The character of a university lecturer

The character of a university lecturer

“Man, if you wanted to know you should have asked her. Are you a Minister for Nyumba Kumi or the new Caring Brother. If your intention is to care why then do you care about only particular individuals and not others?

BY MUSYOKA NGUI

You have lived with them for some years now. One, two, three, four, five or even six. Some have bored you stiff for three hours saying nothing. Others have riveted you and you have failed to notice why time flies so fast. But, what exactly makes a university don? Today we venture into the unexplored world of university teachers. This article does not address anyone in particular and the parallels I draw are purely for informational purposes not personal.

The good

There is a caliber of university lecturers who inspire students to be better than them. They are like the good coaches who find delight when their players score in a game and actually go ahead and win. Like football managers, these lecturers give their all to students so that they may come up as intellectuals not mere cramming zombies.

They are firm, fair and tough. Some students may not like them at present because they are always on their necks about this mediocre assignment or that plagiarized work or poor class attendance. They want their students to be original, honest and time conscious.

Such dons come to lecture hall with internalized content. They do not keep gazing confusedly into notes and voluminous books. They already have made sense of sophisticated courses for the students to understand. They are a darling of the students.

I have met quite a number of encouraging lecturers in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. They may not be necessarily our regular types. Some teach literature, others English and even others lecture totally unrelated disciplines but somehow they come to connect issues within the Media School.

One offered to review my novel manuscript and make useful suggestions. Another whispered to an Eve, “you have a rare talent. Your voice is for radio. You have confidence and command of language that is beyond expectations.”

The bad

I have come to hate sadistic dons. They will give you ambiguous instructions and when you mess up your exams they say you did not listen. That you were too busy and lazy enough to listen to them (dons). They derive pleasure in crises and suffering. When majority of students get mixed up by the lecturer’s poor sense of articulation they smile in satisfaction that their little trick has yielded much casualties.

There are others who are trivial, ethnic, shallow and at worse personal. They will crack tribal jokes to amuse learners who outgrew such humour. The latter do not get the joke. Better still, the lecturer is not funny. In an attempt to psyche up the class, they end up boring.

On being personal for the wrong reasons; it is better to draw distinct lines between professional and personal stuff. How does for example, what I ate in the morning concern the day’s lecture? Some cross the border of professionalism under a hideous guise of “because I care”. They justify the never ending questions of where is so and so? Has she not come to class for the last month? Does she have a boyfriend? Is he married?

Man, if you wanted to know you should have asked her. Are you a Minister for Nyumba Kumi or the Caring Brother. If your intention is to care why then do you care about only particular individuals and not others? Does it shame you that the student body is often hit by disasters at the softest part of the belly and that death has a poor sense of timing? If your list of caring would include those who worry they may never sit for their end-semester exam because of fees balance, because of being orphaned or because of government loan bureaucracy you would be tackling issues not persons.

I am not downplaying the need to be your sibling’s keeper. In fact, nothing satisfies me more than helping humanity however and whenever I can. I admire those who pull all the stops to ensure a difference is made even if it is an inch. This is neither a wholesale condemnation; there are good professors out there. But like any other profession, there are rotten apples among you who are spoiling the good name of the rest.

The ugly

The most intriguing faculty of your life yet is your dressing style. Someone told me books are dangerous drugs. They may make you forget fashion and hygiene. All of us have seen lecturers clashing colours. Others wearing twisted ties and undergoing mid-life crises. How else would you explain a male lecturer who insists on reliving his teenage in a lecture hall? He unsuccessfully attempts to ape bad boy syndrome, Sheng and offer outdated tips on how we the youth of today are getting it wrong in dating and relationships.

Bad philosophy has gotten into the intellectuals’ mind. They believe in warped theories. They hate love. They love hate. They don’t recognize or accept God. They are too preoccupied with questioning that so much to appreciate has by passed them.

Due to changing dynamics of education we are privileged to be taught by young and vibrant lecturers. They are less rigid and more understanding. They don’t feel threatened by technology. They blog notes and course content online for us to download. They are on social media and reply emails without arrogance. In short, they are accessible. Thank you for your kindness and enduring love even when we are tad too demanding.

The writer is a student of Bachelors of Arts Degree in Communication and Media at Chuka University. He blogs at musyokangui.blogspot.com

Email your thoughts to musyokangui02@gmail.com

                                                                                                                                    

Today I delve into the controversial subject of tribalism and address it as it is

Today I delve into the controversial subject of tribalism and address it as it is

BY MUSYOKA NGUI

Mama Kenya

Ooh! My beloved country Kenya, what have you become!

50 years after independence, you still classify your children along ethnic lines

I dare ask; do we have anything to celebrate when our tribal animosity is at its worst?

