The InkFebruary 2014

Photo Credit: Photography Club

EXTRA CURRICULAR VS. EXTRA CREDIT

...the debate continues[page 10]

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SPOTLIGHT

Joseph Nti, Editor In Chief

The InkFebruary 2014 Edition

Hello readers!

It has been a great month for our magazine; we (my team and I) are particularly thrilled with the interest it has generated. Enthused by this, we have come back with yet another great issue. Given that this is the February issue, we tried something di�erent with our cover photo; vintage 21st century love. I am currently brainstorming on a name for all our fans; just like Bieber has his ‘beliebers’ (allow me please) I have come up with nothing so far so feel free to walk up to me and suggest a name. Once again let me say a big thank you to all contributors of this month’s issue and a happy independence month to everyone. Though we have a long way to go, in this great land we grew up strong, be a proud Ghanaian. Happy Reading!

THE EDITORSJoseph Nti (Editor-in-Chief), Carl

Agbenyega (Asst. Editor-in-Chief), Ewruabena Hagan (Campus News), Joshua

Adjeman (Sports), Akyere Graham (Interviews), Ahomka Mills Robertson (Arts), Akosua Dei-Anang (Business), Mawuli Adjei

(Arts) Victor Eghan (Arts), Nii Abbey (Tech), Micaiah Wiafe (Photography),

Michael Annor (Design)

EDITORIAL

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTJessica Boifio, Photography Club, Dr. Marcia Grant, Nathania Mantey, Edwin Dzobo, Kessir Adjaho, Kwesi Acheam-pong, Adukwei Quarcoopome, Sylvia

Engmann, Anna-Lisa Hammond, Kwame Asante, BluePrintz, Abena

Asante, Elikem Hottor

COVERPhotography: Ashesi Photography Club

Models: Kwesi Acheampong, Adukwei Quarcoopome

All rights reserved. Copyright © The Ink 2014

The photography club continues to be active on campus with events that

shows our commitment to civic engagement and social responsibility. They

started with the ‘Get Down Low’ initiative and on 10th March they have the

Change Your DP.

The QR code above is link to their Instagram. Follow them

@ashesi_photography for updates.

The InkFebruary 2014

Photo Credit: Photography Club

EXTRA CURRICULAR VS. EXTRA CREDIT

...the debate continues

Page 05Page 04

"The flavour of life is love. The salt of life is also love."

Mariama Bâ, So long a letter

The Ada Experience

As blood oozed all over the floor, thick and red, moving in a steady flow towards the o�ce doors, everyone wondered who could have had enough motive to kill the parish priest. He had just been transferred to the parish about 6 months ago. Father James, the previous priest, had suddenly decided to retire and move to the countryside. He had family there. Did he know this day would come?The parish was on lockdown by the Police and everyone asked to gather in the main church hall. If you had to pee, you either had to hold it or be escorted by a police man who didn’t mind looking at your “business” in the name of “are you going to teach me how to do my job?”The interrogations began and the altar boys were up first. I would suspect them since they had 24/7 access to the priest’s o�ce. Unfortunately, they had been behind the church smoking weed the whole time and had stolen some com-munion bread to calm their munchies. Inspector Gonzales found some evidence in the form of crumbs and weed particles behind the church premises when he checked, to clarify their story.The nun-secretary from Ghana was up next. Her name – Sister Ama. Always keeping to herself and saying over a 100 Hail Mary’s a day. Who wouldn’t suspect her? It always looked like she had something to hide. Always acting secretive and keeping to herself. After all, anyone who said the “Hail Mary” more than 25 times a day was either psycho or was being plagued by demons. That was motive enough. Unfortunately, she was being interrogated as a key witness. She had been in the hallway when she saw a tall man enter the priest’s o�ce. She found the body of the priest 10 minutes later, lifeless, and had screamed for help.She tried to describe the man, but according to her, it was dark in the hallway. She could only remember glimpses of his face. “Blue eyes”, “Green eyes”… She wasn’t sure. All she remembers was going to get the priest with his usual after-noon snack of cheddar cheese crackers with hot lemon tea. She turned and saw a “mysterious” man enter the priest’s o�ce. She ignored it and had thought to herself it was a counseling session. She got the priest’s usual fix and entered the o�ce to find no man. There was only blood. Blood from the priest oozing all over the floor. Still with his rosary in his left hand, his throat was slit. Seeing this, the nun said about 5 Hail Mary’s then screamed for help.And here I am, the “Mysterious man” sitting in the pews. Watching each “sus-pect” being interrogated and waiting my turn patiently. As to why I killed the priest, well it’s my thing. I kill for fun. I can’t always have the usual unsuspecting woman in the alley as my victim. I must grow. Get more creative and challenge myself.Oh wait! It’s my turn to be interrogated… Wish me luck. Maybe my lying skills as a woman and old looks will make this interrogation quick and easy. And to think you thought I was a man. There, there; I told you the nun was crazy! Then again it was dark, and I do have some manly features. No beard though. Hopefully, all this will end and an old lady can go home and celebrate her kill! After all, I am a hunter, aren’t I? Every woman is!

THE HUNTERBy Kwame Asante (houseofasante.wordpress.com)

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CAMPUS

by Junior Spio

Fulbright Scholar. What exactly does that pair of words mean? For quite a while, I’ve been wandering about campus wondering about that. Word on the street is, I am not the only one with that question. So if you’ve been asking what exactly it means to be and to have a Fulbright scholar on Ashesi’s campus, this piece, with input from Dr. Marcia Grant, is here to sort you out.

