MCSA Awards: We Wanted to See the Shock on Their Faces – President

Abiola Ogunleye

The Mass Communication Students Association (MCSA), University of Lagos has awarded deserving students of the departmental association who performed excellently during the session.

The honorary awards were presented to UnilagSun reporters, Faith Enang and Faith Ojo, Finalists Newness Amabuo and Ezekiel Gbemisola, Sophomore Class Representative Samuel Olowookere, Freshman Oluwatumininu Amole, among others at a yearly organized Dinner and Awards Night.

Commenting on the honorary awards, the President of MCSA, Paul Agada said “we wanted to see the shock on their faces and I’m glad I saw it.”

“Asides from the fact that we wanted to surprise the students, it was befitting. Certain categories were initiated by the President to reward outstanding students and it’s a good thing

” It was given based on merit to those who have served. The Vice President and I checked the criteria. When people do well, you reward them.

In addition, the vice president, Favour Olusola stressed the importance of awarding students who have offered exceptional service as a form of encouragement.

“It is important to praise people for a job well done and that’s what we have done. 

“The Presidential awards were given to the recipients because they merit it and we needed to encourage them.

“Consider it as some sort of appraisal for all their dedication, hard work, and service to the 2019/20 administration.”

Olusola also said he and the President are unanimously passing on others, what he described as a “vote of confidence” in their abilities. 

Speaking with UnilagSun on how they felt when they were called out, the awardees all revealed that they were not expecting recognition.

Olowookere Samuel and Newness Amabuo were both awarded the President’s Prize for Leadership. While Olowookere explained that he was not expecting an award, Amabuo said she was initially sad at the award since she was expecting another category.

L-R: Favour Olusola, Vice President, MCSA, Sapphire Olowookere, Newness Amabuo, both recipients of the Presidents’ prize for leadership and Paul Agada, President, MCSA

Olowookere said he expected the award because first-hand leadership was his expertise. At the same time, he was not expecting it because his motivation for leading was not to get any award.

 “I will say I wasn’t expecting it and at the same time, I will say I was expecting it. Why? Because first-hand leadership is my thing, I love to lead, direct, I love to help people and at the same time, I wasn’t expecting a leadership award. Maybe like a tutor even though I wasn’t nominated for the tutor award. I was expecting something random.”

He further acknowledged the departmental association and dedicated the award to his classmates.

In Amabuo’s case, she was surprised that the departmental association would recognize her with a leadership award after being nominated as the SportsWoman of the Year. 

“It occurred to me that ‘this is worth more as I was not doing anything for people to notice me. I was just doing everything and MCSA saw it fit to recognize me for things I did.”

“I started getting into the whole mood. I became really happy. It was comforting. It was honestly comforting knowing that MCSA saw my contribution worthy enough to applaud and recognize.”

She affirmed her love and appreciation for MCSA saying 

“From now till forever, MCSA will always mean more to me. MCSA gave me something worth more and till now, I am grateful.”

Oluwatumininu Amole who got the President’s Prize for Future Writing Leader stated that she wouldn’t call the award undeserved but was shocked to know she would be acknowledged in the presence of so many.

Her words: “I wouldn’t say I didn’t deserve it, but I’m shocked. I didn’t expect someone would recognize and appreciate what I do in the presence of so many people.”

She also thanked MCSA for the honour and promised to not let the department down.

The UnilagSun duo of Faith Enang and Faith Ojo equally expressed shock at the unexpected awards.

For Ojo, the Volunteer of the Year Award was a complete surprise as it was not included in the voting list. He thought someone else was being referred to until a colleague urged him forward.

Faith Ojo (middle) receiving his award for Volunteer of the year

Enang also echoed shock at the Most-Value Driven Student of the Year award given to her because it was not part of the categories she was nominated for. 

She said, “I honestly was not expecting this award. I felt, if I would be given a plaque, it would be from one of the nominated categories. But this one award sums up all my four nominations and I wouldn’t have felt this way if MCSA had given me one of the nominated four.”

Adeolu Adetayo, a student of Political Science was awarded the Friend of MCSA Award for his selfless tutorship to mass communication freshmen on Pol Science courses for two sessions.

At the time of filing this report, efforts to get his comments were abortive as his number remained unreachable.

Ezekiel Gbemisola also received the Presidential Award for Academic Tutorship and attempts to get a comment from him proved abortive. 

Students in other categories were presented with awards for their contributions to MCSA.

The Dinner and Awards night which was tagged ‘Glitz and Glamour’ also had in attendance a former president of the association, 2017/2018 session, Abayomi Ajowele; Friends of the department: President, Department of Mass Communication, UNILORIN 2019/2020, Omolola Saka; President of NESA, Olabisi Fuad and other past and present students of the department.

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