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From Judex Okoro, Calabar
The University of Calabar International Demonstration Secondary School (UCIDSS) has inaugurated the first senior and junior students’ book club in the school.
The book club is one of the numerous social platforms created by the management of UCIDSS for students to interact, share knowledge, make friends and build relationships.
Other clubs already in existence include writers’ club, Jet club, music club, games club, social club, table tennis club and debates club.
Inaugurating the book club of the School in Calabar, the Director of Schools, Prof. Genevieve Aglazor, said reading could take one to different places around the world while sitting in one place, even as it helps in bringing out the best and hidden talents in them.
She commended the facilitator of the event, Mr. Ekpata Armor, for his efforts in showing total commitment and selfless service in ensuring that the event was successful.
Aglazor said: “We are very proud to be a part of this arrangement to launch and inaugurate the first book club in the schools.
“I am looking forward to appointing a coordinator of all the clubs to standardize student membership and introduce honour society in the schools.
“This club is meant to honour them in their different endeavours to checkmates their performance in class, study habits, behaviour and attitude as well as encourage them to do better in the areas they are not doing well.”
Also speaking at the event, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cross River State, Prof. Joy Etiowo, said: “Book club in any school is an idea to promote and increase the passion for writing and also cultivate reading excellence.”
Prof. Etiowo, who was the guest speaker, said book reading helps in giving students the ability to reach their goals, adding that “reading is important in every field of study not only for professionals but for everyone who wants to be successful in life.”
According to her, the event was meant to teach students how to read, pronounce and also bring to their understanding of some materials for reading when, what and how to read just as it would help students to understand, entertain, pass an examination and view pictures.
She added that reading books brings out the totality of one’s intelligence; abilities in reaching life goals in choosing one ideal profession and the readiness to read to make a balance and make people comfortable to excel in life.
The facilitator of the event, Mr. Armor, said the essence of the club was to promote reading and cultivate a passion for reading excellence among secondary school students.
She decried the poor reading culture of the present students occasioned by the emergence of the social media, thus the book club is aimed at bringing out the hidden reading talent in them.
The event featured some other social activities including taking of photograph with the students and UCIDSS management as well as questions and answers sessions.
