Mfantsipim School: Jeffrey Baiden wins maiden “The House of Mfantsipim” essay competition
Master Jeffrey Baiden, a student of Pickard Parker House, Mfantsipim School has emerged the ultimate winner of ‘The House of Mfantsipim’ Essay Competition organized for students of the School last year.
‘The House of Mfantsipim’ Essay Competition was instituted by RexDanquah Legacy Trust for Mfantsipim School students to write a not more than 1,200 words about the person in whose name his dormitory in the School is named after.
The essay shall consider the person’s life history, taking into account his character traits, vision, exploits, lifestyle, contributions to Mfantsipim School, achievements, and experience amongst others and relate them to the student’s own life as an individual and their life’s lessons; and how these have impacted or shaped the student’s life at the School and thereafter.
The fourteen (14) men for whom the dormitories have been named after are: Balmer, Acquaah, Lockhart, Schweitzer, Freeman, Aggrey, Sarbah, Picot, Bartels, Sneath, Pickard, Parker, Abruquah and Monney.
‘The House of Mfantsipim’ is akin to the Biblical “House of Jacob” as the great Patriarch called his sons to tell them what will happen to them and their descendants in the days to come; so by each dormitory or house name, each ‘Mfantsipim Student’ or ‘Old Boy’ is bestowed with such gifts, talents, destinies and future as deserving according to the exploits of that person.
According to the President of the RexDanquah Legacy Trust, Mr. Paul Rex Danquah, stage one of the competition involves selections at the dormitory stage, where the 1st prize is a cash of GH₵250.00; the 2nd prize is a cash of GH₵150.00 and the 3rd prize is a cash prize of GH₵100.00.
The final stage involves collations of all scores from the fourteen (14) houses and where the overall 1st prize comprises a laptop, a cash prize of GH₵300.00, and two (2) selected books; the overall 2nd prize comprises a cash price of GH₵700.00 and two (2) books; the overall 3rd prize is a cash prize of GH₵500.00 plus two (2) books; the overall 4th prize is a cash prize of GH₵300.00 and a book, whilst the overall 5th prize is GH₵200.00 with a book.
The eligibility criteria for ‘The House of Mfantsipim’ essay competition stipulates that a participant must be a student of Mfantsipim School, be resident in or affiliated to one of the named dormitories and be able to write the essay without the use of ‘pidgin’ English; whilst selection criteria for winning submissions shall be based on originality, creativity, boldness and clarity.
The positioning for the dormitory stage were: Jeffery Adu-Yeboah for Lockhart; Jeffrey Baiden for Parker; Kwamena Asimadu for Balmer; Joel Nana Asiedu Wontumi – 1st and Paa Kojo Effah Annan – 2nd for Abruquah; Joel Opoku Agyapong for Monney; Kwaku Adu-Owusu for Aggrey; and Peter Appiah-Thompson, Jnr. – 1st, Ebenzer Lennox Fosu – 2nd and Myers Derrick Osei-Effah – 3rd for Bartels.
‘There were several other submissions from all the fourteen (14) houses, which did not make the dormitory stage nor the rankings to qualify for the final School stage”, Mr. Paul Rex Danquah confirmed.
He also confirmed that the overall School rankings for the final stage were: Jeffrey Baiden of Parker – 1st. Peter Appiah-Thompson, Jnr. of Bartels – 2nd and Joel Opoku Agyepong of Monney – 3rd; reiterating that the Trust was in touch with the School administration to confirm the date for the submissions to winners, who will be returning to School in the New Year.
Mr. Paul Rex Danquah added that those winners who have passed out will be contacted for the Trust to honour them with their prizes.
The President of the RexDanquah Legacy Trust intimated that the second edition of ‘The House of Mfantsipim’ Essay Competition as well as a special essay opened to both students and old boys on “The Mfantsipim Dream & Its Relevance To Sustaining Ghana’s Development” will be launched by the end of the 2nd quarter of 2021.