My Experience with the GST Cultural Presentation Last Semester
Last semester, our GST lecturer organised a Cultural Presentation, and it turned out to be one of the most colourful and memorable experiences of my academic life. At first, when our lecturer announced the event, I thought it would just be a plain activity. But as the preparations began, I realised it was going to be much bigger than I had imagined.
Each department in the Faculty of communication and media studies were assigned a different culture from Nigeria, and my department got the Gbagyi culture. We were tasked with showcasing the clothing, food, music, dance, and traditional customs of the Gbagyi people of which we did. The weeks before the event were filled with excitement, planning, and a lot of coordination.Peterson Justice was in charge of narrating the cultural history during our presentation, so he had to do research and rehearse until he could speak confidently without reading from books.
On the day of the presentation, the convocation ground where it was held was transformed into a mini Nigeria. Students came dressed in beautiful traditional attires — flowing agbadas, colourful wrappers, beaded necklaces, and head ties that reached for the ceiling, we the Gbagyi representatives were on white top their traditional attire tied as wrapper and a white substances on our face and body. The air was filled with the aroma of different cultural delicacies brought by different departments representing their culture. When it was our turn, we danced in to a Gbagyi cultural song, our faces glowing with pride.Peterson narrated the history and importance of certain customs, while other members demonstrated greetings and the cultural delicacy.
By the end of the day, I had learned so much more than I expected — not just about Gbagyi culture, but about other Nigerian cultures as well. The Igbo group showcased their energetic dances, the Hausa group explained their traditional festivals, and the Tiv group displayed beautiful woven fabrics. The event didn’t just teach me cultural facts; it made me appreciate the beauty of diversity and the need to preserve our traditions.
Looking back, the GST Cultural Presentation wasn’t just an academic requirement it was a celebration of identity, unity, and creativity. I left convocation ground that day feeling enlightened, and inspired to always value the richness of our culture.
