The HIV scare....

Ok apparently we have a serious health crisis on our hands. 47% of first years infected with HIV? Now that’s a serious statistic. Which by my opinion is a bloody lie and a cheap way to instill fear into the minds of students and try to deter them from vices like sexual immorality. Or some concerned politician is scared that his daughter might lose her virginity to some randy folks before she writes her first paper. As if. But before you start jumping into conclusions, let’s review a few things.

First, imagine you were a Jambite, and you walked into the Medical Center for your first ever health check on campus, and they tell you they have to take your blood to check for your blood type and other necessities. Then you hear weeks later that there’s a survey that says that almost one in every two jambites that did the same blood test is HIV positive. Wouldn’t you panic, and feel bruised that your privacy has been invaded? I mean, ain’t that scary enough to get some UNICEF guys on the scene? This is a youth environment; the possibility of such infection spreading if it was actually true is staggering. I don’t know about you, but if it was actually true, I think I’d try n confirm if I am one of the fortunate ones. But to think the university feels it okay to just announce such news and expect it not to incite a sense of uneasiness in everyone is just pure ignorance. I was walking along with some friends yesterday on our way to Sunic, and we passed a young girl just near the FCMB ATM trying her best to run away from some guys who were apparently making fun of her. It was obvious she was a jambite, her shoulders were drooping so low from hoisting Engineering Maths and Anusiem textbooks in her knapsack all day. And yeah, she looked geeky, that always makes things much more obvious. So back to the gist, my friends and I got up close and realized that the boys had already assumed she was HIV positive and were throwing jibes at her because of it. How annoying, I must say. Which brings me to this point: why make a public announcement of something that’s best kept private? I don’t think I’d like my doctors telling the whole world I’m HIV positive, or I have cancer. Let me tell those who I’d want to know. Condemning a whole group of students is just like smearing them with DO NOT TOUCH stickers. Which is not fair at all. Now everyone’s preaching fidelity. It takes a disease as common as HIV to get everyone to behave themselves, right? But trust them FUTO boys, they don’t care. And why should they? They use condoms, don’t they? And besides, disease no dey kill Africa man, abi?

Anyway, on to some more less death inducing gist. Arsenal fans mournfully announce the death of their favorite club, Arsenal FC of England, who, by all accounts, is going to be Messilessly slaughtered by the giant dictator from Spain, Barcelona FC. Burial takes place on Wednesday at its home, Emirates Stadium at Ashburton Grove, England, GB by 7:45pm Nigerian time. She ain’t survived by nobody. Signed, Arsene Wenger, longtime Manager and greatest maga in the footballing world. Ok, so I lied about the death inducing gist part, lol. But it’s a pity, as soon as I heard Arsenal was going to play Barca, it was like someone had driven a 10 inch nail into the heart of every loyal Arsenal fan. Sorry folks, maybe next time. Work on those new junior staff quarters building units has apparently stopped for no real reason at all. Word is that work was so frantic before cos they were trying to get them commissioned during the convocation. When they realized they couldn’t make it, the contractors must’ve gone back to sleep. They had better finish it and hand it over for use before vandals decide to have a field day. And I’m not even going to talk about Futo-Ihiagwa road again. I could actually bet with anyone who wants to that that road will not be repaired in the next 3 years. Any takers?

And that’s about it, folks. Sorry I’ve been really epileptic with my posts. My internet service provider’s almost charging me in millions and I still haven’t found any maga who’s willing to pay, lol.

Laterz.

Table for Two?

