Announcements - Loyola Jesuit College

The lion or lioness is the school’s mascot, and pride (a group of lions/lionesses) refers to the students of Loyola Jesuit College.Vol. 7 Number 3 A Newsletter for Parents 21 October 2007INDEPENDENCE DAY AT LJCLoyola Jesuit College had a joyful celebration of the 47th anniversary of Nigeria’s Independence.A formal Independence Lecture was given by His Excellency, Mr. Labaran Maku (below, right) formerDeputy Governor of Nasarawa State. Other activities included a march past, soccer match and a soirée.As usual, the day began with a Mass—presided over by the Principal. We were further blessedby the brilliance of the former Deputy Governor, who addressed our staff and students on the topic:“Youth Development in Nation Building, as Nigeria clocks 47.” He strongly challenged the studentsand staff of LJC to take up the responsibility of building Nigeria. The Special Guest of Honor, a veteranLoyola parent, Mrs. Olugbolahan Babalakin (above, middle) received the salute after the nationalanthem. The four Houses performed superbly, with Regis House in the lead. After a sumptuous lunch,an invited musical band performed on stage in the Memorial Hall. Needless to mention the soccermatch between the students and staff of LJC, which ended 3—0 in favor of the students! In all, thestudents were also happy to take a break from studies, relax and celebrate the birthday of their belovedfatherland. Special thanks to the 2007 Independence Day Committee for an excellent job!

AnnouncementsAnnouncementsLJC WINS FIRST BANK QUIZ CONTEST: Loyola JesuitCollege recently won the First Bank Annual School QuizCompetition in Abuja. The quiz questions covered sevendifferent subjects: Mathematics, English, Physics, Chemistry,Biology, Government and Economics. In the end, ChineduArene (Connelly House Captain) emerged first position atthe FCT level. And Tolu Kehinde (Regis House Captain)emerged first in the entire North Central Zone of Nigeria,bagging 24 out of the possible 28 points. Congratulations,and best wishes to them at the National finals in Lagos!LJC BOARD MEETING: There will be a meeting of theBoard of Trustees of Loyola Jesuit College on Friday the 9thof November 2007 at 8:30AM. The LJC Board of Governorswill also meet on the same day at 10:00 AM. Both meetingswill take place inside the Conference Room of Loyola JesuitCollege. We are happy to announce that two members ofthe Loyola community were recently admitted into the LJCBoard of Governors: Our veteran parent Engineer CharlesMbanefo and our veteran teacher Mrs. Mary Bamigbade.We congratulate them and assure them of our love andprayers as they serve in this noble capacity.SAT I & II 2007/2008 REGISTRATION: Our SS-3 studentshave bee registered for the above examination as follows.[a] SAT–1 November 3, 2007: 33 students[b] SAT-2 November 3, 2007: 1 student[c] SAT–1 December 1, 2007: 23 students[d] SAT-2 December 1, 2007: 8 students[e] SAT–1 January 26, 2008: 17 students[f] SAT–2 January 26, 2008: 24 studentsTo avoid delay and complications in the registration, LJCpaid the registration fees for all her students. Therefore,parents whose children registered for these examinationsbut have not paid should go to our accounts departmentand pay the exact registration fee as soon as possible.LJC PTA EXECUTIVE MEETING: There will be a meetingof the executive body of the Loyola Jesuit College Parents-Teachers Association on Sunday the 4th of November 2007at 12:00 noon inside the Conference Room of the LJCAdmin Office. All our active PTA branches (Abuja, Lagos,Port Harcourt, Kaduna, Benin and Warri) should endeavorto be represented at the meeting.TOEFL TESTS: Registration of our SS-3 students for theTOEFL test has commenced. The first group of studentswill sit this exam on the 24th of November 2007 at theAbuja Women Centre. Please note: none of our studentswill be registered for December 2007, as the two availableDecember dates clash with the school’s program:8th of December is the annual LJC drama in memory ofour Sixty Angels, while the 15th of December is our endof term vacation. Consequently, all those students whoindicated to write their TOEFL in December will bemoved to the next available dates in January 2008.Meanwhile, the 2008 TOEFL dates have not been releasedby ETS (Educational Testing Sercice, Princeton).PSAT/NMOST TEST: This examination took place onSaturday the 20th of October 2007. Seventy–seven ofour SS-2 students sat for the exam, supervised by Mrs.Shade Adebayo of the U. S. Embassy. The fee, includingadministrative charges for this exam, is $20. Parentswhose children registered for these examinations buthave not paid should go to our accounts department andpay the exact registration fee as soon as possible.NOTE: The acceptable means of identification andadmission into the hall for all the above examinations isthe International passport. The parents concernedshould therefore submit their children’s passports to ourUniversity Admissions Office or any of the Secretaries inour Admin Office. For clarifications on any of the aboveexaminations, please contact Mr. Gabriel Egudu:counsellor@loyolajesuit.org.OLD LOYOLANS CONTINUE TO EXCEL: We continueto receive encouraging notes about our graduates. Thiscame 18-10-07 from Bosworth Independent College,Northampton, England: “Due to the excellent progressof four former Loyola Jesuit students, we are planning tooffer Loyola Jesuit College two scholarships (1 boy and 1girl) for September 2008. The scholarship informationwill be sent out to the Principal in the coming days forhim to make the students aware before our visit inNovember. I look forward to hearing from you.Kind Regards, Lee Wildman, Admissions Officer.”2

