Fides Media Living the Faith
…An extract from Pontiff’s Message on World Communication Day
By CP Uzoaganobi
St Michael’s Comprehensive Model Secondary School, Nimo in Njikoka LGA, Anambra State, on Friday, May 26, 2023, hosted Communication Weekend with the theme: ”Communication and Rhetoric Day”, at the school’s auditorium. It is an event held every third term.
The Supreme Pontiff’s message on the 57th World Day of Social Communication with the theme; ”Speaking with the heart; the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), aligned with the school’s third term event, ”Communication Weekend”. It was a weekend mapped out for the students to engage in communication exercises bordering on human existence.
The School Manager, Rev Fr. Dennis Nwabueze, noted that the event was a spiritual and academic exercise. He said this year’s message followed those of the previous two years which had the themes, ”Come and See” (2021); and ”Listening with the ear of the heart” (2022); both geared towards teaching students the necessity of effective communication.
He further noted that the themes helped students have insights of what was expected of them through observation, reading and listening, as well as the ability to express it at any point. He said such determined the effectiveness of communication.
Fr Nwabueze further urged the students to be always mindful of expressing what they learned from school with love. He said that one could have goodwill but the body posture or gesture could send a wrong message.
The event was very engaging as some of the students thrilled their fellow students with news casting, poem and drama presentations, as well as debate.
The guest speaker at the event, Rev Fr. Christopher Ezeonu, presented a paper titled; ”Effect of Communication in the English Language”. In his presentation, he highlighted means of making effective communication which involved the sender, medium, message and recipient.
Fr. Christopher also simplified his presentation by addressing communication issues and relating them as they concerned the students in their category.
Fides gathered that three students of St Michael’s Model Comprehensive Secondary School, Nimo emerged fourth, fifth and tenth in the just concluded Austin-zero Eke Poetic competition.
Speaking to Fides, the senior prefect of the school, Master Michael Nwosu, thanked the school management for the event which, he said, engaged them in communication exercise. He stated that the event had taught them the need to listen and communicate more appropriately anywhere.
The school Assistant Director, Rev Fr. Callistus Nwogu, noted that the event provided an avenue for the students to learn how to speak and communicate in society because one could have the initiative and dream but could not actualize it just because of lack of expression.
He said, connecting it to the theme of the World Communication Day, enabled the students to know that it was not just to communicate or speak but to do it in truth and by so doing it would engender growth and positive change in society.