Caleb British Academy celebrates World Poetry Day, launches journal

In keeping with the annual practice of observing March 21 as World Poetry Day, Caleb British Academy joined the rest of the world last Monday to celebrate the rhythmic grace, rich beauty and elevated language of poetry. The event was exemplified by the incantatory and spontaneous recitations of some students of the Academy and invited schools.
Also at the occasion, the Academy launched the Second Edition of The ROVOC, a press and literary magazine, published by its Press and Literary Club.
The event started with an opening prayer, said by Phillips Faloye-Kuti. In her address, the Chief Host and Principal, Caleb British Academy, Ms. Colette O’ Hehir, warmly welcomed all the guests who had defied all odds to be present at the occasion.
Chair of the occasion, Adeyinka Ayodele, expressed her exhilaration to be part of the event. She spoke about the utility of poetry and what led to the declaration of the stated date as World Poetry Day by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1999. She then solicited support for CBA Press and Literary Club, charging the latter to make The ROVOC available online, to increase its readership.
Subsequent to that, some CBA students took turns to recite poems by African and Western poets interspersed by Caleb International School pupils’ and Caleb International College students’ presentations.
Wole Soyinka’s ‘Abiku’, Amarachi Mbala’s ‘Maiden Beauty by the Lagoon’, David Diop’s ‘Africa’, Gabriel Ugofure’s ‘My Africa’, Robert Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken’ and W. B. Yeats’ ‘An Irish Airman Forsees His Death’ were recited by Tumininu Akinrinade, Amarachi Mbala, Damisola Sulaiman, Oyinkansola Kudaisi, Akachi Anoka and Oyindamola Alabi, respectively. Lateefah Lateef’s crowning recitation of Gabriel Ugofure’s ‘The Exodus’ was so animated that it was greeted with thunderous applause.
There was a comic interlude by Dr. Shogo leading to the launch of The ROVOC. The Reviewer, a lawyer, public speaker and lover of poetry, Mrs. Sulaiman, gave a glowing review of the magazine and spoke about its features in superlative terms. She, however, suggested that past Caleb British Academy students should be featured in the interview section to inspire young secondary school students. She also craved more student participation, online availability and stronger imagery to portray the articles.