OUR CULTURE; OUR HERITAGE, OUR PRIDE

Forth is coming the most adored culture week in Moi University. We all appreciate the fact that we have diverse and each and every one of us subscribes to a specific culture. In the Swahili setting ,the so called wahenga were purported to have said ‘Mtupa mila ni mtumwa’ (One who abandons his/her culture is a slave.)  This diversity in culture is the prestige and pride of our beloved nation, Kenya. This is a sign of the rich heritage that our motherland possesses

Yes the cultures are different depending on the different communities we have, but this is not to create a divide among the communities. In fact what identifies Kenya as a nation internationally is our rich and diverse culture? No culture is superior to another but each culture has some element of uniqueness.

The forth coming culture week is a great opportunity for the students to appreciate their culture as Moi university fraternity. There is no group that does not subscribe to any culture. Everybody has some way of life that he/she can boast of as their culture. Despite all this, we still have the obligation of maintaining our unity.

 "No culture is superior to another but each culture has some element of uniqueness."

Yes we have a diverse culture but we still share one very important thing-the Kenyan culture. Our motherland, Kenya, boasts as one of the countries in the world that has communities that have dearly upheld their culture. The culture has been made free from the western culture.

This is the best time for the scholars to take a lead and use this function to emphasize the need for unity. There is a lot that we are likely to learn from this day. It therefore calls for us to fully participate in the function.

One major lesson that I have come to learn is that embracing your culture is not permittivity as some assume that to be. Many developed countries have displayed a great deal the pride drawn from having unique cultures. Countries like China, Italy, and Japan which are more developed than our country dearly value their culture and have drawn much pride from that. This clearly displays the fact that embracing our culture is not permittivity. Our culture is our heritage and pride. Have a lovely cultural week. Wont you?

UNCERTAINTY; NOT THE BEST WAY OUT

When rumours emanated from the school of Human Resource and Development that we were to resume for the next academic year in April, many students dismissed that as an impossibility. The reality come when the Academics director released a memo informing the students of the proposed resuming dates. This  did not go down well with some students. The memo outlined that the fate of  resuming dates was to be  decided by the senate.

This is where drama started. The MUSO Chairman and secretary General then called a meeting in LT 3 to foster way forward on the issue. The meeting was attended by  a handful of students with most of the student leaders skipping the meeting .The student fraternity were divided on the issue , some supported the resuming dates while others opposed.

There was no big deal with students resuming in April . After all everybody wants to complete their degree and go their way. The question is, were they prepared? Had it been made clear early at the start of the semester  that the students were to resume in April, then what a number of students have undergone this semester would have been unheard of.

We are now approaching mid-semester and there is no clear communication on when the second semester starts. This is a recognized Higher Institution of Learning with student leaders duly elected by the students, uncertainty is not the best way out for this institution. It has come out clearly that with this institution anything is possible. So there could be no surprise if a memo is  served to inform the students that  the second semester starts a day or three days after the completion of the first semester. In fact there could be no problem with that but prior notice is always important to make everybody to prepare psychologically and financially.

With all the comrades have undergone this semester uncertainty on the resuming dates for the second semester could not be the best way out. The student leaders should take up the responsibility of inquiring and informing the students on the resuming dates for the second semester. If the students know the resuming dates in advance it will enable them to coin ways of surviving next semester. The student leaders should not wait for a crisis to erupt is when they start acting.

Uncertainty on the resuming dates is not the best way out for  a higher institution of learning like this University. Enjoy your day. Won’t you?

THE AFTERMATH

There is no doubt HELB is in most students’ pockets and so far a lot has transpired since the funds were released to the students. The Communicator’s Ronald Agak takes an insight into the HELB aftermath.

EXAM SURERITY.

Those students who had prayed all day and night for the University Administration to consider conditions for doing exams are now happy people. Implying being allowed to do exams even if they did not clear their fees in the event the exams commenced before the funds were disbursed. These breeds of student now have all the reasons to do exams and no excuse not to seat for exams because of fees. Most of these students have already uploaded the HELB funds into the University’s fees account and now enjoy their sleep without nightmares. They now attend lectures without any stress and have that time to laugh or smile when a lecturer cracks a joke during a lecture as opposed to before.

