted the urge to bury my head into it. She zipped the jacket and smiled at me. "Thank you," she said softly, her brown eyes looking straight into mine as she spoke.
Oh man, I wished I recorded that sweet voice. Sweet words echoed in my ears! I was about to speak, when she moved her face towards mine, as if she was going to kiss me. Her lips were a few inches away from mine when I felt someone pull my ears hard.
I opened my eyes, and I was in bed. I felt something soft and wet repeatedly wiping the back of my ears....wetting my ears rather! I rolled over to see Captain, my little puppy, lying on the side of my pillow and licking my right ear. "Damn you, Captain!" I said sleepily, “She was about to kiss me! Don't you know about romance at all?!”
The Kissby: Victor Eghan
Note: This is purely a work of fiction, even though I wished badly that some part of it really happened (especially the nice and romantic parts). And my apologies for withholding names. It’s a really small world, you know.
We walked through the school gates, chatting and laughing. This was the first time I'd ever been alone with her. I’d had a crush on her since freshman year in college, but I had showed no signs (we were in sophomore year now). I didn't want her to know (just not yet). It was almost evening, and I was going to one of the hostels nearby called Dufie to copy some movies from a friend. I met her at the car park, heading towards the gates. She was also going to Dufie—to take some notes from a friend. Note the di�erence? I was going for movies. LOL…*shaking my head*. But she was brilliant (a shark)...no wonder.It had drizzled, and the atmosphere was a bit chilly. I was wearing a jacket, so I was kinda safe.
It felt so good, man. I mean...walking with her (not the jacket). As we talked, I could see her rubbing her arms, as if she was cold. Well, she was cold."Hey, are you feeling cold?" I asked. She smiled. "Oh, don't worry. I'm ok."
I'd learnt from experience (both good and bad) to know when a girl actually meant yes when she said no. But it ain't always that way, guys. Don't go pressure her to kiss you when she says she doesn't want to...hehehe.But for this case, I knew very well that she was feeling cold. We had just passed the gate, and we hadn't got anywhere near Dufie. I unzipped my jacket, pulled it o�, and handed it to her. "You can wear it." She looked at me, surprised. “Oh man,” I groaned inwardly. “Have I screwed up so early? She'd decline, and I'd be embarrassed!!”
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RANT
.... it’s better than yours!by Nii Apa Abbey
I miss first year. The excessive procrastination that lead up to “Pre-Calc Sundays” centered around the huge lobby table, well at least, for me and my super-cool-totally-not-nerdy friends. The feel of a new environment, with new people, each an adventure. It was insanely cold at first. Too cold. I never under-stood why my roommates wanted the windows open in the middle of the freez-ing night. I mean, come on! Are you guys even human? Night after night; duvets on duvets. Massive Call of Duty multiplayer events on Friday nights that could last till 5am were the crème de la crème of my week. Cecil Arthur (shoutout) usually topped the games, and I lagged, literally and figuratively, behind him. The situation may have changed a bit of late. Ooh, and the girls… the first-time crushes. Talk about cheerleader e�ect. Now it’s mostly just, seen and seen. Of course, we complained about assignments, and such, but by the time we hit the second year, first year seemed like a breeze; been there, done that.
I don’t really miss second year. The sleepless nights were fun albeit tasking. Con-sidering I spent most of my vacation time playing video games till the crack of dawn, my body and psyche were trained for that. The only downside; I crashed for several hours after. But in second year, course time slots were spaced out enough and I could sleep when necessary. The split happened around that time. The “split” being BA students being segregated from CS students due to cours-es. See back in first year, we were all in one boat, and when it shook, all, well some of us shook. The long nights were shared by a tad more people. In second year, the long, sleepless nights were shared between a few; speaking from the perspective of the Computer Science student. I have no idea about the MIS students. They just, dangled in between. Sometimes, they were sympathetic to our faction, and other times, not. Tricky hybrids.By the third year, I had learnt from my mistakes; or so I thought. Assignments
piled up, sure, but ultimately, we made it through… most of us. Then again, that was the situation every year. School isn’t made for everyone, and not everyone is made for school. It’s like trying to fit a plethora of shapes and sizes into one thingy. And sure, sometimes, that “thingy” adjusts, but ultimately, it remains that “thingy”. Eugh.
