4. Page 06
CAMPUS
by Junior Spio
You’ve probably noticed the green and white posters calling out doubters,
non-believers and believers. If you’ve been up early a Saturday morning,
looking for Fiifi to open the convenience store, you’ve most likely seen the
huddled group under the staircase. It’s all for one thing—The Thomas
Sessions. Since multiple sources have been asking (me!) what at all it’s
about, I figured it best to get Kobina Graham, (its originator)’s, take.
Religious or not religious--that is the question
Once upon a time, there was a “funky lecturer” who believed in God but
didn’t believe in any religion. Instead, he believed exclusively in ‘love’ and
said that, “The closest we can come to being divine is by showing love.”
What changed? At the end of last semester, a combination of a conversa-
tion he had about bitterness in his blog-posts on Christianity, a feeling of
dissatisfaction with what he perceived to be the limits of the Christian
religion and missing the sense of community and activeness of the faith.
Since bitterness was inconsistent with his beliefs, he decided to make a
change. He said, “I started going to church and my experience of church was
extremely different. All of a sudden, I found myself getting caught up in the
joy and getting it. Then I stumbled upon the realization that I didn’t need all
the answers in order to believe. So I started a journey. There was a reading
from Otabil where he said, ‘Rather than see and believe, believe and see.’ At
that particular moment, I did.”
How does the Thomas Sessions fit with this—and what’s with the name?
“I call it that because I think Thomas gets a very bad rep. I was having a con-
versation with the musician Paapa, the other day about the sessions, and he
was asking whether people realised that doubting Thomas became daring
Thomas. I think people forget that so they vilify him as a doubter when he
was simply expressing the disbelief that all the other disciples had. For that,
he wasn’t punished—he was rewarded with being able to touch the stigmata.
So I picked him as someone who represents people who have doubts. With
my experience of the faith back in the day, people were not encouraged to
have doubts. I mean even today, no one is encouraged to have doubts but
Page 07
the way people with doubts are treated is not the best. Sometimes it’s just sup-
pressed or you’re judged or considered to not be having enough faith. There’s
this presumption that faith and intellect don’t go together so people don’t even
try. I think that when you have engagement between the two it can actually
make your faith stronger.
I decided to call it Thomas sessions because I wanted to do bible study that
was aimed primarily at people who either had questions that sometimes they
felt they couldn’t express elsewhere because people would either judge them
or wouldn’t understand them. I wanted to create a safe space for those kinds
of conversations.”
Who comes to the sessions?
“It goes without saying that the people most likely to be there most would be
Christian. I don’t think other religions would be there naturally but I’m going to
make interventions for that. I believe that there can be inter-faith dialogue.
People have taken this idea of ‘do not shake my faith’ too far. The way I see it,
if your faith cannot engage others, then it’s no faith. If Christianity, for instance,
could not withstand challenges, it wouldn’t have lasted for as long as it has.
You had someone like Paul actually sitting there engaging these ideas and
thinking them through. He sat there, has given you his writings and you want to
say the process he went through was pointless and you should just have faith?
We should have better conversations on faith than those happening now.
For the full article, visit inkcollegemag.wordpress.com
A Little Bird Whispered...
...
by Efua Akyere Graham
5. Page 09Page 08
FASHION
One: Know who you are. If you don't, your whole wardrobe will be utter chaos.
For instance I know I like change, thus my wardrobe is an eccentric combina-
tion of looks. What are you: our Afro diva, femme fatal or our dressy girly girl?
Your parents are not a bank: Aside you living in their house and eating in their
house for free, you also expect them to have a budget for clothes!! Are you
serious?! Do you work? So now think. Use what you have and save some
money. First, I like to put out there that you must not only know “Kant” but also
visit it. If that's too extreme for you, then I'll suggest Rawlings Park or our
latest scandalous shop, Mr. Price. You can get affordable yet fashionable jeans
that are new or in good second-hand condition. As for accessories dieЗ, they
are everywhere you look!! And they are fairly priced so why are you slacking?
Pick yours up now for a bargain. Everything is there, forget your shyness. Rock
a wig and some shades and move along or just go bare and hard.
The bare essentials: It may look like one has a million clothes, but if close
attention is paid, one realizes that is the same clothes are being rotated—the
creative rotation of the bare essentials. Every girl needs well fitted dark jeans.