AnnouncementsPERCENTAGE ANALYSIS OF LJC WAEC RESULT STATISTICS 2002 – 2007SUBJECT 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007English Language Distinction 86 95 86 95 40 100Credit 14 5 13 5 60 0Pass 0 0 0 0 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0Mathematics Distinction 73 84 89 92 81 88Credit 15 13 9 5 9 9Pass 10 2 2 2 2 3Fail 1 1 0 0 0 0Hausa Distinction 13 15 5 31 21 10Credit 30 28 21 17 49 12Pass 25 25 43 36 25 27Fail 25 32 31 17 3 51Economics Distinction 63 85 91 73 100 96Credit 34 14 9 25 0 4Pass 3 1 0 2 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0French Distinction 80 77 25 0 54 89Credit 20 23 75 0 38 11Pass 0 0 0 0 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0Christian Religious Studies Distinction 92 78 86 99 91 100Credit 8 22 14 0 0 0Pass 0 0 0 0 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0Literature in English Distinction 83 91 100 56 90 5050% of 2007 result pending Credit 17 9 0 41 10 0Pass 0 0 0 4 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0Physics Distinction 94 87 96 99 87 6329% of 2007 result pending Credit 6 10 4 1 7 8Pass 0 1 0 0 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0Chemistry Distinction 68 66 87 90 87 62Credit 26 31 13 8 7 33Pass 6 3 0 0 0 4Fail 0 0 0 1 0 2Biology Distinction 64 91 85 89 99 94Credit 36 9 15 10 0 6Pass 0 0 0 1 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0Government Distinction 71 95 83 89 100 95Credit 25 5 17 7 0 5Pass 0 0 0 4 0 0Fail 4 0 0 0 0 0Further Mathematics Distinction 100 100 100 94 100 100Credit 0 0 0 6 0 0Pass 0 0 0 0 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0Geography Distinction 87 90 89 100 100 91Credit 13 8 11 0 0 9Pass 0 2 0 0 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0Technical Drawing Distinction 47 83 97 96 97 70Credit 34 17 3 4 3 27Pass 9 0 0 0 0 3Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0Agricultural Science Distinction 100 91 100 48 89 97Credit 0 9 0 45 8 3Pass 0 0 0 6 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0Foods & Nutrition Distinction 67 100 100 94 100 928% of 2007 result pending Credit 33 0 0 0 0 0Pass 0 0 0 0 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0History Distinction NA 0 0 100 100 4060% of 2007 result pending Credit NA 50 100 0 0 0Pass NA 40 0 0 0 0Fail NA 10 0 0 0 03

