MY FIRST IMPRESSION ABOUT THE GHANA INSTITUTE OF JOURNALISM (GIJ)

It was a joyous moment for me when I received my admission letter from the Ghana Institute of Journalism to pursue a Degree in Communications studies. It was the only tertiary institution I had dreamt of as a teen and now here I am, in GIJ.

Prior to my admission, I have had some funny preconceptions about this institute and now that I am part of the student community I do have some impressions about GIJ.

For an institution like the Ghana Institute of Journalism, I begin to wonder how small the student populace is. But even now, with over six hundred first years, the institute says this has been the highest number of admissions in the history of GIJ.

Following admission was lectures and I must say that the first week of it was disorganized. After copying the time table which was pasted on the notice board, first year students, for that matter Level 100s, have had to move around like a sheepfold without a shepherd, just trying to locate the right lecture rooms assigned us. I never thought lecture rooms could be as small as normal classrooms back at high school until I stepped into GIJ. The lecture rooms are smaller than those in other universities and amazingly could not contain all Level 100s.

After observations, I’ve come to realize that lecturers at the institute are committed, but I am a little worried about the abuse of time allocated to lectures. Students have to wait sometimes for twenty minutes or more before a lecturer comes to class.

Prior to my application for admission, I had also held the notion that GIJ was a big place only to find out that it is not so. The campus is not very large and I think it does save our legs from long treks inside the institute.

“Keteke “ is another club in the institute which I am pleased to have encountered. I like to write and thanks to “Keteke”, I would always have the opportunity to share my write-ups.

Students on campus are friendly and easy-going. It is quite stunning for me, to see a vast number of them make friends even on the first day of lectures. For me, I think I am yet to make one that would be committed.

The library, another facility on campus is one place I cherish and so far I can say that I am comfortable with it, not withstanding its small size.

I love to be in GIJ and irrespective of what takes place here, my main focus is to study as “students equal studies”.

BETRAYED

    How does it feel like to be betrayed by a friend? I mean ignored by a friend you know mutually. How does it feel when you are betrayed by an online friend? (I mean a friend you made online) how would you feel anyway when you get ignored by a Facebook friend? Shocking, isn’t it?

    I have seen and come across, even looked into an online friend’s face several times and still have conducted myself like I never knew her even to have a chat with her. I met her the first time when I was with one of my cousins, Prince Ankrah. We were both at the roadside and I was with him to board a van back home. Her name was Cecilia. Prince told me she was his mate back at high school. Days later I “added” her on Facebook, after seeing a picture of her on Prince’s page. From then on, much hasn’t happened between us, as friends on Facebook. I remember once sending her a “hi” message while she was online but she never replied. Initially, I thought she was really grown enough- due to the way she looked in her pictures, until I saw her on the side of the road one blessed evening. I was surprised. I thought she was so short. Let’s say she was about four feet or four point five feet tall. I really got surprised. I caught sight of her on the roadside as she passed by me, on the way home. I began to think I was so tall then. Since that time thereon, I think I’ve met her about five more times without bothering to communicate with her.  Some days ago, I was at an internet café and there she was too, I recognized her instantly. Then she also stole a glance at me. Then I began to think that she could recognize me as one of her friends on Facebook. Unfortunately for me, I met her today (this is about the sixth time) in the same internet café. And this time our eyes met again (it wasn’t for any special reason). We recognized each other again and still no communication, despite the fact that we’re friends on the social network site, Facebook.

   Sometimes I wonder why we even continue being friends on Facebook. I wonder why we still keep our friendship on Facebook. It’s like making friends and denying them later on (just like Judas Iscariot denied Jesus Christ in the Holy Bible). That’s how I feel like now. I just want to be a good friend to her. I want to talk friendly to her next time but I don’t want to at the same time (for another reason). I begin to wonder what would happen when I begin to meet more online friends in the real world just like I did meet Cecilia face to face. I’m I going to ignore them too?   And are they going to equally ignore me? I don’t think that should happen (for we are real friends). I don’t think you should ignore your friends either.

   But come to think of it, that Cecilia (she now has a different username on Facebook) wasn’t she the one rather ignoring me? Anyway, it should be over now. I learnt enough from the experience.

POWER

Out of a bold man i come with confidence

Placing my orders to be with good sense

For anything i can yell

And to my subjects,terror i can spell

In an eye's twinkle,my wishes can be done

And to every mile i can

I can take hold of dictators

No wonder i do wonders

Do you remember?Jesus used me

So did the Pharisees in Israel

Men of wicked hearts

Thieves,rogues have access to me

I can give myself to even YOU!

But you need to be bold

Just like Dr Kwame Nkrumah

George Bush and Bin Laden Osama

Out of people i come with different voices

With me, be careful of your choices

Because i can invoke trouble!

And spell DOOM!

YES! I can let a hot one drizzle

Even if you have me forever

I can make you suffer

So BEWARE!

Lives have been lost through me

And lives have bee saved

Have you noticed?

I can take you from rags to riches

I am so strong

My strength can cause chaos

And for sure i can get you applause

I can even make you a killer!

But know how to handle me

You soothing saviours

Don't cause disasters

BEWARE!

For my name is POWER!

BE HAPPY

Sometimes when you feel bad
Things may have happened,which made you sad
But then,you have to let go
Cos you're expected to do so
Would you allow yourself to rage?
In the end you'll receive a bitter wage
Why not forget it
And substitute joy with it
Take this to make you happy
"A woman was once busy
In her house she heard an uproar
Curious,she ran with vigour
To see for herself the incident
But in mid-air,she met a flying bucket"
That was the result of her curiosity
Now try to relieve yourself from this animosity
Cos no one will make you happy
Until you do so wholeheartedly
Be happy at all times
And let me see the smiles