Yes, dark blue denim. Not jeggings oo. Jeans. Why?! Because demin is more
durable and can be rocked with a multiplicity of looks. Plus, boys do not want
to see the rude display of your wobbles as you pass by. Key word: Wobbles. No
we don't want that... a sway is better.
Another essential is the white crisp shirt, just 15ghc for yours truly. Now the
white shirt can be worn for those presentations, and then the sleeves can
easily be rolled and worn with a skirt or jeans for a more relaxed look.
That one expensive item: For most girls this is their statement item and is
mostly a watch or a gold chain. This is the one thing that is close to you. This
is something that is either worn every day or on occasions. As said earlier, this
could also be your statement piece. Statement pieces come in various shapes
and sizes. For me it's my beads; it embodies my African pride and worth.
Stay tuned for my next piece...
1 team.
1 Idea.
1 trophy.
To learn more about the competition and apply, visit
www.ideatrophy -uwa.com
Ideas that change the way business works.
Made by you
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Win an All expense paid
trip, An internship, IPADs
and many more
with just one idea
Unilever Careers Unil_Careers_Gh
One Pesewa “Shadda”
by Maame Antwi-Larbi
6. Page 11Page 10
by Junior Spio
“Ignore the noise…listen to the inner voice”, was the catch phrase for
Destination Party II, which went down on the 14th of March, 2014. The
venue for the party was a cabin up on the hills of Ashesi (not too sure
I could find it again, now the party’s over). On the way there, you
would practically have to keep your ears open for the faintest sound
of music. The first few strains you hear is an indication that you’re
halfway done with your journey and pretty close to the party - that
added to the whole party experience. At the dark cabin, there was a
bonfire to add a little bit of light and warmth, a breath-taking view of
Accra at night and a trampoline for those of us who still have a little
bit of the child in us; I totally forgot to go in, was too pumped up to
remember it was there, still regret it though.
This year’s party was bigger than the last. Campus Base TV was there
to cover the event and drinks were served by Guinness (I had fun with
those). There was lots of food available and the +233 Live crew was
present with Grafitti Gh. Ashesi was surely not partying alone, we had
our peeps from University of Ghana, Wisconsin University, CUC and
UPS representing at the party.
The music - the most important part of any event in my opinion – was
covered by three DJs this year from +233 Live (DJ Sid, DJ Keyzz and
Ashesi’s very own DJ Kev). They held us down for the whole night,
dishing out hit after hit; never was there a dull moment during that
party. Finally, everything winded down around 3 am and those who
wanted to stay and camp out did, while the rest of us found our way
back to campus. I had mad fun at the party and was very grateful that
the next day was Saturday and I could afford to sleep in.
CAMPUS
Destination
Party
by Jeanne-Barbara E Debre
7. Page 13Page 12
INTERVIEW
Describe yourself.
I’m a boy, I’m six feet tall, I like to smile a lot and I’m
always happy.
What’s your star sign?
I am a Virgo.
What other sports are you interested in?
I watch football, I play table tennis and tennis.
What clubs are you a part of?
I was a part of toastmaster’s but the club is no more.
Describe your family in one sentence.
My family is very supporting.
When did you start swimming?
I started swimming when I was twelve.
Any major achievements you would like to
discuss?
In 2011, I was declared as the best swimmer in Ghana. I
have represented Ghana in the world championship in
Dubai, Turkey and in Rome.
Have you ever thought of going pro?
Once upon a time, I did. Now because of school and some
other things, I rather want to train the next generation of
swimmers.
Can you talk a bit about the training and
the idea you have for it?
My plan basically is to develop swimming as a sport In
Ghana. A lot of people are interested but it doesn’t seem
lucrative to them. What most people want is football. My
plan is to try and get more people to become passionate
about swimming. I’m going to start this year.
What has your Ashesi experience been like
thus far?
It’s been quite an experience. I have been exposed to
some opportunities. I don’t think I would have ever gone
to Qatar if it wasn’t for Ashesi. I went there to represent
the school at a sports program. Ashesi has
helped develop me as a person, I have
become more independent.
What would you say has been
your best moment from
freshman year till now?
