Unity: A virtue to learn from Zikites and Katangites

"We do not do anything together in this hall. We do not sensitize each other; we do not support each other when it matters. Look at Zik hall, they do things together. They cook together; they organize events that bring them together. Their events involve all Zikites. They are so close with one another there."

These are the words of a Queenite who has spent no less than six years as a resident of the hall. Her view is not different from many other Queenites who have had one or two things to say about the poor organization in the hall and the visible lack of alliance among Queenites.

 An average student residing on campus will have a thousand tales to tell of the famous citizens of the Baluba Kingdom and Katangite Republic ranging from their clout, imposing presence on campus, comradeism, probable hoodlumism, and noise-making to the well-debated and documented "Aro" tradition. 

However, these characteristics and their blazing impacts on the university have one thing as their driving force and sustaining factor - Unity. There is a noticeable bond seen among residents of these halls that no other hall has a testament of. Over the years, they have been able to inculcate a spirit in the hearts of all residents that binds and keeps them together. A spirit that makes you assume another person’s way as your way. 

When one Zikite does it, all Zikites did it; if it is a Katangite that said it, the whole republic said it. 

One day, I saw a group of boys walking together and when their conversation filtered to my ears, I was able to deduce that they are Zikites. Watching them walk along the road that leads to the Zik Bridge, I could feel brotherhood in their interaction. The same thing applies to a group of boys in my department. They move together, come to class and leave together, sit together, and disturb the class and department group together; their common factor is not their CGPA or class division, it is not their background, tribe, or religion, it is their hall of residence - they are all Zikites. And when you shade one, you receive clap backs from the rest of them.

This is not to say Queenites should begin to move in packs to every place. It is not compulsory that your best friend is a Queenite but the bond - the one-mind one-people spirit, the impulse to stand up and turn up for your fellow Queenites - is lacking. In an event like Jaw War, how many times do we turn up for our speakers? This indifference and lack of solidarity manifest even in events organized within the hall. Queenites would rather sit in their rooms than step out and socialize or support any Queenite doing anything. It is easy to go for Zik gyration and talk about the litness of the event but whom and what brings the excitement to these events? Zikites, and the fact that they turn up for everything related to their hall. A Queenite might be representing the hall in a competition somewhere within the school and you will find a sparse number of Queenites in attendance. This nonchalant attitude has helped reduce our influence and presence in important matters on campus. Some events might seem frivolous but they have a meaningful purpose. Check the statistics of elections across Faculties, Departments, and Unions; if a candidate is coming from Zik or Indy, the likelihood of an opponent winning against him is very slim. It is not magic and it is not because they have more numbers but they have learnt to take up the ambition of their fellow man as theirs and push it with as much zeal as they would a personal project. It has gotten so deep that the loss of a candidate from these halls is like a loss attributed to the whole hall. It is felt like a slap and could even cause an uproar. They never want to lose and that is why they rarely lose. They do not need to know the candidate personally to feel the need to win. 

It is cheap to insult these boys and call them troublemakers but underneath their noise is a virtue that has worked for them.

Imagine a case scenario where a Zikite or a Katangite is harassed; it goes without saying that the perpetrators have called World War III on themselves and the whole school will hear of it. A sin or offence committed against any resident of these halls is an offence committed against the halls and that is enough to cause the grounds of UI to shake. They do not need or wait for their executives to release an official statement to express their displeasure; they go ahead and express it in the way every student and even lecturer would understand.

A Queenite might be a victim of a similar experience and next to nothing would be heard or seen - not from Queenites and at most, a perfunctory official statement from the executive body.

The agitation of the student above is not baseless. In my five years as a resident of this hall, there has not been an event that was able to bring Queenites together for a proper bonding time. Even during the Hall week, it takes a lot to get Queenites to participate in the activities. There is almost no experience to remember after leaving this hall. 

We can emulate this virtue – unity - from these halls and use it for ourselves too. It is not to be a Queenite by name, but the solidarity that comes with a joint title should be seen.