Personally, I think black tie dinners are way more glamorous than grooving parties these days. And that, my friends, is a fact that was proved last evening at Jives Exclusive, Umuchima, as the LivingWord Sisters pulled out all stops to celebrate their Sisters' Week. It had everything you'd expect from a semi-formal gathering….oh yeah, except a red carpet, but we can forgive them for that, can't we? Started a bit late, but it was worth the wait. Most came single, but those with couples really did their thing. And did they all dress well! It was like the Oscars right here in Umuchima. And a boutique must've run outta business trying to provide gowns for all the ladies, cos they all stood out magnificently. And leading them and arguably the best dressed was Nnenna, their coordinator. That felt maroon dress she wore looked simply gorgeous, and she does have the grace behind the swag, so in my opinion everything fit perfectly Talk about leading by example, lol. There were the VIPs and the Regulars, but frankly I didn't see any real distinction between them except for the seating arrangement. Food was good, service was kinda poor. Fruit salads in cups came first as appetizers, and then the main course, with juice and…wait for it…sachets of pure water. What da hell? From where did that fall from? Glasses were too expensive? For that hefty ticket price? That was an absolute no-no. And apparently serviettes were in short supply and guests had to beg for them before they were distributed. Oh come on, if you want to create the dinner environment, then there're some things that are basic, like a properly set dinner table. That wasn't the case here. The entertainment was ok, but too much talk, I guess It didn't take guests too long to become more interested in themselves than what was happening on stage. I wouldn't blame them anyway. It's difficult to remain focused when you have really attractive ladies sitting all around you. So as a scorecard,
Organization – 60%
Concept Uniqueness – 90%
Entertainment – 40%
Attendance – 70%
Red Carpet – 0% … lol!

School news….Sunic's got some competition. A new eatery's just opened up right next to it, offering almost the same floor space size and meals. I think the only difference between the two is probably the wall color, or yeah, and that ridiculously funny name the new one has, lol. Marketing strategy, anyone? Well, as it's just opened there're less than 10 seats available, so I think we' should give them a bit of time to get their act together before we start patronizing them. Left to me, a stronger air conditioning system would be the best way to lure people away from the great Sunic. Church programs are springing up everywhere, but I guess none has been able to match the awesomeness of Jabulani 5 that happened last week Friday. I'll still have to cover that event personally in another post, but I'm doing some scouting first and gathering my notes, cos a concert that big would definitely be with its controversies too. Some digging should solve that, lol. The mini garden at the front of SOSC Extension's started taking shape, I wonder if it'd turn into the new "Love Garden". I doubt that, but it's nice to see someone actually thinks about landscaping the area. The tenants at Bus Park have been evicted from there, and most of them have already switched to Plan B, and set up shop just opposite the road. Wonder if they want to build real stalls for them. That's thinking smart.
Alright, gotta bounce. I'll catch all of y'all later after I've finished this knitin'. Painful Stuff.
Laterz.

Too many graduates....

Saturday kinda came and went real fast in my opinion. Of course everyone and everythin' (even the sun) was in top form and in their best element. You cant blame 'em, it aint everyday FUTO holds its convocation, is it? I wasnt surprised to see the convocation ground packed to the teeth; at a point it became difficult walking talk less about finding a place to sit comfortably. And here we were thinking the ground would provide a reprieve for the whole human traffic situation we've always been experiencing during events like this. Let's face it, Senate road is too small. I think it should be dualised (Ohakim, anyone???? lol!) Anyway, it was nice to see everywhere with a new fresh coat of paint. But wait, am I the only one who thinks the senate building looks ridiculous? Bright orange and bright green at the sides? What in God's merciful name are they thinkin? Is it that hard to find a decent designer to consult? Well, food was plenty, with absolutely nobody to eat. I think everyone anticipated how unmerciful the sun was going to be and decided they weren't going to face its wrath. And unfortunately, most of the drinks that arrived cold just couldn't withstand the blazing heat. So if I were to choose between the blazing heat at the Convocation Ground and the pumping graduation parties in the evening, I think I would've preferred a blend; bring the food and drinks to the music, lol.

Well, I'm glad that's over. It's back to school like it's never happened. And the most significant change so far would obviously be Hall Of Mercy. With the philosophy of Arsene Wenger who thinks a player returning from injury is like a new signing, it's almost as if we got a brand new lecture hall. But, ahem...sliding windows? Aren't those kinda dangerous? A frustrated examination candidate could just become suicidal after his paper has been torn and fling himself outta the window. At least iron bars would make the place a bit safer, don't you think? But damn! Did they renovate that place! I mean, the tiles on the stage are a thing of beauty. And though I do not think we'll ever use the airconditioning units around, seeing them there just adds more beauty to the whole place. Let's hope they shift my lectures there, maybe we'd all study harder with that kinda tushed up environment, lol.

