Hey, remember us? Of course, you do. We’re that Cosmic team who took you on a journey through the minds of Space Club’s leading flight crew (the first half of the crew). And we’re here again, spotlighting the other half of that amazing team. Buckle up! You’re in for another stellar ride!
STELLAR COPILOT, THE SPACE CLUB’S VIBRANT VICE PRESIDENT: DOLABOMI POPOOLA.
Dolabomi Popoola is a 300-level Economics student driven by a passion for research, governance, and economic innovation. With a curious mind and a love for impactful conversations, Dolabomi strives to explore knowledge in various fields. Aspiring to become a problem-solving economist, he is committed to finding solutions that positively transform lives and improve the world.
GENERAL SECRETARY OR (SECRETARY-GENERAL), IN CHARGE OF MISSION LOGS (OR WORLD PEACE): KANYINSOLA OSHO.
Meet Kanyinsola Osho, the General Secretary of OAU’s Space Club. With a gentle nudge from a friend, she stepped into the fascinating world of space and quickly found her groove. Beyond her passion for space, Kanyinsola enjoys sewing, experimenting with coding, and capturing life through her camera lens. Known for her lively spirit and creative flair, her story is a captivating blend of curiosity, talent, and dreams of exploring new horizons.
CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER, LEADING THE PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS OF SPACE CLUB: JAMES ADEBAYO AWELEWA.
James Adebayo Awelewa is a 400-level student in the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University. James is passionate about leveraging technology to solve critical human problems and believes in fostering inclusivity within the space ecosystem, encouraging contributions from individuals across diverse fields of study.
PROPULSION OFFICER, SPACE CLUB’S PRO: ZAINAB TAIRU.
Well… now you’ve met the crew. It’s time for the burning questions!
Q: Kindly tell us your name, department, level, and executive role in Space Club OAU.
Dolabomi: My name is Popoola Dolabomi, a student of the Department of Economics, 300 level. I am the current vice president of Space Club.
Kanyisola: My name is Osho Kanyinsola, though most people know me as Tumise. I’m a part 5 student of the department of Materials Science and Engineering. I’m space club’s general secretary.
James: I am James Adebayo Awelewa, a 400-level student of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering. I serve as the Projects and Program Manager for the Space Club.
Zainab: My name is Zainab Tairu, a student of the department of chemical engineering. I’m a PRO. I try my best to create content and publicity for the club.
We’ve caught up on what they do for the club. What do you think made them do it? We wondered too, so we straight up asked about it
Q: What inspired you to join the Space Club?
Dolabomi: I have always been interested in Space specifically the Economics of Space known as Space Economics. Learning there was a student body that supported such was mind-blowing and when I visited, I met some of the brightest minds on campus in the club. Interestingly, it is more of a family than a normal club.
I discovered Space Club when the club and its mother body also decided to give more attention to the non-STEM aspect of the Space sector. Being a non-STEM student, it felt like the best opportunity to harness the space sector along with a family of bright minds, So I joined.
Kanyinsola: In part one, I had a friend who knew of my interest in space. He told me about Space Club OAU, but at first, I wasn’t very interested, as I felt it would be too time-consuming and doubted I could commit to the activities. However, he persuaded me to attend one of the meetings. When I saw the projects they were working on, like drones, my perspective changed. It seemed to be an enjoyable and inspiring environment, which made me reconsider. Ultimately, I decided to give it a try, and here I am.
James: I was inspired by the great things the club members have done over the years, both in projects and initiatives, and the impact they continue to make even after they leave.
Zainab: Ohhh! I was curious about what Space club was all about and its real-life applications, which is why I joined. After I did, I talked to Victor a lot about so many things 😂I just kept asking questions. I haven’t delved into any hands-on project yet but there was this one time we were working on this one competition that we had to stop because of exams. We were trying to look for other ways of making propellants green and I’ve always been a lover of making anything sustainable so the whole thing piqued my curiosity. Now, I’m trying to tap knowledge from my Bosses and apply my ML skills in Space.
Hmmm. Deep stuff, don’t you think? Now we know Astro-anything is not a passion you just pick up for laughs. Something about space fascinates these people. Let’s find out what.
Q: What is your favourite Space element and why?
Dolabomi: The Zodiac, not because I believe in their spiritual interpretations or they have any real-life effect. I just love the idea that every web of the universe links to another including psychology and future happenings. It’s the height of simulation.
Kanyinsola: I am not one to have favourites, but if I had to choose, I would say black holes, nebulae, or exoplanets. As for elements, I have never really given it much thought, but I would lean toward titanium or carbon.
James: The idea that space exploration pushes the boundaries of human knowledge and technology. It’s amazing how it unites people from diverse backgrounds to solve complex problems and explore the unknown.
