More Than a Welcome: Psychology Freshers Introduced to Talks, Voting, and Representation

By Ojo Deborah

On Saturday, March 14, the Department of Psychology officially welcomed freshers with a physical orientation organised by the newly sworn-in executives at the Faculty’s Large Lecture Theatre (LLT), setting a structured and engaging tone for their academic journey.

The event commenced at 11:00 a.m. with an opening prayer led by the Vice President, followed by a welcome address from the President, Kalu Eberechukwu. In her address, she emphasised the realities of university life, noting that success requires more than lecture attendance, and encouraged students to be intentional about their academic and personal growth.

The programme proceeded with the introduction of members of the Executive body and the recognition of distinguished guests, including the erstwhile departmental President and General Secretary, as well as representatives from Psychlens (Press), the Literary and Debating Society (LnD), and INEC.

In a practical session, the Vice President addressed academic survival and CGPA calculation, highlighting key institutional expectations, including withdrawal risks for low performance and the increasing difficulty of maintaining top grades beyond 100 level.

Adding depth, former President Akinwande Samuel shared insights on navigating university life, emphasising prioritisation over the idea of balance.

Subsequent segments focused on campus engagement, with representatives from the Press and the Literary and Debating Society introducing their organisations and outlining opportunities and ongoing recruitment processes.

A major highlight of the event was the conduct of elections. INEC officials supervised the selection of National Psychology House of Representatives (NPHR) members, where aspirants presented their visions before a live voting process. Similarly, the Faculty House of Representatives (FHR) election was conducted by the Speaker, Mr. Peter Oduola, who stressed readiness to serve as a key requirement. The selection of the Course Representative and Assistant Course Representative followed, with a unanimous decision for the former and a majority vote determining the latter. The process was overseen by the erstwhile General Secretary, who also advised students on cooperation with elected leaders.

The event concluded with an interactive giveaway session, where students were rewarded for correctly answering questions on psychology and departmental knowledge. With a closing remark from the President, the curtains were drawn.