UNIBEN: THESPIANS INDUCTION SHOCKS ALL
It is not new as the Theatre Arts Student Association (TASA) University of Benin chapter conducts induction ceremony for its 100 level students (TASA’19)
The term Induction is an act of receiving someone into a profession or field of study. Many professions’ practitioners do this at the end of their course of studies to acclaim the students for recognition with certificates. Theatre Arts as a creative profession conducts this exercise where students are inducted into the ARTS at the beginning of the course of study, just like in a church wedding ceremony where couples receive certificates before the learning process starts in the marriage.
The University of Benin, Ekehuan campus was held to standstill on the 14th of May 2021 while the viewers were shocked with the different style of conducting the Theatre Arts Student Association induction ceremony which included jaw-dropping, interesting costumes and ritual performances.
The All Campus Show correspondent spoke with the TASA Vice President Mr. Nnadi Onyebuchi Stanleymike concerning the induction ceremony and he said;
“Induction is the welcoming ceremony for the 100 level students of the Theatre arts department, it is done in all universities across the country. As the vice president of TASA UNIBEN chapter, I was the head of the induction committee.”
The induction ceremony featured a lot of performances which accompanied the inductees during the procession, started from the male common room of the Nelson Mandela hostel, Ekenhuan campus. This procession then moved to some of the strategic places around the campus like the Dance studio where they met Efurun, the god of dance and were showed the major dances of the different ethnic groups across the nation. The procession then moved to the theatre hall where various performances were also displayed like the Olokun, Eyo and the Ogbanje dances. Furthermore, a creative reenactment of the Greek festival of The City Dionysia (in honor of the god Dionysus) were also performed and the newly inductees introduced to characters like Thespis (who is acclaimed as the first actor on stage), Aeschylus, Sophocles and Aristophanes (who was a Greek comedian).
The purpose of the whole induction process is to welcome and also introduce them to the various Arts of the Theatre like music, dance and choreography, costume and make up, acting and directing et cetera. In addition, it is also done to teach them the art of endurance because as a thespian you must be strong and have a sense of endurance, perseverance and also patience.
However, we could hear the murmuring of the spectators that the induction ceremony was too easy for the inductees, due to the absence of rain fall which always characterized previous inductions ceremony. The messy environment and cold weather no doubt make things hectic for the inductees, also the in humane beating which previous inducted students suffered did not happen as the Head of Department, Dr. Josephine Abbe vehemently cautioned against such and it was strictly adhered to, which came as a rude shock to all spectators that stood along the way to catch a glimpse on the unfolding event.
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