There have been many great moments
but I’m yet to have one that
really stands out.
Do you have
a girlfriend?
Yes I do.
Let’s talk a bit about her.
She’s not in this school. Her name is Ewuraesi Gavor.
We’ve been together for technically three years now,
officially two years. She is very driven, very caring, she
makes sure I stick to my plans even when I feel like giving
up. She is studying in America.
How are you dealing with the long
distance?
I don’t see the big deal that most people tend to make
about it being hard. It’s just that once in a while you miss
the person being around but it’s fine.
Your closet is popped open right now,
what colour(s) is/are likely to be dominant?
Purple. *indicates to his shirt*
Favorite movie stars and artistes?
I like Denzel Washington and Leonardo DiCaprio. I used to
like Lil Wayne and Eminem but I don’t really have a
favorite artiste at the moment.
INTERVIEWWITH
RALPHQUAYE
Hot Seat
Beauty or brains?
Brains.
There is no better feeling than….?
Love.
Girls are…..?
Interesting.
Ralph can’t do without…?
Family.
If you ever catch Ralph Quaye unawares, you are in for one shock! Despite his seemingly
uber calm exterior, there’s alot of wit, smarts and drive underneath. It’s about time people
got introduced to our student personality of the month.
8. Page 15Page 14
MUSIC
The Alternative Experienceby Edwin Dzobo
2:08am. Christon Gray's 'Roses 101: Afterall', off his recently released
School of Roses album plays in the background. I could do with some
coffee right now chale. the only thing keeping this guy going is...wait for
it...wait for it...wait for it...
Ha! You didn't think I'd tell you, did you? Anyways, I'm honestly itching to
hear honest opinions about my previous suggestions. I promise I won't
judge you if you don't like any of the songs LOL. You know thassalie right?
So stop being your usual snot-nosed (pretend I didn't say that) selves,
walk up to me, and tell me what you think.
So the not-so-famous five:
1. Father, Father - Laura Mvula: A rare combination of soulful singing over
classical instrumentation. Breath-taking song about forgiveness and
family. A real gem for anyone looking for some new sound of some sort.
You really need to hear this.
2. I Told You So - Rumor (Produced by DJ Juls): "waiting to settle on the
Promised Land...of this ghetto I no be resident...". Opening lines to another
piece of awesomeness young Ghanaian rapper Rumor decided to gift us.
With witty and inspiring rap lines laid over the Juls-produced classic
hip-hop instrumental, this is just what you hip-hop heads want to hear.
3. Sweet Revenge - Chris Cornwell: So, for all of you out there plotting the
perfect payback scene, this is my gift to you. Plug in your earphones at
their loudest with this song blaring, grab your gun, knife, or axe and shoot,
chop and/or hack away. You know of course that this will all be YOUR
doing and you're liable for anything that happens, right? No, seriously.
Don't do it. But yeah, Chris Cornwell does a good rock-pop mix with this
song off the Timbaland produced 'Scream' album.
4. Spark - Fitz and The Tantrums: A little throwback for avid FIFA gamers.
This song made the FIFA '13 playlist for no other reason but the obvious:
IT IS ANOTHER JAM. If any of the previous songs can be likened to straw-
berry-flavoured jam, this tastes more like apricot. Chale. I know. Allow me.
The fake-deeps dey cry. Let me be great, will ya?
5. Video Games (Melo-X Live Remix) - Melo-X & Lana Del Rey: If you
don't like Lana Del Rey because you think she makes dreary songs, you're
not alone! :D Melo-X gives this her [and her song 'Video Games'] a com-
plete makeover with his remix version. Dope, dope tune.
So there, you have it. Another five pretty cool songs I think you lot should
hear. Oh, plus the bonus track I snuck in at the beginning of this post. Art
for the ears to enjoy. *Grabs a handful of Floo powder, "Mannies!"* Poof!!!
AD
9. Page 17Page 16
INTERVIEW
between Computer Science, Fine Arts, and Communications. I ended up not having
enough credit to get into the Digital Media Design program so I completed my bache-
lors in Computer Science.
What inspired you to go into Design?
When I look back at it, I suppose I’ve been doing Design for a while, even in high school.