Anyway, onto some news...looks like Afrihub really wants to put up a fight with its tentative drive to ensure that it is absolutely compulsory to do its programmes. Arrgh! Serious waste of money and resources. For crying out loud are we not in a technology school? It should already be assumed that everyone is computer literate, and not force the ones that fully are to go back in time to learn wat a USB drive does...sheeeesh! Couldn't they offer some more professional packages? Maybe collaborate with a networking firm and provide Oracle training for those interested. We wouldn't mind paying more. I think it's infinitely better than paying 5K to learn what you already know. And also, the NYSC Batch A 2010 list is out, pasted at your regular venue. Hope none of y'all get posted to Jos, heard they've started killing people like chickens again. And for you Jambites, this is the scholarship season for all y'all, so you gotta stay rooted with your ears open cos opportunities have started flying about. Heard AGIP's is on the roll right now, with a deadline of March 31. So if you're feeling kinda broke but you're kinda smart, it wouldnt hurt to try, would it? And for those of you who think it's too late to register on the NUC database, don't worry it aint. Just meet any of the businessmen round campus to help you out, but be really careful on who you're giving your personal data and documents to! FUTO has its own share of Yahoo boys, so don't be a maga who must pay, lol.

Events-wise, I've just noticed a new poster out....Jabulani 5? Aint that the praise concert series from CASOR? Oh, so it's on Friday? And the publicity's everywhere on facebook. Hmm, that is a must see...wonder how they'd make use of the new upgraded facilities in HOM, dats if they even allow them to use it in the first place....more details on that much later.

Phew! Enough post for you to waddle through today, huh? Well, let's see what more exciting gist this our oh-so-boring school can cook up. Laterz.

Post-Valentine...

Phew! It's good to be back. I know y'all didn't miss me. Well, in case you didn't know, I'm as human as you are, and the last time I checked, bloggers aren't immune to typhoid. Good thing I didn't die though, eh?

So what did I miss? Aah, of course! Valentine Weekend. I didn't think any of you really need me to tell you what went down all around school, do you. Ok, maybe just the ones who travelled. Well, there was the ODE show on Saturday, which was probably okay, but I didn't attend so I cannot possibly pick out all the high points and low points, sorry. But from the publicity (I'm still seeing posters on buses, is there an encore about to happen on a date that has passed?) and eyewitness reports, both shows on Saturday and Val's Day in Eismann were on point. Of course, the rest of Obinze-Ihiagwa road was totally on fire. Pioneer Bar was packed to the teeth, Bombay (still not 100% sure it was him, but I did get the text message…) kept the party alive in Icebox, and even Solutions Bar, yeah the same ultra-dry-on-a-normal-day one, seemed to be busy. I heard there was an accident just after Phagdan Hostel involving an okada and a tipsy student, dunno how true that is. Jives was rocking too, and 24 Suites beside had a party going down too. What's up with them? Did they make a bet to try and lure students away from the more preferable spots? Whoever thought of that idea? Anyway, Eziobodo also had its share of fun, and no doubt the season was infectious. Between 9pm and 12am I think it's relatively safe to assume that 94% of the student community were out of their hostels and on the streets. Not a bad statistic, I just wonder what the remaining 6% were doing 'inside'…or why…

Well it's all over, and as reality settles in, school is back to normal. Well, maybe, except for this scorching heat. Aint there any lasting solution to this? And stupid PHCN's not helping matters. Pathetic. I have to go round with a portable electronic fan just to keep my body temperature in check. Mschew. But if you think the heat is annoying, then what would you call the school authorities? Why do we have to throw our academic details into new supposedly secure databases every other year? Now we're being forwarded to a new site with a ridiculously hard to remember URL. Just a question: whatever happened to a URL as simple as www.futo.com? Instead of annoyingly hard to remember crap like www.admissionhere.futo.doitnowordonotgraduate.yeahright.edu.com/toolong? I can remember filling online forms in my first and second years, waiting in long queues to obtain scratch cards to access those portals. What happened to them? The irony of it all is that none of these projects have actually helped to speed any other student-related process up. Examination results still emerge late, students' names and other personal data are still being messed around with. Pitiful. And stupidly enough, I just found out that the registration process is about as hard as you'd expect a typical Futo registration to be. Just great.

