Campus journalism was something I do as part of my extracurricular activities. I used to join my colleagues from different department or faculties to review and edit the articles of the week every Sunday. My communication in English was terribly bad in my early days, I still remember how nervous I used to feel. Sometimes I would want contribute to the meeting, but I was timid to speak. I would just sit back and listen to them. Imagine being amidst those bright youngsters, predominantly from Yorubaland and Nupeland, with a few Hausa from Law Faculty.
The journalism cycle edified me so well, which was an eye opener to me. As the saying goes; “Journalism is knowledge”. It’s quite true.Ours was a news platform for many students, we call it the Vanguard board, where news and articles are shared on encased, wooden board. The board alongside other boards are placed on a wall close to the university auditorium. The Vanguard board hosts variety of topics from in and around the university, from campus news on sports, relationship, current affairs, politics, religion, science, modernity, progress, and even the world news. Sometimes, news from other universities around Nigeria. I participated in Ad-daleel weekly publication and other campus press.
The experience was intensive and challenging, and educative. I achieved my aims, thanks be to God, and I have since kept completing what I have learnt through reading, encounters, and writing. The avid readers in the campus were familiar with my write-ups by my penname Khalifa Ceae. I adopted the name right from my Agricultural Science class in secondary school, I later changed it to Khalifaspeaks, which I borrowed from the old Nations of Islam newspaper called Mohammed Speaks, whilst I was reading a book called; “The autobiography of Malcolm X”.
This picture was taken on 23rd day of march 2014 in our final day of our workshop on print and electronic media by professionals, organized by the campus journalism club.
If you are not a journalist, have one as your friend.
Ahmad Khalifa,
Katsina, Nigeria
khalifaspeaks.wordpress.com 