AnnouncementsAnnouncementsJSS-1 1 2007 ACADEMIC AWARD WINNERS:English LanguageMathematicsIntegrated ScienceSocial StudiesFine ArtHome EconomicsASEBIOMO, Oluwatunmise OluwatobiOLALUDE, Eunice OluwakemiASEBIOMO, Oluwatunmise OluwatobiOYATOGUN, Oluwamuyiwa BenjaminIKON, Aniekan IdongesitASEBIOMO, Oluwatunmise OluwatobiPhysical Health Education ABALU, Maria OmokhoyaChristian Religious Studies EZEMADUKA, Precious ChibuikemAgricultural ScienceIntroductory TechnologyFrenchHausaInformation TechnologyOverallABALU, Maria OmokhoyaASEBIOMO, Oluwatunmise OluwatobiOYATOGUN, Oluwamuyiwa BenjaminOFODILE, Yvonne LotachukwuOBI, Obumneke IfyASEBIOMO, Oluwatunmise OluwatobiSS-1 1 2007 ACADEMIC AWARD WINNERS:English:Math:Biology:French:Economics:C R K:Physics:Chemistry:Geography:Eng. Literature:History:Government:Agric Science:IYOHA, Ebehireme Marie ThereseEZEANI, Chinonso WilliamANIZOBA, Nkiruka SophieEDEM, Ekpoawan IreneOJINI, Valerie NnekaUCHE-ANYA, Eugenia Nnedinma NnennaGAFAAR, Adeyemi AyodeleANYIGBO, Nonso KennethAKINLAWON, Fiyinfoluwa OluwatumilaraIYOHA, Ebehireme Marie ThereseEZEH, Chukwuka Obi ChikeluIYOHA, Ebehireme Marie ThereseOGUNJOBI, Omotola OmolabiFine Art: Nil Nil NilJSS-2 2 2007 ACADEMIC AWARD WINNERS:EnglishAKINWUNTAN, Olaoluwamide AkinwuntanFurther Math:ARINZE, Chukwuebuka StephenMathematicsIntegrated ScienceOPARA, Nnadozie FrancisOJUBA, Mogbo EmmanuelTechnical Drawing: AKINLAWON, Fiyinfoluwa OluwatumilaraSocial StudiesBOLA-OYELEDUN, Moradesolaoluwa Ade.Hausa:ANIZOBA, Nkiruka SophieFine ArtONIYANGI, Shakirat IbitolaFoods/Nutrition:IYOHA, Ebehireme Marie ThereseHome EconomicsDAGGASH, Habiba AhutPhysical Health Education: BOLA-OYELEDUN, Moradesolaoluwa Ade.Info Tech:ANYIGBO, Nonso KennethChristian Religious Studies AGBOOLA, Tomilola AyobamiOverall:ANYIGBO, Nonso KennethAgricultural ScienceOMOKHUALE, EjemeireleIntroductory TechnologyFrenchHausaInformation TechnologyAGBOOLA, Tomilola AyobamiDAGGASH, Habiba AhutDAGGASH, Habiba AhutNWOSU, Donelly ChinonsoSS-2 2 2007 ACADEMIC AWARD WINNERS:English Language: AIHIE, Osaigbokan Keynes PaulOverallAGBOOLA, Tomilola AyobamiMathematics:EZEAKA, Chidubem Leslie4

AnnouncementsTHE 2007 ACADEMIC AWARD CEREMONYSS-2 2 2007 ACADEMIC AWARD WINNERS (Contd):Biology: DAWODU, Ejemen Aimanehi French: ANYENE, Chizimuzo Chibuike ChinuaEconomics: DAWODU, Ejemen Aimanehi C R K: OLUWUNMI, Charles OlukunlePhysics: ARENE, Chinedu Mitchel Chemistry: EZEAKA, Chidubem LeslieGeography: KEHINDE, Tolu Oyinkansola Eng. Literature: OLUWUNMI, Charles OlukunleHistory: OLUWUNMI, Charles Olukunle Government: OLUWUNMI, Charles OlukunleAgric. Science: AIHIE, Osaigbokan Keynes Paul Fine Art: OJUKWU, Mema DaisyFurther Math: EZEAKA, Chidubem Leslie T. Drawing: ORIAKHI, Osazuwa GabrielHausa: ONIYANGI, Zainab Yasmin Foods and Nutrition: AGBIM, Nneka AkodilimInfo Technology: ILOEKWE, Onyinye JenniferOverall: ARENE, Chinedu Mitchel5

MASS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 2007: This year’s Mass of the Holy Spirit was celebrated by the secretary to thePapal Nuncio, Rev. Monsignor Paul Russell. At the Mass, he emphasized the need for deep spiritual commitmentof people to God and His affairs. Special thanks to Monsignor Russell and to our parents for their participation andgenerosity in responding to the fund-raising appeal of the North-West Africa Province of the Jesuits. We are alsograteful to our parents for their magnanimity towards the Agape Lunch held after the Mass.His Excellency, Monsignor Paul Russell, shares his reflections with LJC studentsWORLD FOOD DAY AT LJC: On Saturday the 13th of October 2007, the Human Rights Club of LJC celebratedWorld Food Day by organizing a fund-raising luncheon for parents and visitors. The theme of the luncheon was'Eat SO They Can'. Although the turnout was not as expected, the club put together a beautiful ceremony. Poemswere read by club members. Uche Ojiugo (SS-3B) gave a stunning rendition of 'Join Your Hands With Us', the club'stheme song. We thank all parents and visitors who were able to come. In particular, we are grateful to Mrs. EmengUdosen-Etuk and the representative of the National Human Rights Commission, Mr. Idris Bawa, for their support.MAY THEY REST IN PERFECT PEACE: It is with sadness that we received the news of the death of CaptainOmonua, the father of our Admin Secretary Mary-Jane. Let us also remember in our prayers the mother of Mr. SilasAor (our Physics teacher) and the father of Mrs. Enyinnia (our Home Economics teacher) who passed away recently.We pray that their souls will rest in perfect peace. Please, also remember all three families in your prayers.6

