I walk through the majestic, tall standing gate of the campus in a rush much to the amusement of bystanders and the guards on duty. It is yet a fresh new day with the sun smiling down at the beautiful earth and ironically, I am late for my lecture. I arrive at my classroom minutes later to begin a day around the campus like any other day.
The classroom, the cafeteria, and the washroom are the spaces that play host to me almost on a daily basis. They are spaces that have become part of my everyday life in the college. A tissue paper has become my accompaniment no matter where I go.
The classroom presents me with a feeling of overcrowding, oppression and disorder. The first thing that meets you is the relatively high noise levels as you approach the classroom areas with each student top on their voice trying to outdo the other in an argument about which team was the better team in last night’s football match. It is unfortunate that mostly the aggrieved party usually blames the referee for their loss and hopes for a favorable one the next time round.
On entering through the partially broken door, the cream walls and the white board seem to calm the already nervous mind that was beginning to imagine the possibility of a fire in the classroom. The noise in the classroom only vanishes on the appearance of a menacingly tall character in the name of a lecturer. Fear and insecurity are quite evident at this point in the classroom. On completion of the lecture, the lecturer leaves behind a heap of notes to write and assignments to research on making me feel like being overworked.
By lunchtime, the brains as well as the body are very loudly crying for justice in form of rest and some food. The aroma of beef stew intermingled with steaming rice underscore the sight that greets you in the cafeteria. The neatly arranged seats and tables coupled with smartly dressed waiters makes the hunger pangs cry in pain.
The ceiling board is made of wood painted with a chocolate vanish presenting a feeling of warmth and joy to the soul. Campus subsidized foods, thanks to the student-mindful government, make the cafeteria my favorite space in the college. Most young men are not afraid to come all out and please the girls over lunch or tea breaks. The cafeteria therefore forms a social environment making it friendly.
The washrooms are every person’s favorite especially when Mother Nature comes calling. A call of nature is one that must be obeyed at all costs. The main scene in the washroom is the ever-flowing water in the automatic urinal system. Sometimes I imagine that the water could be used in other income generating projects like farming or tree growing instead of washing away people’s waste.
The pure white tiles on the walls and floors introduce some sense of purity and it is here that I realize the importance of this facility. It makes me feel whole and complete just for the fact that I can release myself any time that am pressed.
All these spaces described above do require the services of my tissue in one way or another. After the end of the lecture, the whiteboard is usually marked with all colors of marker pens. The class representative keeps no track of the duster and my tissue paper comes to the rescue as an eraser.
Though the cafeteria is modern, it only lacks the services of serviettes due to the large population of students; here my tissue assists me in drying off my hands after a sumptuous meal. Finally, among all the tools and equipments used in the washroom, the most meaningful is the tissue paper to make sure that you do not befriend flies after answering nature’s call.
After a long day and visiting all the areas of my life in campus, it is finally time to stroll home to rest and wait for another new day. Am satisfied that all the areas have served for my good but improvements to the facilities remain welcomed as long as it is for the good of the students.