Dear motherland, why do you segregate some of your kids as less equal than others?

Do they belong to a lesser God?

Every decade end we conduct census not to plan but to strategize on how many we are

In order to use those numbers to bargain for political alliances

What is the future of the “small” communities?

Do they belong? Will they ever feel a sense of nationalism and inclusion?

Sure, Kenya is a big family; forty million and still counting

When a child is born it does not know its identity

Children play with each other regardless of their ethnic backgrounds

They do not hold back forgiveness if their fellow kids err

Should I say it is the Kenyan parent who imposes tribal identity to the child?

May be, may be not, but one thing is clear......

If we are to achieve true development we should look at all Kenyans as equal citizens

If we are to achieve sustainable development we ought to see each other as a brother not a bother

Only then will we claim to be happy children of one mother called Kenya.

In pursuit of the truth, journalists can be ‘biased’ yet independent

In pursuit of the truth, journalists can be ‘biased’ yet independent

BY MUSYOKA NGUI

During my time as a media critic I have come across situations which call for journalists to take sides while covering news and other broadcast content.

I have thought about the place of journalists in the panoramic landscape of news coverage. Sometimes journalists are biased. True, no one can be entirely objective because we all suffer from subjective biases which cloud our judgment. Others have been accused of supporting opposing news sources thus compromising the independence of their news organizations. This skews reality by constructing a false truth that does not exist on the ground. Credibility of such news outlets is left in jeopardy.

Question is how can a journalist be non partisan yet convey news as they are and not as he or she thinks they should be. One way of doing this is by removing conflict of interest in their work. They should not be interested parties in the pieces of news they cover. For example, if a journalist is related to a politician under police probe he/she should withdraw from pursing that story because he/she will most likely be biased and lenient to that politician.

But not all cases involve conflicts of interest. Sometimes journalists ought to show compassion to victims and survivors of disasters. In doing so, they automatically eclipse the victimizer. This leads to the accused being viewed as guilty as charged or at worse convicted. Mind you the cases are far from conclusion but the journalists pass the judgment too early. Does this prejudice the case ruling? Does it amount to contempt of court? What is it that media advocates seeking to create?

I believe an independent mass media must be committed to tell the truth as it is. When it happens that the truth lies on one side of the story source while the other is telling a lie, it should oblige the journalist to support the person telling the truth. The journalist will be pretending if he or she sits on a false balance of truth and lies. After giving both sides of story an unbiased and equal hearing, a competent journalist should go ahead and make autonomous judgment of who is telling the truth and who is peddling a falsehood. He/she should expose and shame the liar for thinking he/she is clever enough to be believed. On the other hand, the journalist should praise the truthful source for remaining steadfast with the truth.

Truth can be uncomfortable and bitter. But it is within the ethical practices of journalism to pursue the truthful facts by way of investigating solid facts. In case a journalist is dealing with an obvious case of two extreme poles then common sense should prevail. For example, a prudent journalist reporting on parliament debates should examine the debate and take sides as necessary. If the MPs are passing a law to exempt themselves from paying taxes or striking off their type from civil service list or other selfish gymnastics, the reporter should go full throttle and warn the taxpayer the implication of such draconian legislation. In this case the journalist will have mobilized voters from accepting to be dictated by MPs and saved them a huge load of tax burden. If that is what is called biased coverage so be it. If doing the good thing and reprimanding the bad boys and girls is being partisan then we will have to rewrite the rules of journalistic conduct. And by the way why should an interested party (read MP) draft, debate and pass its own piece of legislation? Mind you we have Salaries and Remuneration Commission to set salary scales.

I know it boils down to bad leadership and chronic suffering of our society but sometimes it takes  brave soul to stand up and say “no, this is unacceptable. You can’t do this in a civilized republic”

 The writer is a student of Bachelors of Arts Degree in Communication and Media at Chuka University. He blogs at musyokangui.blogspot.com

Email your thoughts to musyokangui02@gmail.com

The Juatenda Overall Best Essay

 The Juatenda Overall Best Essay BY KENNEDY KOECH KIPNG'ETICH

Environmental issues affecting Mount Kenya region and its surrounding

It is high time we believe in philosophical statement given by our late prof. Wangari Maathai who was also the winner of the Nobel Prize that if we destroy the nature, the nature will destroy us. The environment we live in act as a security for our lives depending on how we treat it and therefore it calls for it conservancy at all cost.

Environmental challenges arises whenever there is a change in the quality or quantity of any environmental factor which directly or indirectly affect the health and well-being of human beings in a variety of ways. Most of the environmental challenges arise from human activities meaning that in can also be controlled by human beings.