AFTER RAMADAN, LJC MUSLIM STUDENTS VISITKARU ORPHANAGE: “First, there is the annoying butfamiliar sound of the alarm clock that wakes you up; asleepy procession ensues at 3:00 AM towards the dininghall; an hour of Sahur (breakfast); over 12 hours ofdry fast, coupled with tasking classes (and sometimessports); of course, there eventually comes the 6:30 PMbell which announces that we break our fast...all theseare characteristic of a typical day in the life of an LJCMuslim student during Ramadan. As a Muslim studentin SS-3, I have experienced six Ramadans in LJC;fasting, praying, studying and taking part in other extracurricularactivities, during the one month exercise.Ramadan in school is unique. I find it a very prayerfultime. In particular, this year’s fast went very well. Inthe past, due to power outages, we used to come preparedwith flashlights. This year, the generator wasturned on any day there was power outage. The nursesand kitchen staff were very understanding, even whenwe woke them up earlier than usual for our medicationand meals. All in all, though the period of fasting isusually very tasking physically and mentally, it was arewarding experience for us, spiritually. In the end, weeven had a practical reward of going home for the Sallahbreak.” (By Sakina Badamasuiyi, LJC Head Girl)“After the Ramadan, our Muslim students lived out theLJC motto ‘Service of God and Others’ by visiting theAbuja Children’s Home in Karu. The Lions and Lionessesdonated food items from their fast to the 30 childrenin residence. They also spent some quality timewith the children. The oldest child in the orphanage, as atthe time we visited, was about 16 years old. The majoritywere below 5 years old, and the youngest resident was justtwo weeks old (she’d been found abandoned in the bush).Our students spent most of the time there with the babiesand younger children, who were thrilled to have ‘elderones’ oohing and aahing over them. The Daggash touchwas in evidence as the two babies carried by Mustaphaand Allamin wouldn’t let anyone else touch them, andthey promptly settled down and fell asleep. Fatimahwanted to bring some of the “really cute ones” back toschool. After about an hour of hide and seek, baby talk,and lots of drool, it was time to leave. One of the kidsquickly packed her stuff to go with us, but somehow, wefelt 6 years was a bit young for LJC, maybe in another 4years or so...?” (By Bola Fodeke, LJC Accounts Secretary)7

WELCOME TO THE ANNUAL LJC DRAMA60 ANGELS MEMORIAL DRAMA: Please mark in your diary the 8th of December2007, for it will surely be a day to remember, a day of remembrance for the sad event of 10thDecember 2005. The time is 3:00 PM.SNEAK PREVIEW OF THE PLAY: Behold the bits and pieces that encapsulate thethrust of Ola Rotimi’s If…a tragedy of the Ruled: Onyema, a promising young lad, is essentiallythe first character on the list. He came out first in the entire National Common Entrance Exams.He is also a Boy Scout…ever willing to help others. Unfortunately, this brilliant chap is asthmatic.One weekend, he would be physically manhandled. Gasping for life, all he needed wasan oxygen mask. That’s all. In a land where human life means something, there would be a wellequipped emergency service. But here, a society rife with contradictions, the mighty brandishingtheir power... so much so that it provokes even the deaf and dumb!ACTORS AND ACTRESSES: The play will be staged here by the classmates, siblingsand friends of the 60 students who died in the plane crash of 10th December 2005. It will bedirected by Mr. Israel Wekpe, a lecturer in the Theatre Arts Department of the University ofBenin. The play will be produced by the Loyola Union, a society in LJC comprising 60 talentedstudents and teachers. The students and teachers have been very busy preparing for this play.SUPPORT THE PLAY: Be part of the Sixty Angels Memorial Day commemoration atLJC on Saturday 8 December 2007. You can also offer your contribution through adverts andmessages in the drama brochure: Centre Spread, N150,000; Back Cover, N80,000; Inside BackCover, N70,000; Inside Front Cover, N70,000; Full Page, N50,000; Half Page, N30,000; QuarterPage, N18,000.DO NOT BE LEFT OUT!8

