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The Jewel Magazine 2015

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THE JEWEL is the official journal of the Junior Chamber International University of Ilorin. It was initially set to launch at the organization’s annual Convention/Investiture on the 25th of April 2015 but due to financial constraints, which could not allow for physical publication, it was reverted to be a digital and online magazine that can be accessed from anywhere on www.thejewelmag.wordpress.com and http://issuu.com/thejewelmag. This edition of the Jewel features an edge-cutting Cover Story by Ofili Ikechukwu, “Are we beating creativity out of our kids” This issue of the Jewel also presents thought provoking insight on Entrepreneurship, Fashion and Style, Career and Service to humanity; fresh Editorial and Reviews on Books, Movies and Travel destination.

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Page 1: The Jewel Magazine 2015
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C o n t e n t

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‘84 Juwon Obadofin; ‘85 Frank Nwabudike; ‘86 Adegboyega Adebajo; ‘87 Bola Kosoko; ‘88 Tinuke Sangoyemi; ‘89 Muyiwa Olubowale ‘90 Bunmi Adewole; ‘91 Jokotade Adelakun; ‘92 Kingsley Falola ‘93 Tunde Oniwinde;

‘94 Ogala Leticia; ‘96 Taiwo Adeorike; ‘97 Abiona Babarinde; ‘98 Kunle Otegbeye; ‘99 Jumoke Salami ‘00 Wale Ojeleye; ‘01 Femi Adebayo; ‘02 Jimi Adekunle ‘03 Yinka Alabi; ‘04 Yomi Atobatele;

‘05 Seun Akinyele ‘06 Kwame Baa Mensa; ‘07 Khadijat Mohammed; ‘08 Aina Segun Aina; ‘09 Ajayi Ayodeji O.; ‘10 Makajuola Emmanuel; ‘11 Adewusi Adesanmi S.; ‘12 Imoh Austine C.; ‘13 Akingbola Paul; ‘14 Okunade Lukman A.

ABDUR-RAZZAQ BALQIS, CHAPTER PRESIDENT;

OKUNADE LUKMAN A.,IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT;

JIMOH AZEEZAT, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT;

OJO-SAMUEL EMMANUEL, VICE PRESIDENT INDIVIDUAL;

MACIVER RASHEEDAH, VICE PRESIDENT COMMUNITY;

OLOPADE DAMILOLA, VICE PRESIDENT BUSINESS;

ZANNU SAMUEL, VICE PRESIDENT INTERNATIONAL;

ODERINDE KAYODE, GENERAL SECRETARY;

KOLAWOLE BABATUNDE, GENERAL LEGAL COUNSEL;

ABOLARIN DAMILOLA, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE;

YAHAYA TAOFIQ, DIRECTOR-BRAND MEDIA & PUBLICITY;

ADAMS RASKAT, DIRECTOR OF WELFARE;

ONYEKWELU COSMAS, DIRECTOR OF TRAINING;

ADELEKE ADETOUN, DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP GROWTH;

ELEGBEDE ESTHER, DIRECTOR OF CONVENTION.

STAFF ADVISERS DR. J.O FAYEYE, CENTRE FOR PEACE AND STRATEGIC

STUDIES DR. AREMU, POLITICAL SCIENCE

SPECIAL ADVISERS HON. FEMI A. ADETOLA ALHAJI RAIMI AKANBI

PATRON HON. (DR.) RAFIU ADEBAYO IBRAHIM

GRAND PATRON HRH.ALH. (DR.) SULU GAMBARI

(Emir of Ilorin)

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Being the Editor-in-Chief for the Jewel Magazine and as well as the Director of Brand Media and Pub-licity for JCIN-Unilorin has been a journey of self discovery—discovering my personal skills and strengths as well as my weaknesses. In all this, I have become a better person. This edition of the Jewel Magazine presents to you fresh insights from youths of diverse backgrounds. The Cover Story is a hard-hitting rendering on How Parents and Schools kill Creativity in kids . As a one of a kind magazine, this issue features a review of October One and the eccentric views of The Lady in Red Trench Coat. You are also treated

to the Basics of Interior Design in case you are remodelling or designing your space soon. Fashionistas would be thrilled by the 10 Habits of Highly Stylish Peo-ple. I welcome you all to a world of opportunities and learning and I hope you have fun reading. You can download this magazine on issuu.com or check out the e-zine on theJEWELmag.wordpress.com Sincerely, Yahaya Taofiq Abolarinwa Director of Brand Media and Publicity

YAHAYA TAOFIQ ABOLARINWA.

editor-in-chief

SALAMI ADEBIMPE LATIFAT

secretary

ALABI ZAINAB

deputy editor

QUADRI IBRAHIM

sales and marketing

ABDUL-HAMID TAOFIQ

Special duties

FF PICTURES

Photography

ADEWALE ADEMOLA PRESLEY

Illustrator

OLATUNJI KHAYRAH

COVER PICTURE

GOOD DA Y TO YOU!

D I S C L A I M E R

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of content, the publisher (JCIN-UNILORIN) takes no

responsibility for the accuracy or otherwise of statements or contents, and can accept no liability for errors,

omissions or any inconvenience arising therefrom. All the articles are expressly the opinion of the author and as

such, you are encouraged to explore in good faith with the intention of learning something new and fabulous.

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Today’s Newspaper Is Tomorrow’s

#Suya Wrap

One day your headlines captivate the whole world.

The next day they wrap oily Suya meat, only to be

discarded seconds after! That is life.

One day we are at the top, the next we are not. One

day we are that young hot-shot new hire and the

next day we are that old out of touch company ex-

cess.

