It has been almost a full circle around the sun since the students elected their Guild President. It was quite a fanfare for the student body on 4 August 2023 when Halima Nabasirye was sworn in, marking a memorable journey from the Nomination Day. Let’s dive into the events leading to the 4th of August, the fanfare of D-day, and the swearing-in of the new guild council to take the mantle of leading the Artfield Institute’s gallant student body.

Roughly one month earlier, nominations were done, and it was declared that two candidates were fit for the big seat. Campaigns commenced right away with the two camps working tirelessly to garner the support needed to be the next Guild President. A big test was yet to come for the three presidential hopefuls: the presidential debate.

On the Presidential Date day, the hopefuls had to brave the piercing eyes of the vast Artfield community and calm their nerves to give the right answers or ask the right questions to their opponents to impress in a presidential debate. The aura at Artfield that evening was animated by a cacophony of activity: cheers, shuffling of furniture, and chants, as the students got into a frenzy, waiting to hear their favorite candidates unleash their manifestos. From the generic skills like self-confidence, effective communication, teamwork, digital literacy, problem-solving, and information literacy that Artfield instills in their students, the candidates displayed their talents, wit, and potential in the debate. John Paul put in his all and captured the ears of the students with his oratory skills.

The D-day finally arrived. It was nothing less than a top-notch free and fair election. The votes were cast, with students arriving as early as 7 am. Even short-course students, whose classes are in the evening hours, could not be left out that easily. By mid-morning, John Paul was in the lead; however, later in the day, Halima Nabasirye took the lead up to the final whistle. By 4 pm, the second female Guild President was announced to the jubilation of the students. It has been almost a year in office, and Her Excellency Halima Nabasirye, together with her team, has revolutionized the Artfield Institute of Design through her leadership skills. Soon, we shall be electing our new Guild President, and we can’t wait to experience his/her leadership skills.