Now I’m in fourth year, and, frankly, I’m just boggled beyond belief. To use a Computer Science related pun, the folder called “Sleepless Nights” has been renamed to “Nights”. Period. The domino e�ect of assignments is in full swing and there’s no controlling it. I wish I could domino onto my bed, if you get what I mean. Bleh. Some reading this might just think students will always complain, or that there are others out there doing more blah blah blah. Don’t care. Ma br3. I don’t know about everyone else here with me, but ma br3. I’m tired. And to worsen the case, from Mondays to Thursdays, I have 8.30am scheduled courses. So the sleepless nights turn into drowsy mornings, and busy after-noons playing catch-up, then back into the cycle. Hah.
Now, there are no more Call of Duty nights. No massive Pre-Calc Sundays. No rest days. Just barrage after barrage after barrage after barrage. It’ll all be over soon I guess. But what happens when soon, isn’t soon enough. Dum dum dummmmm. A typical Ghanaian movie would put “WATCH OUT FOR PART 2” here, or somewhere in the middle. Whatever can transform VCD 1 to VCD 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
I love that I have a column to post random stu� like this. Muahahahahahahaha-hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha; because I can.
Enjoy your youth young ones. Just remember, my milkshake will always be better than yours. I’m almost out of here! :)
The V
APA’SMILKSHAKE
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STORY
“There will be great peace on earth if every bad mouth is put under padlock” – Anonymous
Disclaimer: this account is a true story. All events narrated actually happened though slightly embellished. Reader’s discretion is advised.
It was supposed to be a quiet and reflective week for me. Locking myself up in my room, eating a lot of good food—I mean some healthy home cooked meals (kelewele and fries however found its way on my list)—sinking myself in some wicked, barely legal, authentic Ghanaian Borga highlife numbers, working out my abs and arms(just because I can), and of course sleeping.
Fate, however, had a di�erent itinerary for my mid-semester break. I had the entire Charlotte Court Hostel to myself till I bumped into two girls one evening – I was fully clothed by the way. These ladies, students of Ashesi of course, were o�oading a couple of ‘Ghana-must-go’ bags, several boxes of food items and toiletries. I wondered if these ladies were going to use all that toilet rolls alone. Just because I have imbibed Ashesi’s learning goal of being a curious student, I went ahead to ask them their purpose. I was told the items were for donations to di�erent institutions to be distributed during the course of the week. I was really impressed, especially because it was a private initiative.
In the spirit of being adventurous and spontaneous, I followed them the next day to their first destination, the Akuapim School for the Blind. It took us circa 30 minutes to get there. On arrival, we were met by their headmaster who was apparently blind. He delegated the JHS Social Studies teacher to be our tour guide – our guide was not visually impaired, by the way. Contrary to popular belief, the school was not an orphanage. It was like any other basic school except for that fact that it caters for the blind or visually impaired, and relies
on donations and government grants to operate. Touring the grounds was a very emotional time for me as I saw the kids move about their daily activi-ties. Then it dawned on me that I was being blurred by societal stereotypes. These kids were the happiest people I had ever seen. They were full of smiles and jokes and really valued the simple things in life we took for granted. They walk in groups, being each other’s eyes. I sat in one of their music classes and realized how lost I was in their world. They did a rendition of ‘Yen Ara Asaase Ni’ to my amazement. For a second, I thought their music professor was the legendary Ephraim Amu. Ofosu, one of the kids, then rapped an entire verse of Sarkodie’s “You Go Kill Me”. I was astonished. I felt ashamed I had been deluded into believing these people were disabled and hence not capable of doing great things. We discussed music, politics, religion, and conditions they faced in the school. These kids are usually abandoned by their families and struggle to survive because we have feigned oblivion to their mere existence. What fascinated me the most was a visit to their art workshop. With my twenty-twenty vision intact, I must say I could never do a quarter of the artworks and paraphernalia’s these kids had designed. I must say, the precision to the designs could compete with the works of a lot of popular artisans.