Though I didn’t really know that there was a thing called Design. And then I got to
college. I first saw my roommate doing Web Design and I thought it was cool and I was
curious, and it ended up being fun. That was probably the first time it occurred to me
that you could actually be challenged by something, enjoy it and have a viable career
path. I also sort of figured that, ‘this internet thing is probably going to be a big deal’
*snickers*, so Web Design seemed the reasonable thing to do. Web Design led to
Graphic Design and that led to other kinds of design.
Have you always wanted to teach?
No, I never imagined myself as a teacher.
So what made you get into teaching?
The opportunity. After I did my masters, I was a teaching assistant for my masters
course, that was my first experience with being in front of a class instead of at the back.
When I moved back to Ghana, this opportunity came up and it seemed like a challenge,
like something different and fun.
If you were not teaching now, what profession would you pursue?
I would still be a designer, I would probably be some sort of Interaction Design consult-
ant.
Are there any major projects you’ve been involved in or wish to embark on?
I’ve worked on a few projects in the past that have been interesting to me, I have
doubts about what other people would think though. There is always a random project
lingering around in my head that I sometimes consider implementing.
Why did you move back to Ghana?
There are various reasons. I had been in Italy for about five years. For one I wanted
more freedom, Ghana gives me that. Also, there was a time my parents fell sick, quite
sick actually and it was very scary so I decided to come home.
Can you talk a bit about your family, how it was growing up?
I remember having fun as a kid, especially because I was the youngest. I have a lot of
very smart people in my family so it was always sort of ‘one-upmanship’, even though
it was unspoken. So that was always interesting.
Tell us about ‘Dela’ when you’re away from Ashesi
I tend to be very laid back, I would say I’m an introvert so when I’m not at Ashesi, I like
to just chill. If I’m going out then I would rather just hang out with friends. I don’t really
do the party thing anymore. Anything relaxed, I’m good with.
What are your interests?
Well I’m lucky enough to have a career where I pursue one of my interests; design. I
also like photography which I’m very good at. I often hear people talk about listening
to music as a hobby but I see it as a lifestyle. There’s always a soundtrack playing in my
What schools did you go to?
My family lived in Liberia for eight years so I went to school there for a while. After I
moved to Ghana, I went to G.I.S. Then I went to the University of Pennsylvania in the U.S,
and did my masters at Politecnico di Milano, in Italy.
What did you study in college and how does Design fit into that?
My bachelors is in Computer Science, concentration on Digital Media Design. When I got
to college I was actually undeclared, so I sort of roamed about for a bit. I decided that I
was really interested in Operations and Information Management, which led me to the
engineering school. I did a Systems Engineering major and at some point I discovered
that my school had a program called Digital Media Design, which was a collaboration
DELA KUMAHORwww.delakumahor.com
10. Page 19Page 18
INTERVIEW
head. So I would say music is an interest definitely.
What genre of music are you into?
Hip hop and soul. If you look at my playlist, most of my music is hip hop. But I listen to
anything that sounds good.
Favorite artistes?
Right now….*grabs phone and scans through playlist*… I really like what Kendrick
Lamar is doing, Nas and Jay Z…*still scanning*…and Kanye. I’ve really been impressed
with what Kanye is doing, I respect him as an artiste even though I can’t listen to some
of his new stuff, I can appreciate it.
Do you have a girlfriend?
No I don’t.
No potential/ prospective lady?
Let’s give that a no.
What is your favorite quote or catch phrase?
I don’t think I can pick a favorite because I collect quotes so I have thousands and
thousands of quotes. I’ll share one with you that comes to mind. I definitely identify
with it because it’s an apt description of how I think. ‘When I’m working on a problem,
I never think about beauty. I only think about how to solve the problem. But when I
have finished if the solution isn’t beautiful, I know it is wrong’- Richard Buckminster
Fuller
What do you do to relax?
Any situation where I can have my thoughts to myself is relaxing. As an introvert, that’s
how it works for me.
What would be your ideal weekend or vacation?
A trip somewhere with three or four very close friends, who know me best or who I
know best.
No girlfriend in there?
That works for me *smiles*, that definitely works for me.
Do you have plans of settling down anytime soon?
It hasn’t really been a priority for me until recently. I have started thinking about it
more often.
Where do you see yourself ten years from now?