The truth is that we have certain moments to shine,

the greatest mistake people make is to get lost in the

moment assuming that those moments will last for-

ever. They seldom do. Our best bet is make the most

of our moments and to plan for life after…

—0FILISPEAKS.COM

1. Ikogosi Warm Spring, Ikogosi, Ekiti State Nature's gift to mankind, the Ikogosi Warm Spring is safely tucked away in the town of Ikogosi-Ekiti. With several myths with regards its existence, the belief that the spring has healing powers is one that sparks curiosity. The warm and cold spring flow parallel and meet to form a confluence. The Spring has an unhampered environment and the resort man-agement provides a wide range of exquisite themed accom-modation, bar, swimming pool, natural spa and a host of facilities to make your stay one of a kind. 2. Yankari Game Reserve, Bauchi State Located in the North-eastern state of Bauchi, this wildlife park has become the most developed in Nigeria. It is home to several warm springs, animals and vegetation which all contributes to the scenic beauty. The presence of rock paint-ings, prehistoric caves and wells gives a rustic insight into the past. The reserve has a camp for tourists and offers safa-ri to tourists. 3. Obudu Cattle Ranch, Calabar, Cross-Rivers State The view at the Obudu Mountains is breath-taking and it offers the leisure seeker a complete contrast. Situated close to the border of Cameroun 4. Owu Falls, Kwara State Owu falls is the highest natural waterfall in West Africa and guess what its origin is untraceable. Surrounded by a natural beautiful ambience and lush green vegetation, the fall is ex-tremely steep and offers visitors a refreshing atmosphere. 5. Eko Atlantic City This yet-to-be-completed city is a must-see for every one. It is off Victoria Island and is an artificial stretch of island being reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean. The city is meant to satis-fy every need of residents with state-of-the-arts high-tech infrastructure.

1. Fine Boys by Eghosa Imasuen 2. How Intelligence Kills by Okechukwu Ofili 3. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi

Adichie 4. Ake by Wole Soyinka 5. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe 6. The Trouble With Nigeria by Chinua Achebe 7. The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by Lola

Shoneyin 8. Open City by Teju Cole 9. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 10. Famished Road by Ben Okri

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unior Chamber International (JCI) is a

worldwide leadership and entrepreneur-

ial training organization of young peo-

ple between ages 18 and 40. With members from all

races, gender, religion and political ideology, members

learn and grow through participating in various training

workshops and varied projects that benefit communities

worldwide.

Founded in 1915 by Henry Giessenbier in St. Louis, Mis-

souri, USA, the movement spread and Junior Chamber

International was founded in eight other countries in 1944. This tradition of uniting young active citizens

across cultures, backgrounds and borders fuelled the JCI

movement and set the groundwork for taking action to

create a better world.

With around 5,000 JCI Local Organizations in more than

100 nations, JCI forms a vibrant global community of

nearly 200,000 active citizens. All members belong to a JCI Local Organization where they focus on finding solu-

tions to issues in their community.

Our Philosophy as global citizens is that we all have

rights and responsibilities, as well as shared goals.

Through active citizenship, we encourage young people

to take responsibility for the local issues, and find target-

ed, sustainable solutions that benefit our communities and the world. JCI members embrace new ideas, collabo-

ration and diversity.

JCI Nigeria Otunba Bola Adewunmi officially founded Junior Cham-

ber International on the 9th of March 1957. The mission

of Junior Chamber International is to act as a definite

positive factor in the advancement of the Nigerian society

by providing opportunities for young people to develop

their personal qualities, management skills, national con-

sciousness and fellowship necessary to make

the country a befitting member of the world

community.

JCIN University of Ilorin Pioneered by Juwon Obadofin in 1983, JCI found its way

to the prestigious University of Ilorin and for 30 years,

has been the focal point for empowerment, leadership

development, community service and professionalism.

Junior Chamber International University of Ilorin is a

collegiate affiliation of Junior Chamber International Ni-

geria and it aims at bringing the JCI Mission closer to

students as young active citizens. To this, the organiza-tion provides development opportunities for young peo-

ple to develop new skills and attitude, which will enable

them, create positive change.

JCI University of Ilorin has been able to create change in

the institution and its immediate community through its

projects and programs, which includes but are not limited

to the following:

1. Sanitation Exercises/Awareness; within and without

the University environs

2. Business Summits; to exchange business ideas that

can help create sustainable solutions to social prob-

lems.

3. Trade Fair and Exhibitions; to enhance community

economics, increase business productivity and effec-tiveness.

4. Public Forum; for youth capacity and personal devel-

opment

5. Child Education Outreach; a Corporate Social Respon-

sibility, which gives members the opportunity to work

with and create concrete contributions to the commu-

nity

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INTRODUCTION Having been given the opportunity to serve, I hereby present the Stewardship report from the office of the 31st Presi-dent of Junior Chamber International Nigeria, University of Ilorin. CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP SERVICE Officer Training School Provision of constitution Registration with school GROWTH AND SERVICES 12 new members have been inducted thus far with about 3 jaycees awaiting transfer and some intending members awaiting induction. TRAININGS Members train Members JCI Courses Officers’ Training School FF Concept trainings: This includes Pho-tography, Catering and Makeup/Make over trainings. Banjo Okunuga Collegiate Academy Top Gun XVI Academy COMMUNICATION/PUBLICITY New notice board Blog: jcinuil.wordpress.com JCIN UNILORIN bulletin FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION The Local Organisation is in good stand-ing with JCI Nigeria Sponsorship package was prepared for some of the projects for the Local Or-ganisation year.

MEETINGS Timely meetings are being held with strict adherence to parliamentary proce-dures. Gifts are presented to intending members, jaycees and officers of the Local Organisation as motivation. Each of the 6 families takes turn in providing refreshment for the General Assembly. This is also a form of healthy competition. TWINNING JCIN UNILORIN has been duly represent-ed at general assemblies and programs of other Local Organisations e.g. JCIN KWARAPOLY, JCIN Al-Hikmah, JCIN CO-HEALTH Offa, JCIN FEDPOFFA, LASU, JCIN YABATECH, JCIN TASUED, JCIN OAU, JCI Lagos Royale etc. PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS FINAL YEAR SEND FORTH OFFICER TRAINING SCHOOL CAMPUS SPEAK 2014 FASHION FOR HUMANITY 2014 HEALTH WEEK: HIV/AIDS Awareness and Project Kleen END OF THE YEAR GET TOGETHER MATRIC AWARENESS MEMBERSHIP ORIENTATION FEMI A. ADETOLA BUSINESS SUMMIT CONVENTION TRAVELS CONVENTIONS: Several conventions of different Local Organisations, both City and Collegiate, have been attended by members of JCIN UNILORIN. CONFERENCES: Collegiate conference (Port Harcourt), Area A Training retreat

(Offa) and Na-tional Conven-tion (Abeokuta), Ar-ea A Conference (Ikogosi) all had members of the chapter in at-tendance. PARTNERS SPEAK Africa

Initiative FF Pictures Tobby Xtratainment Amigo Makeovers NAMS-Nigerian Association of Microbiol-ogy Students CAMAH-Campus Movement Against HIV/AIDS AWARDS ADENIRAN, Calvin Adeyemi- 2014 Most Outstanding Collegiate Member Area A ABDUR-RAZZAQ, Balqis Adebukola- 2014 Most Outstanding President (Collegiate) JCIN UNILORIN- 2014 Most Outstanding Local Organisation (Collegiate Confer-ence) CHALLENGES Restriction by the School Authority

on approval of projects and programs Sponsorship/Finance Membership involvement and com-

mitment THANK YOU, AbdurRazzaq Balqis 31st President

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5 WORDS YOU SHOULD NEVER USE TO

DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN AN INTERVIEW Hiring managers all have their favourite interview questions, but they’re typically some variation of the common ones. For example, you might get, “How would your colleagues describe you?” or “Use three words to describe yourself.” Either way, your overall approach would likely be the same. The thing you need to be mindful of, then, is what words you actually use. Or, to put it in another way, there are words that you should never, ever use.