Historical Background

Set in the period after World War II, the story of The Fulbright Program began with the establishment of the Lend-lease program to give loans to countries involved in the war. Upon Senator Fulbright of Arkansaw sug-gesting that a student exchange be formed as a means by which indebted nations could repay the US what it had received, the Fulbright Program began to take shape. Here, students in the foreign nation would receive stipends for the duration of their courses of study or research from the beneficiary nation.Over the years, a variety of Fulbright programs have been designed. These include: The Fulbright Foreign Student Program, Fulbright U.S Scholar Program, Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program and Fulbright Foreign Lan-guage Teaching Assistant Program The Crux of The Matter

“The Fulbright program is for ‘sparkly’ people; people who are interested in new things, adventure and who want to connect.” If you fit this description, whether you’re a student staff member or faculty member, you could be on the Fulbright program. Simply apply. Who knows what the future holds?

Ashesi’s Connection with the Fulbright Program

With the Fulbright Specialist program intended to promote collaborations between US scholars and professionals with their colleagues in foreign host institutions, a number of such have been on the Ashesi campus to strengthen Ashesi’s goals through activities like lecturing and conducting seminars. Over the years, we’ve had Marian Horowitz (Written and Oral Communication & Writing Center), Richard Douglas, Mary Grace Neville and now, Clarence ‘Skip’ Ellis (World Simulation). Feel free to say hi to Skip when you see him around!

Learn more about the various programs at http://www.iie.org/fulbright

A Little Bird Whispered...by Efua Akyere Graham

Page 07

CLUBS

This year’s Valentine’s Day got o� to an exciting start for Ashesi University students; with an amazing spoken word program themed “Bed of Roses.” It showcased the creative writing and singing abilities of some of the students on campus. True Love Waits in collaboration with The Beat Club, initiated the program. The venue (the lounge, Ashesi campus) was decorated with beautiful rose petals, covering the floors and chairs, creating a more somber and romantic mood. The program started o� with an opening prayer from the KCF president Andrew Bempong. There were a lot exciting performances by some well-known talents like J-Milla, Alan Neequaye, Joshua Adjeman as well as some new acts who gave the audience goose bumps and had them on their feet in applause. Dan started set the ball rolling with a breath taking performance, titled “A world made of Love.” The CrossFire group collaborated with J-Milla to enthrall the audience with a song fused with spoken word. Their performance thrilled the audience so much that to the dismay of unfortunate ear drums, they were blaring their admiration for the talent that had been displayed. Some boys also took advantage of the opportunity to pour out their hearts to their significant others, an example being Samir’s very romantic gesture to his girlfriend. When he hit the stage with a poem directed to her, he didn’t only catch her attention but caught that of the audience as well. The program ended with Anastasia (True Love Waits) shedding more light on the chosen memory verse; songs of Solomon chapter 2:1-3. She gave a deeper understanding in relation to God and his church. To sum it up, Bed of Roses definitely set the mood for Valentine’s Day; it was a much needed fascinating night of love.

BED OF ROSESby Nathania Mante

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CAMPUS CAMPUS

I was waiting my turn to staple a stack of papers I had just finished printing when my dear friend (name withheld) entered the library in a flurry. Without even a ‘Hi’ to me, she made a beeline for the lost and found box. I watched on sadly as she rummaged frantically through the contents of the box because I knew she’d definitely not find whatever it was she was looking for.This incident is probably just a repetition of the encounter some, if not all of us, have had with the seemingly useless, not to mention, terribly small lost and found box situated in the library. I mean am I the only one who thinks it con-tains items that nobody seems to have lost? And what even happens when, after a week of staying in the box, items aren’t claimed? Honestly speaking, the lost and found box is pretty much the last place I look (when I remember we even have one) when I lose an item. It’s much like a last resort--just to confirm that whatever it is I have lost is truly, truly gone. I daresay if it could speak, it would probably say very morbid things.On one of my random, purposeless visits to the library, I decided to actually stop and open the box to see what it contained, you know, because I had noth-ing else to do (yes, believe it or not, I was bored :/). So the first thing I noticed was how neatly arranged the items were. There was a black abandoned-look-ing bag in there, right at the top (and it fit so perfectly there like a puzzle piece). It looked like it had been placed there intentionally as a means of hiding the other abandoned things inside. Underneath it was a pair of worn head-phones and beyond that was all darkness...Okay, it wasn’t really dark but that’s how my mind conveniently perceived it. Now I was just rummaging through at the time but at what point would someone else’s mind--probably someone who was actually looking for something--perceive darkness or just give up the search? On the one hand, she (because I am female, sue me) would probably open the box, take a quick glance at the age old bag and resign herself to the fact that her item was gone with the wind (or the other ‘original’ owner). On the other hand, she’d plough in, unperturbed by the zombie bag, fueled only by her deep need to find her cherished item. She’d dig deep, deep as the deep blue sea and come out the utterly defeated war veteran, frazzled and even more dissatisfied than before.Look, now I’m sure I’m just ranting but the simple point I want to make is that it’s high time we made the lost and found box functional, found an alternative that actually worked (like, say a lost and found booth) or just got rid of it alto-gether.

