GET
The Ink
ctober 2015
INTO THE ELEMENT
The Ink October 2015 Edition
The Ink
EDITORIAL It is amazing that we are all here again. Seriously. I am not saying it just because I
ctober 2015
felt the need to start this note with some-
GET INTO THE ELEMENT
thing positive. It really is amazing because of how far we have come. To think that the engineering building that stands today was pretty much formless about six months ago speaks to how much has and can be accomplished. But boy am I glad that they’re finally done. The incessant banging, hammering, whirring and the occasional shouts from the builders as they killed innocent and *harm-
COVER Model: Jean Nii Quarcoopome
THE EDITORS Mawuli Adjei, Kingsley Agyekum, Ewurabena Hagan, Adwoa Adobea Armah, Ahomka Mills Robertson, Susana Abraham, Odunsi Bowofoluwa, Eugene Akorli, Naa Adukwei Quarcoopome.
GRAPHIC DESIGN Micaiah Wiafe
PHOTOGRAPHY Alex Adu, Ariel Woode, Charles-Martin Buckle, Juxtapose, Micaiah Wiafe
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Alfred Achiampong, Akua Adoma Memorial Foundation, Roverman Productions, Women of Change, Patatte, Michael Fiifi Quansah.
All rights reserved. Copyright © The Ink 2015
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less* snakes especially during the day was getting annoying. Another thing that has been pressing on my mind is the whole speech about Ashesi’s Three S’s that is given to freshmen. They tell you that, “Sleep, Study and Socialize. You can never do all three. Pick two.” Well, in my infinite wisdom, I say; scratch that. There is only one S that matters: “Start Your Work Early”. Do this, and those other three S’s will fall in place. On that note, I would like to welcome all freshmen and present to you, the 10th edition of the Ink.
Mawuli Adjei, Editor-In-Chief
CONTENT PROMO Bodam Inale Roverman Prod.
FEATURE Christine Buckle History of Berekuso
SPOTLIGHT Darlington Gloria Kwei Yawa Hanson Quao
STORY A Big Foreheaded Girl Power in the Bribe
CAMPUS Welcome Class of 2019 Patatte: Cave Art #AshesiEngineering
SPORTS Akua Adoma Charity Games In Our Own Small Corners
POEM One Shot For My Pain EMBOLDEN
PIECE Be Intentional Do We Have Enough Time? Take A Leap Christianized to be Un-Christian
FOOD Fajita Wraps
RANT Ahomka’s Ginger Page 03
PROMO
https://soundcloud.com/ananse-hama/bodam
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FEATURE
The Ink Congratulates Christine Buckle
1st Runner Up MTN Hit Maker Page 05
SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT
D
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DARLINGTON by Ahomka Mills-Robertson
The world we live in is shaped by ideas. The greatest manifestations of our world were created by people who had new ideas. The latest in that production is Desmond Darlington. Equal parts philosopher, businessman, academic – all these can be collected into one occupation – Searcher. So here The Ink would like to introduce you to a man who is indeed a searcher. We present to you Desmond Darlington
the
searcher
–
punched,
kicked, knocked down but never EVER OUT.
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Who is Desmond Darlington? It sounds like an interview question (laughs). I am just a cool guy who talks a lot, tries to understand everything, is curious about everything and just wants to make his life better. You mentioned your curiosity, where do you think it stems from? I think it’s out of the people I follow and the biographies and books I’ve read. I just like probing things. Why are things the way they are? Like why is this person succeeding or what makes this thing better than the other? Basically, success principles are the same so I am just trying to learn from anywhere. So you talk about understanding things. Once you feel you have understood the principles of success, is there something you want to take that knowledge and build something with? That is even the motivation behind my curiosity. I want to be inspired and motivated, as well as, to have the know-how to build what I want to build. Of course, I am ambitious. I want to build something. Where do you think your passion for business came from? I think it started in senior high school. The books that really inspired me to start all these things was Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. and How I wrote that at age 26. There is no way you can make all the millions you want to make or be financially free if you don’t learn how to build your own business or invest your money wisely and these books teach teach you that. Is there something in you that makes you not want to live just a satisfactory life? I hate mediocrity. You only have a limited time on earth. I don’t see the reason why you should live that life unheard of. Only a few people will make the news. Try and be part of those few. Live an abnormal life, not as in insanity but try and do something out of this world. Anything aside that is boring. At the end of your life, what legacy would you want to leave? The guy who inspired nations to create wealth, employed 5 million and revolutionized industries. The guy who changed families’ attitude about relationship building, who knows something about everything and a guy who is so successful down to earth that everyone can approach him. Are there any activities that you are involved in which you believe would put you in a good space to achieve your legacy? I have a tech start-up with my friend Salifu which I am currently managing as the CEO. We Page 08
SPOTLIGHT have some web developers outside with whom we are working with. Aside that, I just started a new venture in its piloting stage. To a touchy subject. Your absence from school last two semester, do you want to shed any light on that incident? Eerm should we talk about it? (Giggles). It was an incident that happened between Bank of America and I. Ok so how do we talk about this (giggles). It’s too emotional and sensitive. I wouldn’t want to talk about it now. That is completely fine. Are there any lessons you took from it? Coincidently, around that time I read a book and its author made mention of the fact that you shouldn’t spend your life building everything around ‘you’. Take time to enjoy the little things like the air you breathe because everything you have worked for could come crashing down in a minute. I think that perfectly summarizes what happened. I do not want to quantify it but the incident affected a lot of things. It affected my exchange program to Macalester, my summer offer to Goldman Sachs in 2015, my summer offer to Bank of America, I wasn’t in school for a semester and there was an embargo on me from May 2014 to September 2015 not to apply for any international exchange. What words does Desmond Darlington want to leave the people of Ashesi with, that is, a couple of words of wisdom 1.
Your time is very short in the school, don’t just pass
through
the
experiences,
school start
like
any
something,
other fail.
I
student, mean
that
get is
Entrepreneurship 101. Run for political position and fail. That is Political Science 101. Get involved in an argument and trail your argument. That is Law 101. I mean do something. We are all being trained the same way, so what will set you apart is the extracurricular activities that you engage in. 2. Get to know people. There are a lot of people around with influential backgrounds. Don’t end up getting too comfortable with your group of friends. You never know who lies in wait and the opportunities that they will bring.