THE ORIGIN AND NATURE OF BULLYINGAT LJC: There is a culture of hierarchyamong our students, which compels the seniorstudents to send the junior ones on variouserrands, particularly laundry and ironing.When a junior fails to fulfill a task required ofhim/her by a senior, the latter gets upset. Theproblem gets compounded. Such is the originand nature of bullying at LJC; otherwise, noLoyola student would deliberately set out toinflict pain on another. However, that (or anyother) form of bullying remains totally unacceptableand is against the LJC ethos. Theschool administration plans to send on out-ofschoolsuspension any student caught bullying.Therefore, parents, please warn your children:no student should bully another studentin any way. A word is enough for the wise!“I WANT HOT WATER IN THE EARLYMORNING”: You know the song, yes, butmore immediately the harmattan is approaching.So too is the cold weather, especially inthe morning here in Gidan Mangoro! Yet ourstudents cannot all take hot showers at thesame time (according to the school’sschedule) because the capacity of the singleunitwater heaters is insufficient for thestudent body. This is a problem that is as oldas the school. Could someone provide us withindustrial water heaters that would serve allour children?J. A. M. E. REGISTRATION: All our SS-3students will be registered for this exam assoon as JAMB advertises for candidates toapply. Parents of all SS-3 students shoulddiscuss with their children on visiting daysabout the Courses and Universities of choice.Parents should also deposit enough moneyinto the accounts of their children in SS-3 topay for this examination.SECURITY WALL: We are erecting a dwarfwall along the entire perimeter of the southside of our compound. Secured on top of thewall is a chain link, which gives the fence atotal height of about three meters. With adrainage system constructed to protect thewall against erosion, the entire project is costingthe school about N13 million Naira. Toavoid digging further into the school’s fund,we would appreciate any help with raisingparts of the wall and constructing a spiralbarbwire on top of the chain-link fence.The fencing project is part of our response toa security concern, besides the fact that it isgood to have your entire compound walled.For example, because the Port Harcourt airportdid not have a good fence around it inJuly 2005, an Air France plane narrowlyavoided disaster when it landed in PortHarcourt amid a herd of cattle that hadwandered onto the runway through the gapsin the airport fence!9

PRIESTLY ORDINATION: On December 1st 2007, Loyola Jesuit College will be making history, asLJC hosts her first ever Jesuit priestly ordination; the ordination of Rev. Amaechi Miletus Ugwu, SJ.Rev. Ameachi worked here in LJC as a young Jesuit in 1998. He returned after his philosophical studiesat the University of Zimbabwe and taught here from 2002–2004. He has been re-assigned here as ateacher and the Assistant Chaplain. Thus, his ordination can be said to be a truly LJC ordination. Ordinationsin general, and Jesuit priestly ordinations in particular, are grand, inspirational and painstakinglyorganized religious ceremonies. The LJC family (parents, well wishers and alumni/ae) are all invitedto this celebration. Any parent, guardian or well-wisher who wishes to contribute in any way tothis event, should kindly see the Chaplain, Fr. Ugo Nweke SJ, or contact him at chaplain@loyolajesuit.org or through 08057917498.DEVOTIONS: The psalms are an ancient form of prayer. They are a collection of the Psalmist’s experiencesand aspirations brought before God in prayer. Christians, aware of the value of the Psalms, borrowedthis form of prayer from their Jewish predecessors. Here at LJC, our daily morning prayer beginswith the psalms and ends with the Mass. Encourage your child to be part of this communal worship ofGod by buying the Psalter (Morning and Evening Prayers) for your child. You can also encourage themto grab a copy from the LJC tuck-shop. The Month of October (and May) is a Month when we speciallyhonor Mary in the Catholic Church. The October Devotion Rosary Recitation will take place from6:20AM daily throughout the month of October. Encourage your child to participate in this religiousactivity.KAIROS RETREAT: Kairos retreat is a spiritual program meant for Christian teenagers (SS 2 studentsonly). The retreat is a prayerful time with the Lord while seriously reflecting and sharing on one’s personallife of Christian faith with one’s peers. Registration for the December 2007 batch of this retreatbegan on October 7th and ends on November 1st, 2007. The retreat begins on December 15th and endson December 18th night. Participants depart the compound on December 19th morning. Parents/Guardians of SS-2 students, whose children are interested in the December batch of this retreat shouldsee the Chaplain for further instructions. Parents/guardians who cannot come in person, but are interestedin registering their children/wards, should contact the chaplain at chaplain@loyolajesuit.org orcall him on 09-2903855 or 092901653.SACRAMENTS: For the 2007–2008 catechetical year, non-Catholic parents whose children are interestedin receiving any of the sacraments (Baptism or Communion) in the Catholic Church, should seethe Chaplain. Parents whose children received the sacraments of Holy Communion and Confirmationlast term are requested to see the chaplain to pick up their baptismal cards.VACCINATION APPEAL: Our Clinic Department is having difficulty getting the Cerebro Spinal Meningitis(CSM) Vaccine. It is two years now since we were able to secure the vaccine from the ministryof Health. In 2006, we applied to the ministry for the vaccines but the official response came that theGovernment could not import the vaccine last year. The fact is that some of our students and staff arelong overdue for the vaccination. We would need about 500 doses or more. Sr. Lena (our HOD Clinic)is appealing to our parents in the health sector to help us in procuring the CSM vaccine.10