1. INTELLIGENT: You know you’re intelligent, and you know the hiring manager is looking for someone who is intelligent, but please don’t describe yourself as such. This is one of those words that you want people to say about you, but that you don’t want to say about yourself. Whether or not someone is intelligent is a judgment call, and you want to shy away from words like that. What to Do Instead Talk about the way you think, and use words like, “logical,” “quantitative,” “fast learner,” or “big-picture thinker.” You’re going for words that sound more like facts and less like judg-ments. 2. LIKABLE: For the same reason you don’t want to describe yourself as intelligent, you want to avoid words like “likable.” That, plus it’s tricky to find supporting examples of why you’re likable without sounding weirdly desperate. (“Everyone says hi to me, laughs at my jokes, and misses me when I’m out sick?” Um, no.) What to Do Instead Use words that you can back up, like “team player,” “outgoing,” “enthusiastic,” or “caring,” and back them up with examples of how you pitched in, spoke up in meetings, or threw an office holiday party. It’s much more palatable when the evidence you give involves actions you took rather than the actions or reac-tions of others.

3. SUCCESSFUL: You can successfully do something, but you can’t just call yourself successful. It’s like saying in an interview that you’re rich and good-looking. Do you really think that’s a good idea? What to Do Instead Narrow the focus down from success on a global scale to suc-cess on a more specific skill. You can absolutely say that you’re good at what you do. In fact, you should. The difference is say-ing that you’re successful in all realms of your life and pointing out your relevant skills and experiences for the job. The first is annoying; the latter is necessary. 4. OBSESSIVE: Even if you’re immensely passionate about your work, you still want to avoid describing this trait or any trait with words that have a negative connotation. Having to explain yourself means that you and the interviewer are not on the same page, and ideally, you could avoid all that. What to Do Instead There are plenty of words you can use to get across how invest-ed you are in your work that probably are more specific and don’t require some awkward explanation. Words like “focused,” “detail-oriented,” “hard working,” or “dedicated” all work well. 5. HUMBLE: It’s weird to brag about how humble you are. It just doesn’t work. Don’t walk into this unfortunate contradic-tion and try to talk your way out of it. The more you try to ex-plain this, the more you wear down your interviewer’s trust. What to Do Instead If this is really something, you want to get across in an inter-view, go with the “show don’t tell” strategy. Each time you need to brag about yourself during the interview (which will be often, since it’s an interview), only state the facts. Talk about what you did, what the result was, and what others thought, and leave the judging to your interviewer.

LILY ZANG, CAREER DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST AT MIT THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON

HTTP://THEMUSE.COM

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N o one knows exactly where talent comes from, some people say it comes from God, some say it comes from our Parents and in

some extreme scientific cases…genetic mu-tations. Whatever the case, we know talent is a special gift, but sadly we manage to scare talent out of our children daily. Just several weeks I am at the Nnamdi Azikwe Airport waiting for my flight (that flight was coincidentally suspended due to the Dana aircrash) to Lagos to be called up, when this young girl about 5 or 6 years in age suddenly gets up and starts twirling around like a ballerina. I know she was dancing like a ballerina because an older gentleman surrounded by his family stared in excitement and said “look there she goes dancing just like a bal-lerina!” But before his words of admiration could fully resonate into the ears of the twirling dancer, her mum screams the words most Nigerian children are used to hearing “C’mon will you sit-down!” sending the girl into a paralytic I-better-sit-down-or-am-gonna-get-whooped stance as she cowers into her seat as yet another dream is killed prematurely. Everywhere I go in Nigeria I see people using the S-words on their kids “shut-up” and “sit-down.” In a country saturated with the S-word, we end up having very well behaved children that are afraid to touch toys in a toy store without the explicit ap-proval of their parents! But who can blame them…in secondary school, I was afraid to touch computers in the computer lab… We spend the first year of a child’s life teaching it to walk and talk and the rest of its life to shut-up and sit-down. There’s something wrong there. ~Neil deGrasse Tyson In the early 90’s when computers were just becoming popular across the globe, we were fortunate to have some in my second-ary school. But we were frightened of them, frightened because the computer teacher treated those things as sacred, we were

not allowed extra time on the computers and did our boring DOS exercises and were promptly made to scoot. Anyone who tried to do anything beyond DOS was met with thunder, fire and spit from the inadvertent splashes of our computer teacher’s saliva as he yelled “stop playing around with the computers.” I doubt that I would have grown up to be a computer guru if I had the free reign to play around with the computers, but I do think that someone in my class set could have done something special with computers early on. Especially if they had the same level of com-puter freedom as certain silicon-valley entrepreneur did in his youth. Everybody knows about Bill Gates…intelligent computer pro-grammer who dropped out of Harvard to create arguably the most important computer company in the history of the world…Microsoft. His story is a tale of pure talent and genius. But what people fail to realize is that the real reason Bill Gates was successful was not solely because of an innate technical talent but rather due to a combination of talent and freedom. Freedom to explore and play with computers without being yelled and spat at. In the 1960s, when computers were still quite rare and comput-er programming was still being done with the laborious and tedi-ous punch card system….the students at Lakeside high-school were programming with something different. It was a then so-phisticated computer terminal that connected straight to a mainframe computer in downtown Seattle. You see back then it was very expensive to own actual comput-ers…so instead of spending anywhere from $100,000 to $200,000 on a device…small organizations invested in what we call a time sharing computer terminal. What the terminal al-lowed you to do was to connect remotely to a mainframe com-

