Ghanaian artist, Guru, has opened up about his experience as the SRC President at the University of Ghana and the difficulties he faces as a celebrity student on campus.
Guru also revealed that he would often wear a nose mask and hoodie to class to avoid catching the attention of his fellow students.
“It is very difficult being an SRC president at the University of Ghana. What we hate in Legon is you projecting that your artistic lifestyle, the celebrity lifestyle, on the students. There is a bit of a gap. It’s either you are coming to perform or you don’t come with your superstardom, coming to class.
“Anytime I’m entering class, I’ll be wearing my nose mask and my hoodie and don’t even want to be seen. Because with that, you won’t be able to focus. But people will still recognise you. Anytime you’re in class, some will be streaking you. It’s a very uncomfortable position, but you have no choice.”
Guru
The rapper spoke about his initial struggles with being recognised on campus.
“In the beginning, I was feeling very uncomfortable. It was very difficult. It wasn’t easy. I’m entering class, and everybody would be like, ah, who is he? And some us would pretend like it is not you.”
Guru
When asked if he answers questions in class, Guru explained that lecturers don’t force students to answer questions. “No, you need to have a good rapport with the students so that they will at least be detailing the happenings,” he asserted.
He highlighted that he was able to keep a low-profile lifestyle, even with his lecturers. That notwithstanding, he explained how he coped with academic challenges.
“Some of them didn’t know I was a student, especially the lecturers. I was able to keep my nose mask and my hoodie on with all these unexpected situations. Yet, I was able to sail through. I wasn’t friends with the TAs, the teaching assistants. I decided to go the hardest way.
“I was able to identify some nerds. I was able to discover them. So anytime I face some difficulties, I’m not catching up, I tell them to come over. I have to do what I gotta do to make sure I get good grades ’cause I don’t want to finish and be attaining some pass or whatever. So I was making sure I was keeping up my GPA intact, and that really contributed.”
Guru
Guru’s experience as SRC President at the University of Ghana highlights the challenges that come with being a celebrity student.
Despite the difficulties, he was able to navigate campus life with discretion and determination, ultimately succeeding in his academic pursuits.
Guru Reflects on Leading Student Populace of UG
The Ghanaian rapper, currently in his final year at the University of Ghana, discussed his experience as the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) President.
Reflecting on his journey from being a performer to leading the students, he expressed his feelings on being the SRC President at the University of Ghana.
“To me, it’s a great step. It’s been a long time coming. We’ve been here in the showbiz doing all these performances, and also, so to me, venturing into the academic space was quite a challenge. Leading the entire student populace is also a good feeling because these were some of the things I was hoping to at least embark on before finishing school. So, I feel good about it.”
Guru
Asked about his reason for vying for such high heights in the prestigious university, he stressed impacting lives.
“So, I was looking at a space where I can impact the entire jurisdiction. Basically, it wasn’t just limited to myself in the space of music; we impact lives, not just performances. Now that I’m a student, I have to be able to think beyond that or think outside the box. Basically, what I did was try to conceptualize the whole thing, either in the space of music while I was a student or venturing into the so-called academic space, whereby you’re kind of leading the whole space in terms of the student populace.”
Guru
Guru further noted that he was either vying for a position around his department, stating that he was also looking at a certain space where he can impact.
The rapper explained what brought him up to speed and what was behind his winning vote.
“Then, I realized that limiting it to just some sectors of the whole institution wouldn’t be the best. Let me go for the bigger picture. The bigger goal will spearhead the happenings of the entire student populace. I was like, okay, let me go for the SRC.
“To me, with music as a fraternity, it has always been a bit of something. I normally don’t like going to that space in terms of discussion because, coming out, I was projecting a certain content. I’ve been projecting content, and the dynamics in music will switch the conversation at the end of the day.”
Guru
Guru’s leadership as SRC President at the University of Ghana showcases his dedication to serving the student community and making a positive impact.
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