FACTS AND FIGURES OF THE LJC ENTRANCE EXAM 20081. Complete the Online Application (For JS-1 Only) Form:www.loyolajesuit.org/admissions (See next page for directions)2. Access to the Online Application Form:1st November 20073. Deadline for Registration of Completed Forms:14th February 20084. The Non-Refundable Registration Fee:N5, 000 (Five Thousand Naira Only)5. The Date for the Entrance Exam:1st of March 20086. Publication of Exam Results:1st of April 20087. Exam Results Will be Posted At:All Centreswww.loyolajesuit.org8. Dates of Interviews for Successful Candidates:April 11 th – 12 thApril 18 th – 19 thApril 25 th – 26 th9. Publication of Final Acceptance List:GUARDIAN OR THISDAY Newspaperwww.loyolajesuit.org10. Date of Publication of Final Acceptance List:1st of May 200811

FACTS AND FIGURES OF THE LJC ENTRANCE EXAM 2008 (CONTD)11. Examination Centres Within NigeriaA. Loyola Jesuit College, Karu-Karshi Road, Gidan Mangoro, FCT AbujaB. Our Lady of Apostles Private School at St. Agnes, Maryland, LagosC. Our Lady of Apostles Private School, Yaba, LagosD. Our Lady of Apostles Private School, at St. Mary’s Convent, Broad Street, Lagos.E. Our Lady of Apostles Private School, Airport Road, Benin CityF. Sacred Heart Minor Seminary, Port HarcourtG. Nativity School, Opposite the High Court, MakurdiH. Holy Child College, Marian Hill Road, CalabarI. Kaduna International School, 1 Wurno Road, KadunaJ. St. Louis Primary (Private) School, Airport Road, KanoK. St. Louis College, Joseph Gomwalk Road, Jos.L. Sacred Heart Primary School, Uwani, EnuguM. Maryhill Private Primary School, Agodi, Ibadan12. Examination Centres Outside NigeriaA. England Centre: Anna Sayan, Jesuit Missions, 11 Edge Hill, Wimbledon, London, SW19 4LR.B. USA Centre: Fr. Pat Ryan SJ, Jesuit Residence, Fordham University, NY 10458, New York.C. Netherlands Centre: Rev. Jac Lampe, Aloysiushuis, Thoenstraat 30, 2596 HZ Den Haag.Directions for Completing the On-Line Application FormA. To the ParentPlease ensure that your ward completes all the fields provided on the form. Where informationis not available or applicable, please tell your child to enter the code NA in the space provided.Candidates should return the completed form to the desired centre along with the followingdocuments:-One self-addressed official envelope with N50 postage stamp-Photostat copy of birth certificate (Declaration of Age Affidavits are not acceptable)-Two Passport-Sized photographs-For proper identification of your child on the day of the Entrance Examination, please ensurethat you affix his or her most recent passport-sized photograph in the box provided.12

FACTS AND FIGURES OF THE LJC ENTRANCE EXAM 2008B. To the CandidateYou must complete every field on the Online Application form. If you don't know what to enter inany field, ask your father, mother or guardian. If they do not know, simply enter the code NA inthe space provided.C. Religion: In this field, please select the name of your religious denomination from the dropdownlist. Although Loyola Jesuit College is a Catholic school, your religion DOES NOT determineyour admission.D. Present Class: It is important that we know your present class in your school. Please selectyour present class from the drop-down list. If you are now in secondary school, write down yourpresent JSS class level.E. School Telephone/Fax Number: In this field, please ensure that you enter the State ExchangeCode of the telephone number of your present school. If there is no phone in your school,enter the code NA in the space providedF. Father/Mother Residence Address: In this field, it is important that you indicate clearlythe street number and name of the town or city in which your father's (or mother's) presenthouse is located.G. Father/Mother Mailing Address: In this field, please indicate clearly the postal address,including the name of the town or city in which your father/mother can receive mails.H. Business Address: Indicate the office address and a phone number (including State ExchangeCode) where your father, mother or guardian can be reached quickly. It is important thatyou indicate whether the number(s) you write refer to an office, business or home telephone line.I. Email Address: In this field, please give your current email address as well as your parents’.It could be an easier way of getting in touch with you.J. Choice of Examination Centre: All our current Examination Centres are listed in the dropdownmenu. Study this carefully and select your preferred Centre in the space provided.Best wishes to all!13