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STORY
I
f there is anyone who understands that
didn’t work. It was still there, big as always, smiling
we do not decide what we look like the
evilly at me. I was depressed and there was no
most, I think that person will be me. I
cure for me.
grew up a happy child. A really happy one. I was
When the transition to getting over my big
bubbly and asked questions about everything. I
forehead occurred, I don’t know. But one thing I’d
was that second born who was so hyperactive
love that you know about me is that my forehead
that I was shushed several times and asked to be
is my favourite asset and I’m not kidding! I love to
as sweet as the first born; but hey I couldn’t be
hold my braids up in a ponytail so you can tell that
bothered by anything. But that ended
my forehead is bigger than yours. I appreciate
when I started upper primary school. I guess
fringes more now because I need just a layer of
people had started becoming more self-con-
hair to get it perfect when you’d probably need
scious and boys had begun being boys.
about five layers to get it as beautiful (yup, it’s
I stared in the mirror more times now
that big). What changed about me? I
and at one particular thing; my When did it get that big without my noticing? Why much? I was so bothered sister’s class just kept disturbing my life (my mates dared not even
the
little demons. They were constantly in my face and I could think of nothing else but
among a crowd. It was what
I was disturbed and that was just it.
my teachers described me as and what a crush loved about me. It was what identified
me
as
my
father’s replica and how I am
found
when
being
looked for in Ashesi.
by: Kezia Fosu Whyte
why I had to be father’s daughter.
my
me and helped me stand out
Girl
ber them as was horrible
about
ears. That was what spoke for
Foreheaded
try!). All I could remem-
comments
forehead were melody in my
Big
did it even matter so because the boys in my
learnt to love myself. And when I did,
A
big forehead. Was it that big?
I
realised
then
that
nothing
matters but what you think of and accept about yourself. I had wasted
Slowly, I built a wall of defence around myself so
precious tears on complaining about a beauty part
that I could hold my tears till I got to home or to
when that could have been expressions of my love
a washroom. I was even madder at my mother
for God in pure worship. I had wasted my energies
because she said my forehead was what made
on hating little boys who hadn’t identified who
me pretty (as though I hadn’t seen prettier girls
they were yet, when I could have invested them in
with negligible foreheads).
discovering what other treasures I was blind to. I
My most memorable time of this period was in
had spent precious time asking for a disaster when
my second year in junior high when I had begun
I could have prayed for the stability of the
to take God a little more seriously. I knelt by my
Ghana Cedi ten years from then. But no more. I am
bed and with sincere tears one night and made a
different. I am unique. I am a beautiful big-fore-
pledge to God. If he would flatten my forehead
headed girl and that is what matters most.
by the time I awoke in the day, I would serve him for the rest of my life. I woke up and my faith
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PROMO
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SPOTLIGHT
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GLORIA KWEI by Susan Abraham
If you ever had to mention one member of staff who had everyone’s happiness in her fingertips, it would be her. Not only is she the incredible woman who bears the responsibility of making sure our precious internet connectivity and all the other IT services are on point, she has an amazing personality as well. Join us as we get to know what lies behind the serious face and deft swagger of Gloria Kwei.
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SPOTLIGHT Could you please tell us who Gloria is outside her work persona, who is she outside of Ashesi? Ok, I’m an only child, a lot of people don’t know that, I’m probably what you would call “Chri-fe “. I like the… strangest things, I think. I’d like to fish, but it’s something that I haven’t done yet. I think mountain-climbing is exciting, I’m looking forward to that, I haven’t done it yet, and bird-watching, that, I do. Bird-watching, in Ghana? Yeah, where I live is probably a part of it, I have all these birds coming. I love birds. What do like to do besides work? Aaah, sleeping. Sleeping and eating. And watch movies too. How many years have you worked for Ashesi and what inspired you? It’s been five years. I needed a job and I wanted to do IT and since I did MIS in Ashesi, I wanted to tow the same line. How was it transitioning from being a student to being a member of the Ashesi staff? Initially, it was a bit difficult because I came back and met students who knew me when I was a student and there as usual, there was a bit of resistance. Plus, I was trying to get a hold of things, but now it’s okay. What is it about IT that excites you? Hmm, so this is the thing, it’s hard to tell, but I like when I get results and I like the fact that I think about the flow of things, how I can join things and have it working. That’s exciting. What keeps you committed to the work? My salary *laughs heartily*. Apart from that, I like the vision and the fact that you feel that you’re a part of something. You people when they came in and when they finish, and they change.
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SPOTLIGHT What’s the hardest part of the job? Dealing with people. Sometimes you’re trying, but they don’t see. And I get it, I mean once it’s not working, it’s not working, but sometimes, the way they approach it is not the best. Where do you see yourself in five years? Five years? Married with plenty children. Apart from that, I love film. I hope that soon I will shift from what I’m doing, to writing and producing. That’s a far cry from IT. That’s my other passion. How would you respond to the students who joke that you take the internet home when there are connectivity issues during weekends *Laughs* That is funny. I guess the internet misses me when I go home and it acts up. Finally, tell us something about you that the Ashesi community does not know but you would like them to. I don’t think there’s anything. Anything else you’d like to say? Hmm, maybe that it’s great to be young and I see a lot of people rush through things. Slow down and enjoy life. Make friends. If you’re choosy, you miss out on a lot.
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CAMPUS
WELCOME CLASS OF 2019
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CAMPUS
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SPORTS
The Akua Adoma Memorial Foundation’s 2015 Akua Adoma Charity Games was organised in a bid to raise funds and create awareness for the Neurosurgical Department of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Teams competed in soccer and basketball competitions, helping to raise GHc2193 for the operations of the Neurological Department
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CAMPUS
BLOOM There’s never a dull moment up on this hill, and at the center of the busyness and buzz, are the queen bees; hardworking and creative women who are making great impact on campus, and beyond. To recognize and appreciate all of Ashesi’s entrepreneurial ladies, Women of Change presents to you BLOOM. We’ll introduce you to the ones who have dared to strap on a pair…of stilettos, and turned dreams into real business and social impact solutions. In our first edition, Bloom features two absolutely outstanding young ladies who are making great strides in their individual fields of endeavor. Enjoy the read and be inspired!