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puter and then purchase time to program with the computer. Despite the scaled down nature of the comput-er terminal device, it still cost a whopping $3000 to pur-chase. And in a time when only a few organizations could afford such a hefty price tag, the students of Lakeside high had the com-puter terminal device in their backyard. One of the students that really benefited from this was none other than Bill Gates. He was able to practice full scale comput-er programming hours on end at a time when very few people had even heard about computers. To put into perspective the significance of this exposure, one has to understand that $3000 in 1968 was way worth what it is now. I can imagine myself in secondary school with a $3000 computer in our computer the room…the teachers will simply just make us stare at the computer but never touch it. But in Bill’s case, he and his classmates were allowed to probe and poke at the com-puter freely and this is what defined his success. Sadly, I see too many teachers and par-ents not allowing their kids poke around, dance around or mess around with items, for fear that they will break, spoil or de-stroy it. That fear limits talents and stifles creativity. But that is a fear we are used to…because it is ingrained in us right from

birth. I remember buying a toy action fig-ure for our housegirl’s 2 year old son…I gave it to the son one morning and he played around excitedly with the toy. By the time I had come back home from lunch break, the toy was on the top most part of our bookshelf. It was as if Michael Jordan himself had lifted it and placed it on the shelf. But I know it was not MJ but the boy’s mother (the house girl) who placed the toy on the shelf. And that was where it remained for the rest day…after which I never saw the toy again. I really don’t know what happened to the toy, I would like to believe it was taken home so that the young child could play with it, but I doubt it. Because it was the same thing I experienced growing up, we got gifts, but were only allowed to play with them on special occasions such as Christ-mas day and Easter Holidays. The rest of the time the toys were locked up in some secret cabinet, which we had to break into from time to time (sorry mom) to access. The fact is that we were not al-

lowed to be free with toys or com-puters…and that lack of freedom affects one’s ability to create or be creative. That is why the typical (not every) Nigerian child tends to interact with their environment with hesitation, as if they are waiting for permission from their parents. While other chil-dren, run around wildly, exploring poking and yelling at their environ-ment…sometimes with the encour-agement of their parents.

The honest truth is that if we are to raise creative children, the ones that will chal-lenge societal norms and beliefs, we would have to let them be free. And even if they misbehave or are being naughty, we should still allow ourselves discover the genius they possess while still whopping their behind disciplining them. Because talent in all its mysterious-ness shows itself during a child’s good behavior and when they are being naugh-ty…just like a certain computer icon. Steve Jobs was clearly a difficult child while growing up, he was always playing pranks, was extremely rude and self-centered. But despite his outlandish be-havior, he had a talent and his parents were smart enough to notice it and rather than making his bad behavior their focus, they instead focused on his positives. Something quite difficult especially when you look at some of the crazy pranks he played on his parents. For instance he

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THE FILM “OCTOBER 1”: ANY SOCIAL RELEVANCE?

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BASICS OF

INTERIOR DESIGN (1) As the world enters the new millennium, people’s work-styles became more fractious, time-specific, making peoples lifestyle more fragmented. Relaxation at the end of a diffi-cult day is consequently more of a basic re-quirement than ever before, and to be able to wind down in comfort and style in aes-thetically pleasing decorative surrounding is not so much a bonus as a necessity. Relaxing in a familiar surrounding involves input in different areas. Favourite colours and textures, controllable lighting displays, art works, pictures and mementoes, all har-monizes to make a space where the heart is. Practical Considerations: Irrespective or the job size, forward plan-ning is essential when considering the re-modelling of a space. Inspiration could be gotten from magazines, and life jobs. These could be translated into a plan of action for the job to be successful. A brief: A description detailing all that is required from the finished work, which materials to be used and the preferable colour scheme. A few tips on what to consider includes:

Suitability of a planned change for a space.

The necessity of the planned change.

Practicability.

Duration.

Discomfort during the modelling.

Acceptability of the change by the users of a space.

Budget: An estimate of the proposed modelling should be drawn up to capture the costs materials and labour and consultation fees. Skill: The cost of labour for a quality/high grade finished job is high, avoid cutting corners by employing cheap labour as it is cheaper to employ a professional to handle a job from start than employing a quark for a job which often leads to loss of time, resources and materials because a job has to be either rein-stalled or amended to the right specifica-tions. Time: Be realistic about assessing the duration it will take to finish the section of a job as well as the entire job using the minimum man-power required. Please note that unfore-seen circumstances could cause an exten-sion. Implication of modelling a space: Modelling a space could be a lifetime change and it is pertinent to guard against all forms of error that could be a source of permanent

physiological discomfort to its users. Furthermore, it is easier to decorate a new space than remodelling an already decorat-ed space for a change of use/ modification for improvement. This is often caused by the location of fenestration and other structural elements which are fixed and cannot be changed, moved or relocated. In the inci-dence that this is encountered the follow are advised: 1. A sympathetic decorating of structural elements. 2. Selective striping of structural elements to ascertain what is hiding with the structural before hacking down a wall or other struc-tural members. It is strongly advised that you consult a structural engineer. Olalekan Baiyewunmi 08098982789, 08029514804 [email protected] www.facebook.com/zuartz @zuartz C00298DF8

DURING REMODELLING AFTER REMODELLING

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once wired his parent’s house with speakers and since speakers in reverse could also be used as microphones, he was able to listen in on what was going on in all the rooms in the house. You can imagine the sounds he heard from the master bedroom…All that came to a much needed end when his dad discovered the devices reverse use and made Steve Jobs remove the system from the house. Now ordinary parents would have focused on Steve’s misbehavior and discouraged him from playing with electronics…especially since he was being mischievous with them. But thankfully Steve’s parents where no ordinary parents, they saw the potential he had with electronics and duly supported his interest by enrolling him in numerous electronics clubs and supporting his internship at Hewlett Packard. If not for his parents ability to see the talent embed-ded in his mischief, the world might have been robbed of Itunes, Imacs, Ipads and Iphones. In a similar way, if the child in the airport was free to thwirl around who knows what she could become. She could become a world renowned dancer… Gillian Lynne in the 1930’s suffered from a common classroom disease…boredom. Because of boredom she could not sit still and was constantly fidgeting in class. Her fidgeting behavior had gotten so bad that she had begun to distract her classmates. Concerned, the school wrote her parents saying in their words “We think Gillian has a