Academic Year 2007–2008Please verify with each edition of theNewsletter, as some dates will change1ST TERM: SEPTEMBER 6- DECEMBER 15, 2007A & C Classes Visiting Day October 21B, D & E Classes Visiting Day October 28All Saints Day (All-House Feast Day)November 1 (No Classes)Entrance Forms Activated On-line November 1 2007 to February 1 2008LJC Parents-Teachers Association Executives’ Meeting November 4LJC Board Meeting November 9Second Continuous Assessment November 14-16Career and University Presentations November 17Jesuit Priestly Ordination of Miletus Onyemaechi Ugwu SJ December 1-2 (All Loyola Parents and Friends Invited)End of Term Examinations December 5-11Annual Loyola Jesuit College Drama (In memory of our 60 Angels) December 8 (All Loyola Parents and Friends Invited)End of Term Activities December 12-14First Term Ends: Students leave for vacation December 15Kairos Retreat December 15-18Faculty Workshop December 18-202nd TERM: JANUARY 5 – APRIL 3, 2008JS-1, JS-3 and SS-3 Resume January 5JS-2, SS-1 and SS-2 Resume January 6Career and University Presentations January 24First Continuous Assessment January 30—February 1B, D & E Classes Visiting Day February 10Deadline for Registration of Entrance Forms February 14Inter-House Sports Day (All LJC Parents invited) February 16A & C Classes Visiting Day February 17Second Continuous Assessment February 20-22Entrance Examination March 1B, D & E Classes Visiting Day March 2A & C Classes Visiting Day March 9Mock SSCE begins March 10-14End of Term Examinations March 10-13Second Term Ends: Students leave March 15Kairos Retreat March 15 to 193rd TERM: March 24 – JULY 22, 2008JS-3 & SS-3 Resume (Extension Classes) March 24List of Successful Entrance Exam Candidates published on-line April 1JS-1, JS-2, SS-1 and SS-2 Resume April 6Mock JSCE April 7Interview of Successful Entrance Exam Candidates April 11-12Interview of Successful Entrance Exam Candidates April 18-19Interview of Successful Entrance Exam Candidates April 25-26Publication of Final Entrance list into LJC May 1First Continuous Assessment May 7-9A & C Classes Visiting Day May 18B, D & E Classes Visiting Day May 25Children’s Day May 27JSS-3 Leave for VacationPending NECO timetableCultural DayJune 12 (No Classes)Second Continuous Assessment June 18-20A & C Classes Visiting DayJune 29thB, D & E Classes Visiting Day July 6End of Term Examinations July 14-19Graduation July 20End of Term Activities July 21-23Third Term Ends: Students leave July 24Jesuit Priestly OrdinationRegistration of new students July 28-29SS-1 Leadership Program in Jos July 29-August 9SS-2 Service Program July 30-August 21July 26 (All Loyola Parents and Friends Invited)14

