Good day, people of Hive! Welcome to my blog.
There's a course among the courses I am offering or taking in school called SOC 209 (Language in Society and Culture), which I did in my 200-level first semester. When I was in 100-level, a friend from 200-level often told me about this course. He said that when I get to 200-level, the lecturer taking us this course would group us according to our tribes and languages for a presentation, that the lecturer would assign topics for each group to do research, and later, we would present our findings.
After finishing my 100-level second semester exam, I went home for Christmas and New Year. The lecturer for the course created a group for all of us, dropped the topics, and instructed us to group ourselves according to our tribes and languages. He also told us to create a group for ourselves in case if our group members are yet to resume they would be able to stay updated. After returning back to school in January, our lecturer assembled us in a class and explained the presentation format to us.
He told us that we are not allowed to speak in English and that each group is to speak in their native languages. He also told us that our presentation would be graded on different aspects, such as hairstyles, attire, greetings, and food. He used Yoruba as an example, saying if the Yoruba want to greet their elders, is either they kneel or prostrate, which we were expected to do the same on the day of presentation.
In my group, we are all Yoruba, and the topic the man assigned to us is "How do they celebrate the Osun Sengese festival and what equipment they use, such as hair, attire, food, and other items related to the festival? In my department, we consist of seven groups, which are Yoruba, Igala, Ebira, Okun, Hausa, Idoma, and Igbo. The lecturer appointed me as the Yoruba group leader and assigned leaders for each other groups.
As the group leader, I divided my members into four subgroups, assigning each group to do research on the food, attire, equipment, and hairstyles, and I gave them a week to complete their research and provide me the feedback. Despite my leadership role, I work alongside my members to ensure collaboration so that they won't feel that because I was appointed the group leader, I am doing nothing.
On the deadline day, we all assembled to share our findings. The food group reported about the food they cook during the festival, such as porridge, beans, ekuru (fermented bean cake), or pounded yam. After some debates from each of us, we agreed to prepare ekuru (fermented bean cake), ila (okra), and ponmo (cow skin), then buy drinks for our lecturer and the invited guests.
Once we finalised our menu and drama presentation about the Osun Sengese festival, I told them to contribute $5,000 for food, clothing, and equipment. I also instructed each member to get their beads for the presentation by themselves. I appointed six of us, myself and one lady, to buy the clothes, two ladies to get the equipment, and the other two to buy the foods we are going to cook. I told them to track the prices of everything they buy and keep me updated.
We bought the following items for our presentation, excluding the food we are going to prepare:
Honey
Calabash
Irukere (horsetail or African wand) Adun(Sweetness)
Sugarcane
Obi (bitter kola).
On the day of the presentation, before it was our turn, one of my friends from the same department but at a different level told me to ensure that our lecturer and guests tasted the food we prepared. I followed her suggestion, which contributed to us earning an extra mark.
After our presentation, the guests were happy for our presentation, especially the Yoruba guests from Osun State. They praised us for our efforts and told us they were happy because of that we received additional marks on top of what our lecturer would give us.
Despite some doubts from my group members for our drama and speaking because it's not everyone that can speak Yoruba and a lot of mockery from the other groups when we were rehearsing, hearing the guest's praising us made us happy. I believe two things, which are our hard work for not relenting and God's grace that led to our success on our presentation.
In conclusion, our presentation was the best, and we beat other groups with our food, attire, greetings, and drama.
These images are mine.
Thanks for reading❤❤❤❤❤.