Zainab: Idk if this is a space element but the concept of time dilation is my favourite. It’s related to that principle of relativity where time is relative from the observer’s frame. I used to think of how people travel to places where time moves faster and how they grow even with the same body and then. Time travel (ik, corny) messes with my head like there are different versions of you in different time frames of sth. Idk if all that encompasses time dilation but I think it’s related.
Space can be a deeply engrossing field. But that’s definitely not all there is to our leaders. So we asked…
Q: What other passions do you have apart from Space? Tell us about it.
Dolabomi: Research and development. I want to change my world. I want to quench my curiosity. I want to be the one narrating why things are possible or why they are not. R&D is the secret to problem-solving.
Kanyinsola: I enjoy sewing, experimenting with programming languages, photography, and occasionally photo editing. My main hobby though is sleeping, with eating as a close second 😂. I’m also a ‘good terrible dancer’ as I like to call it. Listening to music, watching videos, movies and basically anything to keep me entertained. Creativity and staying entertained are my fuel.
James: I love technology 🤭, the idea of identifying a problem and crafting a solution fascinates me. I am passionate about software and hardware development and aspire to tackle critical human problems through innovative tech solutions 🙂.
Zainab: My hobbies. I love Crocheting cute things like earrings or earmuffs, Cooking and trying out new recipes, Photography, writing about my feelings or anything, dancing, singing… Recently, I realised I like reading tbh; I like colouring (pixel art); I like drawing dresses too but I’ve stopped; bead making tho I mostly make rings now; watching series—I believe I’m a cinephile 😭… that’s all I can remember for now. [These] Things that compress hours into minutes—watching a series or trying recipes. If I have a recipe I want to try so badly and I have the ingredients, I’ll not be able to sleep… I wonder if my neighbours hate me because sometimes I’ll be whipping something up at 2 am 😭😭😭.
We know them square and fair. Now let’s hear some spicy and probably shocking details
Q: What’s a fun personal fact about you that most people in the Club don’t know?
Dolabomi: I love composing and singing
Kanyinsola: Maybe the things that they don’t know, I’m still trying to figure them out also.
James: I have a habit of stargazing while listening to classical music as it helps me imagine the stories behind the constellations.
Zainab: That I love art?? I’m a stern lover of art. When I say art, I mean painting, music (“Feel Again” by Jovan Perez), dance (“False Confidence” by Sean and Kaycee), literature and any form of creative expression.
As a reward for their cooperation, we have decided to cover the travel expenses for our Excos to any place in space they desire to visit (Odogwu Editorial Team!!!). Let’s find out where they these sites of desire lie:
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the universe, where would you go and why?
Dolabomi: I would travel to visit another ecosystem—any other place with an interesting form of life ( I want to colonize, lol).
Kanyinsola: For relaxation and sightseeing, I would start with Santorini 😩. For a fresh start or escape (you know, ‘japa’), Denmark is my dream destination 😩😭. It’s peaceful, less crowded with Nigerians, and offers a good quality of life. After that, I would love to explore the Maldives, Japan, Mauritius, and other beautiful places 😭😂.
James: I would love to visit Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. Its thick atmosphere and methane lakes make it a fascinating place to explore, and it feels like a glimpse into what an alien world could look like.
Zainab: I don’t think I’d like to visit space but I view it as a concept. I like the moon though idk if I’d like to visit it. But on Earth, I’d like to Visit Japan for the food and Turkey for the view. In general, anywhere I can explore and anywhere that feels comforting.
[not Japan for the tech and Turkey for the food?] Both for the food tbh, but Japan just have a lot of things I’d like to try out, especially their desserts.
And we asked one last question: some aged wisdom for curious cats looking to start their space voyage…
Q: What advice would you give someone who’s curious about space but doesn’t know where to start
Dolabomi: If you are on campus, join Space Club or any related society on your campus. You should also engage your socials with such prompts. Basically, make your two social environments (online and offline) part of your space journey.
Kanyinsola: Join a space club😌. Watch videos or read articles on the part you are most curious about, and also have someone to share your curiosity with, because that way you could talk to them about it and all.
James: Start by asking questions, and let those questions lead you to answers. Let your curiosity guide you to explore information, and once you have found your interests, dive deeper.
Zainab: Honestly, I wasn’t always into space. It just wasn’t something I saw myself in at first. But along the line, I realized space isn’t only about rockets and planets. It’s also about the everyday concepts we live with like time, and even climate change, which is where my own interest lies. I’ve recently been obsessed with how we use earth observation tools to monitor climate change and that just felt like and that just felt like another rabbit hole to dive into. So if you’re looking for space, let curiosity be your drive.
Our financial secretary has informed us that there’s no space in our budget for the trips, but we wish our excos good luck on their excursions
In conclusion, thank you all for joining us through this exciting ‘Interview with the Executives’ series. It’s been a pleasure getting to know the brilliant minds behind the Club’s leadership. We hope you feel more connected to them and inspired by their passion. Until next time. stay curious and keep exploring!
Great job, the editorial team!