Dzidzor Ama Acolatse
She is the founder and managing director at Radiance Models. Yup! You read right, founder and managing director. She describes herself as an “unconventional and industrious entrepreneur passionate about helping people discover their talents.” As a child Miss Acolatse had a hard time figuring out what she was good at, unlike her siblings who clearly had it all figured out. After experimenting with a number of interests and recording all her experiences, she finally discovered that her strengths were in the fields of marketing and entrepreneurship of which she learns new things every day. With this knowledge and her desire to mine and refine talents in people, she set out to set up Radiance. Radiance Models is ultimately a full service talent development hub currently running two divisions: model management & model casting. The model management division involves discovering, developing and managing talent through training, brand building and marketing, whilst the model casting division finds talent for clients in the modelling, fashion and advertising fields. It’s been a tough but extremely fulfilling one year and nine months for Radiance Models, and she’s still going strong. In spite of the challenge of combining school and entrepreneurship, Dzidzor enjoys her work intensely because of the opportunity it gives her to help her models discover talents that they did not even know they possessed. Her greatest inspiration is her father, Mr. Noah Acolatse who has helped ground her faith in the Word of God. Her advice to Page 22
young women dreaming about starting businesses is this, “…find out who you are - know your gifts and talents, go into business for the right reasons, spell out your values and stick to them, and finally stay focused.” To learn more about Radiance Models, visit www.radiancemodels.com, and don’t forget to like their Facebook page, Radiance Models
Benedicta Emefa Goka
Every child is an artist they say. The challenge is staying artists as we grow. Benedicta Emefa Gokah is one of the rare few who have been able to hold on to their sense of art and develop it into something quite grand. From scribbling on walls with crayons as a little girl, to giant murals and exquisite decorative pieces, Benedicta’s artistic journey has been one of consistent improvement and daring experimentation which have helped to sharpen her craft and shape her into the astounding artist that she is today. An ambitious, hardworking and intellectually curious young lady, Benedicta not only relishes in her paint and canvas, but has also shown a great aptitude for leadership as the eldest of three children and Head Prefect of Ghana International School during her senior year there. Professionally, Miss Gokah works under the pseudonym Benokes, with the vision to use color to influence positively. Benokes has been able to achieve this vision so far through large murals, portraits, costumes and creative décor pieces, and has so much more in the works for the future. Of the many breath taking pieces that Benedicta has created, her personal favorite is an 8ft mural that currently hangs on the wall of her high school. In her own words, “…it continues to be my personal favorite because the sheer size alone at that time meant that if I could paint anything that huge, I could paint anything after.” Benedicta draws her inspiration from her aunt Nilla Selormey from whom she’s learnt how to effectively balance her work and social life, and from artist Nicholas Kowalski who shares her passion for bright color and neat shapes in his work. The future is definitely art for Miss Gokah, and it is her ultimate dream to nurture and grow Benokes into a sustainable business whilst maintaining the vision of using color to positively influence as many people as she can possibly reach. To get a feel of her art work, just stroll over to the lounge where one of her murals hangs up on the wall adding life and color to that space, and is guaranteed to brighten up your day Page 23
ASC
Preparing for Ubora 2015: Excellence For Less Does hearing UBORA make you cringe? Do you honestly believe that it just isn’t for you? Do these two reasons below sound familiar? a. I have nothing to wear b. I'm going to get it completely wrong and feel isolated. If that’s you then thank us later. We are here to give you 5 quick tips to set you at ease and set the ball rolling for you to have an awesome, awkwardness - free UBORA.
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1. Don’t dump the presentation attire: Make use of that dress you wore for that Leadership presentation! You don’t have to go shopping for a brand new outfit. The good news is that our presentation outfits qualify as UBORA attire. 2. A-Touch-of-African-Attire: Ashesi on a Friday is a goldmine for ideas for UBORA attire. Guys, don’t forget about the kaftan and print shirts you wear for lectures on Friday. Ladies, those print dresses are too cute to be thrown away. WEAR THEM TO UBORA! 3. Ladies, DIY All the way! Do your hair yourself: YouTube videos and Pinterest come in handy; Facebook too! Watch, view, read and learn new
ways of styling your hair and you’ll be amazed how you could even do it better than that expensive salon. 4. Berekuso hairdressers and barbers are awesome! No, this is definitely not a joke. If you think that DIY is not your forte, try the Berekuso hairdressers/barbers for a nice hairdo/haircut. We’re speaking from experience here. They slay! 5. Guys, you don’t need a tux: Pull out a long-sleeve shirt from your locker. Choose white, blue, gray and other neutral colors. If you want to exhibit style, pimp up the color. A subdued pink shirt wouldn’t kill.
Remember: Comfort over Cost! Always remember that what’s key is that you feel comfortable. You could wear the most expensive attire of the event and loathe the occasion because you are not comfortable in what you’re wearing. We don’t want you to spend the whole night pulling at your clothes or sitting still so that you don’t rip anything. Be comfortable so that you can jam with us! You can trust that we’ll be comfortable too. Now that the headache of what to wear is out of the way let’s all look forward to UBORA! Awards, music, food, and style all in one night. You shouldn’t miss this! Make sure to take a few shots to capture the moment; be sure to take one with us though :)
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PIECE
Unsolicited Advice from a recent freshman to freshmen by Kwabena Adu Darko
When you go into a new environment you are expected to adjust to all the difference between it and where you are coming from. Understatedly, this is no different with regards to the freshman experience at Ashesi which is very challenging. It is true that experience is the best teacher but it is also true that, sometimes it is wise to rather learn from other people’s experiences. Below are three tips that will help you complete a successful freshman year in Ashesi. Be involved: You are an integral part of the Ashesi community. Even if you are introverted, it is not a good enough excuse to exclude yourself from extra-curricular activities. Look out for interesting clubs and join at least one of them. If there is no such club, you shouldn’t hesitate to start one yourself. Your emails will be flooded with info about visiting guest speakers, conferences being held outside of campus and other interesting volunteering opportunities. You will be tempted to ignore them but endeavour to attend a couple, if not all. You have to check your emails regularly so you don’t miss out. It is easy to be consumed with academic obligations but don’t forget about your interests. Let nothing subdue your writing, music, fashion or poetry interests. If you are a writer you should consider writing for The Ink. As a spoken word artist or singer, you should consider performing during Ashesi events and develop your talents. Don’t lose out for assignments sake. Work hard play hard: Let me be frank, the work can be overwhelming. But you wouldn’t want to start poorly academically and struggle in the latter years of your college life. Free yourself from the stress of having to catch up with courses. This will require that you do your assignments meticulously, visit the math lab and writing centre. You might consider learning in groups and visiting lecturers during office hours when the need arises. Regarding group works and assignments, please don’t act presumptuously. Maybe you were smartest kid back in high school. Or you think you still are the smartest kid around. Fair enough, it's good to have a high self esteem but trust me, it’s not enough. You can be even more. Your mates are arguably amongst the brightest in Africa. You can capitalise on this privilege and learn from their diverse intellectual reasoning through group works and by engaging in scholarly discourse. Don’t get mad if a writing tutor ‘messes up’ up your painstakingly written final paper. There is a story of a freshman who thought of himself as a master proof-reader in his high school. He got his paper heavily scrutinised by a writing tutor and never stepped there again. Understand that even if you think you are the best, you are not quite there yet. It's only your first year in college after all. Though you will hear it so many times, managing your time well is not a piece of cake. Therefore, you should not feel guilty if you find yourself staying till late to finish up an assignment as a result of procrastination. It is part of the college experience. Working under pressure is a skill on its own. Academic work can weigh you down; hence you need to ‘play hard’ as well. Playing hard does not necessarily have to be partying or clubbing. Simply taking repose and admiring the freshness of the environmentally friendly and bloomy Ashesi gardens release feel-good hormones in your brain. I sometimes enjoy a healthy conversation with one of the opposite sex. It is stress-relieving, you can try that too. Follow the rules and break the ‘traditions’: if you were habitually late for class in high school, this is the time to break free from that virus. You should familiarise yourself with everything in the student Handbook’. (Dean K will love you for that.) Yes, don’t wait until you are in a critical situation (I mean AJC case). Experiencing this personally is totally different from being informed theoretically. I am not amusedly trying to be poetic about this but I wish I had a prior overview of what it is like to be an Ashesi freshman. This is food for thought for all freshmen. It is unsolicited advice :).
