A Review of The Vice Hall Chairperson, Adekunle Iyanuyimika

 

By Abraham Favour

On the sunny days of the last voting era of the last session, in Queen Elizabeth II Hall, young students engaged in act of politicking. They brought different promises that were probably too good to overlook. The sweet talks that were used to garner our votes flew from block to block. Yet, after all was said and done, one must ask, did they truly deliver on their pledges and if so, to what extent?

 In 2024, Adekunle Iyanuyimika, popularly known as Angel, presented her manifesto to Queenites as she offered herself as a sacrifice for change. Now, as the session settles and the echoes of campaign promises fade, we take a journey into her tenure, scrutinizing the reality of her promises, the dreams that took flight, and those that never left the ground.

She stated in her manifesto, outlining five major points that aimed to improve the academic and personal growth of Queenites. On close examination of her first point, which is Academic Performance and Mentorship, she proposed the establishment of a Royal Academic Board Committee to oversee tutorial sessions in various courses to help Queenites navigate their discipline with ease. The tutorials turned out to be focused on GES courses and selected faculty-specific subjects. While tutorials were reportedly held weekly, covering a range of subjects, the real question is, did they truly cater to the academic needs of Queenites? The mentorship program, was a good initiative. The forum, "The Noble Nexus," was created for accountability and the effectiveness of regular check-ins is quite commendable.

Another point of hers included the Online Book Club, which was meant to advance intellectual discussions and promote reading among Queenites. She claimed to have pasted flyers and gone from room to room to create awareness, though some book lovers in the hall stated that they were unaware of its existence. This raises questions about the reach and effectiveness of her publicity efforts. Furthermore, the merging of the book club with the accountability forum may have contributed to its lack of visibility and engagement. The introduction of Bingo as a reading incentive was a creative idea to ensure queenites who were in the book club reflect on their book reading progress.

One of the most looked forward to points in Miss Adekunle’s manifesto was the Entrepreneurship Program, which was intended to help Queenites earn while studying. The program took place on November 16, 2024, in two stages: a summit and a one-day workshop training. While the initiative was well-intended, the concern lies in its execution. The training covered bead-making, photography, soap production, and paint production, but as Miss Adekunle herself admitted, photography, in particular, required more than just a day's training. While a follow-up was done, the question is: how many Queenites actually learnt so well that they could earn from what they’ve been trained on while studying? A more extended training program or multiple sessions would have been more beneficial.

Miss Adekunle also pledged to improve stakeholder engagement by creating a board of student leaders across various faculties and departments. While this initiative was implemented though it was by all executives. The selection criteria for the board members was based on their positions outside the hall and their willingness to serve.

The final point in her manifesto was the Hall Help Desk, which was meant to serve as a platform for Queenites to voice their complaints. While a help desk was set up near the porter’s lodge and an online link provided for complaints, there was nothing particularly new about this initiative. Though the desk was a refurbishment of the one used by the previous administration, it was a great avenue to continue the old system. She ensured complaints were directed to the appropriate quarters.

Miss Adekunle’s campaign for Vice Hall Chairperson at Queen Elizabeth II Hall was full of heart and ambition, especially her focus on boosting academics and supporting student entrepreneurs. It’s clear she genuinely wanted to tackle real needs within the hall community. Her ideas were promising and they were implemented strategically though there were issues like, the merging of distinct programs and the short duration of skill acquisition training.