The Lost Boxby Janice Abalo

This is not your science lecture notebook. Don’t mistake it. We all know water is a chemical compound made up of Hydrogen and Oxygen, and is mostly seen in a liquid state. They tell us that this col-ourless, odourless and tasteless liquid has health benefits, and that we have to drink 8 glasses a day. In fact, I have an uncle who makes it a point to drink a 500ml Voltic bottle of water before even brush-ing his teeth every morning, and drinks no less than four large bottles in the span of the day. (There may be people who even drink more than that!) But that is besides the point.My point is, our country is hot! Water makes up about 60% of our body weight but the nature of the temperatures in our country--not to mention the way we are even using our mental faculties in Ashesi lecture halls everyday--makes our body use up water very fast. Water loss occurs through sweating, urine and even breathing. And the water loss is even worse in warmer climates (told ya) and high alti-tudes (our beautiful school is on a hill). Quite simply put, you do not want to be dehydrated. Drink a reasonable amount of water every day. And now we’re on the topic of dehydration, we love our beauti-ful skins and want them to continue looking good every day. Right, ladies? Since we don’t want dry and wrinkled skin, the solution is simple. Let’s drink water.So please, don’t discriminate against water and tell her that she has no taste and colour; that she stands no chance against the sodas and the soft drinks. Please.

by Sylvia Mona-Lisa EngmannH

O2

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by Junior Spio

world today find themselves engrossed in a profession birthed by their engagement in activities outside class? For years I put on my radio every morning delighted to hear the voice of Kojo Oppong Nkrumah stream through the air waves, nevertheless, but for his involvement in extra- curricula’s while in UCC where he studied Business Communication, believe it or not, many Ghanaians would have been deprived of the pleasure of staying informed and entertained each morning as they made their way to work. I’ve heard people make the argument that they can make a mark right in the confines of the lecture hall by maybe attaining a GPA of 4.0 at the end of their four year stay. That may be true, but in such a case would you qualify as someone who has attained holistic education? In fact, I believe that certain experi-

Make a mark. Each academic year, that three worded statement seems to be etched in the mind of the vast majority of freshmen after their first week in Ashesi. Like many other three worded state-ments such as ‘I love you’ and ‘Take your stand’, the ease with which it is said cleverly hides the extent of perseverance, endurance and hard work needed to live up to it. Taking the decision to make an e�ort towards ensuring that you don’t inhabit the role of a church mouse throughout your four year university lifespan is but the start-ing point of a long yet worthwhile journey. The more arduous task is in figuring out how. In a bid to put yourself out there and engage in extra-curricular activities, you can’t neglect the fact that the activities you engage in take up time. Time not just for seemingly trivial yet highly essential things like sleeping and eating, but time which would have otherwise been spent behind your books. If there’s one thing one of my favorite members of sta� has driven into my head, it is that we are all in school primarily to study. Therefore taking that out of the equation kind of defeats the main purpose of your being in school, doesn’t it? Can we however turn our attention away from the fact that many people in our corporate

CAMPUS

EXTRA CURRICULAR VS. EXTRA CREDITby Efia Serwa

ences gained during our involvement in activities outside class tend to help us in making more valuable con-tributions in class. I stand to be cor-rected but from the rumors I hear from the working world, employers now look beyond the grades. They want you to give them a reason to hire you other than the fact that you’ve got the brains. So what is it going to be? What is going to set you apart from the pool of hundreds that maybe as smart as you? Especially on the Ashesi campus, make no mis-take, there is something for every-body.Thinking about it, I could probably write my thesis on this issue. There are so many questions that can be raised and varied versions of answers that can be given. In the end howev-er, it comes down to striking a bal-ance according to your peculiar per-sona doesn’t it? Someone may decide to keep his GPA high enough to stay in school whiles he tries his hands at every other thing under the sun or pursues a particular passion like photography, music, sports, the list goes on. Another may decide not to compromise on getting that 4.0 but may choose to dabble in other things once in a while to add a little bit more flavor to his C.V. In the game of extra-curricular vs. extra-credit the only determinant of who wins is tomorrow.

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SPORTS

By Joshua Adom AdjemanYou’ve probably heard and seen them replicate scenes from the movie 300 on the court on very random nights; screaming at the top of their lungs through rain, shine or darkness. You’ve probably seen them dominate and destroy visiting school teams with a flurry of skill, power and finesse. With twelve players gathered from the currently suspended basketball league and beyond, the team characterizes qualities similar to the core values of Ashesi University College: hard work and sheer will to represent the school in the best way possible, win or not. It is also a team founded on trust, and when you see them wallop teams by double-figure margins, that’s simply evidence of their confidence in each other to perform before every game. Here are a couple of things you need to know about your basketball team, courtesy of The Ink.- Estalynn Achiampong. Behind every successful man, there’s a woman. Scratch that. Behind Ashesi’s successful basketball team, there’s Estalynn. Her interest in basketball is matched with her knowledge of the sport, and besides being the team’s calming agent (that has earned her the title ‘Team Nana’), she throws in a few tactical insights from time to time mid-game. The team cannot see a better atmosphere outside of her, and her presence brings vim to the side.- Doubling as coach and the first five’s Small Forward is the unmistakable Francis Lamptey. There really isn’t much to be said about the lad; his play speaks for himself. Absolute gem of a player.And if you didn’t know the positions of the other similarly brilliant members of the first five, here they are:- Point Guard: Nana Yaw Akonnor - Shooting Guard: Jemaa - Power Forward: John Oteng-Nyame - Center: Nana Kwame DansoTo the basketball team and their lovely Nana, we say ride on. And we encourage the ASC Sports Committee to invest time and resources into ensuring we are constantly entertained by the brilliant basketball this team provides.