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STORY
the power in the bribe by Rodney Assan
After about six seconds and three rings, I finally picked up my phone. “Hello”, the masculine voice on the other end of the line boomed. “Who’s this, please?” I calmly answered, after a short sigh. “Mr Otu”, he replied arrogantly. I shook my head and thought, “things we do for money”. “It should be on in a few minutes, sah”, I blurted. My next responses came in a series of four more “Yes, sah’s”. I began to walk down the stairs, scowling at the elevators, which had broken down and were in dire need of repairs and mentally cursing all those responsible for the state in which this building was. Mr Otu was the Managing Director of a reputable company somewhere between Abossey-Okai and Kaneshie. I met him one afternoon when he pulled over close to the sidewalk and approached me to help him to find brake fluid for his car. The dialogue between us picked up quickly especially when he found out we were from the same town in the Greater Accra Region. We spoke at length, from the brand of the brake fluid to the efficiency of his car to the current economic situation and to the on-going power crisis. That’s where everything began. Mr Otu, fortunately for him and later, unfortunately for me, got to know that I worked with ECG. I remember the evil gleam in his eyes split seconds after I uttered those words. In his most authoritative voice and in a few minutes he had described his neighbourhood and given me a direct order. For a fee of GHc400 every other week, I was tasked with providing his neighbourhood with electricity whenever there was a power outage at 6 o‘clock in the evening. As fate would have it, my contract restricted me to evening shifts. More money, less time for midweek church activities, escalation of guilt. I felt bad today. Not that I never felt bad. Today I felt worse. I walked hesitantly towards the switchboard. I took a deep breath as I flicked the ‘East Legon: Okponglo’ switch on. This time, at the expense of East Legon: Adjiringanor
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PROMO
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POEM
O N E S H OT FO R M Y PA I N
by Jeremy van Ligs
Bruno’s words hit me hard Like an arrow aiming for the bull’s eye One shot for my pain; Do you feel it now No I don’t think you do Cos if you did you’d be crying with me on this one But don’t worry it’s cool Like wool on a sheep’s body I’ll carry my burdens my self So bartender what’s it gonna be I’ll take that shot for my pain
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PIECE
In our own small corners we find ways to play
by Gilbert Tackie
At night, I assume you sometimes hear the thudding sounds in your rooms on campus. If you do then you probably are a part of the see and tell population. For those who contribute to this sound, they relish the cold nights where the sweat from their bodies brings them warmth. When the palpitation come yet they gasp for breathe because they want to keep going. For either class of people the excitement is all that matters. Definitely, the workload does not stop us from our few hours of fun. As eager as we seem most times, we always ensure we play safe. No matter the circle you place yourself in this University, we all appreciate our sports in our own way. Exactly one year since I started my tertiary life here at Ashesi. Must say my time has been nothing like the dreamville I expected but it’s been quite fun studying here. I have learnt a whole lot (literally speaking) also met some interesting folk. Yet the one thing that marveled me in my early days at Ashesi was to see how grand everything was portrayed. For the sporting parts, I was particularly impressed when I heard of all these transfer windows, Ashesi Premiere League (APL) and the spring up of a basketball league). So it was some sort of a letdown when I took my first trip to an APL game. I wondered, were “Ashesians” not so enthused about sports as I had imagined. For the most part the answer is actually yes. However some understanding came after the first few weeks, waking up on a Saturday morning to go watch a game down the hill felt more like a burden than exciting. Then again turn up for basketball games against other schools were actually good. So it’s not like there is a general genuine hatred of sports but sometimes it was an issue of convenience. Additionally it did not take me long to notice that for some physical activity was not their thing, a game of FIFA or NBA by 2k is enough sport to them (Edward Musey). Oh yeah, how the lounge gets packed up for all the football games and there was wake to Mayweather fight Pacquiao. Not forgetting the diehard analyst and fans who lack any physical know how to play any sport. Not being discriminatory in the least but it we tend to see that most international students do love volleyball. Do not forget those of us who play the occasional game of “small poles”. The introduction of a table tennis table saw new additions to the sporting spectra. All these different avenues have given students the opportunity to express their sporting side. Even those who do not see themselves being a part of any of such activity do tend to be steady spectators and enjoy some proceedings. Honestly, I don’t know what it is that gets you going in this jungle of work and pressure. For me it’s definitely the small sport circle in our Ashesi Community. So I solemnly entreat that whenever you hear the blast of music from the basketball courts, or that thudding sound of a bouncing ball. When to the boy arguing over a goal or see a group in jersey trooping down the hill. Consider joining in but nonetheless if you cannot get in the mix then remember to find some way to play the game in your own small corner. Page 30
POEM
EMBOLDEN -ENIGMA
I desire to exceed my hopes, expectations and
To renew my strength and replenish my dying
my dreams
spirit
Of what in this world I can be, am I everything
To remember my mission and to receive more
that I hoped to be??
grace to fulfil it
No, no no this is not enough so my soul tells me:
I am still troubled, my strength dwindles with
"Toughen up
every emasculating step I take
Embrace the pain, acknowledge the shame but
Leaving nothing but blood, broken bones,
do yourself a favour,
doubts and fears, broken dreams and
Do not let it hold you back for you are not a
sorrow in my wake
failure
I will still follow the will of my father, knowing
Many words of inspiration have been drilled into
that he will grant my heart's desire
your brain
To build and rule a humble empire, and to wed
But moral lessons from them you can choose to
the girl who sets my heart on fire
gain
I still retain an indefatigable hope for my
So roll with the punches, but don't beat yourself
future, I know I will excel
up
Though I will toil and labour I assure my soul, it
Like I've said before man, toughen up
shall be well
For you're better than this, you're greater than
I am a royal citizen in His kingdom, with all my
this, your purpose will soon be
heart I do believe it
revealed
So when he sends down His abundant grace
So stop limping like a cripple and start walking
and mercy with both hands I will eagerly
like you've been healed."
