GIJ- the Judas Within Us.

Originally written on 11th October, 2015.

For the observant eye, the clean premises of the Ghana Institute of Journalism should impress whenever you find yourself on campus. Here, I want to dedicate a-minute silence to the cleaning staff. You guys are the real MVPs. You'll seldom see litter, be it in whatever form. The campus is almost always neat. 'Almost always' because I'm not on campus everyday. Maybe there's dirt when I'm not around. I can't talk about the unknown.

One might wonder why the Ghana Institute of Journalism is so neat and litter-free. Maybe the clean nature of the school's environs transcends onto campus. Everybody and their mother knows that the Ghana Institute of Journalism is located in the upper echelon of Ghanaian communities: opposite the school is the British High Commission; adjacent to the school are houses which command rent or sale fees in US Dollars, and are lived in by white men, rich men, and diplomats alike.
How do you drop sachets on the ground when all you drink is bottled water?

Moreover, the Ghana Institute of Journalism's campus may be so neat because of the presence of waste bins found at vantage areas. It's just a matter of locating one of the many, and walking over to it.
If that argument sounds flawed, use this: the students realize they're at a university and maturity and class has to ooze from every vein and artery. Why would you drop litter on the ground? Are you okay? Were you not brought up well? What high school did you attend? Don't be silly!

The Ghana Institute of Journalism has a clean environment.

Clean. Yes, clean. No, wait.

A quick Google search for the meaning of clean displays:

clean - /kliːn/

adjective
1. free from dirt, marks, or stains.
2. morally uncontaminated; pure; innocent.
3. free from irregularities; having a smooth edge or surface.
4. (of a taste, sound, or smell) giving a clear and distinctive impression to the senses; sharp and fresh.

Number one envelopes all that I have talked about.
Number two is for the morally upbeat individuals. Religious, if you like. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." - Matthew 5:8
Number three. Is there a difference between that and number one?
Number four. Think of number four as that serious student who always reminds the lecturer that he has assignments to collect. Annoying brat that always allows himself to be used by the devil.

I was going about my cleanliness rant when Google's fourth definition of 'clean' caught my attention and threatened to destroy the serenity of my mind, and of GIJ's campus and its environs.

clean - /kliːn/
4. (of a taste, sound, or smell) giving a clear and distinctive impression to the senses; sharp and fresh.

This definition doesn't talk about a place. Are you with me? This definition, in its spectrum, captures an entirely different image - of a taste, sound or smell.
I can't wait to ask my learned colleague, Google, how a taste or sound can be clean.

Smell though. It seems plausible.
Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems like SMELL could be clean.

And this is where the Ghana Institute of journalism falls short. This is the Judas Iscariot among Jesus Christ's original 12 disciples. This is Asamoah Gyan's missed penalty kick against Uruguay at the 2010 World Cup Tournament. This is the rape case that 'threatened' to tarnish KKD's fine image. This is that one scene in Suits where Harvey Specter displayed a rare emotion and told Donna, 'you know I love you'.
Bad Smell. This is the UNclean environment students of the Ghana Institute of Journalism have to endure on campus.

GIJ. Clean surrounding, unclean smell.
How does that even work?

The washrooms on campus exude the worst smell you can imagine. That particular female washroom adjacent to Lecture Hall C1 is the main culprit. I can't begin to think of and then fathom what these females discharge that smells so bad. Attending a class in Lecture hall C1 is akin to being punished to scrub the toilet in high school. How do you study in such appalling... No. How do you study in such smelly conditions? I'm pretty sure the authorities have been notified several times on this issue. The cleaning staff who I saluted early on in this write up should please return my salute. You guys should be ashamed of yourselves for letting bad smell dent the good job you do in cleaning the school.
Please do well to make the washrooms smell okay. Of course, we're not expecting the washroom to smell like the Cafeteria Jollof. That's heavenly. But at least, let the place smell like... Like nothing. Just let the washroom be a bit appealing to its users and undergrad students trying to get an education, and a degree in Lecture Hall C1. Overall, let's ensure that there's a clean smell on campus as this could entice prospective investors and students alike to stay.

Word of Encouragement:

My colleagues, let's stay clean. Let's continue to drop litter in bins. Let's curtail indiscriminate flatulence also.

Dear cleaning staff, you guys are doing an amazing job already. Please add the smell of the washrooms to your thoughts and let's experience a clean air.

Thank you.

PS: Students are now complaining of the gravels that serve as the walking ground for us. They are... in fact, WE are complaining of the dirt that engulf our shoes when we get to campus. Also, some other students, including Chinedu and Phyliss Lamptey have shared their discomfort on the issue of walking. They claim to have had the soles of their shoes destroyed by the gravels. Students are quickly losing patience. It's high time the authorities changed their minds and actually constructed brick pavements in place of those gravels.

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That's all I have for now. Join me after May 21st for Semester Chronicles.


Written by: Fiifi Khoruz,

Third Year, Journalism C.
@FiifiKhoruz

Pictures by: Jay Zugah
Third year, Journalism B.