AGY PRESS CLUB

  By Sulaiman Rashidat Mopelola You see them from a distance. Three, four, five, maybe six girls walking together, laughing like they have known each other forever. And for a moment, you wish you were one of them. Wanting friendship is natural, but constantly trying to earn a place in an already-established group can make you forget that genuine friendships are supposed to feel mutual. You see them walking together across campus. They laugh at jokes only they seem to understand, share food, borrow things from one another, and probably have a group chat filled with conversations you will never see. You watch them and think, I want that. Why do people desperately want to belong to a particular group? Probably because they do not want to be lonely in school. There are times when you finish a long, tiring lecture and are completely exhausted. You are feeling moody and do not want to relate to anyone, not even your roommates. But there is just that one person or group of people who know...

  By Ojemakinde Bolatito Maria At the University of Ibadan (UI), electricity supply has become increasingly unpredictable. Sometimes, power is available; at other times, students are left without it for extended periods. Even when electricity returns after an outage, it may only last briefly before another interruption. For students who depend on electricity for their academic and daily activities, this inconsistency is more than an inconvenience. A Reluctant Shift from Stability to Scarcity There was a time when power supply was reliable. Students could rest assured that electricity would be available upon returning from lectures to charge their academic devices and continue their learning. Not anymore. The inconsistency in power supply has left students uncertain about when electricity will be available, making it difficult to plan around a basic utility that should support their academic and daily activities. This uncertainty raises a pressing question: what is really happening ...

  By Sulaiman Rashidat Mopelola People compete, one wins, everyone claps. But pageantry is more than what meets the eye. The stage is quiet.  The contestants stand backstage, adjusting their dresses and taking one final breath before the lights come on. Behind the glitter, rehearsed smiles and carefully chosen outfits lies a nerve-wracking competition that demands more than beauty. For every contestant hoping to win the crown, there are weeks of preparation, nerves, expectations and pressure to prove that he or she deserves the title of king or queen. Now, let’s talk about preparation. First, the contestants have a general rehearsal, which may involve dance, drama or any other activity aimed at showing unity among them. Then there is the walk rehearsal for both male and female contestants, generally referred to as the boot camp. Marks are awarded during this stage and later included in the contestants’ general scores, so everyone strives to perform at their best and get notice...

  By Shogbanmu Fathia Picture meeting someone new and, within the first few moments, deciding they seem arrogant. Perhaps it is something in how they carry themselves, or the way they hold eye contact a beat too long. No words have really been exchanged, yet a judgment has already formed. It is remarkable how quickly this happens. The brain does not wait for a complete biography before forming an opinion. It works with whatever information is immediately available, turning brief observations into a story about someone we barely know. This process, known as thin-slicing, allows us to draw conclusions from small amounts of information. But speed does not guarantee accuracy. Now imagine that same person, in conversation, turns out to be warm and easy to talk to, nothing like the impression first formed. One real exchange can begin undoing a judgment that took only seconds to form. Our initial impression can influence how we interpret everything that follows, making it easier to see so...

By Ayodele Abigeal After preparing so well for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and the Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (PUTME), hoping to gain admission into the University of Ibadan to study the course you had already envisioned yourself pursuing throughout your years at the university, perhaps Pharmacy, only to be denied admission because of a mere 0.5-point difference in your aggregate score, the disappointment can be overwhelming. Everyone understands the kind of pain that comes with such an experience. It is never easy to watch a carefully imagined future suddenly take a different direction. Fortunately, the University of Ibadan offers you a transfer option to the Faculty of Agriculture. Definitely, you may feel angry and disappointed because you have never seen yourself as an agriculturist. You may have heard so many narratives about how agriculture is a useless or meaningless course that cannot be used to build wealth. You keep staring at th...

  By Olatunde Kehinde Goodness Ever wondered what goes on inside a creative’s head? Honestly, nobody knows. Not even the creative. One minute, they are having a normal conversation. The next minute, they are thinking, “Wait, what if I turn this into an article?” Then suddenly, they have a title, a storyline, a colour palette, three different endings, and absolutely no idea where the original conversation went. A creative doesn’t just see things; they notice things. A random conversation can become a story. A picture can become an idea. A boring afternoon can become content. Even a tiny inconvenience can suddenly feel like the beginning of a masterpiece. And the funniest part? Creatives are often surrounded by unfinished ideas. One notebook has five abandoned stories. Their phone is full of random screenshots. Their gallery is basically a museum of “I’ll use this someday.” Sometimes, the ideas come at 2 a.m., when sleep is the only reasonable option. Other times, you can stare at a ...

  By: Akinkugbe Ayuba Opeyemi For many students, soft drinks and sugary snacks have become daily companions. Whether during late-night study sessions, after lectures, or while hanging out with friends, these sugary treats often seem like the quickest way to boost energy. However, what feels like a short-term solution may lead to long-term problems. Excessive sugar consumption increases the risk of weight gain, tooth decay, type 2 diabetes, and other health complications. Although students may not immediately notice these effects, they can gradually impact their overall well-being. Beyond physical health, excessive sugar intake can also affect academic performance. While sugary foods and drinks may provide a temporary energy boost, they are often followed by an energy crash that leaves students feeling tired, unfocused, and less productive. Poor concentration, reduced memory, and difficulty staying alert during lectures or study sessions can make learning more challenging. Maintaini...

By: Adebayo Balqees Folayemi  Dear Humanity, Before you call me ordinary earth, allow me to introduce myself. I am the soil beneath your feet. The silent keeper of harvests. The cradle of roots. The memory of every seed that has ever dared to dream. You have walked upon me all your life, yet you hardly know my name. I remember the first rains that softened my body and awakened sleeping seeds. I remember the laughter of children chasing butterflies across farmlands. I remember farmers who looked to the skies with hope, pressing kernels of maize, cowpea and rice into my palms as though entrusting me with tomorrow itself. I have never broken that trust. Everything green that has stretched towards the sun first whispered its dreams to me. Yet today, I feel different. Not because I have grown old, but because I have grown weary. Each season, I give away pieces of myself. My richness leaves with every sack of harvested grain, every basket of vegetables and every truckload of tubers. I wa...