learning disorder.” Her Mum, worried that her daughter might be suffering from a type of mental problem took her to a hospital for a medical analysis. They arrived at the hospital and entered an oak paneled room to see the doctor. With Gillian at her side, her mum proceeded to explain to the doctor all of Gillian’s prob-lems in class. She talked about how Gillian was always distracting others in class and how her homework was always late. After they finished discussing, the doctor walked over to Gillian and told her that he needed to talk to her mum in a private room. But right before he walked out, he tuned the radio to a musical station and turned up the volume. What happened next could simply be described as magical…So magical I would narrate it exactly as it was narrated in Sir Ken Robinson’s classic TED talk “Are Schools Killing Creativity” “But as they went out the room, he turned on the radio that was sitting on his desk, and when they got out the room, he said to her mother, “Just stand and watch her.” And the minute they left the room, she said, she was on her feet, moving to the music. And they watched for a few minutes and he turned to her mother and said, “Mrs. Lynne, Gillian isn’t sick; she’s a dancer. Take her to a dance school.” I said, “What happened?” She said, “She did. I can’t tell you how won-derful it was. We walked in this room and it was full of people like me, people who

couldn’t sit still. People who had to move to think.” Who had to move to think. They did ballet, they did tap, they did jazz, they did modern, they did contemporary…” Today Gillian Lynne is responsible for some of the most amazing dance pieces and cho-reography in the world and as recent as 2001, she was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award by the Royal Academy of Dance, which is highest honor the acade-my could bestow on any dancer. She went on to become one of the most successful British dance choreographers in history. Many highly talented, brilliant, creative people think they’re not — because the thing they were good at school wasn’t val-ued, or was actually stigmatized. ~ Sir Ken Robinson If it was a typical family, she would have been screamed at and shouted upon and then flogged until she literarily stopped dancing for fear that she was doing some-thing wrong. Her name would have graced the honor roll of noise makers repeatedly. But because, she was allowed to dance and without hearing the s-words she was able twirl her way to success and today she has shared her talents with millions of millions of people and her name is written on the pages of international newspapers versus the tattered pages of exercise books as a noisemaker or troublemaker. I often wonder about the concept of writing names of noisemakers, what it achieves or

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NIGHTINGALE'S CAREGIVERS ACADEMY (NCA)

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aims to achieve. I often look around at people in my class or in society that are making a difference today and it is hard to imagine them not on the noisemakers list. They are vocal, they often speak up while others are quiet, they are social revolutionaries, but they are lucky because their ability to effect change were not robbed from them in primary or secondary school by ostracizing them as noise-makers or outcasts that need to seat still and be quiet while their environment screamed to be touched. The truth is that there are many Gillian Lynne’s, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs out there, but for every one of them there are many others who would never be given the oppor-tunity to shine. They are the funny looking ones, the ones that get on the noise makers lists, the ones get bored with school just like you probably were, the ones whose imagi-nation runs so wild that they need to speak to express it. They are the outcasts, the outliers, the drop outs. If we are able to see the magic in them, see their potential and spare the rod just for a little bit we might see their talent. Now I am not an expert in raising children, but I do have some experience being a child. And I do know that if you are constantly told to shut-up or sit-down as a child you would tend to grow up to conform to society, but if you are encouraged to express yourself as a child, you can grow up to revolutionize society. We should encourage our children and other children in general to express themselves, to run around, to sing out loud to scream and shout. You never know several years later you and other adults might be running around and screaming as they unleash their talent on the world. Ofili is an award winning dancer motivational speaker, au-thor, success coach and karate kid entrepreneur who blogs about life, success and entrepreneurial excellence. He has written two books, How Laziness Saved My Life and the best-selling How Stupidity Saved My Life, to find out how they both saved his life visit ofilispeaks.com

This article was first published on ofilispeaks.com

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enry Giessenbier Jr. lived at the turn of the century—a time of great social trans-formation. His home town of St. Louis, Missouri, USA experienced rapid growth

with limited resources due to its hosting of the Olympics and World Fair in 1904. No oth-er city but St. Louis ever hosted these two events at the same time. Also, the city was the fourth largest in the whole of the United States at that time. It was here in St. Louis where it all began—the dream of Henry Giessenbier to create

“one grand body with that great purpose of fellowship, advancement and everything that will make a good boy a better boy, a good student a more proficient scholar and a good citizen a better citizen.” The dream and purpose of Junior Chamber is most clearly expressed in the words of founder Henry Giessenbier who said: “From within the walls of the soul of this organization, wherein the

foundation of character and citizenship are laid, I hope a message will

come forth in the sometime of tomorrow that will stir the people to-

ward the establishment of a permanent and everlasting world peace.”

Giessenbier had the foresight to believe that character and citizenship could contribute toward a permanent world peace. His dream and pur-pose for Junior Chamber were to offer the membership opportunities that would build strong, positive character and a sense of citizenship, not only for communities, cities and countries, but also for the world. THE TIMELINE 1910 Henry Giessenbier and his friends formed the Herculaneum Dance Club in with the main objective of preserving conservative dance styles. 1915 Colonel H.N. Morgan, a prominent St. Louis citizen, inspired the mem-bers of the dance club to become more involved in civic issues. Alt-hough it was in the middle of the First World War, Giessenbier and 32 other young men formed the Young Men’s Progressive Civic Associa-tion (YMPCA) on October 13. The object of the organisation was to promote the sale of city bonds to finance the laying out of roads and parks in the city.

1918 The organisation went on to dedicate itself to bringing about civic im-provements and giving young people a constructive approach to civic problems. The local Chamber of Commerce in St. Louis was so im-pressed that it asked these young men to adopt the name of ‘Junior Chamber of Commerce’. In August, the organization's name changed to Junior Citizens, and it was at this time that the initials JC were first used. 1920s Over the following years, especially during the 1920s, Henry Gies-senbier spread the message about Junior Chamber mainly in America. The Young Men Section of the Winnipeg Board of Trade, founded in 1923 in Canada, was the first Junior Chamber type organisation outside the United States although not formed as part of the Junior Chamber movement. After World War I, Giessenbier contacted other cities in the United States, with similar young executives’ groups and subsequently 29 clubs from around the nation formed The United States Junior Chamber of Commerce; and Henry Giessenbier elected as the first Pres-ident of the national organization. 1928 The idea of an international body crossed the Atlantic Ocean to Eng-land when a St. Louis Junior Chamber member, Charles Lindbergh did something that had never done before—a single man flight to Europe from the United States on board “the Spirit of St. Louis” 1930s The membership moved away from being exclusively male to include female members and, in 1938, Mary Orgil was elected as President of Walsall Junior Chamber of Commerce. Also in the mid-1930s and at-tempt was made to form an international organisation but this did not prove successful. 1940 The U.S. Junior Chamber passed a resolution, approving a program to further mutual interests with Central and South America. This led to the establishment of Junior Chambers in Mexico City, Guatemala City, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama in 1943. 1944 Junior Chamber becomes International on December 1at the first Inter-national Conference called Inter-America Conference was held in Mexi-co City; and Raul Garcia Vidal from Mexico elected as the first presi-dent. The countries, which formed Junior Chamber International in

IN THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS

HENRY GIESSENBIER JR.

