Meet the very prolific and impacting student writer who has made the
waves in student activism and advocacy through his intriguing articles
and write ups which have addressed pertinent issues in and beyond KNUST
campus. Lets get to know more about him and his role as a student
writer.
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| Felix Ntenhene |
Tell us a bit about yourself
Ok, my name is Ntenhene Felix, I am a final year Political Science Student. I am 22 years of age and the second and last child of my parents. Writing is my hobby and I aim at making impact through my writing.
How did you start as a student writer?
I started when i was in second year. Coming up, I wrote about two very sensitive issues. First, I wrote about the indecent dressing of most female students on campus which is very appalling and i was making a suggestion that they change their way of dressing to the acceptable way or the standard way of African tradition. It was a sensitive issue, you know, many people really have a problem with how some ladies dress on campus and once it was centered around such a sensitive issue, i got the attention of people. I also wrote about the rivalry between Conti and Katanga which was another sensitive issue. These gave me a good recognition and that is how i have been able to come this far.
What has been your motivation as a student writer?
My motivation is fetched from my personal principle which is to make impact on people around me. I believe our mind is our greatest asset so we should develop our minds well. I read a lot in order to know about what is going on around me and beyond. I am also motivated by the fact that i am able to change the mindset of people from the negative to the positive.
What is the scope of your writing?
I write basically about everything, football, politics, entertainment... I am a freelance writer. My writing is largely influenced by my observations of the things around me. But since i am a student, i focus mainly on political and social issues. When the need arises, i can write about anything.
Tell us about some of your best works
Oh yes i have some articles that i feel very proud of whenever i read due to the impact i made from them, which is measured by the huge positive impact i received from people. I have written about 62 articles. One of my best was "He is not your Boyfriend" which went viral on social media and websites across the country. Second is "KNUST girls enough of the dress assassination", which addressed the issues of dressing of most females on campus and finally an article about Libya titled"Will Gaddafi's Soul Forgive Libya? " which also went viral on most websites in Africa.
How far Have your articles gone?
I have written for prominent websites in Ghana including ghanaweb.com, modernghana.com as well as the Daily Graphic and many online blogs. When i search for the title of my articles in google search you will see the number of websites which have published them and they span across the whole continent and beyond, from South Africa, Cameroon, Canada... a whole lot.
What do you think about the current state of student writing on campus?
well, i think students sometimes write good stuff but fail to come out boldly and claim responsibility for them. You end up seeing ghost names and ghost numbers under those articles and ambiguous statements like "A concerned student". This I think is problematic because writers are not bold to claim what they have written and defend it.
What has been your biggest challenge as a student writer?
My biggest challenge is getting people to understand the positive impact i am trying to make and that I am not trying to dent or tarnish the image of people. Another challenge is that i find it hard to say no to people so whenever anyone approaches me to write up something for them, i find it difficult to say no and a lot of work keeps piling up on me.
Do you get a lot of criticism for your work and how do you deal with them?
Ok, the criticism are just few, but even with the few, they really touch me. In some circumstances i apologise to those who are affected by my writings and i learn from my mistakes, never to repeat them again.
How do you combine your writing with academic work?
It has not been easy for me especially now in my final semester, i am loaded with a lot of work and i also have to do things for people but God being so good, i have been able to adjust and excel in my academics and in my writing.
Have you regretted writing anything as a student writer?
Yes i have regretted writing some things. One of them is I wrote about a "Letter to Samuel Amoako Kusi (SAK)" and i made mention of Krobo girls, for which i received a lot of attacks. I regretted mentioning their name in the article because they felt i have dented their image as a school. I also wrote a letter from Satan to Republic Hall, where people began to tell me that i have judged them and i know i am not God so when people begin to tell me that i have judged them, I feel very bad and finally when i wrote about "Na Sika No Wo Hi?" which was about the school's administration using our money for investments. I felt that i was saying the truth but when attacks came from big and strong jurisdictions i could not defend myself and the best i could do was to apologise and learn from my mistakes
What have been some of your biggest achievements?
My greatest achievement is that i have made a huge impact on society. Through that impact, i won the award for the best writer at the just ended Political Science Students Association (POSA) KNUST Awards and also Best Writer at the NUGS Awards Chinua Achebe Best Writer Category.
Do receive any form of payment for your work?
I put the impact before the money and hence do not write for money. I can confidently say that i have never received money from anyone for a write up or article or help i have given to a person. I do things for free. My focus is to help people and my focus is to make impact.
As an individual, where do you see yourself, five years from now?
well, I will be very fulfilled in five years from now if i get the opportunity to work for the United Nations due to my interest in peace-keeping and conflict resolution. In the mean time i will be writing my articles and my stories in order to continue making the impact.
So you don't plan on doing full time writing?
No, i plan on doing it as a part time work or a hobby and take on my ambition to work in the UN full time.
What message do you have to motivate student writers like you who are coming up?
My message for then is that they should focus more on writing to make a positive impact in the society because someone can read your work and be motivated to get up to do something great for society. They should also concentrate on political and social issues which mostly affect students and other people.
click HERE to read more articles by Felix Ntenhene
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