Why have they been pushed to the sidelines? They are just like us; humans. These kids lack the necessary infrastructure and supplies to enable them attain the holistic basic education we all went through. They lack braille papers, good food and entertainment. They are smart kids. Perhaps smarter than a lot of us here. They have dreams too. Let us not dwindle their right to a bright future just because they see di�erently from us. I challenge every Ashesi student, in the name of civic engagement, to find time to visit such places just to spend time with them and show some love. They are our brothers and sisters. They need us. People can embark on such projects for their Leadership IV service learning project. Kudos to the amazing girls who sacrificed their mid-semester break to spend it with the forgotten.
P.S: Our next destination was the school for the deaf and dumb. After, the team went to Tamale to embark on similar projects. All this happened within a week.
Unforgetting The Forgottenby: Jesse Opoku-Asiedu (Class of ‘15)
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FEATURE
A week before school starts and Kevin is already on our case about Akwaaba night.
Kevin's Whatsapp message: we are meeting next week Monday at 7pm to plan for Akwaaba night, since it is only 3 weeks away. Come with your brainstorming game on and be prepared for a long night. God help me.
Meeting day arrives, library room 301...Kevin: Akwaaba night is 3 weeks away, first we have to get a theme for the party, the lounge is the agreed venue, we have to decide on décor and draft our budget.
Theme for the party, and I’m already drawing a blank. Foam party, pajama party, neon party. I really don’t know what I was thinking; there would have been a lot of scrubbing involved.Finally Nii Apa and Duki said "Quarantine", we weren’t too excited about that at first, and then it started making sense after a while.
Kevin: Well that’s decided; let’s move on to décor...Well obviously there would be, radioactive and caution posters, strobe lights, smoke machine, surgical masks and caution tape.Kevin: How do me make this interesting?Maame: Glow in the dark shots!Me: We don’t have money for thatMaame: Syringe shots. Yeah!Kevin: With music we have DJ Vision, Franklin and Carl and we will hire the speakers (wish we had our own speakers).
Finally, to the budget, drumroll please, guaranteed drama.Drinks-huge amount, well we have to make it as interesting as possible, no alcohol so run with it. Syringe shots, punch, smarties shots.Music- amount for DJ Vision, amount for hiring speakers. Lights. Transportation cost...
Kevin: PR, Nii Apa and Kwabena. Posters and videos, so coming soon posters, final poster and hashtag hype #Quarantine #Akwaaba2018Kevin: So Nii Apa and Kwabena – PR; Drinks – Brian, Maame, Barbara; Décor – Whitney and Duki; Logistics – Barima, Prince and Chris. Welcome - Crystal and Priscilla, so you two will also help wherever you are needed before and after DJ Vision arrives. Instagram and twitter hype with the coming soon poster to keep people asking questions, then the freshmen arrived and we had to have another meeting.
Kevin’s Whatsapp message: Well, our budget is outrageous and we have to meet again to make final plans for Quarantine
Meeting day, Library Rom 301, 16th September 2014, 9PM.Kevin: Our budget is too high so we have to cut it down. Which areas do you think we can cut?Chris: We can cut down on drinks by a hundred cedis.Whitney: Surgical masksMaame: SyringesKevin: Okay, Maame and Prince, you guys are going to buy the stu� tomorrow, what time do you plan to go so you would be back here early.Maame: 10 amAfter all these preparations, setting up started when all the needed stu� arrived on the next day. Our work was cut out!
Lights, Camera, Action!by: Jeanne-Barbara Esinam Debre (Class of ‘16)
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STORY
When I was asked to write this article by a friend who gives my writing much more praise than it deserves, about my impressions as a freshman, the first thing that came to mind was, “Alright! This is going to be my claim to fame!”. Then I got real and asked myself, “What if I write this and it sucks?” What if this is published in The Ink and everyone who reads it thinks its boring or sleep-inducing, and I become the laughing stock of the entire school, and given my inability to cope with embarrassment, I drop out to save myself from the endless taunting and ridicule, and my self esteem is so irreparably damaged that I’m not able to succeed in anything else in life and I end up as a middle aged man who still lives with his mother and spends his days watching cartoons and eating
Fruit Loops. Of course that was kind of a worst-case scenario, and I prefer Corn Flakes to Fruit Loops, but even more importantly, I don’t believe that that could happen in Ashesi.
