The much anticipated finals of the biggest oratory contest in the University of Ibadan finally arrived and was held on the 30th of November, 2019.
Super Bowl is a platform where students get to share their ideas for impacting the society positively. It is not just about the wit of words, but solutions which are proffered to contemporary societal problems that makes the event an extra-ordinary one. According to Dr. Bisi Olawuyi, a stakeholder and of of the organizing team ‘Superbowl is meant, especially, to raise the profile of public speaking in a never-before-seen mode in U.I because it provides an uncommon stage for healthy interaction, leadership development, social engineering and entertainment.’
The sixth edition of the SuperBowl returns this year- 2019 after some years of interregnum. It was a special edition to celebrate the Universityof Ibadan at 70. 10 contestants who emerged as finalists had passed through several preliminary stages. Out of 95 entries during application, only 45 competed at the prelimenaries, and only 10 made it to the SuperBowl 2019 finals.
The finalists were – Amaji Obinna, a 400l medical student, Olayide Bolaji, a 100 level English department student, Ugochuckwu Chineke, a 100l Law student, Oluwatamilore James, a student of Early Childhood and Educational Transformation , Omotayo Adenugba of Anthropology department, Jesse Nwode, a 200 Level English department Student, Bakare Oluwafemi, a 200 students of Economics department, David Olanema, a 400-level student of Educational management, Igili Ifeoluwa and Salami Tolulope.
The theme of the event was ‘The Reconstruction of a Nation’ which doubled as the topic of discuss. The contestants advanced the conversation on the rejuvenation of the Nigerian state in the face of uncontrolled and unmitigated brain drain.
The styles of presentation, originality of ideas and time management among others were the criteria to select the best according to the judges. A decision unanimously agreed by Dr. Olayinka Egbokhare, Dr. Demola Lewis and Dr. Adeyinka Laninhun who were the judges. They all have served as judges in various oratory contests and facilitated several sessions on oral presentation in and outside Nigeria.
On the other hand, a sub theme on ‘University of Ibadan at 70: Sustaining the Legacy, Raising the Bar’ was spoken on by all contestants in a segment aimed at celebrating the achievements of the University, to acknowledge her challenges and highlight her prospects. Each of the contestants delivered a short speech on ‘If I were a Vice Chancellor’.
Furthermore, the contestants delivered an impromptu speech called the Picpromptu. Pictures of unknown event were displayed only for the contestants to look inwards at the displayed pictures and bring up a speech about it.
At the end of the highly competitive, yet entertaining sessions of the contest, Nwode Jesse was announced as the overall winner and the speech master while David Olanema and Bolaji Olayide were first and second runners up respectively.
Other award categories includes Wit master (Best Punch Line) won by David Olanema, best male speaker won by Nwode Jesse, best female speaker won by Oluwatamilore James; best rookie performance was won by Olayide Bolaji, while Ifeoluwa Igili went home with the best picpromtu prize.
The breakdown of the prizes are as follows: The first prize received a laptop, 50,000 naira book voucher, tuition scholarship for undergraduate and Masters in U.I and a 1 year Internet access. Similarly, the first runner up or 2nd prize winner won a laptop as well, glass plaque, 1 year masters tuition scholarship in U.I, 50,000 naira book voucher and one year internet access. The 3rd position wins a laptop, glass plaque, 1 year tuition for undergraduate at U.I, 50,000 book voucher and one year internet access.
Other finalists also got consolation prizes of 50,000 book voucher and one year internet access each.
SuperBowl is not just a great event because contestants go away with amazing prizes. Simply, it is a competition that encourages the culture of thought and ideas. At the SuperBowl, irrespective of your academic class or intellectual prowess, one thing is certain, and that is adding value to yourself at an atmosphere where thought provoking ideas are been delivered at excellent.
