The University of Namibia (Unam) Khomasdal campus recently held a pre-Independence Day celebration to honour the country’s milestone in terms of peace and tranquillity, specifically highlighting the importance of entertainment in academia.
Students, who were part of organising the event under the guidance of Mr Kandundu, staged plays portraying the history of the country and the stance of the country now. They spoke to Entertainment Now! about the relevance of entertainment in academia.
Paul Patrick Zuso, the speaker of the student parliament for the Unam Khomasdal campus, said the programme ran for four days, which was crucial in terms of content creation. “The play was about the apartheid regime that was instilled in people, how people were moved out of the old location, and so forth,” he said.
Majoring in social studies and English, Zuso said the play was enriching. “Growing up, we were taught a lot about history, and you can imagine the pain of how people lived through it but it felt different to re-live in those times through a play. It’s different because you get to play that part and portray the message. That’s why entertainment is important in academics,” stated Zuso.
He mentioned some teaching methods are entertaining. “The intonation of the voice, word stress, and that entertaining factor you bring when you are teaching makes a difference. Entertainment has also proven to be a way that students grasp and remember moments. You will never forget a moment where you were entertained by someone or something,” expressed Zuso.
He said entertainment is important, as it makes things easier and comprehensible. “It opens a different perspective and helps the process of education, plus helping people take in information differently,” he mentioned.
“We need to practice what we are taught in class, and this can be done through a play, poetry or songs,” said Linea Kapofi, a student who was part of the play.
She further stated that as a teacher in the making, one cannot only conform to text but also use art to carry and convey messages. “As much as we rehearsed the play, at the end of the day, it was the message we would be sending to the audience,” stated Kapofi.
Forming part of the organising committee was Kavekuhire Kamarenga, who said being part of the play was an emotional roller-coaster. “The idea of how it happened made me emotional and I got to understand how our elders were treated back in the days,” she told Entertainment Now!
She suggests that schools opt differently to teach and through an entertaining way. “In the future, I would like schools to have entertainment sessions during lessons; a teacher can seriously teach a lesson and then later come up with a fun way to convey the same message – be it through a game, play, song or dance. I feel that is the difference I would like to make, ” stated Kamarenga.
Lecturer at the Unam Khomasdal campus Andre Kandundu said the main event of the pre-Independence Day celebration was organised by the final year diploma students majoring in the lower primary, where they came up with activities in line with their course outline.
– psiririka@nepc.com.na