I guess that's enough gist for now. I'm just coming back so I haven't even done my usual newsfeed sweeps. So expect a more detailed post tomorrow, hopefully. Right now I think I'll go do lunch at Ofe's. Heard they've expanded and occupied Lacream Café above its former location. Neat. Wonder if their free meals are still on the table. And before you start jumping into conclusions, I aint that poor, lol.

Laterz.

Is 'love at first sight' real?

 Hey peeps...hope your week's progressing nicely.

I stumbled upon this article during one of my online sweeps of my favorite newsfeeds and decided to share it with y'all, especially in the spirit of the season we find ourselves in. Lemme know what you think about the concept, cos it's really a spot o' bother in these modern times. Enjoy.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

Is 'love at first sight' real, and could it happen to you? If you are hoping to experience this age-old phenomenon while dating, read on to find out more about what it means and how to tell if you might have experienced love at first sight when you first met your dating partner, and whether you should even aim for lightning bolts when dating or simply relax and go with the flow.

Where does the idea of 'love at first sight' come from?

The concept of 'love at first sight' is thought to have originated in the classical world, where it meant an intense, passionate love delivered by the mythological character Cupid and his arrows when a person beheld the object of their affections for the first time. The Greeks described it as 'madness from the gods', and also came up with the idea of 'love sickness', a feeling of overwhelming longing and desire, arising when one of Cupid's arrows pierces the heart.

These days, while we may not imagine Cupid to be so intimately involved in our choice of dating partners, many of us still hold true to romantic ideas of 'the one' - the idea that there is one perfect partner for everyone - and to the notion that for some people it is clear who this one perfect partner is from the moment they set eyes on them. But are these concepts based in reality or are they just wishful thinking, and how helpful are they when it comes to navigating today's dating scene?

What is happening with 'love at first sight'?

According to research, the intoxicating sensation of love at first sight can, in fact, be explained in a scientific way as a response of the ego to social signals. A major aspect of the experience is thought to be that our narcissistic side responds powerfully to the notion that someone is attracted to us.

Along with being attracted to a person's appearance, it is possible to tell almost instantly due to minute changes in body language if they are interested in us and to be affected by that, too. Studies have shown that, on a very basic level, we are attracted to people who are attracted to us, and this is a major factor when choosing dating partners.

'When will waiting for 'the one'... be done?'

As this quote from fictional love and dating expert Carrie in Sex and the City illustrates, for many the concept of 'the one' is unhelpful, and the idea of 'love at first sight' can be, as well. If you are unsatisfied with anything but lightning bolts and absolute certainty from the offset that you and the person you are dating are a perfect match, you may reject endless perfectly good dating partners and never find a life partner at all.

In these circumstances it would, arguably, be better for those who want to share a life with someone to ignore ideas of 'love at first site' and 'the one' when dating, in favour of a more practical approach: 'I can see myself being very happy with this person'. In the end, it's up to the individual to decide.

Valentine Blues....

First of all, welcome to the Love Month. Get ready to spend big, guys….

And I'm serious, because that special day of the month is already upon us, and the whisperings have started. Single girls have begun searching, unsatisfied girls have started looking for replacements. Adverts are going up all over Facebook and SMS inboxes, it looks like they're really serious this period. 13 Days left, ladies. Enough time to make that day worthwhile with some guy, I suppose, so get crackin'. And the guys? Word on the street is that Les Broke Desperates have started cutting out money from their school fees, hoping to put em back later. Now that's a bother. That extreme? Wow! She had better be that special, either that or the returns in investment should be as great, lol! All in all, it's definitely going to be a month (or rather, 13 days) of real frenzy, where a large percent of the student population end up making the wrong decisions. And the stupid thing is that you'd have to live with yourself after that. And what's more? Valentine's Day falls on a Sunday. A non-school day. Was this all planned???