Mount Kenya is the highest peak in Kenya at a height of 5199m above the sea level. It was once thickly covered with thick indigenous forest and is considered one of the most ecological and economic resource in Kenya. It is major water catchment area and supply water to a large portion of population living in its surrounding.

Despite this crucial role it plays to Kenya as a nation, it is currently facing many complex threats resulting from activities of people living within its vicinity. Some of these activities include illegal logging for timber and charcoal, encroachment for settlement and agriculture. All this activities have negative implication on the well-being of the citizens if the concerned authorities do not take immediate action to prevent further destruction of the environmental resources in the region.

The business of charcoal has increased tremendously due to the fact that the population is increasing rapidly because of the setting up of institutions of higher learning such as Universities. Demand for fuel wood both locally and from surrounding urban centres also promote vegetation clearance especially for charcoal burning. For example a sack of charcoal cost Ksh.1000 in most towns in the region, forcing many unemployed people to take advantage and involve in charcoal business. Burning of charcoal is the most severe cause of environmental challenge in Mount Kenya region and has increased and has led to reduction of indigenous plant species.

Weather patterns have changed over the past few years owing to massive destruction of environment, notably deforestation. Drought used to be less frequent phenomenon in the region but now it is striking the area as never before affecting farming activities. Water shortage has become a challenge as most people depend on water for domestic use and irrigation. This has further caused food shortages and hence productivity of the people living in the area.

Deforestation as a major threat to environmental conservation not only have caused drought but also increase in temperature which in turn has cause melting of ice on top of Mount Kenya. The result is bursting of river banks causing floods in low lying areas. Increased temperature has also led to increase in pest infestation causing diseases affecting crops and human beings.

Most areas in the region have steep slopes and loose soil which can be easily washed away by rain water. Soil erosion is another environmental challenge which if not well managed; it can lead to infertility of the soil and thus affecting crop yields and hence poor crop production. The factor which accelerates soil erosion is farming in steep slope.

Poor farming methods have contributed to soil erosion in most areas within this region. Mono-cropping and failure to plant cover crops are other factors facilitating soil erosion. It also causes soil and water pollution. Application of chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides has impacted water bodies and soil negatively. Some of these chemicals destroy aquatic life. However, most of the farmers are not aware of the consequences of their actions. Creation of awareness to eradicate negligence on the side of farmers is the best way to go in curbing further destruction of environment.

The aesthetic value of the environment continues to diminish drastically. Natural tree species add beauty to the land and enrich soil with nutrient on top of providing cover to minimize soil erosion. Exposure of soil to erosive agents leads to land becoming bare and ugly. Destruction of indigenous tree species and introduction of exotic ones do not augur well with the environment because most of them drain a lot of water from the rivers causing them to dry up. Most trees in Mount Kenya region are now exotic posing environmental challenge to the residents.  Trees purify air we breathe. Most of the airborne diseases witnessed in most parts of Mount Kenya region are indirectly caused by destruction of environment.

Overpopulation is exerting negative influence on the environment due to straining of available resources. People have encroached forest for farming land. This is because of shortages of land for farming. The forested areas have turned to farming land meaning that as the population increase, the forest coverage reduces.

The same population growth has led to increase in soil, water and air pollution in the area. Most of the youths are suffering from unemployment, a factor which drives them to urban areas and thus increasing the rate of pollution. The main pollutants in these towns are solid waste and non-biodegradable wastes. The rate at which garbage is being collected is lower than the rate at which they are deposited due to increased number of households. It should be remembered that these people are living in slums poor in hygiene conditions. The actual size of the population threatens the environment. It causes a problem because more food has to be produced on ever fewer resources.

         

The extraction of minerals such as building stones and sands in the eastern region of Mount Kenya especially near Chogoria has greatly affected the landscape in that after the mining the pits remain open. These pits may allow water to accumulate and thus acting as good breeding ground for anopheles mosquitoes which in turn causes spread of malaria in the vicinity. Lack of strict rules and ignorance by the associated companies are the most propellants of the environmental degradation which pose health issues to the residents living around the area.

There is a need to take up proactive strategies in the management of natural disasters so as to improve the copying capacity of communities, reduce the impact and hence improve the lives of Kenyans living in the areas susceptible to harsh weather conditions. Negative changes of environment may lead to increased mortality, increased frequency of diseases, lower nutritional status as a result of decreased agricultural productivity and decreased aesthetic value of land.

Juatenda project through its series of programs is awakening call for government, non-government institution and citizens to pay special attention to environment conservation. The future generations are likely to suffer most if we continue to destroy nature. The natural resources are becoming depleted at faster rate sending a strong message that a time of scarcity is coming.