WHERE SWEAT MEETS SWAG: YOUR BASKETBALL TEAM IN REVIEW

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ASC NEWS

The Alternative Experience by Edwin Dzobo

You might be wondering what The Alternative Experience is. Or you just might not. Nonetheless it should be pretty obvious what this is about by the end. That's only if you get through to the end. I mean, what could possibly happen? You could get sucked into a vortex that transports you to an alternate universe, get stomped by some gigantic ant, same way we do them, or even get bored by the time you reach the middle. Pick your poison.On another note, there's a lot of music out there. (See what I did there? No? Oh but...). Good music too. Good, alternative music lots of us aren't listening to. See the problem with you lot is you people are too mainstr... I'll just call you Music Muggles! So I'll be recommending five not-real-ly-mainstream songs I think you should hear before you go deaf, die, or something of the sort. If you're a Music Muggle please see yourself out before I turn you into a frog or something. So in no particular order:1. 'Never Look Back' by Graffiti6. One of my favourite songs ever from the London-based band. Their sound is a mix of groovy alternative rock, blues and a bit of soul. 'Never Look Back' captures this perfectly.2. 'Round We Go' by Hawk House. Hip-Hop heads, this one's yours. Another group from London, Hawk House is a trio of two young guys and a girl who present us with a mix of neo-soul, jazz and hip-hop to give a mellow, relaxing sound. This is something for your car stereo on a Sunday afternoon cruise.3. 'The World, It Softly Lulls' by Tawk Tomahawk. This song is not just another jam. It is THE JAM! It's the perfect spread for every type of bread. Wait...what was I talking about again? Ah, yes. The song...but

chale, you've got to listen to this people. Unless of course you're a Music Muggle, then it'll just sound like rubbish to you. Amazing piece of jazz, man.4. '2 Rocking Chairs' by Jon Bellion. An eclectic mix is what this song is. You can't quite place it a category as I've done with the previous songs. This most likely is because Jon Bellion, who happens to be the producer of the song, has had a plethora of music influences, chale. He's a box of ideas. Pretty neat song. Definitely something you guys out there can play for that lady you've...I've said enough. On to the next one.5. 'Burden of Love' by Kae Sun. Jam for days, and days, and days, and days, and days...okay, I think you get the point. One of my favourite tunes from the Canada-based Ghanaian artist Kae Sun. He sings of a cargo he carries, which is the "burden of love" over some beautiful guitar picks. Sweet song.So there, you have it. Not exactly my top five songs, but I think you should hear them nonetheless. And yes, I intention-ally left out links to these songs. Lots of us are too comforta-ble where we are. Go. Be adventurous. Find new music. Listen till your ears bleed. On y va!

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INTERVIEW

what you should know about JESSICA BOIFIO.

did really well. All round, it’s been alright. Ashesi has basically kind of buttressed what I’ve known about myself: I am a strong personalityYou spoke about going for a party the night before an exam. How do you strike a balance between your academic and social life?Not to blow my own horn but it’s a bit easy for me when it comes to academics. I am the kind of person who would sit in class and pay attention. I can’t sit for a long time, so I just pick vital things, write down a few points and I’m done. All I need to do for exams is flip through my notes. I make sure that my intellectual stu� and my fun stu� blend. My roommates are crazy, they keep me goingWhat has been your lowest moment in Ashesi?It was when some guy in this school decided that he was God and sat me down for an hour to tell me to fit into the box that society has created for me. I hated it. [short guessing game takes place] No...no namesWhat is the one thing you would change about yourself if you could?Can I lie and say nothing? *laughs* I think it’s too easy for me to detach myself from people and from things. It has a�ected my relationships with my friends and some-times, my family. If there was one thing I could tweak, it would be to be more in tune with my emotional sideDo you have a boyfriend?*laughs* Many! I don’t have an o�cial boyfriend. I’m seeing someone but there are many others. *giggles*Describe a’ Jessica outfit’ on a regular day.I dress up based on my mood, really. On a regular day, a Jessica outfit *short pause* is something short. It’s something that would turn heads; something that people would look at and be like ‘ei how do you wear this to school?!’ It’s not complete with-out my hair and just recently, we started a lipstick revolution so you’ll see me with either red or purple lipstick. Maame introduced me to lipstick. Whatever I wear is to just make a statement about my moodWhy did you dye your hair red?Because I canWhat colour describes your personality?Blue. I love blue. But I like red as wellEveryone has that one song they can relate to on a personal basis, what’s yours?*starts singing and dancing* My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard and they like, it’s better than yours!What is your least favorite feature on your body?A lot of people hate my legs because it’s hairy but I’m not shaving my legs for anything or for anybody. My breasts get too much attention *chuckles*. I wouldn’t change anything.What is your favorite movie of all time?The Help. Maybe, Great Debaters. I like historical stu�.Is there anything you would like to say?So a lot of people think I’m a cougar. Look. I like to groom people. Take it like this, I’m not going to let some other girl come and break your heart. Let Jessica take care of you. [laughs]

You know how this goes, spontaneous answers, your first thoughts only. Older or younger guy?Older…younger! I dunno BOTH! Younger, older. Older!