receive it
I've walked most of my life in condemning darkness, couldn't see the signs hidden
No more weeping over my failures, time to
in plain sight
press onward with joy and with love
But He was with me the whole time whispering:"
Until the time my father calls me back to His
Fret not my son, everything will be alright"
home in the heavens above
I've often felt insignificant and helpless, like a
Don't give up just yet, free thy mind and
molecule in a soccer field
express your soul
But He promised me great purpose, so long as to
And wait upon the Lord for the glory that you
his will and love, my soul I yield
will soon behold
It was not easy, but I carried the bruises with me
It will be over soon so before the time comes
hoping to get to the top
Be emboldened to thank Him for everything in
I screamed, I bled, I cried, begging Him for a
your life that He has done.
pit-stop Page 31
CAMPUS
INNOVATIVE. REVOLUTIONARY. INAUGURATED. #AshesiEngineering
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SPOTLIGHT
yawa hanson quao
by Agyeman Prempeh
T
he day I saw the purpose in her stride, I began to understand why this unique woman’s visions kept thriving. However, I later found out she was one of our kind, borne of Ashesi, pure talent and purposefulness. Yawa Hansen Quao was part of the graduating class of 2007. And her core values reflect not only Ashesi but her experience and unique personality being a woman living in twenty-first century Africa. Since she graduated, Yawa has chalked many successes but most notable is the legacy she is building through the Leading Ladies' Network. She says ‘I am dedicated to strengthening the capacity of women and girls and filling the leadership pipeline with socially
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SPOTLIGHT conscious African women leaders’. She believes that her cause would transform many African women and girls into compassionate change makers who improve life for those surrounding them as well as themselves. Her venture shows a sense of leadership coupled with responsibility as well as citizenship, core values we are imbibed with here at Ashesi. Sharing with the Ink, she said, ‘As a little girl, I used to be teased at school because, according to my classmates, I had a very deep voice. The teasing was merciless and went on for weeks on end, to the point where I lost all confidence in myself. As a result, I would not dare raise my hand in class to answer a question in class, for fear of being ridiculed; and on the rare occasions where I did speak, my voice was hardly above a whisper. Eventually, I began to keep mute at home too. When that happened, it did not take long for my parents to notice my change in behaviour. One day, my father confronted me to ask why I had become so quiet. After a little prodding, I tearfully admitted what had been going on at school. He consoled me and then told me something that has stuck with me ever since. Among other things, He said; “Do not ever let people steal your voice; your voice is your power.” I believe that is what started my lifelong affair with the idea of finding my own voice and helping other women to do the same. Through Leading Ladies' Network I want the voices of African women represented at every leadership table. I believe that women of Africa are at a unique crossroad. For too long, the stories told about us have been stories of death, disease, and vulnerability. Yet, there is so much potential in us. There are big ideas planted in the hearts of women and girls across this continent and the world is waiting for this greatness to manifest. Achieving this will undoubtedly be an uphill task. While women across the world continue to wrestle with many, often conflicting, stereotypes, African women must further grapple with the effects of cultural practices and tradition which largely determine the path that their lives take. As a result of these mixed messages, many African women find it hard to accept that leadership is a gift that they too, can possess. It is no wonder that we are sorely underrepresented in positions of leadership across our continent. Many of us underestimate ourselves so badly that we seldom take the initiative or put ourselves forward for new opportunities. I want my daughter to grow up in a world where she sees leaders that look like her—EVERYWHERE.’ Well you have heard it all, ‘Do not ever let people steal your voice; your voice is your power’. A lesson from Yawa and her father. The question now is who will you become?
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FEATURE
Berekuso History Project The land on which you trod has tasted wars, nurtured cotton and palm plantations,it has been the site of now abandoned shrines, and has hosted legendary characters from centuries past. Berekuso, surprisingly, is rich in history. For this first episode, we will talk about the Frederiksgave Plantation and Slave Museum. This site is administratively located in Sesemi, Ga East district - Greater Accra but used to be part of Berekuso centuries ago. The kingdom of Berekuso actually covered areas like Oyarifa, Abokobi, Kponkpo, Agbogba, Haatso, Legon Hill, Ayim, Agyangoti and Nkwantanang. In the nineteenth century, there were around ten Danish owned plantations, the majority of which were situated south of the Akwapim Ridge with a total area of approx. 1100 acres. The number of enslaved workers varied considerably but the average was about forty male and female slaves per plantation. A number of small slave houses existed on many plantations. The slaves worked four days a week on the plantation, planting or weeding crops. The rest of the time they worked on allocated plots of land where they grew their own crops. Some of these slave houses are scattered in and around present day Berekuso but in ruins. Frederiksgave, another private plantation and Danish residence was in ruins but was restored in 2007. Plantation production at Frederiksgave was on a limited scale, but after 1836 it increasingly became a health resort for ill Danish public servants from Christianborg. After selling the Danish properties to the British in 1850, the buildings decayed and the local people settle in the village of Djabing, situated around 500 yards down the road towards Abokobi. In 1831, the Danish governor, on behalf of the Danish government purchased the ‘deed’ for a newly established plantation in the Akwapim range north of Accra, ‘Bikuben’ (the Beehive). The purchase included the thirty-two enslaved workers that belonged to it. The plantation was renamed ‘Frederiksgave’ after the Danish king at the time, Frederik VI (‘gave’ is the Danish word for ‘gift’). Following later purchases of land it covered 163 acres. Apart from a main building, there was a small village with twelve houses where the slaves lived, later expanded to twenty houses. To improve the access to the coast, an avenue to Osu, flanked by tamarind trees imported from India, was constructed. There are surviving tamarind trees on the old Danish route which was constructed from the plantation to Osu. Some tamarind trees planted at that time still exists in the Legon Botanical Gardens, Haatso and Sesemi.
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The newly restored Frederiksgave Museum
Old Danish chairs used by the plantation administrators
Original desks used by the Danes
Locals also paid monies or with slaves to take a look at themselves in a mirror. A blend of original building material and newer ones. The limestone mortar used is very durable and can last for centuries.