FR. JOHN-OKORIA IBHAKEWANLAN SJFROM THE WALL STREET JOURNALOn the day that we celebrated our 47th year of Independence as a nation, the Wall Street Journalpublished an article titled NIGHTMARE IN NIGERIA. The article was written by Mr. Daniel Michaels(daniel.michaels@wsj.com) who visited LJC last session. Focusing on the December 10th tragedy thatclaimed the lives of 60 talented children of Loyola Jesuit college, the article contains some sobering factsand figures. The following is food for thought for us all.On the 10th of December 2005, in the capital of Nigeria's rich oil industry, the runway lights were offpartly because the Port Harcourt airport had not bought a generator. The plane should never have triedto land in the face of a lashing storm. Our 60 students and 48 others could have survived the storm ifthe airport had its own weather warning system. In the absence of a decent meteorological equipment,the air-traffic controllers could not provide the pilot with the latest weather updates. When the pilot radioedin at 1:40PM for landing instructions and a weather report, the air controllers could not tell him theweather was worsening. At 2PM the pilot radioed in again, asking specifically whether it was raining.The air controllers said no, but only to realize four minutes later that there was actually a heavy rainapproaching. Without the right meteorological equipment, the air controllers could not alert the pilot ofthe severity of the storm ahead of him. Instead, at 2:05PM, with torrents of rain pounding down at theairport, the controllers cleared the plane to land, cautioning that the runway was wet. A more importantcaution is the one the air-controllers did not give the pilot, namely, that the wind had changed direction.Why did the pilot not ask for wind information? Why did the controllers not offer such vital information?Naturally, landing was made far tougher as a result of a possible wind shear. Sudden changes in airflowcould slam a plane to the ground. Without enough vital information, the pilot and his crew were notexpecting any danger, so they descended below the ‘decision height’ of 220 feet. At that level, it becomesrisky to abort a landing. As the plane approached the runway, it was buffeted by the wind. Withonly seconds away from touchdown, the pilots tried to abort the landing and climb again. Of course, itwas too late. The tail section of the plane bounced off a grass strip that was about 230 feet left of the runway.After the bounce, the plane could have skidded to a jarring stop. Unfortunately, there was a structuralblunder in the Port Harcourt airport: a drainage ditch and culvert close to the runway. Thedepression of the drainage system caught one of the plane’s two engines and sheared it off. The planebegan to disintegrate, with chunks of it flown afar the airfield. At this point, many of the passengerswere still alive, and could have survived. But the Port Harcourt airport was not adequately equipped fora plane crash. It had no ambulances. There was only one fire truck, which immediately ran out of water—inRivers State. Hence the plane was engulfed in flames.Aware of such blunders, our bereaved parents have shown extraordinary courage and human fortitude.There is every reason to engage in the blame game. Some people would have even blamed themselvesfor having their children fly to and from school. I remember the resumption and vacation days in thefirst three years at LJC, 1996-1999; nearly all our students resumed school and vacated traveling byroad. While outside the country between 1999 and 2003, I later learnt that most of our children nolonger traveled by road because of crime and crumbling roads. All these problems after many years ofindependence!Our students have a strong resolve to rebuild a Nigeria with perfect infrastructures, good roads toenable all students travel across the country, electricity to light up our runways, enough water for firetrucks. This is the message of our independence day celebration, as presented by Mr. Labaran Maku,that we must be the architects of our own destiny. Otherwise after 147 years of independence thequestion will remain, to use an expression emphasized by our History teacher and MC at this year’sIndependence Day celebration, Mr. Frank Ezendiokwere, Quo Vadis?15

ODDS‘N’THE STORY OF THE PRODIGALSON IN ALLITERATION ‘F’Feeling foolhardy and frisky, a featherbrainedfellow forced his fond father to forkover the farthings. He flew far to foreignfields, fabulously frittering his fortune withfaithless friends.Fleeced by his fellows in folly and facingfamine, he found himself a feed-flinger in afilthy farmyard. Famishing, he felt likefilling his frame with foraged food fromfodder fragments. “Frankly, my father’sflunkies fare far fine,” the frazzled fugitivefumbled, facing facts.Frustrated by failure and filled with foreboding,he fled forthwith to his family.Falling at his father’s feet, he fumbled“father, I’ve flunked and fruitlessly forfeitedfamily fellowship and favor…” The farsightedfather, forestalling further flinching,frantically flagged his flunkies, “fetch a fatlingfrom the flock and fix a feast!”The fugitive’s faultfinding brother frownedon the fickle forgiveness of a former folderol.But the faithful father figured: filial fidelityis fine, but the fugitive is found; whatforbids fervent festivity?” Let flags be unfurled;let fanfares flare. Father’s forgivenessformed the foundation for the fugitive’sfuture fortitude. Muyiwa Oyatogun, JS2-C.THE ENGLISH LANGUAGEWhy blame me for not scoring an ‘A ‘ in a languagethat has no logic? See, its vocabulariesmake no sense!There is no egg in the eggplant, and there isno ham in hamburger; no dog (thank God) inhotdog; neither is there pine nor apple in pineapple.The guinea pig is neither from Guineanor is it a pig.What about its paradoxes? Boxing rings aresquare; if writers write, how come fingers don'tfing. If the plural of tooth is teeth, shouldn'tthe plural of booth be beeth? If those in a villageare villagers, why are those in the city notcityers? The teacher taught, but the preacherdoes not praught.We recite at a play; yet we play at a recital? Wefill in a form by filling it out! When the starsare out they are visible, but when the lights areout they are invisible. It is lights-out at LJC, soI cannot continue to write this...Please, feel free to share your own insightsand reflections with other members of theLoyola Community. Contact the Principal viae-mail:jo@loyolajesuit.org OR jo@jesuits.net16