Looks or money?*does a short drumroll* Money

Hottest guy in the school?I think Patrick Awuah is the hottest guy in this place *shrugs*

Must have item?Money

If you’ve never taken the time to get to know the feisty, wickedly smart beauty who ever so aptly dyed her hair a spicy red, it’s time you do so. It’s our pleasure to introduce you to Jessica Naa Ahiney “Red Hair, Don’t Care” Boifio.

How would you describe yourself?I’m crazy, ambitious, a talker, open-minded, awesome! I like to be on the side of unpop-ular opinions, just for the hell of it. Most of the time, it’s my opinion. Other times, it’s just because people are boringTell us about your family.It’s a crazy family. My parents have issues *giggles*…my siblings and I are not too close but then everyone does the bare minimum; we get along. It’s a very open, liberal family. My mummy is the type of person who would make you sit in a trotro if there’s one avail-able to where you’re heading. My dad is more liberal, I love my daddy.*smiles*What is your biggest pet peeve?*Launches straight into fast speech* When people bite their fingernails or pick their nose and try to shake me afterwards. I’ve seen you pick your nose and you’re coming to shake me...you don’t understand the gravity of the issue, it’s very annoying!What co-curricular activities are you involved in?M.U.N, Toastmasters (when it’s active), Free Thinkers, Arab Money President, thank you thank you!*waves*Speaking of Arab Money, how do you feel about them coming in 4th in the APL?I think my team has issues. I’m upset that we came in fourth. I think we could do better, honestly. I’m frustrated. When we win, we win; when we lose, we do the whole pep talk thing. We’ve done that too many times. It’s sad; it’s patheticWhat motivated you to run for ASC Presidency?My decision to run for ASC president was because I had a certain vision. I felt like my school could be a certain way and it wasn’t living up to what it could become so that is why I ranCan you talk about how it was like running against two guys for ASC president?Running against two guys wasn’t really in my head; I really could care less about it because I knew I was very capable of doing it. But I actually got people coming up to me to say, “Oh you’re good, you can do the job but you’re a girl so I won’t vote for you. I want a guy to lead me”. They said it to my face and that made me more aware of the gender thing. I knew misogyny was always there but I had never experienced it firsthand. It meant that I had to up my game and prove to people that I could do it. It was toughHow did you recover from not winning the elections?For two days, I was just sitting there thinking. I could either be sad about it and decide that I did not want to be a part of whatever was happening or I could be happy that I had at least put my message out there. I had amazing people who shared my vision supporting me. I bounce back very easily; things don’t get me down for too longHow has your Ashesi experience been like so far?It’s been annoying, it’s been fun. There have been times when it has been challenging and times when I’ve felt unchallenged. After you get used to how things work, it’s like “yeah, whatever...chale we can do this with our eyes closed”. There’s been a time when I went out with my friends the night before an exam to party. We didn’t fail. In fact, we

by Asiedua Akoto

Page 19Page 18

INTERVIEWdid really well. All round, it’s been alright. Ashesi has basically kind of buttressed what I’ve known about myself: I am a strong personalityYou spoke about going for a party the night before an exam. How do you strike a balance between your academic and social life?Not to blow my own horn but it’s a bit easy for me when it comes to academics. I am the kind of person who would sit in class and pay attention. I can’t sit for a long time, so I just pick vital things, write down a few points and I’m done. All I need to do for exams is flip through my notes. I make sure that my intellectual stu� and my fun stu� blend. My roommates are crazy, they keep me goingWhat has been your lowest moment in Ashesi?It was when some guy in this school decided that he was God and sat me down for an hour to tell me to fit into the box that society has created for me. I hated it. [short guessing game takes place] No...no namesWhat is the one thing you would change about yourself if you could?Can I lie and say nothing? *laughs* I think it’s too easy for me to detach myself from people and from things. It has a�ected my relationships with my friends and some-times, my family. If there was one thing I could tweak, it would be to be more in tune with my emotional sideDo you have a boyfriend?*laughs* Many! I don’t have an o�cial boyfriend. I’m seeing someone but there are many others. *giggles*Describe a’ Jessica outfit’ on a regular day.I dress up based on my mood, really. On a regular day, a Jessica outfit *short pause* is something short. It’s something that would turn heads; something that people would look at and be like ‘ei how do you wear this to school?!’ It’s not complete with-out my hair and just recently, we started a lipstick revolution so you’ll see me with either red or purple lipstick. Maame introduced me to lipstick. Whatever I wear is to just make a statement about my moodWhy did you dye your hair red?Because I canWhat colour describes your personality?Blue. I love blue. But I like red as wellEveryone has that one song they can relate to on a personal basis, what’s yours?*starts singing and dancing* My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard and they like, it’s better than yours!What is your least favorite feature on your body?A lot of people hate my legs because it’s hairy but I’m not shaving my legs for anything or for anybody. My breasts get too much attention *chuckles*. I wouldn’t change anything.What is your favorite movie of all time?The Help. Maybe, Great Debaters. I like historical stu�.Is there anything you would like to say?So a lot of people think I’m a cougar. Look. I like to groom people. Take it like this, I’m not going to let some other girl come and break your heart. Let Jessica take care of you. [laughs]

You know how this goes, spontaneous answers, your first thoughts only. Older or younger guy?Older…younger! I dunno BOTH! Younger, older. Older!

