Deborah Oyine Aluh
ORCID@0000-0001-6939-5547

Podia ser pior

  This was one of the first Portuguese phrases I learned because it was relatable. It literally means “It could be worse.” At first, I thought it was an optimistic...

Carpe Diem!

In today’s fast-paced world, many of us are trapped in an endless cycle of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and the constant pressure to keep up with the Joneses. This...

Humour as a coping mechanism among Nigerians

Listening to Fela Kuti’s timeless music makes me wonder, for the umpteenth time, if Nigerians are complicit in their own suffering. Could our tendency to approach our hardships with humor...

Beware the Ides of March, O PhD Student!

Waking up with the crippling anxiety of your next means of sustenance when your funding runs out is a feeling many PhD students can relate to. It’s a constant battle...

Real life Uncle Ruckuses

I always thought Uncle Ruckus—no relation was the most ridiculous and improbable character on The Boondocks. Uncle Ruckus is a grotesquely ugly black male character who despises and demeans all...

Mea Culpa

It was the last day at camp and the air of excitement was infectious. It didn’t matter if you were going to be posted to the remotest village of Gembu...

Chicken soup for the PhD student`s soul

A PhD, like any venture, can be a challenging journey for even the most capable individuals. Between the time constraints of conducting research that must contribute to the vast body...

The last fetch of joy

Buddy was happy we could resume our morning walks after being cooped up at home for 3 months. I would throw the ball and he would dutifully return it in...

Elusive love

Either way, my fate was sealed. If I left at that moment, his family’s suspicions would be confirmed, and if I stayed, I was surely going to fall during the...