THE NATION THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2012
36
CAMPUS LIFE The telephone is a very important gagdet, on and off the campus. CHISOM OJUKWU (500-Level Chemical Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Owerri) writes that many students are so addicted to their phones that they have become the “used” rather than the users.
Culture of telephony on campus
S
OME say it was Johann Philipp Reis. others say it was Antonio Meucci, yet another group of people believe it was Alexander Graham Bell and the rest staunchly maintain that it was Thomas Edison. It is clear that the identity of the discoverer of the telephone remains a mystery. Bell might bear the title of “father of telephone” but fact is that the modern telephone is not the work of one inventor, but of many. Since the initial prototype, modulations upon modulations have led to what we have today as our telephones – the global system for mobile communication (GSM) or cell phones. Cell phones are undisputedly high up in the list of the common personal items for everyday use. They serve as diary, planner, mini-computer, pet and even companion. To students, however, the general consensus is that cell phones are a way of life. Whether a Nokia of the E or N series, a BlackBerry, an Apple iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy tab, your average student couldn’t have a complete day without the comforting weight of his cell phone in his pocket or handbag. “With my BlackBerry, I can reach all of my friends in Nigeria and outside,” said Joseph Orji, a 300-Level student of Chemical Engineering at the University of Manchester. “Wherever they are, they are only a ping away. How much easier could it get?” he said. As much as these tools are commended, their disadvantages make an interesting bunch. “First among the many disadvantages of cell phone usage is the erosion of moral values and ethics among users,” stated Callistus Osunwa, a 300 Level student of Industrial Physics at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO). As far as Callistus is concerned, the Internet is strewn with pornographic as well as other “carnal” sites which phone users, through their mobile internet access, are exposed to. “Sometimes,”
•A student busy pinging while lecture was on
•Variety of mobile phones
he posited, “one enters such sites even without intending to and soon, inadvertent addiction sets in.” Cell phones equally prove to be major distractions for students and teachers alike in the classrooms. “Some of them (students) carry their ‘studio’ into the classrooms all in the name of cell phones” complained Mr S. Opebiyi, a lecturer in the department of Chemical Engineering, FUTO, “often during lectures, students’ phones ring out and the owners are seen ducking under desks to take calls or texting away in the middle of a lecture.” Cell phones, CAMPUSLIFE gathered, could also be held accountable for the erosion of social skills in the present crop of users. The convenience of texting, especially boosted by the popularity of the ‘in vogue’ BlackBerry phones (BB), is responsible for communication and social interaction deficiencies in modern day cell phone users. A student who sought anonymity shared his experience with CAMPUSLIFE. He purportedly met a friend
On and Off Campus By Solomon Izekor 08061522600
on 2go – one of the leading mobile social networking media – who seemed very witty, funny and interesting while chatting. Eager to meet this new friend in person, he arranged a meeting but was subsequently disappointed. “She (the friend) couldn’t even look me in the eyes while we talked,” he recounted, “she was so boring that I couldn’t believe it was the same person that had so enthralled me on 2go.” Money issues also come up. The average student, while relying solely on parents or guardians for upkeep, loads a minimum of N100 worth of airtime every two days. The “BB-craze”, as Tombari Akpe, in 400-Level Mechanical Engineering, FUTO, put it, is not helping student pockets either. The habitual copy-cat attitude of Nigerian youths, Tombari believes, has evolved the BB into a students toy, a must-have for any student who wishes to be regarded with an iota of “substantive social standing.” Shadows have also been cast on the impact of cell phones on the general physical health of their users. Every day, people send or
read text messages, make or receive calls, and browse on their phones while driving or walking in the streets. A study conducted at the Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, US used brain imaging to document that when driving and listening, activity in the parietal lobe, the portion of the brain associated with driving, was reduced by 37 per cent, much less when driving and texting. It is, therefore, not surprising that such acts of carelessness have many a time, resulted in major injuries to and sometimes death of the cell phone users. A fair analysis shows up the advent of cell phones as having done a lot of harm but more good to the human society of users. Uche Nnamadim, in 300-Level Mechanical Engineering, is of the opinion that in order to reap the benefits of cell phones while cutting down on the evils, “discipline is expedient”. Another student, Alexander Onukwue, believes that “we need to learn how to use our phones and not let our phones use us.”
Surviving on Fura de Nunu •Continued from page 34
factor that makes nunu endearing. He said: “Apart from the nutritional values, what makes me to like it is that it is very cheap when compared to other industrial milk.” He added that it also serves “as a sure energy booster”. Despite the advantages of nunu, Tony Mendie, a Diploma II student expressed concern over what he described as the poor hygienic conditions under which it is usually prepared. He had this to say: “I have always heard that poorly prepared nunu could cause tuberculosis. That is why I am always careful when consuming it. Although I rarely take nunu, when I do, I take it alone, not with Fura or Dambu. This is to minimise the exposure to the effects of poorly prepared meals.” One of the students, who preferred not to be mentioned, claimed that she has fashioned out a way of detecting if it is properly prepared or not. “If I add lime to the nunu and notice some worm in it, I will not take it, but if there is none, I will take knowing full well that it was properly done,” she said. Some students have no particular reason for taking it. For Jane and Jacinta, in 100 and 400 levels respectively, to be in the college where taking of nunu is wildly practiced, they do not want to be left out. Jacinta stated that before coming to TV College, she knew about nunu but had not tasted it. She added: “But
when I got here, almost all my friends were taking nunu, so I just joined them.” In a chat with CAMPUSLIFE, Mr. Samuel Hoshen, a nutritionist, stated that nunu has a lot of benefits “considering the fact that it is taken from animals which is a first class source of protein and fat”. He stressed on the nutritional value saying it contains protein which helps in replacing worn out tissues, cells and builds the body’s immune system to fight infections. Comparing the fresh cow milk to industrial milk, he said: “Unlike other milk, nunu comes naturally without addictives or preservatives. But the only fear is that if the cows are not healthy, it can transfer certain illnesses to the consumer. Then, the delicacy can be a direct source of waterborne infections if there are faults in the mode of preparation.” However, a nunu vendor who spoke in Hausa stated that for nunu to be appreciated and have good taste, it needs to be prepared in a hygienic environment and that is what she strives to achieve. She said:“I make sure I pasteurise the milk carefully and my environment is always kept clean because if you prepare nunu in a dirty environment it will not have a good taste. Thus, people will not appreciate it.” Although this food is common on campus, Abdulahi Muhammed, a Fulani, thinks it is an invaluable meal. “Nunu is a great meal; it satisfies one and has a lot of nutritional benefits. I want everybody to see the value in it.”
‘Apart from the nutritional values, what makes me to like it is that it is very cheap when compared to other industrial milk.” He added that it also serves “as a sure energy booster’