Edward James Arnold Carstensen was the last Danish governor and he sold off the plantation to the British
The neem tree in the background was also an exotic tree which brought in by the British to create shade and also serve as medicine for malaria, a disease which killed many Europeans at the time
Watch out for our next episode on Explore Berekuso‌ For tours to these sites and enquiries, contact any member of the BHP team (Abraham Vanderpuye, Vanessa Amoako, Edwina Baddoo, Dan Gyinaye Poku, Morenike Ayodele, Jeanne Barbara Debre, John Viann Amoah)
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PIECE
BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT YOUR ACTIONS by Jennifer Saarkwah
**Me Before Experiencing Ashesi University College Daddy: Maame, the admission officers are in the office, go tell them that you are here. Maame: Daddy, hah! How can I go there to talk to the people in the office? Ei. I can’t. I am sure he knew what Maame was talking about. Even at home, where she was familiar with her environment, she never liked to go out to talk to other people. All in the name of being shy. Maame thought: This man thinks I am as ready as he is always to stand in front of people and talk. Hey! Even if I stand up, my feet will not allow me. Not to even mention my voice which would by then, be finding means to hide inside my stomach Daddy: But Maame, are you not the one coming for the interview? Am I going to talk for you during your interview? Maame: Yeah, I know you are not going to talk for me during the interview, but my issue right now is that I cannot go to the office to say anything. Daddy: Hmm, okay… **Me After My First Encounter With Ashesi University College. ASC Executives: Eunice, please find another person to dance Adowa with, during the welcoming ceremony for the freshmen. Eunice: Hmm, I cannot really think of anyone right now since Nadia would not be available to dance on Monday. Dorcas: Jennifer, please dance with Eunice for us during the opening ceremony. “I know you can do it”. Jennifer (Maame): You mean I should dance in front of the whole school? Hey… Okay, I will try my best. Rev.Buchele: Hey Jennifer, I never knew you could dance Adowa. You learnt it? Jennifer: I never learnt Adowa, but I just decided to try. The new Jennifer is always out there to try new things even when she knows nothing about a situation. She sets her expectations and then goes out there to try. To her, that is positive transformation. Jennifer believes that positive transformation is intentional. Never look down on yourself just because you do not know how to do something. It is a matter of going out of your comfort zone to try new things and seeing how the world evolves. If it works, you add up to your skills. If it does not, you have the opportunity to learn from your mistakes and perform better the next time. Positive transformation is intentional. I heard of a lot of interesting opportunities, both personal and professional in Ashesi before and after I got admission into the school, but it takes a prepared mind to experience the goodness of the institution. There is a saying that “once you know or realize your problem, then you are half way through to solving it”. Whenever I hear this saying, I seem to laugh at those who say them because I do not understand them. How can I be half way through to solving a problem just by identifying it without doing anything? I would not say much about that but, my conclusion on that saying is that it is indeed true. If you do not know your problem, then what are you planning to solve? You might have a big problem with a stereotyped name but specifying a problem gives you the assurance of finding the right solution to it. I am not a good writer, but guess what? I am intentional about it and I try my best to put down most of the things that come to mind. I am not a good singer, but I take some opportunities to work on that. I am not a good communicator but I am trying to look straight into the eyes of the people that I talk to because I know that with intentional practice, I am going to be a great public speaker someday. People have lots of skills that is can also pick up therefore, I am also intentional about learning all the good things that I am less skillful at. Sometimes, it is just about talking to others because people always have something to share with you. I am not in a race with anyone. I am in a race with myself because I want to transform myself to become a better person in life. That is my race and it is not at the pace of someone else’ development. I know myself better than anyone hence I am always intentional about the things that I do because it is in my hands to make that positive transformation.
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PIECE
DO WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME AT ASHESI? by Eugene Kudzai Janu
Oh YES we do. We have 5 to 8 hours to PLAY. Sounds unrealistic right? I know it’s unbelievable! But if you can give me some of your time, I can explain… You might have heard some one tell you this “There are three options at Ashesi; Study, Sleep, Socialize, you will have to choose two, so make a choice:” Well, I do not agree with this idea. There is something we can do. So I think there is no reason to choose two, let’s take all 3. Let’s put 2 and 2 together. There are 24 hours in a day and we want to do three things, If we want to be fair we would divide this time equally and well this is how we get an average 24 / 3 = 8. 8 hours for each activity; Sleeping, Studying, and Personal time. Wait, not so fast. This may be unrealistic so we need to make adjustments.What if sleeping requires 6 hours or less and study needs 10 hours? Hmm, GREAT, we can have two or more extra hours to add to personal time and or study time. Please take note of the following names: 1) Class time = lecture time 2) Study time = when you do assignments and other readings 3) Spare time = do not confuse this for study time, this is the reason why we do not realize our free time because we think of it as study time. By spare time I mean the time you have to do anything outside of class, this is time for extracurricular activities and socializing Time management is all we need because when you do not have a plan you try to be spontaneous. However, if life was spontaneous we would have been in the Stone Age. Studying is not how much time you spend on books it’s about how you use the books. Develop a strategy. NOT ALL FREE TIME IS STUDY TIME Ashesi students seems to have developed a mindset that they do not have enough time. We are not under pressure. Rather, we are in confusion. We have the time but we don’t manage it well. If we did we, would have seen the vast amount of time we have at our disposal out of class. What makes the difference is how we use it. The most important thing is to make a plan and follow it. Here is an example and not a solution. You make your own solution. Time table is based on two or three classes a day. 7.45: Day Begins 8.30-10.00: Class 13.00-15.00: Take A Nap 19.00-23.00: Study
8.00: Bath 10.00-11.00: Spare Time 15.10-16.40: Class 23.00-01.00: Free Time
11.00-13.00: Spare Time 17.00-19.00: Spare Time 01.00-07.45: Sleep
Someone can break his or her time as shown above but it all depends on how you want it. This can be adjusted to fit your situation but if it cannot it is still fine. Note that eating is included on free time. If you know very well that there are a lot of people at the cafeterias during certain periods for example during lunch at 1300 why not go at 1200? On the time table above one free time can be changed to class time and vice versa. Most often our time is stolen in broad day light. Open your eyes and make most of your time. Just give it a shot….. All work and no play makes you miss out? Never say do not you have enough time, better say you cannot manage your time well. Enjoy your spare time. STUDY, SOCIALISE and SLEEP. NB: We can never please everyone. Take it or leave it. “We can never have more than 24 hours, but we have enough” Page 39
PIECE
TAKE A LEAP
by Enyo Demenya
On her Twitter account, Enyo Demanya boldly declares that she believes
“Ben & Jerry’s Ice cream should rule the world and that anyone however big or small can pave the way towards change”.