Looks or money?*does a short drumroll* Money

Hottest guy in the school?I think Patrick Awuah is the hottest guy in this place *shrugs*

Must have item?Money

This is the story of three Ashesi students. They all live in Dansoman. However, they are not aware of each other's plan to go home on Friday. They will each call a taxi and pay about 60 cedis from Ashesi to Dansoman. That is 180 cedis in total. This scenario is quite common in Ashesi. Whether you are going home, to Accra mall or to an event in Accra, there are usually other people also going there but you don’t know about them. Carpool is here to help you find those people. Whether you have a ride or not, you can easily find other people who are going in the same direction or to the same place and save some money. Carpool as the name suggests is a carpooling applica-tion I've been developing for some time now. I identi-fied a problem and thought I could solve it using tech-nology. I wanted to write ‘useful code’. Do something outside of coursework and acquire more experience. It has been an amazing learning experience so far. I would actually encourage more students to do this. You solve a problem (or at least try) and you also learn during the process.

If you’ve never taken the time to get to know the feisty, wickedly smart beauty who ever so aptly dyed her hair a spicy red, it’s time you do so. It’s our pleasure to introduce you to Jessica Naa Ahiney “Red Hair, Don’t Care” Boifio.

How would you describe yourself?I’m crazy, ambitious, a talker, open-minded, awesome! I like to be on the side of unpop-ular opinions, just for the hell of it. Most of the time, it’s my opinion. Other times, it’s just because people are boringTell us about your family.It’s a crazy family. My parents have issues *giggles*…my siblings and I are not too close but then everyone does the bare minimum; we get along. It’s a very open, liberal family. My mummy is the type of person who would make you sit in a trotro if there’s one avail-able to where you’re heading. My dad is more liberal, I love my daddy.*smiles*What is your biggest pet peeve?*Launches straight into fast speech* When people bite their fingernails or pick their nose and try to shake me afterwards. I’ve seen you pick your nose and you’re coming to shake me...you don’t understand the gravity of the issue, it’s very annoying!What co-curricular activities are you involved in?M.U.N, Toastmasters (when it’s active), Free Thinkers, Arab Money President, thank you thank you!*waves*Speaking of Arab Money, how do you feel about them coming in 4th in the APL?I think my team has issues. I’m upset that we came in fourth. I think we could do better, honestly. I’m frustrated. When we win, we win; when we lose, we do the whole pep talk thing. We’ve done that too many times. It’s sad; it’s patheticWhat motivated you to run for ASC Presidency?My decision to run for ASC president was because I had a certain vision. I felt like my school could be a certain way and it wasn’t living up to what it could become so that is why I ranCan you talk about how it was like running against two guys for ASC president?Running against two guys wasn’t really in my head; I really could care less about it because I knew I was very capable of doing it. But I actually got people coming up to me to say, “Oh you’re good, you can do the job but you’re a girl so I won’t vote for you. I want a guy to lead me”. They said it to my face and that made me more aware of the gender thing. I knew misogyny was always there but I had never experienced it firsthand. It meant that I had to up my game and prove to people that I could do it. It was toughHow did you recover from not winning the elections?For two days, I was just sitting there thinking. I could either be sad about it and decide that I did not want to be a part of whatever was happening or I could be happy that I had at least put my message out there. I had amazing people who shared my vision supporting me. I bounce back very easily; things don’t get me down for too longHow has your Ashesi experience been like so far?It’s been annoying, it’s been fun. There have been times when it has been challenging and times when I’ve felt unchallenged. After you get used to how things work, it’s like “yeah, whatever...chale we can do this with our eyes closed”. There’s been a time when I went out with my friends the night before an exam to party. We didn’t fail. In fact, we

HOT SEAT

Carpool

You can check out the beta version of Carpool at ashesicarpool.herokuapp.com. Feel free to send me feedback and ask for features.

Kessir, 2014 CSSoftware Developer.

I want Carpool to be a big thing on campus and I want it to survive long after I graduate. I can’t achieve this alone, I need more hands on deck. I need people from all majors. You are good at marketing? You think you can make a product successful? Or you are good at Java and you are eager to learn more. You would probably be a good addition to the team, consider joining.

Page 20

GOOPelt stood to his feet and with his left hand, repositioned his glasses to the

tip of his nose. After several deep breaths, he began,

“Dr. Gibbs, I… its horrible. I…” he choked.

“Take your time, Dr. Nashton.”

“I’m afraid the level of destruction is catastrophic. We might be looking at

a major outbreak in a matter of hours,” he finally let out.

“But the bacterium cannot stand these weather conditions! I believe that is

the reason we were posted here?” she questioned.

“I know that. But my presumptions have led me to believe that our intrud-

ers may have long taken a warm weather vacation.”

He pulled out a small travel information booklet from the stack of papers

he was still clutching onto with his right hand. Anita Gibbs grabbed the

piece of paper, perusing through it like a famished wildcat.

“Where? Where? Where are they going?” she asked impatiently.

Pelt turned the booklet over and placed his index finger on a word circled

in red ink.

“Ghana.”

---------------

We just sat there and stared. Him, at me. Me, at anything but him.

STORY

by Joshua Adom Adjeman

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Page 21

The ceiling fan that croaked above us,

swirling musty air around the dully lit

room. The makeshift coat hanger

which was quite simply a nail driven

into the wooden door shut behind

him. The solitary light bulb that

swayed dangerously above the fan. I

cringed in despair as a blade all but

scraped the bottom of the bulb. Then

I stared at the gun holstered on the

side of his standard issue cotton trou-

sers. I hate guns.

“You like guns? Eh?” he yelled at me

nasally.

“No sir.”

“That’s how you did it eh??” he yelled

some more.