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1944, were Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and the United States. 1946 The first world congress held in Panama City in the month of February. Forty-four delegates attended this congress from 16 different coun-tries. The International organization formally constituted, a temporary constitution ap-proved, an emblem adopted, and the word “Commerce” omitted from the name to be-come Jaycees International. Australia and Canada were officially affiliated and Erasmo Chambonnet of Panama elected as the second JCI President at that congress. 1947 The second World Congress in Dallas, Texas, U.S.A. saw the constitution of Junior Chamber International as officially adopted. 1948 JCI adopted the Creed written by C. William Brownfield in 1948 1952 The JCI Senate formed through the efforts of Phil Pugsley, the 1951 JCI President, at the 7th JCI World Congress in Melbourne, Australia. (The granting of a Senator-ship is the highest honour within JCI and awards life-long mem-bership to an individual member). 1953 The first permanent World Headquarters es-tablished at the United States Jaycees War Memorial Headquarters Building in Tulsa, Okla-homa, and Philip Van Slyck hired as JCI's first full-time Secretary General. 1954 The official publication JCI World started (changed to LEADER in 1984) 1960 JCI adopted the Commission System and the 100 per cent JCI Individual Membership Pro-gram. 1969

The World Headquarters built in Coral Gables, Florida, USA to commemorate the 25th anni-versary of Junior Chamber International. 1972 At the 38th JCI World Congress in Taipei, the organisation's name changed from Junior Chamber International to Jaycees Internation-al. 1974 The Commission System changed to the Areas of Activity concept, which then became the Areas of Opportunity Concept in 1979 and was refined to a combination of the Areas of Op-portunity and Commission Systems in 1985. 1988 At the 39th JCI World Congress in Sydney, Aus-tralia, the organisation's name again changed from Jaycees International to Junior Chamber International (JCI). 1989 1989 was an historic year for JCI as member-ship extended to the Eastern Bloc countries of Estonia (USSR), Poland and Hungary. 2002 JCI Headquarters relocated to St. Louis, Mis-souri. 2003 JCI rebranded so that worldwide, national or-ganisations began with Junior Chamber Inter-national, followed by its geographical area and adopted at local level too with local chambers adding JCI before their town or city name. Asides activities by Jaycees to create impact local community level worldwide, notable in-ternational achievements include being the first multi-racial organization recognized by the government in apartheid South Africa and introducing democracy into Japan following World War II. Young active citizens continue to unite across the world, fuelling the JCI move-ment and creating positive change, sustaining our legacy of impact.

The Celebration

The JCI 100th Anniversary celebration will connect young active citizens across local, national and global communities in united action that reflects on the positive change created in the last 100 years while looking to the impact that we can create in the future.

The yearlong celebration, which launched in November 2014 at the JCI World Congress in Leipzig, Germany and culminates in Novem-ber 2015 at the JCI World Congress in Kana-zawa, Japan will include interactive activi-ties, impactful projects and engaging events at the local, national and international level.

The Future

From the beginning, JCI members drive to-ward the vision of a better world. Through-out JCI’s history, this vision has adjusted to the needs of the global community at any particular time, yet active citizens have con-tinued to create positive change. As JCI members around the world celebrate the impact created during the past century, it is also important to prepare for the next 100 years of impact.

The collaborative ownership of challenges and solutions by all community stakeholders is what produces sustainable impact. JCI will be the organization that unites all sectors of society, from government to business to civil society, for sustainable impact.

JCI projects are creative and unique; and are ahead of their time. Collaborate and connect with JCI, an organization that has inspired 100 years of impact and that will continue to empower and activate young people across the globe for another 100 years.

WANT TO KNOW MORE, VISIT JCI.CC

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THE LADY IN RED TRENCH COAT I am at the bus stop, on my way to school actually. The first cabman I hail said ₦100 to challenge. “Ha-ha! Abeg, shift commot here shift go there jare! From Airport? Nonsense and Ingredients!” my subconscious exclaims. The second one I hailed charged ₦70. Now that is bet-ter, my sub says. I jump into the cab with my bag, phone and earpiece. The music playing is Beyoncé’s Haunted. As in, that girl can sing for Africa and I increased the volume. This woke my Inner Diva and she starts gyrating to the beat. “You know you could dance to this at the Interfac-ulty dance,” right. She says. At that moment, she reminds me that I am lagging behind on my decision to join my faculty’s dance crew. I wave it aside as Beyoncé’s partition starts playing. “I sneezed on the beat and the beat got sicker,” my Inner Diva and I sing along to the tune. As I did not know the lyrics, I opened the TTPod app on my 4months old Samsung Ace 4 Lite, the lyrics pop up and I sang along like an amateur. “Take all of me; I just wanna be the girl you like… Driv-er, roll up the partition fast.” I continue aloud. The driv-er stops to pick another passenger—a woman with a baby on her back. The baby is wearing a pink dress and hijab (headwear) and I smile at her. My subconscious reminds me of how I will have mine in 7years time. My stomach chooses this time to growl—the kind of growl that shouts at you like: “you better eat some-thing now or I will embarrass you.” Thankfully, I have my crunchy oat and wholemeal McVitie’s The Original Hobnobs biscuit and diluted Pepsi in my big brown Emperior Armani bag. I bring my Hobnobs out, open the wrapping, take one biscuit, put it in my mouth and suddenly I fell five tiny warm fingers on my right hu-merous bone. This girl, not up to a year old, looking pleadingly wants

to have some biscuit. Hoinh, who is this one, you can like to shift 6 miles away. My Inner Diva springs up. My subconscious, the good part, shouts at me and tells me to be a good-looking-nice-behaving person. My Inner Diva gives me reasons why I should not give her—including me being brandished a kidnapper or accused of giving poison or witchcraft to the poor little prin-cess in pink if anything happens to her. I rolled my eyes at that. I decided to go with my Inner Diva so I look at the girl and make a face at her—the kind of face African mums make that automatically formats you to factory setting. She recoils and detaches her tiny fingers from my arm. Inner Diva gives me a pat on the back and my stomach reminds me to continue eating the biscuit and diluted Pepsi. Subconscious shakes her head as I flip my own head in a Diva style and chew my crunchy oat and wholemeal biscuit. Make it to me by Sam Smith comes on and I also sing along. We just got to Unity Road now. “Challenge wa ooo. Driver e gba o”, I say as I hand the money to the cabman. I alight from the cab, sashay away to the sick beat of Show by Victoria Kimani while my Inner Diva secretly imagining herself as those guys in Mafikizolo’s Khona video. I am the lady in red trench coat and above is a conflict between my subconscious and Inner Diva. These dra-matic two are always at a logger head. Everyday of our life is a new one, a fresh canvas stained by the realities of the past and the fear of what the future has in its back pocket. In the midst of all these are our personal battles--the epic clashes between our subconscious and our Inner diva/don. While our final decisions is no one's concern, these personal battles make or mar who we are and they are extremely important in our daily lives.