With her statement, Enyo hopes to inspire more people to take that leap of faith and believe that their dreams and actions do have an immense power. With her proclamation, she invites the reader to take that step towards making a positive change in the world. Yet perhaps most prevalent of all she affirms, the universal truth; that there is no question when it comes to ice cream, which one rules supreme. Do such people even exist? She once whispered to a friend “You know those who would think that they might dislike Ben&Jerry’s? Shuddering slightly she murmured a rather fervent “Surely, Surely not!” Thus it was not such a great leap for Enyo, to think about creating a Ben&Jerry’s Appreciation Society during her last year of Sixth-form. The Society aimed to duplicate the Fair-trade ice cream’s ideals of positive change. She hoped that by discussing charities with her peers, and ways in which they could aid them, they too could make a positive change. This idea of pursuing positive change has been a constant goal of Enyo’s. Quite recently she came across a quote on the world renowned ‘Humans of New York’ Facebook page, which summed up the lessons her family, background and most especially her mother, had been nurturing within her, all her life. The quote by Mark Frey, a commenter on the Facebook H.O.N.Y page, indicated that “The ability to be kind under pressure is the real test of how grown up you are”. Having spent her childhood in between Ghana and the UK, Enyo had been exposed to lots of different ideologies, beliefs and types of kindness. Like two parents, Ghana and the UK taught her in different ways how humans exemplify kindness. However kindness under pressure, now, was somewhat radical. It linked well with the somewhat radical University Enyo had researched and admittedly mooned over for a while now. With its focus on ethical leaders and an honour code created by students; Ashesi University amplified the importance of liberal arts, of critical thinking and most crucial of all being simply human; being just, socially conscious and honourable. Valuable traits often overlooked in today’s world. So after finding a place so in-tuned with her own goals, Enyo was over the moon to find out her imaginings of this dream school were in fact a reality. When she arrived on campus for the Ashesi Bridge Program her first thoughts were cheesy but true. “Ashesi was home”. A place where when you stumbled or lost your way,
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a caring community would be there to help you back up. Within the campus people came from all over the world and yet there was a true sense of family. Even within classes the similarities and differences of each individual enhanced class discussions and ensured with each day that passed, we all gained a broader outlook on life. Malala Yousafzai, a female activist for the education of children; and role model of Enyo’s stated once that “One book, one pen , one child , and one teacher can change the world” and while here at Ashesi, Enyo realised that quote had never been truer. Already the influence of her lessons, teachers and peers had allowed her to think deeper and for longer periods about a vast variety of world topics. For the first time ever she stepped out into the unknown, music wise; transferring bedroom singing (in comb sessions) to actual public singing. She began her journey towards aiding the vulnerable in local communities by discussing ideas with fellow students. Yet best of all she gained a still evolving, ever-inspiring new family thanks to Ashesi. Thanks to Ashesi and the Ashesi Bridge Program, Enyo has been able to look back and describe her experiences, at the university so far as being “absolutely fantastic and truly essential”. Ashesi itself has been just the beginning Enyo has been looking for. In times to come, she looks forward to expanding her social awareness of different cultures, delving deeper into mentoring programs and empowering those that she encounters. Always, she aspires each day to be a better person than yesterday.
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EAT. COOK. SAVOUR.
.............................................................................
Fajita Wraps .............................................................................
by Naa Adukwei Quarcoopome
Who am I and why do I get a column in The Ink to talk about food? Well, I’m an overworked and stressed (sounds familiar doesn’t it) junior who just happens to love discovering new food and is always experimenting with something in the kitchen much to the delight and trepidation of my family. I’ve had my fair share of kitchen disasters. No really! I once forgot to turn the fire off under rice I was warming and ended up leaving it on for the whole day. Came home to meet a large, hard black lump sitting on the stove. Surprisingly nothing happened to the pan and my mother started using the story and pictures as a way to sell these pans. Simply put, I have this column because I love to cook for people and discover new places to eat even more. I sure that some of you got to taste my fajita wraps at the ASC barbecue. Sucks for you if you did not get any. Seeing as I’m all about sharing here’s the recipe for my fairly spicy mixed fajita wraps in 12 easy-to-follow steps. Page 42
You’re going to need: u ¼ kilo shredded beef u ¼ kilo chicken fajita (marinated) or plain chicken strips u 4 pita bread u 1 bell pepper u 4 jalapeno peppers (chopped) u 1 teaspoon black pepper u 1 teaspoon garlic (crushed garlic works best) u 1 teaspoon ground ginger u 2 teaspoons complete seasoning (optional) u A pinch of salt (really, just a pinch) u 5 tablespoons Old El Paso original fajita cooking sauce [mild] * u 1 tablespoon cooking oil ** u Ketchup (optional) u Mayonnaise (optional) u Grated cheddar cheese (optional) u 2 tablespoons canned sweetcorn (optional) (Makes 4 wraps or more, depending on how full you make them) * You can substitute this with Uncle Ben’s Sweet & Sour sauce, which is what I did for the barbecue. ** You could also use olive oil instead of regular cooking oil.
FOOD
What to do: 1. Starting with your shredded beef, place in a wok or large frying pan; add ½ a teaspoon each of black pepper, garlic and ginger, 1 tablespoon complete seasoning, ¼ of your chopped jalapeno peppers and salt. 2. Add about half a cup of water, cover, and place over medium heat and leave to steam. 3. Whilst your meat cooks, wash and slice your bell pepper into strips and set aside. 4. You will want to keep checking on your beef and stirring when necessary so that everything cooks evenly. Leave your beef cooking until it feels tender when you pinch it between your fingers. Making sure you still have some liquid (not too much though) in your pan (add more whilst the beef is cooking if necessary), add one half of your sliced bell peppers and another ¼ of your chopped jalapenos. 5. Leave on for about 5 minutes and transfer to a heat safe bowl. 6. Combine your chicken strips, with the rest of your black pepper, garlic, ginger, complete seasoning and another ¼ of your jalapeno peppers. 7. Same as the shredded beef add a half cup of water, cover and leave to steam. 8. Chicken tends to cook faster than beef so this should not take more than 15 minutes. Repeat step 4. 9. At this point, you are going to add your beef to the chicken pour in your sweetcorn and oil and stir-fry for about 5-8 minutes. I find that the oil heats up quickly so this step should not take too long. Add the rest of your jalapenos (because really, what is Mexican food if not spicy) 10. Stir in Old El Paso fajita sauce and stir every 45 seconds or so for 5 minutes. Take off the fire and allow to cool. 11. Warm bread in an oven for about 5 minutes. 12. Here comes the fun part! Laying your pita bread flat lightly spread some mayonnaise and ketchup over the entire thing. Sprinkle some grated cheese over the surface and cover about 1/3 of the bread with meat. Starting from the side the meat’s on, begin to roll the bread tucking in any bits that might fall out whilst you roll. When you are done rolling you should have a shawarma look-alike. Cutting each wrap into half makes them easier to eat so you might want to do that. Now, go forth and wow your friends or family with your newfound Mexican treat! However, if you do fail, please make sure you hang your apron up for good and never subject the innocent people you care about to your terrible cooking again.
