I warmly greet you, good morning. It is another privilege for me to speak to you, on this important day, at this historic pledge ceremony.
One that marks the beginning of a vibrant academic semester, amidst living in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic. One that marks the welcoming of the Class of 2021, 2024, and 2025 to our learning community.
Today, the mission begins into a bright future for us all, and on behalf of the student body, I welcome you all, once again. I embarked on my final year this semester, and I call it a bittersweet moment because time travels fast ... five years of law study ... hmm. Throughout the history of AUN, it is proven that excellence and honor are embraced deeply, which makes it a class on its own. AUN will not be this class without its model of accommodating diverse backgrounds and cultures, with different future interests who look forward to the same goal, which is academic excellence, integrity, and service. This model gives the best of two worlds in one in the ambit of academic and social life, with measures that ensure that academic excellence is guaranteed and that our collective definitions of morality are embedded within. This connotes that we are not only moulded for the good grades on paper, but also equipped with the ability to critically analyze and solve economical, societal and developmental problems, which the world yearns for.
To this effect, I have two emphasis to make to this morning; the first is that, being a part of the amazing lifetime mission at this University does not come cheap, or by magic. There is hard work and dedication required on our parts as students. And one of the greatest tips to accomplish this mission is good time-management, as it is the key to excelling at many things simultaneously. Let me also inform you in advance that academically, you will have many continuous assessments that you cannot escape from. You will have assignments that will have strict 11:59pm deadlines for submission online. Your assignments will also go through Turnitin to ensure that you have not plagiarized. And if you do, the zero-tolerance alarm rings, and it does not have a pleasant sound.
Please avoid the plagiarism of your work, and be attentive in the classes that will teach you how to reference your written work, and more. At AUN, attending classes early and regularly is not merely for the attendance sheets. In rare cases, it will count towards your grades, and where it does not, non-attendance will drop your grades from A to B, and C ... all the way to F. That is a “Gbas-Gbos” to your GPA and CGPA, and you do not want that, so please attend your classes regularly and on time. Academics cannot stand on its own to define who we are, or what we will become. For this, AUN guarantees student comfort that is well required for a conducive learning environment. A part of this comfort comes with an allotted office timing to personally see our professors weekly, so as to discuss academic issues, and sometimes the social ones that have a close connection with academics. Please make good use of this.
As students, we are also given the priceless opportunity to gear ourselves up for the world beyond these walls. The only way to be geared up for this is to take opportunities as they come knocking on your door. You would have seen how evident this is from the moment you walked out of Yola Airport to receive a warm welcome from an amazing team. This team is filled up with students like yourselves who have stepped out of various comfort zones. These amazing students who make up part of this wonderful team that has catered to you, took a priceless opportunity that knocked on their doors. An opportunity that prepares them for the outside world with amazing recommendations. – I give a shout out to the Careers Office and the amazing Student Volunteers. A round of applause for them please!
Opportunities never run out at AUN. You can be selected to go on a study exchange program in Universities outside Nigeria. You will get to take on regional and international competitions such as the Hult Prize, AUN Students’ P2P Facebook Challenge be a part of the SGA and many clubs and societies ... among others. Please open your doors to these opportunities when they come knocking. I have stood here talking too much serious stuff, but take this as well. At the American University of Nigeria, we get the best of both worlds in one. So do not to think that you are expected not to have a social life after all the academic and opportunity strives. With this fine blend, our academic community excels.
You will be under the same roof listening to public figures, some of which are your role models. You will enjoy a ton of activities already planned out for the semester by Student Affairs, Student Activities and Engagements, the Student Government Association, Campus Activities Board (CAB), and many Clubs and Societies. I employ you to become members of more than one or two of these Clubs, so as not to miss out on the goodies.
AUN sets a trend of its own, and this trend is what makes AUN different from the norm. It is also an exceptional community, but it would not be so without a Code of Conduct for those who make it up. As such my second emphasis this morning is that you study and make the Student Code of Conduct a key part of your navigation around this community. You cannot do without it within your stay here. Do your part by managing your time well, excel at your academics, and don’t let your social life dull. In turn, AUN will make you become a Master-breed and the agent of the economical, developmental and social change that the world craves.
Classes of Students, you have taken a step into a new world that opens doors of multiple opportunities. Please grab them, and make good use of your time here. The extraordinary times that we find ourselves in makes it that I am the longest serving Student Government President in AUN’s history. As such, it is a rare privilege that I still had this opportunity to speak to you on this fine occasion.
For that, I will repeat that I am elated that you joined our Student Body while I am still a trustee, and together; we will ensure that our wonderful campus always goes the extra mile to be interesting with your passion, interests, talents and hopes for the semester, and beyond. These will make us a true student body, rather than a collection of individual students. And as we strive for our goals, let us not forget how fortunate we are to be here. Be involved in community services to give back and be grateful for the opportunities that we have here. I also had an extra privilege to speak to law students at the orientation on Tuesday evening, regarding compliance with COVID-19 protocols on our campus. I take this opportunity to employ us in generality to comply with these protocols so as to keep us all safe. Wear your masks in public places on campus, and in your classrooms. You should also practice safe social distancing while in your classrooms, and one of the ways is to avoid the use of seats that are marked for social distance. The SGA is also a part of a COVID-19 Compliance Task Force set up by Madam President, and we listen real good. So, if you have ideas on how to further our compliance, please share them with us to deliberate on. Wonderful loving parents, I welcome you once again, to our safe and secure community, one that will transform your wards into worldwide gems. Classes of students, I welcome you once again, to our safe and secure community, one that will groom you for advocacy of selfless and positive change.
... And as famously said by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “write it on your hearts that every day is the best day of the year”, just like today. Once again, my name is Taslim Oladoja, the President of the Student Government Association. Thank you for listening. God bless you; God bless AUN, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.