It's been a slow and kinda depressing past week, so I really hope things will pick up. Lectures are supposedly starting this morning, but that's not gonna happen, at least not vigorously, so for all y'all who still haven't entered school yet, maybe you could still do with skipping a day or two. Hostels are finally open, so all you off campus squatters should be off to your residence halls by now. Project Seminars and Defences are all but over by now, and I've already started witnessing streams of graduates on their way out in search of the next adventure I guess the next time we'd be seeing them will be in March for convocation; that is they that make it without any 'extra' academic problem. I thought they'd be noisier than they actually were in terms of after-defense parties, but I guess the stress finally got to them, eyah.

Anyway, there's talk of Year One orientation to be commencing this week, so Hall Of Mercy would be a perfect place to go 'fishing'. I mean, the whole first year student body will be in one venue at the same time; chykers tell me, who's got it better than that? Gotta get up there myself, I'm sure there's some juicy gist I could pick up from a scenery like that.

Enjoy your week, folks. Laterz.

Big Phil makes it happen + Monday chats

The big boys sure know how to throw a party, huh?

It was a little over 5pm on a calm Sunday evening. All was quiet; birds chirping quietly and fishes swimming noiselessly. It was turning out to be a quiet end to another uneventful day, as was the norm, but things were about to change. In the space of seconds, the atmosphere of the otherwise peaceful Oguta Lake Golf Course suddenly came alive as a convoy of cars sped in majestically. A party had begun, just like that. The roll call was impressive too, consisting of the crème de la crème of Futo, mostly Umuchima residents. Trust a slamming party; girls were in abundant supply, and so was the booze. At the center of the stage was Iheoma Ogbonna (PMT 400L) whose boyfriend, the onetime EEE DOS Ejiogu Philip (now graduated) had organized the event as a special birthday surprise for her. It worked, as she was all smiles throughout the day. The party rounded up at Kinky's Bar in Ikenegbu area of town, just beside Timasy. Interesting way to spend the evening, I must say, for the chronic socialites it was definitely an event that shouldn't have been missed. But before you say anything, let's do some ratings:

Organisation: 70% - Twas good generally, but sources say most guests for the 'surprise' were misinformed and got there too early. Imagine sitting and watching absolutely nothing do nothing. Boring! And then it's not everyone that made it to the after party at Kinky's.
Dress sense: 80% - Everyone looked good and ready to party. Some were exceptional, few could've done with a stylist appointment 2 hours to game time, lol. But the swag was definitely there.
Environment: 80% - Not sure how romantic Oguta Lake is, the only thing cute about it is its natural environment just by the lake, but Kinky's made up for it, though the dance area was observed to be quite small.
Drinks: 120% - What wasn't available? Um, soft drinks anyone?
Success Rating: 92% - I'm sure if every attendee was asked if they would love to do it over again, the answer would be a straight yes.

So Phil, big ups, man. I guess you and your crew have set the stage for more parties to spring up. And if you did this all for that honey at your side, she sure is damn lucky to have you.

In other news, it seems registration and fees payment in school's proving to be more hectic than usual. Is it just me or is everybody trying to collect a tip for services rendered? Haven't you been paid salaries? Leave us alone! Seriously, hasn't anyone actually looked into refining the system to make all these payments much easier to handle? To think some people are content to watch students suffer like this, kinda makes me wonder who actually is going to heaven, lol.

Plus, it looks like Eismann is already gearing up for the "love" season that soon will be upon us. Valentine's Day is still about 3 weeks away and there're already neon lights outside with a Val message. You had better have a couples night or something to entertain us oh!

Laterz peeps.