“But there are no gunshot wounds on

the body! What kraa is this?”

“Keep quiet!” He placed his right hand

on his gun and I shut up.

My focus returned to the potential

death trap swaying above us. I

followed each blade, cringing every

time one came close to smashing into

the light bulb. After a while, the cring-

ing stopped and I just followed each

blade. Soon, I was lost in thought; like

the circular motion of the blades had

thrown me into a semi-conscious

trance.

After the sick obroni had died in my

arms, I felt it would be the citizenly

thing to do to take the body to the

police station and report a mysterious

death. There was nothing citizenly

about the response. I got arrested as

prime suspect for murder and the

chief of police had taken to throwing

questions at me for the past hour,

hoping to get me to crack and con-

fess to all the gruesome things he

was certain I had done to the poor

white man.

“Herh!”

Ah yes. I’m still in this room. I stared

back at the rotund chief of police,

square in the eyes this time. He

leaned in closer to my face. For

effect, I guess.

Banku. Tilapia, definitely. Okro

soup or pepper? I couldn’t tell. But

his breath stunk.

“I will get you, you this small boy.

I’m watching you. Let’s go.”

And with that, he tugged me off my

chair and waddled towards the

door. I followed, like a hound would

his master. Once I stepped out of

the little shack that was the local

police station, I took in a deep

breath with a newfound sense of

freedom.

Ahhh. Sweet sea air.

My stomach growled. The last I had

given the little monster were a few

yam balls downed with a bag of

pure water. I began the 20 minute

walk towards Aunty Joyce’s fast

food joint. Then I heard another

growl; much deeper, much fiercer

this time. This wasn’t my stomach. I

turned around and came

face-to-face with a bigger mon-

strosity. About 50 meters away, a

big black, evil-looking motorcycle

sped towards me.

[to be continued…]

Page 23Page 22

STORY

For my daughter.She is six and I have her seated on the floor between my legs as I try to tame her unruly curls into a braid suitable for school. She winces as I tug and I give her a book to read. To take her mind o� the pain.She is ten. Boys are mean and pull her hair. I am her best friend and her other best friend lives in Rio. They write long letters with pink gel pens and decorate them with a million stickers.She is sitting on my bed trying on jewelry. At fourteen, boys are interesting and the books and movies have taught her everything she needs to know about life. I am still her best friend but I sense that is changing.She slams the door shut on her way out. She says she hates me and will never talk to me again. I sigh gently. She used to be my best friend. She has a boyfriend. He wears black all the time and holds her hand. I pray at night that it is all he holds. She is sixteen.She is crying into my arms. I tell her heartbreak won't kill her. That it will make her stronger. Teach her more about life. About herself. That it is good to cry. She says she will never love again. I smile as I remember where my heart was at eighteen.She has a fierce love for God. I am jealous of it sometimes and other times I am just so happy it hurts my cheeks. She reads all the time and she sends me funny voice notes at odd times of the day. She has a friend she wants me to meet. She tells me I will like him. I remind her that she promised me she will never love again. She laughs. She remembers. She is twenty-three.She is the most beautiful woman in the world today. I am so proud. In the church, I whisper a prayer of thanks to God for the gift of my baby. She smiles at me as he walks her down the aisle. There are tears in her eyes. "I love you" is what I whisper to her when I hug her outside. She hugs me back tightly. I will miss her so much. Twenty-five is too young.She calls me at 3 am. I am going to be a grandmother. I feel so old. She is excited. She can't stop giggling. I put the phone on the table and go back to bed. Through the veil of sleep I can hear them at the other end of the phone. Making plans.I pray for her every night. I pray that she is strong. I ask God to keep her safe. To help her be more than I could ever be. I talk to her all the time. She is no longer my baby.I pray for her all the time.She will always be my baby.She gives me a card on her fiftieth birthday. In it there is an old photo-graph: I am sitting on a chair on the front porch. She is on the floor between my legs. There is a book lying open in front of her. She is half-turned, looking up at me. I have a comb in my right hand. I am looking down at her.We are laughing.

Rowietalkshopwithrowie.wordpress.com

Page 25Page 24

BUSINESS

With a number of food enterprises popping up all over campus, The Ink scoured the grounds looking for something unique to the local and western meals o�ered. Cups and Cones is a small business that started recently and o�ers Ice Cream. Nothing exclusive about Ice Cream, is there? After all, Akornor and Essentials sell Fan Ice for 80 pesewas a pop. So guilty pleasure at a cheap price? Check.But Abena Asante and Elikem Hottor have a completely di�erent approach to how ice cream is served. With creative names and toppings, Cup and Cones sell more than Ice cream, they sell an experience. With three basic flavours (strawberry, vanilla and chocolate), they o�er three toppings that, quite frankly, are an explosion of fun in your mouth. The toppings are· Coconut Craze (Desiccated Coconut and chocolate chunks)· Fruity Sticks (Kitkat and Fruit)· Wafer Marvel (Wafers and Mocha Dust)And they have plans to increase the number of toppings as they become a campus success. The best part is that every customer gets to take part in the creation of toppings and that topping will be named after the person that created them. So Guilty pleasure? Check. Incomparable experience? Check. Personalized toppings? Check. Worth a try? Undeniably.Establishing Cups and Cones was not an e�ortless task. It was the unques-tionable drive and enthusiasm Elikem and Abena have for their business that ensured its success. According to them, they had di�culties getting a

location for storage and putting the finances together to set up, as they had originally hoped to start August last year.These entrepreneurs’ passion extends beyond just making profit, after all every cedi made gets reinvested in the business to satisfy the demands of the customers they hold dear.