Practically everyone in this school does nothing but encourage you to be yourself or try new things or do what you love. The continuing students, the lecturers and the rest of the faculty are all so warm and welcoming. Any attempt to demonstrate your skill or passion, for instance, writing an article for the school magazine, failed or otherwise, would be met with positive feedback and constructive criticism. The people here just have an air of enlightenment about them; it makes them almost too likeable in my opinion. I already have crushes on like 14 people here. The atmosphere is really awesome, it fosters personal growth and development... or at least that’s the vibe I’m getting so far.
When it comes to the actual lectures, I still have nothing but praise… so far. I like the way lectures are interactive and like I said before, the lecturers are just awesome. They make lectures fun and connect what we learn in class to things we encounter in the real world, even in the calculus class, which is a very di�cult task, but Joe and Eric pull it o� nicely. I have no problem with working in groups, I rather enjoy it actually, so no problems there, but I hate being bombarded with assignments, so I have a feeling that later on in the semester I’ll have something to complain about. For now, though, I have no qualms with my lecturers.
There’s also the topic of the honour code. Personally, I like the idea of being able to trust all the people around me wholeheartedly, and to be able to write exams without an invigilator breathing down my neck. Of course I’d rather not snitch anyone I see cheating. I can’t get into this right now, but I think it’s a nice concept, and I undoubtedly want to be on the honour code.
The entertainment on campus is also really awesome, (I tend to describe everything I like with a passion as awesome. It’s my favourite adjective so, yeah, let’s move on). There’ve been some pretty awesome parties since we got here. I love music, I listen to all kinds of music, and I’m always looking for new songs with sick beats to listen to, so I would like to give props to DJ Kev at this point in time. Granted, when I learn how to DJ from the Beats Club I’ll probably be better, but he’s a very talented DJ who has already
One Day I’ll Write About This Place
by: Hector Amoah (Class of ‘18)
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STORYintroduced me to so many new songs that are easily some of the best songs I’ve ever heard. He also blends the tracks and beats together nicely, creating a continuous flow of hypnotizing music, which just makes you want to dance till you drop. I also like dancing, and once I learn how to, from any of one of the numerous awesome dancers in Ashesi, you’ll definitely see me tearing up the dance floor, but till then, I’m good just watching from the sidelines.
I couldn’t possibly talk about my impressions of Ashesi without mentioning Akornor and Mannie’s. I’m a bit picky about my food, if its below a certain level of deliciousness, (that’s a word, right?) Yeah, I’m sure it is. If it’s below a certain level of deliciousness I won’t eat it. Both Akornor and Mannie’s are well above the required level. I don’t have a favourite, and I’m not going to compare them in any way, but I think they’re both awesome, the caterers and cashiers are all really friendly and service is above par.
Before you start to think that this is some sort of pu� piece I’m writing to make it seem like Ashesi is perfect, I think I should talk about the part of the school I don’t like. I won’t keep my complaints to myself; I have to voice my concern, that’s the whole point of free press. It’s with a stern conviction to be completely upfront with everyone at this higher institute of learning that I say… I really hate the weather here. I think it’s awesome that there are places as cold as this in Ghana, but I’ve become accustomed to a certain average daily temperature, which is way higher than the temperature on campus. I know there isn’t much that can be done about the weather, but I just had to mention it.
Ashesi University is a meeting place for brilliant minds from all over Africa; these minds are further molded into sharp and accurate tools for innovation and entrepreneurship. The skills we’ll obtain here, the opportunities we’ll be exposed to, and the principles that will be etched into our characters will no doubt be invaluable even after we complete this school. The impressions I have about this school so far have done nothing but reinforce the belief I had when I first stepped foot into this institute of learning. One day, only God knows how far into the future, I’ll look back on my stay here and recall some of the best moments of my life; I’ll recall moments that brought me joy, a sense of belonging, reflectiveness and pride. One day, I’ll definitely write about this place. And of course, when I do, I’ll focus mainly on the awesome things.
“We must challenge ourselves to be the ones who will change this continent. We will be the beautiful ones that this conti-nent needs and we must have the convic-
tion that we can do it.”~Dr. Patrick Awuah
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