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Have you ever no-ticed the way some guys are able to look better in jeans and a T-shirt than others do in a suit? Everything about

their look seems comfortable, confident, nonchalant yet de-liberate at the same time.

What is it about these individuals that sets them apart? Anyone remotely interested in style strives for this effortlessly cool way of dressing. While it may come naturally to a rare few, for the rest of us it takes some work to pull it all togeth-er. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could just copy what we see and be guaranteed a perfectly polished style? In reality, there’s no set-in-stone formula for being stylish, such as “well dressed women carry this brand of handbag” or “stylish men always wear suits”. It’s more complex than that. Fortunately, there are some common habits amongst the naturally style-inclined that you can emulate. Here’s a list, along with my tips on implementing these habits in your daily life and becoming the confident, stylish man you want to be.

1. THEY DON’T HAVE A CLOSET FULL OF “COMFY” CLOTHES How do you dress impeccably day in and day out? Simple: don’t give yourself an option to do otherwise. If your ward-robe is full of hoodies, graphic tees, and running shoes, you can bet that’s what you’ll gravitate toward. If you limit these items to just one set for yard work or painting, your choice is between looking great and looking even better. It’s a win-win situation! You don’t always have to be formally dressed, but it’s best not to make a habit of looking sloppy, even around the house.

Tip #1: Donate your comfy clothes and invest in

classic staple items. 2. THEY BUY PIECES THAT GET BETTER WITH AGE Besides saving cash and being less wasteful, buying pieces built to last will give you an incredible aura of style. Well-worn items send the message that you know exactly where to spend your dollars. Natural materials are the name of the game. Leather, denim, canvas, and wool all tend to develop a beautiful patina with normal use. Stylish people avoid items made of synthetic ma-terials and faux design details. Tip #2: Take your time when deciding on purchases. Read reviews and look for designs that haven’t changed much over the decades.

3. THEY DRESS FOR THE WEATHER Stylish people know that soggy oxfords aren’t impressing any-one, so they embrace the practical accessories. Why do you think brightly coloured wellingtons and rain coats are fashion-able? Stylish people made it so by proudly donning the neces-sities without shame. Never be afraid to grab a rain coat or umbrella if the weather calls for it. Tip #3: Get yourself a good pair of waterproof boots, a heavy parka, or a raincoat/umbrella to be prepared for your local climate.

4. THEY ALWAYS “GET DRESSED” Stylish people make it a point to get dressed everyday, even on the weekends. They don’t lounge around until noon and then decide to stay in because they aren’t ready. When you always look presentable, you’ll never have to miss an opportunity to grab an impromptu drink with friends, talk to that cute girl in the supermarket, or chat with a prospective business partner. Tip #4: Being well dressed is like any other habit. Do it first thing in the morning, consistently, before you have a chance to change your mind.

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5. THEY’RE NEVER “UP TO THE MI-NUTE” Stylish people always find the middle ground. They’re up-to-date without being too trendy. They’re classically dressed without appearing stuffy. Fashion changes so fast, especially with the internet, that trying to keep up will leave you broke and exhausted. The goal should be to dress in a way that doesn’t make you embarrassed of old Facebook photos. Tip #5: Stick to classic designs for things like suits, shoes, and outer-wear, then have a little fun experi-menting with trendy accessories.

6. THEY DON’T WEAR ATHLETIC CLOTHING UNLESS THEY’RE WORK-ING OUT Gym clothes belong in the gym, running shoes on the track, and your North Face jacket should be reserved for the trail. Tip #6: Try only owning enough gym clothes to get you through a week’s worth of workouts. Anything more is a waste of space.

7. THEY DRESS LIKE THEMSELVES, NOT LIKE A (ANY) CERTAIN CELEBRITY Stylish people take inspiration, but never blindly follow. Developing personal style is the most difficult part of being well dressed. Throwing money around to look like so-and-so is easy, but you’ll never really feel

like yourself. Tip #7: Experiment with thrift store and discount items until you find a style that works for you: both func-tionally and aesthetically.

8. THEY AREN’T LABEL FANATICS Stylish people know that specific labels can give you general ideas about fit and quality, but won’t guarantee sartorial success. They also don’t buy pieces that are shamelessly branded. No one should be able to tell what brands or designers you’re wearing at first glance. A truly stylish wardrobe is one of diversi-ty. High-end staples, vintage statement pieces, and discount brand basics. Tip #8: Avoid anything with an obvi-ous logo. It’s perfectly fine to like a brand because of fit and quality, but not just to impress your friends with a label.

9. THEY DON’T KNOW THEIR SIZE In some shirting brands, I wear a small, and others, a large. I can’t recall a single time I’ve bought a clothing item from a brick and mortar store without trying it on first. There’s too much variation between manufac-turers and fits. Tip #9: Know your measurements when ordering online, and try things on in stores whenever possible for the right fit.

10. THEY’RE COMFORTABLE IN THEIR CLOTHES THIS STATEMENT IS TWO-FOLD. Stylish people take great care to make sure their clothes fit properly and are physically comfortable. But they’re also comfortable with them-selves. They’re confident. No matter how expensive or “in” a jacket may be, if the wearer is self conscious about a loud pattern or bold colour, the look will fall to pieces. Being unsure of yourself will ruin the most important aspect of being styl-ish: confidence. Stylish people buy clothing that fits their personality and lifestyle. No drop crotch pants just because they’re on the runway right now. Tip #10: This is the big one. Buy clothes that you’re excited to wear and feel great in. Confidence will follow. With consistent application, following even a few of these steps will help you build a wardrobe and instil habits that will naturally result in the confidence exuded by these highly stylish individuals. Now, tell me… How many of these habits do you recog-nize? Do you put these into practice? Would love to hear your thoughts on the blog: http://goo.gl/

THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED ON:

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ABDUR-RAZZAQ BALQIS A.