“Even though we just started we get quite a few o�ers….we hope our business expands beyond just the campus and we can actually continue

the business after we graduate. We especially would love to sell in nursery schools.”

And for those of you interested in becoming investors in Cups and Cones, Abena and Elikem have stressed that they are looking for investors that share their passion.

“We want investors to take part in the decisions of the flavours as well. We are more interested in meeting demands and satisfying our customers

than we are on making profit.”

Elikem and Abena are entrepreneurs building their business model around their customers. It sounds like a recipe for success. No pun intended of course ;).

by Akosua Dei-Anang

t

T

Page 27Page 26

RANT

FIX IT BABY, FIX IT! Every budding woman derives great pleasure from discovering that with every week that passes, she is growing more confident. Truth be told, this could stem from many sources; our lady is getting to know herself better and so is in better control of her emotions and feelings. Moreover, the joy of know-ing that moving on in years induces a positive pressure to look and feel good, prompts ladies to step up their game. This is all good! Why? Because every lady deserves to be loved. Caution, though! When it comes to you and love, my precious lady, no other person can love you enough, except yourself.So let’s talk about loving you (Can I get an “amen” ladies!). I want to talk about one - and only one - aspect of the wonderful you. Your hair. Is this important? Yes! The guys love what they see when you have an awe-inspiring hairdo. I don’t need to remind you that other ladies equally crone over you and you become an instant hit when you are having a great hair day. So, let’s indulge ‘cause you can’t lie about the fact that you get a confidence boost when you adore what you see in the mirror.It has been weeks since you got that hairdo. You’ve enjoyed all the compli-ments and paparazzi. But then wait…What’s that awful whi�? Where is it coming from? I can smell it from a distance and yet I can’t put a finger on who the gracious owner is. My senses are communicating that this seems like dirty laundry soaked over a week, yet I can’t see any buckets to confirm my suspi-cion. All the while I and others are su�ering, you walk around smiling, happy, till someone has the guts to tell you your hair stinks!There may be various reasons for which you keep smelly hair. Maybe you don’t want to incur cost for a new hairdo, or your mirror tells you your hair looks good to last another week or two. Please! Do yourself a favor and take out your weave or braids. The smell is your hair’s way of saying you are headed for danger. Walking around and being engaged in many activities, your body produces sweat, including your scalp. Your exposure to the environment allows for dust and other elements to find shelter in your hair. After all that, you oil your hair all in the name of moisturizing and keeping its luster. You bath everyday, don’t you? Think about it in the same way and ask yourself what you may be breeding in your hair which hasn’t seen shampoo and water for close to 3 months.No smell means we will have nasal peace. But more than that, it reflects the fact that you are responsible enough to want the best for yourself both within and without. That is love in action! I rest my case!

Best Regards,BluePrintz

Page 23Page 22

RANT

APA’SMILKSHAKE

I hate Valentine’s Day. I never quite understood what was so important about, needless to say, until I hit adolescence – if you know what I mean. The opposite sex. So fasci-nating. So intriguing. So nonsensi-cal. Hormones kicking in and doing their stuff can be so frustrating sometimes, and Valentine’s Day provides some sort of release for people, including me. Admit it, it's fun to watch people be so loving, and warm, and soft, and weak. Ew. Of course, Valentine’s Day has different meanings for different people. And for those people who have opinions that differ from mine on what Valentine’s Day represents, please look at my drawing above, and see if I care.

I don’t.

I hit 20 last week or so – happy birthday to me –, and I've never had a valentine. This is where some of you go "aww", and some of you laugh. I hate you all equally. This year, I contemplated sending myself cupcakes for fun, with the whole presentation of people coming into class to deliver them to me. But I didn't. I'm sure some of you did though. Y'all are some sad...For an uncaring person though, I found it disturbing to find myself caring on Valentine’s Day. And not for humans, or a human, no, that would be dastardly. I found myself caring for a piece of paper, hung across the walls of various rooms. Every time I passed by her, she called to me "Please don't leave me behind. Throw me away". And every time, I just went "awwww". It was

.... it’s better than yours!

the saddest thing ever. The Welfare Committee really struck a cord there.Anyway, back to the topic of human-to-human love, I realized this year’s Valentine’s Day was somewhat boring, in Ashesi at least. Perhaps because the fresher’s wer-en’t around for some of you to declare your feelings… *cough* Kunle *cough* Whitney *cough* Read the last issue to get this refer-ence *cough*. I mean, comparing with last year, this year was not that great. At all. Last year was some serious deep ish. I was like kw3333 the entire day, and for good reason too. Tokens of affection were in abundance, love was in the air, and people were shaking like they just didn’t care. I’m kidding about the last part. The only missing ingredi-ent, for some, was *cough* SEX *cough*. Or was it? Don’t ask me, I don’t know. But with five in a room, it’s a well-known fact that you need some SERIOUS planning or stroke of luck to… Wait, where is this rant going?Allow me to backtrack. I saw some of you, students, stuffing your faces with cupcakes like eating them would force love into your systems. If you know you were one of those people, please chillax. It’s not a competition. I think. All I know is, I got more cupcakes than you. Ha! Ha Ha! Okay I didn’t. I’m sad now. I think I’ll just end it here. Yeah. I’ll end it right here. The end.

by Nii Apa Abbey

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