Organizers of the event, lauds Alumni and current students for using social media platforms to share their fond memories in their days in Commonwealth Hall. One which caught the eye of Vandals was a recent remark by First Deputy Speaker of Parliament in the 2nd Public Lecture. He mentioned that commonwealth Hall has contributed immensely to his life.
He added that Vandalism has the tendency to develop the leadership quality of the youth if only they are ready to learn and understand the principles behind the term. He finally bemoans some of the comments by a session of the public often misconstruing the lexical meaning of Vandalism. He called upon all Old Vandals to visit the Hall often to interact with the current students to enlighten them about what Vandalism is within the Vandal Fraternity.
Another illustrious son of Commonwealth Hall, Hon. Ekow Spio-Gabrah also shared his experience when he was a Hall executive member and reiterated how the Hall contributed much to his life. Hon. Ekow Spio-Gabrah, former Minister of Trade and Industry handled the 60th Anniversary 2nd Public Lecture.
Ace journalist, and a true son of Commonwealth Hall, an Old Vandal, Anas Aremeyaw Anas who also expressed how the true tradition and the values of Vandalism has contributed to his career. He mentioned that the Hall motto, “Truth Stands” has been a defining principle when he saw it the first time he entered in to the Hall. Anas was the speaker for the 3rd Public Lecture.
H.E John Dramani Mahama, the special Guest of honour for the homecoming also used his first published book, “My First Coup D'Etat” to express how Commonwealth Hall has contributed to his life. He has on several public platforms praised Commonwealth Hall for outstanding advocacy role, giving back to society and playing thought leadership role in their chosen fields.
" When I arrived at the University of Ghana to begin my freshman year, I was steeped in disappointment. I hadn’t been granted the courses of study that I’d indicated were my first and second choices. I’d hoped to study business administration; that had been my first choice. I’d chosen it because it was the most popular major at the university, one to which prospective employers were said to respond…
“My disappointment and that general feeling of having been cheated also stemmed from the fact that in addition to not being granted my top course choices, I was not granted my top choices in halls of residence”
“Legon Hall was my first choice because I was told it was peaceful and quiet, a hall of gentlemen. My next choice was Mensah Sarbah [Hall], which I’d been told was beautiful. The residents of the hall were called the Vikings and were said to be extremely good at sports. Third was Akuafo [Hall], which was dedicated to the farmers of Ghana. My fourth and final choice was Commonwealth, and that was where I was assigned. Commonwealth Hall had a controversial reputation. Its residents were called the ‘VANDALs’ The acronym VANDAL stands for ‘Vivacious, Affable, Neighbourly, Devoted/Dedicated, Altruistic, and Loyal". The boys at Commonwealth Hall were said to actually be unruly, rowdy, insulting, and provocative. They paraded on campus virtually half-naked, and they kept a shrine in the hall to Bacchus, the Greek god of wine. Suffice it to say, I did not want to live there”.
“Unbeknownst to me, Commonwealth was historically one of the most radical of all the halls of residence. A lot of the political ferment, activism, and rebellion that took place on campus was usually hatched by the residents of Commonwealth. Because of this, the university officials had devised an unwritten rule to balance out the types of personalities and temperaments of the students in the hall”.
“Students whose first choice was Commonwealth were assumed to be of the same ilk, so they were automatically assigned to a more subdued hall. Meanwhile, students like me, who were resistant to being in Commonwealth and placed it last in their list of choices, were the ones assigned there”
“The University of Ghana was built on a hill. There is a long, rectangular pond at the front of the entrance. Standing there, facing forward, you can see straight to the top of the hill. When you pass through the main gates, there is a wide boulevard that travels up the steep incline. The boulevard ends at the steps of Commonwealth, forking into two roads that wrap around the enormous building and then continue upward toward the administration’s offices”
“On my first day, I stood at the base of the sweeping concrete stairs. There were a number of final-year students hanging around, singing. They were dressed in strange attire. Some of them had leaves around their neck. One person was wearing a bra and panties. A few were wearing their trousers with one leg down and the other rolled up or cut off into shorts. They were there as our freshman”
“welcoming committee, to help us carry our bags up the stairs to the porter’s lodge, where we were to sign in. After we’d climbed the stairs and were standing at the entrance of Commonwealth Hall, I noticed that a coat of arms was affixed to the top of the arched doorway. Embossed on the coat of arms were the words Truth Stands, which is the hall’s motto”
“This was a cardinal moment for me. I stood there, having just arrived at this preeminent Ghanaian university, looking at the coat of arms and the hall’s motto, ‘Truth Stands.’ I felt humbled; I felt filled with purpose. It occurred to me that the hundreds of people who had walked through the doors of that hall had uncovered the truth of their lives. I was determined to do the same”
“I later learned that the Commonwealth Hall motto, ‘Truth Stands,’ was taken from the poem ‘Satire III’ by the English poet John Donne. This, to me, made the motto all the more profound”
" To stand inquiring right, is not to stray;
To sleep, or run wrong, is. On a huge hill,
Cragged and steep, TRUTH STANDS, and he that will
Reach her, about must and about must go,
And what the hill’s suddenness resists, win so. "
— John Dramani Mahama, My First Coup D’Etat: And Other True Stories From the Lost Decades of Africa.
Meanwhile, Commonwealth has produced Judges, Lectures, Entrepreneurs, Legislatures, Lawyers, Ministers, Teachers, Pastors, Imams, Sheiks, Chiefs, Bankers, a President, and many more. Evidently, Old Vandals are seen in top leadership positions anywhere they find themselves.That is what the Hall inculcates in members being the voice to the voiceless in society – advocacy. Notable Alumni are ;
Justice Anim Yeboah, Justice William Atuguba, Justice Dotse, Justice Pwaman,Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, Hon.Joe Osei-Owusu, Hon Kwaku Agyemang Manu, Martin Alamisi Amidu, Togbe Afede XIV, Nana Akuoko Sarpong, Daasebre Emeritus Oti Boateng, Osagyfo Agyeman Badu II ,Sheik Alhaji El-Alawa,Felix Addo,Prof. Harry Akussah, Gladson Anderson Agboloso Mensah, Dr. P.A Kuranchie,Major William Oliver , Dr. Clement Apaak, Dr. Kwame Anoff Akuffo,Kwame Takyi,Prof. Ekow Bondzie Simpson, Francis Mawuena Dotse, Nana Osei Boakye Yiadom II, Isaac Nketia Sarpong, Alhaji Razak,Prof. George Armah,Ali-Nakyea Abdallah, Shaibu Haruna, Africanus Owusu-Ansah, Prof. S.K.A Danso, Dr. Francis Asana, Samuel Adu Boafo, Peter Sagpio, and many more.
Source: Radio universe
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