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PIECE
CHRISTIANIZED TO BE UN-CHRISTIAN This Sunday, I might not go to church. On a normal day, I would feel guilty about something as simple as not having quiet time and hate myself for even considering not going to church. Today however, is different. I have absolutely no remorse towards God but simply love for him or her. I neither despise any religious movement nor think that any of their beliefs are in vain. However, I have been Christianized to be un-Christian. Just a month ago, I attended a resident hall meeting in which one of my fellow residents was complaining about the noise levels in the hostels. He recounted an incident where a non-resident of another hall was wailing and chanting an imminent repentance sermon at 5am in the morning. Forget the 5am strange wakeup call and the fact that this person left his hostel to go to my friend’s hostel. Rather, imagine all of us wailing about our god in the midst of lectures and what chaos that would bring. Of course, this individual did it in the hostels at 5am, whilst most people were obviously asleep. But does that make it more tolerable? A comment made by one of the meeting attendees on the issue was quite memorable to me: “sometimes people make us hate God for the wrong reasons.” Though this sounds atheistic in a way, it was actually spoken by a full-fledged Christian. Pardon any sense of judgement on my part, for I hold none. It however got me thinking of all the times my heart would be (so) not in the spirit for church and my friend would convince me that this was un-Christian or - worse yet - the devil’s work. Or that time I failed to speak in tongues when someone was praying for me to do so. In the end, I mumbled some meaningless gibberish. Another time, a Christian congregant kept banging on my locked door despite my having informed him that I wouldn’t be going to church. Other times, I go and look so unpossessed by the spirit as my fellow congregants Page 44
by Sabelo Dube
jump up and down, and bang walls in prayer while I (sigh) lean on the wall, balancing myself from exhaustion due to the length of the meeting. These are just some of the instances when I have been made to feel less faithful, less spiritual and less Christian; failing the requirements of being Christian according to my peers; forcing myself to fake it till they are convinced I am Christian enough. These are some of my feelings as a Christian at Ashesi. Sadly, I’m not alone. There are others like me who thought they were Christians until they were proven otherwise; not because they lacked inner spirituality but because they wouldn’t practise certain religious observances expected of them. Some weren’t loud enough in prayer, some couldn’t dedicate every day of the week to some Christian meeting, and others – well – they just left the movement (at least at Ashesi). This is what it has become: too much to keep up with. Slowly, we have moved from inner spirituality to being concerned with observances. I use ‘we’ because I still consider myself a Christian but Ashesi-wise, I’m so done. In trying to Christianize people the way they think it should be, the movement has instead un-Christianised them. It has provided an illusion of being the moral compass here at Ashesi, but it lacks reason. Increasingly, it has become so politicized, hypocritical and judgmental, to the extent of forgetting that there are atheists, Muslim brothers and sisters, Buddhists, agnostics, traditionalists, hill worshippers, non-worshippers and so on. This Sunday (and henceforth), I choose to be rationally Christian. I choose to be doubtful and questioning. I choose to equally embrace modernity, reason and faith. And I will no longer look at these things as being mutually exclusive with faith.
RANT Guess who is back again? With more versions than Kyeiwaa. The almighty bush-at-night walker, the consummate Accra Trotro taker, the always reliable Kofi Brokemam buyer, the indispensable gossip monger, the fake deeps imparter – the one and only Ahomka’s Ginger. We will start this edition as we always do – with the disclaimer: For whom it may concern (and since you are reading this, it concerns you), if you do not want to read as I use The Ink as a platform to flow the garbage that has collected in my head since the last edition, then please, for the love of Jesus/Krishna/Allah/Buddha/Kweku Bonsam/T.B Joshua (you’d be surprised how many people worship him)/ Zeus/Olorun/ Olodumare/ Olofi/ Tupac Shakur/ Biggie Smalls/ Ananse/ Kanye West/ The Dalai Lama/ our very own, John Mahama, turn the page!!!!!! I believe that is warning enough, so onwards all ye brave souls. MAMA !!!! I’ve Joined The Trap Side. I am a convert. That might seem like an isolated statement but allow me to start from the beginning. To all those who know me, none can imagine me without a pair of white earphones wedged in my ears. I am music-phile. I know many claim this label, but I love music. From Indie, to rap, to Soul, to bluegrass, to jazz, to afrobeats, and fusions of all these genres – I love them all. I believe that music tells the story of our time. The things that are important to this generation are encapsulated in the music that is being released today. The way I see it, 90 years from now, if an individual wanted to understand the issues and way of life of the people of 2015, they would simply buy a device full of music from 2015 – our time. In years past, there were individuals who were simply storytellers and they’d travel and tell stories of their lands in order to keep the ideas and the history of these lands from dying out. Contemporary music, ignorant or not, tells the story of our time. Musicians perform this same function as those storytellers pf yester year. You might not know it but all musicians from Jay-Z to Funny Face are telling your story – from “Roc Boys” to “Cow and Chicken”, from “Watch out for this” to “Telemo”. Abrasive, loud, ignorant and just plain disruptive – it was fair to say “Trap Music” and I didn’t get along. The slew of TRAP artists that were coming out also did nothing to encourage me – with notable contributors like Bobby Shmurda, whose greatest offering was a dance called the Schmoney dance – I am in fact convinced that Bobby Shmurda is just Soulja Boy in a terrible disguise. Well done Soulja, you managed to fool the world. Contributions from his peers still also a lot to be desired – bar Rae Sremmurd. TRAP was lost on me. The tension came from the abrasiveness of the beat, which seemingly ignored the subtlety of music. TRAP sacrificed the deliberateness of creating music for a more scatter-gun and cluttered approach – throw as many clashing sounds till it sounds half decent. NO beauty, no deliberateness … NO MUSIC. My frustration was compounded by my inability to understand the masses that were Shmoney dancing around claiming that trap was the next greatest thing to happen to hi-hop. I could not fathom it. I’d always disliked Soulja Boy, but I was willing to take “Crank Dat” back. Then one day as I searched the blogoshphere I stumbled upon Bryson Tiller – a man who flipped my perception of trap music. His soulful voice over hard and abrasive drum beats were a match made in musical heaven. He voice softened the harshness of all the hi-hats and drums. Trap was beautiful!! Since that experience, trap has grown on me, becoming more relevant than before. The abrasiveness shows a certain revolution - a battle cry, of sorts. It has begun to sound amazing. Now I’d just like to hit the Shmoney dance, and tell my Mama: “Mama, I’ve joined the trap side”. Page 45
The Ink