CHAPTER PRESIDENT

JIMOH AZEEZAT

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESI-DENT

OJO-SAMUEL EMMANU-EL

VICE PRESIDENT INDIVIDUAL

MACIVER RASHEEDAH VICE PRESIDENT COM-

MUNITY

OLOPADE DAMILOLA VICE PRESIDENT BUSI-

NESS

ZANNU SAMUEL

VICE PRESIDENT INTERNA-

TIONAL

ODERINDE KAYODE GENERAL SECRETARY

KOLAWOLE BABATUNDE

GENERAL LEGAL COUNSEL

ABOLARIN DAMILOLA DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

YAHAYA TAOFIQ A. DIRECTOR OF BRAND

MEDIA&PUBLICITY

ADAMS RASKAT DIRECTOR OF WELFARE

OYENKWELU COSMAS

DIRECTOR OF TRAINING

ADELEKE ADETOUN

DIRECTOR OF MEMBER-

SHIP/SERVICE

ELEGBEDE ESTHER DIRECTOR OF CONVEN-

TION

ABDULHAMID TAOFIQ DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL

DUTIES

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JIMOH RASHEEDAH CHAIRMAN-HEALTH

WEEK

NASIR ISLAMIYAH

CHAIRMAN-FAABS

LAWAL SHAKIRAH

ASST. L.O. SECRETARY

ABDULKAREEM

ROUDAT ADENIRAN CALVIN

SANUSI SHARA-

FADEEN JAJI MEDINAT

DUNMOYE OMO-

LARA

OLAYEMI ANDREW ALABI ZAINAB

ABOBARIN ADEBAYO

OLALEYE MARTHA SULYMAN

RASHEEDAT LANIHUN YUSUF

BATCHO ANICET

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ANJORIN OLU-

WABUNMI

IBRAHIM MARIAM ABIOSUN TAIWO SA’AD AMINAT OMITOOGUN TO-

HEEB

SALAMI LATIFAH KUGBIYI KOREDE OLUKOGA ZAINAB

QUADRI IBRAHIM MAJEKODUNMI

DAMILOLA

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ike everyone, appearing smart during meet-ings is my top priority. Sometimes this can be difficult if you start daydreaming about your next vacation, your next nap, or bacon.

When this happens, it’s good to have some fallback tricks to fall back on. Here are my ten favorite tricks for quickly appearing smart dur-ing meetings. #1 DRAW A VENN DIAGRAM Getting up and drawing a Venn diagram is a great way to appear smart. It doesn’t matter if your Venn diagram is wildly inaccurate, in fact, the more inaccurate the better. Even before

you’ve put that marker down, your colleagues will begin fighting about what exactly the la-bels should be and how big the circles should be, etc. At this point, you can slink back to your chair and go back to playing Candy Crush on your phone. #2 TRANSLATE PERCENTAGES INTO FRAC-TIONS If someone says “About 25% of all users click on this button,” quickly chime in with, “So about 1 in 4,” and make a note of it. Everyone will nod their head in agreement, secretly im-pressed and envious of your quick math skills.

#3 ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO “TAKE A STEP BACK” There comes a point in most meetings where everyone is chiming in, except you. This is a great point to go, “Guys, guys, guys, can we take a step back here?” Everyone will turn their heads toward you, amazed at your ability to silence the fray. Follow it up with a quick, “What problem are we really trying to solve?” and, boom! You’ve bought yourself another hour of looking smart. #4 NOD CONTINUOUSLY WHILE PRETENDING TO TAKE NOTES Always bring a notepad with you. Your rejec-tion of technology will be revered. Take notes by simply writing down one word from every sentence that you hear. Nod continuously while doing so. If someone asks you if you’re taking notes, quickly say that these are your own personal notes and that someone else should really be keeping a record of the meeting. Bravo Com-padre. You’ve saved your ass, and you’ve got-ten out of doing any extra work. Or any work at all, if you’re truly succeeding. #5 REPEAT THE LAST THING THE ENGINEER SAID, BUT VERY VERY SLOWLY Make a mental note of the engineer in the room. Remember his name. He’ll be quiet throughout most of the meeting, but when his moment comes everything out of his mouth will spring from place of unknowable bril-liance. After he utters these divine words, chime in with, “Let me just repeat that,” and repeat exactly what he just said, but very, very slowly. Now, his brilliance has been trans-ferred to you. People will look back on the meeting and mistakenly attribute the intelli-gent statement to you. #6 ASK “WILL THIS SCALE?” NO MATTER WHAT IT IS No one even really knows what that means, but it’s a good catch-all question that general-ly applies and drives engineers nuts. #7 Pace Around The Room Whenever someone gets up from the table and walks around, don’t you immediately re-spect them? I know I do. It takes a lot of guts but once you do it, you immediately appear smart. Fold your arms. Walk around. Go to the corner and lean against the wall. Take a deep, con-

templative sigh. Trust me; everyone will be freaking out and wondering what you’re thinking. If only they knew. #8 Ask The Presenter To Go Back A Slide “Sorry, could you go back a slide?” They’re the seven words no presenter wants to hear. It doesn’t matter where in the presentation you shout this out, it’ll immediately make you look like you’re paying closer attention than every-one else is, because clearly they missed the thing that you’re about to brilliantly point out. Don’t have anything to point out? Just say something like, “I’m not sure what these num-bers mean,” and sit back. You’ve bought your-self almost an entire meeting of appearing smart. #9 STEP OUT FOR A PHONE CALL You’re probably afraid to step out of the room because you fear people will think you aren’t making the meeting a priority. Interestingly, however, if you step out of a meeting for an “important” phone call, they’ll all realize just how busy and important you are. They’ll say, “Wow, this meeting is important, so if he has something even more important than this, well, we better not bother him.” #10. MAKE FUN OF YOURSELF People love self-deprecating humor. Say things like, “Maybe we can just use the law-yers from my divorce,” or “God I wish I was dead.” They’ll laugh, value your honesty, con-sider contacting H.R., but most importantly, think you’re the smartest looking person in the room. This article was first published on http://thecooperreview.com and is featured here with the express permission of the author, Sarah Cooper.

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