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          Israel Bakare & Michael Olawuyi  Long before the morning sun cuts through the mist over the Obafemi Awolowo University campus, a lone female figure is usually already down on the dirt. For Lucas Victoria, a Part 3 Political Science student, 6:30 a.m. is not just an early hour, it’s the threshold where sweat, ambition, and discipline meet. Known across campus simply as “Impressive,” Victoria is a quarter-miler, a 400-meter runner, and one of the standout athletes of the OAU Spartans. However, on a campus where female student-athletes routinely face steep uphill battles, her story isn't just about times on a stopwatch. It’s about breaking administrative glass ceilings, dodging potholes on makeshift practice grounds, and proving that speed and leadership can share the same lane.   The Spark and the Track Victoria’s journey as a runner began long before she gained admission to Great Ife. In secondary school, she competed without b...

            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...

           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...