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Inside OAU: How Student-Athletes Balance Sports and Academics Amidst Examination Pressure

            Israel Bakare  “For learning and culture… sports and struggle.” Beyond its place in the GreatIFE anthem, this phrase continues to reflect the lived reality of many students who are juggling academic demands with active participation in sports. As examination pressure intensifies across campus, lecture halls, libraries, and reading rooms are filled with students preparing for their examination. Yet, in a striking contrast, football pitches, basketball courts, and other sporting arenas remain active, occupied by student-athletes determined to keep both their academic and sporting ambitions alive. Speaking with the ICONS correspondent, Emmanuel Ahononvi, who featured in a church football match between FYB and Household Brethren on Sunday, August 2, explained that his commitment to football remains unwavering despite the demands of exams. According to him, his approach to academics is strategic rather than time-consuming. “Once I h...

Icons member wins Overall Best Campus Fellow Award of the AFYMP Campus Journalism Fellowship 2024

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By Adedoyin Oguntade Adetunji Oluwafemi (Àyànféelédùmarè), a prominent member serving as the Production Manager of the Icons Organization, received the "Lekan Otufodunrin Campus Journalism Best Fellowship 2024 Award" on Wednesday, November 13, 2024. Additionally, he was honored with the Overall Best Fellow award across all categories by the African Foundation for Young Media Professionals (AFYMP) during the 3rd edition of the Africa Media Come Alive Forum 2024, which took place today at the Center for Management and Development in Magodo, Lagos. The African Foundation for Young Media Professionals (AFYMP) is a Nigerian media outlet and the founder of a news website called "Nigeria Grassroot News." It was established to strengthen and promote a vibrant, independent African media landscape that supports professionals who advocate for an open, inclusive, and sustainable society. READ ALSO: Great Ife Students' Union Announces Regulated POS Charges The AF...

Decorating the Kingdom Scepter: A Scholarly Tradition of Political Patronage

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          Israel Bakare Long live the spirit of the Union! Victoria Ascerta! These are the songs we all know, it is the chants we all have mastered, and rituals we all perform with conviction. Yet perhaps, just perhaps, another slogan deserves a louder ovation: “Long live the Invisible.”  Applause! Applause!! Applause!!! Congratulations are certainly in order for such a well-decorated honour. It is no small feat to remain politically relevant long after elections have packed their bags and moved on. While ordinary students graduate and pursue uncertain futures, the "King Maker" achieve something far greater: permanent residency in the corridors of student politics. Honour, in Ogbafemi politics, belongs to whom it is carefully arranged for. What a beautiful ceremony it is, as some receive votes, others attain office, but the truly accomplished receive awards. How reassuring it is to know that student politics still recognizes excellence, not nec...

From Slow Start to Champions: Block 2 Edge Block 1 in 10-Goal Thriller to Clinch Fajuyi Inter-Hall Trophy

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        Israel Bakare Block 2 completed a stunning turnaround to emerge champions of the Adekunle Fajuyi Hall Inter-Block Competition, defeating Block 1 in a dramatic, high-scoring final that was ultimately decided on penalties. The final, played on Monday, August 3, kickoff around 4:30 p.m., delivered all the intensity and unpredictability expected of a title decider. Coming into the tournament as underdogs after a shaky start, Block 2 defied expectations early in the game, racing to a commanding three-goal lead in the first half. Their clinical finishing and attacking momentum left Block 1 struggling to find rhythm in the opening stages. However, Block 1 mounted a fierce comeback in the second half, turning the match into a goal fest. In a thrilling display of resilience and attacking football, they fought back to level the score at 5–5 by stoppage time, forcing the contest into a penalty shootout. From the spot, Block 2 held their nerve, converting mor...

Kamaldeen’s Clinical Brace Fires Block 2 Into Fajuyi Hall's Inter-Block Finals

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          Israel Bakare Akorede Kamaldeen has delivered a match-winning performance, netting a brilliant brace to propel Block 2 into the final of the Adekunle Fajuyi Hall Inter-Block Competition, after a commanding 2–0 victory over Block 3. The forward’s decisive display ensured his side booked a place in the final, capping off a dramatic turnaround for Block 2, who had earlier suffered back-to-back defeats and were on the brink of elimination. Their resurgence has been one of the biggest stories of this year’s competition. The 2026 edition of the tournament kicked off at exactly 4 p.m. on Friday, July 10, with the opening clash between Annex I & K and Block 2. Since then, the competition has been filled with surprises, none bigger than Block 2’s remarkable run to the final.                  Block 2 had only a single win at the group stage  Kamaldeen is now set to lead his side into a...

ACJ Decides'26: ICONS Members Emerge President, PRO

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      Blessed Elemikan The Association of Campus Journalists, Obafemi Awolowo University (ACJOAU) on Wednesday 29th July, held her annual election for the 2024/2025 academic session to usher in a new set of leaders. The election took place at ACJOAU Press Room, Block 4, Topmost Floor, Fajuyi Hall. The voting process which was scheduled for 10AM, began at about 10:50AM with the counting of ballot papers which amounted to 50.  The voting exercise which was supposed to end by 2PM was extended till 2:30PM to accommodate more voters. Notable electorates were Esther Olatimehin (the incumbent President of the Association), Mercy Ojegbola (Vice President), Adedoyin Oguntade (Chairman, Guild of Editors), Matthew Ogunwale (General Secretary), Mercy Olabiyi (Financial Secretary), Akano Jesuloba (Assistant General Secretary) and Samuel Faseyitan (Librarian).  At the end of the voting process, Dinyo Rereloluwa emerged as the Director of Socials with 4...

Ankara on Pause: Why Culture Only Shows Up on Weekends at OAU

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           Sofiat Yusuf On a hot Friday afternoon at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), the usual sea of students flowed through every corner of the campus, going about their daily routines. Yet, amid the movement and noise, one striking pattern stood out, an overwhelming majority of students adorned in native attire. Ankara, Adire, and other traditional fabrics dominated the scene, presenting a sharp contrast to the tucked-in shirts and Western outfits that define weekday fashion.   This visible shift raises a compelling question: why is native wear largely reserved for weekends?   For an institution whose motto is “For Learning and Culture,” the limited presence of indigenous fashion during the week suggests an underlying contradiction. While OAU prides itself on cultural consciousness, Western-style dressing continues to dominate academic spaces from Monday to Friday.   For some students, the answer lies in habit. Emerald, a s...