That’s a really tough question…happy, wife, three kids, doing work I enjoy, being able
to travel and take pictures.
What advice would you give to aspiring designers?
Get to work! People tend to think of design in abstract terms which you can’t do.
Design is something you learn by doing. So I would just say, get your hands dirty, start
something and see where it takes you. Accept the challenge.
See some examples of Dela’s designs at www.delakumahor.com
ABRAHAM’S
BUTTON
BEADS
11. Page 21Page 20
SPORTS
Matchday 1 and we were having pre-match discussions for the Ashesi
Premier League. Biola, Wellington and I were giving our thoughts on the
oncoming season and who the favourites for the title could be. In the middle
of the discussion, Biola in a fantastic impression of John Dykes, the host of
the Barclays Premier League show on Supersport, turned to me and coolly
asked, “Who is the player you’re looking forward the most to seeing this
season?”
I sat back in my chair and thought of all the players I had seen in the FA cup.
Immediately, Henry Allotey and Akonnor popped into my head. Then I
thought about how lazily the two of them had played last season. Akonnor
had even been missing some APL games. Sometimes on the pitch it seemed
football was just a hobby for him. You could see he wasn’t really enjoying
games. With Henry he had this Mario Balotelli swagger about him, just with-
out the hilarious antics. After a couple of seconds I knew who my star man
was.
“Nathan maaaaaaaaan… LOL’s Nathan maaaan!”
Immediately I heard some sniggering, laughter and some coughs from the
crowd. I was annoyed but not that surprised. Since I am the one who has
been watching the games every week, I usually have a better idea of who the
top dogs in the league are.
Let me explain something to you. I am a lover of a forward approach to the
game. When I look at someone like Nathan I see a player capable of bringing
my entire team into the opposition’s half with his hold-up play. We’ve proba-
bly not seen the best of the lanky forward’s gameplay but that makes it all
the more exciting. It’s like that time I was watching Sergio Aguero playing in
the U21 World Cup for Argentina. I could see massive potential in the young-
ster. I am not joking when I say I’ll be keeping tabs on his progress.
Starting out as a strike partner with Ian in a 4-4-2 formation, Nathan has
come into his own in the 4-2-3-1 formation LOL are now employing. Now we
see him playing as the lone striker battling it out with the opposition’s
defenses. At present he’s not strong enough to contend with the APL’s finest
center backs in a 50-50 challenge but given time, he’s going to be a difficult
presence to deal with. The moment I best remember was his effort in going
for a header against the Walabele goalkeeper, Dotse. Its’ the sort of commit-
ment people commend Samuel Eto’o for. Keep that up and Nathan will be
well primed for APL greatness. Sometimes it’s not only goals that define a
striker but the other qualities he brings to the team. With his aerial ability,
hard work rate, first touch and ball intelligence, Nathan is one to look out for
in the competition.
Why IthinkNathan isnotmere‘hype’by Kwadwo Busumtwi
Left: LOL Standard 4-4-2 (From the midfield and forwards)
Right: LOL 4-2-3-1 (From the midfield and forwards)
13. Page 25Page 24
AD
The name Sa’am’s Pizza really represents the team that we are made up of.
We stand for quality at an affordable price. This reflects the needs of our
target market (the Ashesi student) who want great tasting pizza at compara-
tively cheaper price.
As friends, we used to hang out a lot, and during those fun times Jesse would
just suggest that we make pizza. It was never a dull moment. Jesse used to
make a few orders for some people who had heard about it and when they
tried it, they liked it. After sometime, we realized that people in Ashesi also
liked pizza but had no access to great pizza. The market was open and we
took full advantage. In addition, the fact that pizza could be shared amongst
friends and help create a stronger bonds like it did ours, added a kick to our
motivation. So we decided. Why not take this to the next level? We are aware
there are several food options in Ashesi but our goal is to add variety to the
existing options.
Like any other startup, Sa’am’s pizza is not devoid of challenges. Meeting
demand, rapid increment in the price of ingredients, setting the right price,
transportation, location, and rent are some hurdles we faced, but we saw
them as obstacles we could overcome with hard work. We have become
better and with that we are slowly getting things sorted. We also want to hear
from our consumers to find out areas we should improve in because their
feedback is highly important to us.
