October 30, 2005: Some Stunning Achievements of Prempeh.org: Part I of X: The Bulwark of our Pride

"Inventas vitam iuvat excoluisse per artes"
(How pleasant it is that human lives be enhanced by inventiveness of the arts)

-Vergil, Aenis

In Mark Twain's 1901 masterpiece, To the Person Sitting in Darkness, he describes a concept, which, even "the people who sit in darkness have noticed...". This is the exact phrase that encapsulates the stunning achievements of prempeh.org. A youth-oriented, intellectually stimulating website which, through luck of time and circumstance, has become the most widely-known example of such work (i.e., a school website) on Africa. The site's popularity among a huge worldwide audience is a symbol of the world's recognition of the coming-of-age of the African youth, principally because it was developed by a very young man and it was the first of its kind and the first to show that "Africa also has it."

As we celebrate our successful Inter-Houses Quizes League inauguration, an event that provided a dais for introducing Ghana's first collegiate website to the country on national television, it is important to show you some of the successes of the website over the years. For almost one decade, prempeh.org has served as a point of pride and inspiration to many and continually provides Amanfoo freedom from the miasma of inconsequential material which the internet is so wastedly littered with. The website has developed imaginatively in the direction indicated by the young webmaster's vision from the very beginning, and very soon the world will see the history of the site, and the Via Dolorosa that has brought the website and its young creator this far.

Which is why this site is dedicated to all the brilliant young people who are regarded as mere diversions from momentous discussions, wherever they live.

For now, let's take a look at some of our achievements, starting from what happened this past week [spread on 4 pages]. We will be looking at more in the next few weeks. Our success story spans 10 Chapters. You're seeing Part 1 of 10 here. Tune in every weekend for a new chapter.

"I'm highly impressed by your incredible ability to stop classes at the school, and have the whole school move on command. This is amazing. No classes, by your own request. I see that the headmaster really love you guys."

-Oheneba Adusei Poku, Akyempemhene

Check out the record crowd. This is the outside of the Assembly hall on the right side, where many students were sitting or standing during the ceremony.

This is a similar picture from the left side of the outside of the Hall. One could imagine what we had to go through to take pictures that day.

And now this: the corridor from the Assembly Hall all the way to the classroom block was filled with students who couldn't get inside the hall

One of our most important guests. The very moment they arrived their Headmistress asked for 30 program brochures for her students. We think her goal was to determine if the show was worth attending. In other words, if we didn't have anything in print to hand out, she would have perceived it to be a poorly organized event which wasn't worth attending. She was stunned that the very moment she spoke, our hardworking Protocol Prefects were there to hand 30 of those documents to her. She drove back to Tanoso with satisfaction, leaving the girls to enjoy the program.

Our other important guests - students from our Headmaster's alma mater -- AMASS -- were present and they were equally impressed with the program.

The Headmaster and a Special Guest, Mrs. Theresa Danso, the new Ashanti Regional Director of Education, who had entered office that very week.

The invitation letter had actually went out to Mr. Kwaku Twumasi, an Amanfoo whose term of office ended last week. Mrs. Danso had just on Monday taken over as the new Director of Education and, her first task in office was to answer prempeh.org's call.

The boys are seated; our proud contestants in the front row. Each person will be called to the stage.