By Kiyanna Noel
Baby shower games, performances and plot twists awaited the audience at African Unity: the African Student Association annual UBUNYE Nov. 17. Last year’s event was a show-stopping wedding that left an everlasting impression, but this year’s e-board went above and beyond, even exceeding their own expectations.
“UBUNYE is finally here. We have been planning this since September and it was not easy,” African Unity’s President Hafsah Abdourahamane said, “but it was worth it.”
Each table had green, gold and white decorations including an itinerary and bouquet of fake flowers. While the event did not start on time, the audience soon let it go after host alumna Ohemaa Owusu-Poku made an appearance ready to get the show started.
The first scene opened with students Maggie Foday and Julia Gyebi acting as daughter and mother preparing a meal. Foday confides in her stage mother that she is struggling to have a child with her husband and is scared of how the village will perceive her. Gyebi reassures her that when the time is right, she will be blessed with a child.
Shortly after, their family hosted a dinner and welcomed a couple who is currently pregnant with their second child. The couple boldly scolded the daughter about her misfortune and said that her husband will leave her if she does not fall pregnant soon.
Foday, who already feared the worst, left the dinner crying, only to be found by her husband, the prince Aaron Bonsu, who confirmed her doubts. After returning home from both horrible confrontations, Foday calls her best friend Lisa Nkrumah.
Nkrumah laughs at her misfortune and tells her if she knew about this fertility problem earlier, she would’ve recommended a village herbalist who has helped many women in their village. After making plans to meet the herbalist, the two friends get off the call and it is revealed that Nkrumah wants to be with Foday’s husband.
Bonsu invited his closest confidants in the village to vent about Foday’s fertility issues. While two of his friends remind him of his vows, one of them plants the idea in his head to leave his wife and pursue a relationship with her best friend while he still has the opportunity to.
During the intermission, the food from Chartwells was lackluster. There was barbeque wings, salad with an assortment of dressings, egg fried rice with more peas than rice itself and cakepops for dessert along with some fruit. There were also Shirley temples and lemonade. After intermission there was a best dressed competition, with the winner being Princess Poku.
The best friends make their way to village herbalist Dilling Abankwah using their phones to guide them.
“Who dares enter my domain?” Abankwah said as the girl knelt in fear before explaining their reasons and getting the mysterious potion. “Drink this and you will have what you want before the next full moon.”
After the girls collect the herbal drink, they return to Foday’s home where she contemplates if this is the right choice, but as Nkrumah is rushing her Sydney Wise, the prince’s mother appears and puts a stop to the plan.
“This wicked woman was trying to kill you,” Wise said. “The herbalist was spotted exchanging money with whoever woman you were with. There was obviously a deal made.”
Wise took the herbal drink and smelled it.
“Just as I thought, snake venom. Why would you do this?” Wise asked.
“Because she doesn’t deserve him. He belongs to me,” Nkrumah screamed. “You stole him from me. I saw him first.”
Wise defended her daughter-in-law and slapped Nkrumah before comforting Foday. The betrayal of her friend made her rethink her fears and worries.
However, this scene was short-lived as Bonsu comes to comfort his wife and they work through their problems with the mediator.
As the happy couple left the scene, the host introduced the dance team Ausaaa, which had a high energy performance that lasted about three minutes.
Abdourahamane said this event was incredibly stressful because the expectations were so high for the club.
“It was so nerve-wrecking, It was just so much pressure on me because I had been here for three years and I’ve seen three different UBUNYEs. But what I can say is this is my most stress-less UBUNYE. The past two were so stressful even being in the other three positions,” Abdourahamane said.
However, the planning and process was made easier as her board supported her in more ways than one.
“As president this time it wasn’t as hard because I had a strong board. My board is very big, there’s 16 of us and although we all have strong personalities, we all know how to work with each other,” Abdourahamane said. “My VP Jhochelle [Clarke] helps me all the time. If I’m slacking somewhere she picks it up. If she’s slacking or stressed sometimes I pick it up because I know how she deals with stress and she knows how I deal with stress.”
The mock baby shower ended with the final results of the baby’s gender. The crowd erupted in cheers as the blue confetti exploded out of the party poppers. After the celebration, the host called up each member of the e-board which led to a speech, group pictures and, of course, baby shower-inspired games and musical chairs.
Abdourahamane expressed her gratitude for audience participation as well as acknowledged the reason for the late start.
“It was an amazing turnout. I wish it started earlier,” Abdourahamane said. “We started late because people weren’t here and we didn’t want to start the show without people, so we waited for the public to arrive. I’m glad with the turnout and this is only the beginning of African Unity, so stay tuned.”