FRAKAZ RELOADED.

The famous is not left out in this merry making. Its customers had tremendously reduced before the funds were released. Things have changed and now those comrades who had really missed the bottle now flock frakaz to ensure that they enjoy their ‘sweat’. The academic highway had had a drought of broken bottles. It is at the moment not left out in the celebration of the arrival of the ‘sweet baby’, HELB. The hostel corridors especially those for men have also joined the merry making. The Frakazers now come late in the night during the weekends and shout out their hearts in these corridors. We really did miss the shouts.

REJUVENATED LOVE

Love birds have either been happy or some have had their hearts broken. Earlier love was hanging on the thread. There were no big bucks to flourish the love. The number of female visitors in men’s hostels has significantly swollen and that of male visitors in female hostels too. The chips cafes now host a large number of customers. Thanks to the HELB rejuvenated love. It’s not a good luck for some love birds. Some have been dumped for greener pastures because either the bucks have increased to accommodate a new catch or one has been dumped because another favorite has more bucks than the former sweetheart. This is just a game, let the winners celebrate and losers console themselves and hope to win next time. The game is still on.

DEBTORS AND CREDITORS.

The debtors have not fully enjoyed these funds because they had to leak out some amount to settle the debts they had taken to enable them make life in campus comfortable and bearable. Creditors on the other hand have had quite a nice time. Their count of bucks had been reloaded for the amount they had loaned out. Interestingly, there has been a game of hide and seek. Some debtors have tried as much as possible either not to meet their creditors or failing to receive their calls.

Anyway, that is how life is. Furahia maisha au sio?

eLibrayUSA REACHES OUT FOR MOI UNIVERSITY

 Thursday 31^st 2012 was another day that saw students the university  receive some goodies from the  US embassy. The American Reference Center under the US Embassy, led by Mr. Henry  Mendelssohn ,Mr. Cliff and Mr. George Kamau paid the School of Information Science a visit with the aim of making the services they offer known to the students. When speaking to the lecturers, library staff and students in LT 1 at the  school of information sciences, M r. Mendelssohn said that eLibray USA is meant to provide access to various  documents and academic materials to the interested parties.

Mr. Mendelssohn said eLibrary USA is a virtual online library with free access 20 authoritative and up- to-  date databases. He added that for one to access these resources , one must became a member of the American Reference Centre. There is no fee to became  a member. Once one becomes a member he/she receives through e-mail a  login password that will be needed to access the eLIbrary online meaning there is no need to go to the American Reference Centre in Nairobi so as to use the facility. 

Mr. Mendelssohn said eLibraryUSA has a lot of very useful literature for business people, university  faculties and students, lectures and the youth among other people. One can register by  either filling in a form or registering online on their website http://Nairobi.usembassy.gov/irc.html  He also said that the eLibraryUSA is also available at the  American corners  in Kisumu, Lamu and Mombasa. For those who wish to go to  The American Reference Center library must attach two passport size photos to their application form to be used to process IDs for them.

Mr. Cliff, a lecturer at the University of Iowa in the USA ,on the other hand spoke about widernet.com project which aims at ensuring that  the internet is availed to as many people as possible. He spoke of the concept of putting the Internet in a ‘box’ so as to cut the cost of using the Internet. Mr. Cliff also spoke about e-granary Digital Libray, which he said carries over 50000 books, hundreds of  journals and websites.  Mr. George Kamau an alumni of school of information sciences encouraged the student to be intellectually curious and ensure that they work towards achieving their goals in their specific areas of interest.

Speaking during the  accession the Dean of School of Information sciences, Professor Otike encouraged the students to use these facilities in their research and academics citing the benefits that students stand to enjoy from the facilities.

This becomes another boost on the students’ academics since it adds to the electronic resources  already  being availed by the Margaret Thatcher Library.