We have an extensive menu. This is to make sure we meet the diverse tastes
and preferences of our customers. Plans are underway to introduce new
toppings (flavours) and other side dishes like chicken wings, garlic bread and
a breakfast menu in the near future. Just be on the lookout
Keep your eyes peeled. Soon, you may see a Sa’am’s restaurant near you.
SA’AM’S
by Kwesi Acheampong
t @Saams_Pizza
Operating Mondays & Wednesdays
Contact Patrick Anim for purchases
Welch’s 100% Juice
14. Page 27Page 26
CAMPUS
Delali Vorgbe
KabiruSeidu
RuweidatuSalifu
MichaelF.Quansah
RichardBempong
GeorgeNeequaye
NathanFletcher
JefferyOdame Koranteng
Movie Bucket
Pencils of Promise
Pedal Giver
Kessir Adjaho
Ashesi Carpool
CS Talk Series
Berekuso Book Club
EmefaOpare-Asamoah
RuweidatuSalifu
Waffles
LeonardAnnan
Adesua Ye
Movie Nights
FelixTetteh
Glide
Destination Party
Photography Club
EmmanuelAsaan
Arab Money FC
A4 Idea
JosephNanaMills
Ashesi Basketball League
pioneering
students
Francis Lamptey
Walabele FC
15. Blogger: Anna-Lisa Hammond
URL: talkshopwithrowie.wordpress.com
Blogger: Onyinye Stephanie Oguego
URL: penscribbler.wordpress.com
Blogger: Karen Bright Davies
URL: okundayorsthoughts.wordpress.com
Bloggers: Senanu Coblavie & Nii Apa Abbey
URL: http://brainsugarworks.wordpress.com
Blogger: Abdulai Inusah
URL: http://patatte.wordpress.com
Blogger: Carl Agbenyega
URL: craytales.wordpress.com
Blogger: Maxwell Kwabena Asare
URL: www.whatieatgh.blogspot.com
Blogger: Carl Agbenyega
URL: just-yao.tumblr.com
Blogger: Nii Apa Abbey
URL: http://abbey3D.tumblr.com
Page 23Page 22
RANT
APA’S
MILKSHAKE
.... it’s better than yours!
by Nii Apa Abbey
Hi, you. Yes, you. I know why you came here. It's because my milkshake
brings all the boys to the yard, isn't it? You might have missed my piece in
the last issue, and that was because of a deadline, which I missed. Ha. I
hate deadlines. I can't stand them. You can't put a deadline on creativity.
Some people just don't understand. Gosh.
What you call procrastinating, I call marinating. You just have to let the
ideas sit and stew for a bit sometimes. Perhaps toss in a few spices here
and there, and tadaa!
But, as I said, some people, like the Editor In Chief of this magazine, Joseph
Amo Nti, just don't understand.
Some people believe in finishing assignments on time; teachers, serious
students, failing students, students following the crowd... you get the gist,
I don't. Have you ever tried just waiting till the last minutes and letting the
pressure take you for a ride? It's fun. It's exhilarating. But it's not for every-
one.
Of course, there are those days, or weeks, where it seems like the lecturers
had secret meetings where they planned to pummel you to death with
assignments on tight deadlines, sometimes back-to-back. Those
non-sleeping days. Those are not fun. At all. If a lecturer is reading this,
please cancel those secret meetings. We beg.
There are also those days where you just give up. "Screw it" you say. "This
man is going to get this assignment late whether he likes it or not!". Those
take-charge days where you want to be the boss and not the servant. I
used to feel like that a lot. Not so much these days. Back in second year.
Herh. It was bad. "Grades over sleep? Not today!" I would say. "After all,
what??", right? The stupidest reasons come to mind then, but hey, they
make sense in the moment.
The funniest and saddest days are the ones when you have so many
assignments, you don't know what to do, and end up sleeping, or doing
something else BUT work.
-Sigh-. Who invented deadlines kraa? I enjoy laziness. I revel in it. Is this
even a rant or just my thoughts, or do my thoughts make up the rant? I
don't even know. I had to write this piece on a deadline mind you. Excuse
me if this milkshake tastes a little bit sour.
Meet Ashesi’s Bloggers
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