Diana Arubayi Delivers DELSU’s 72nd Inaugural Lecture

 -Says Institutions Of Higher Learning Are Now Setting Moral Standards For Good Dress Sense

By Daniel Dafe

Professor (Mrs.) Diana Arubayi, wife of the immediate past Vice Chancellor of Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, Professor Eric Arubayi, on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, delivered the university’s 72nd in the series of inaugural lectures at the institution’s 1st 750 auditorium in Site 3.

Professor (Mrs.) Arubayi is a Professor of Home Economics Education in the Department of Vocational Education, Faculty of Education, DELSU, Abraka.

Speaking on the subject “Dress Sense: How Sensible,” she opined that “the way we dress and how we dress reflect people’s values, religious beliefs, style, personality and body language.”

A well designed cake carrying the caption of the lectuure at the venue of the reception for guests.

According to her, “dress sense conceptualizes the intelligence in choosing the right dress, explains the logic of combining dress and accessories, and highlights the ability of an individual to dress appropriately to suit the occasion, event, time, environment and situation.”

She continued: “To be properly dressed or to have correct dress sense, individuals’ dress choice, colour and style should be suitable, compliment their body figure types, skin complexion and tone, as well as time of the day or the occasion for which the dress is being worn. Similarly, harmonizing dressing with accessories such as shoes, bags, belts, scarves, ties and wrist watches is what constitutes sensible dressing.

“Dress sense means choosing good clothes that reflect your personality and taste that does not require you copying what is trendy and stylish for the sake of it but rather, adorning what suits your figure, makes one feel comfortable, and does not defile contextual appropriateness and moral logic of good dress sense.”

Furthermore, she said: “Dressing well does not mean dressing in suits or wearing of formal clothes all the time but wearing what fits the purpose, context, and occasion will define good dress sense.

“The claim that this is modern life and that people should be free to express themselves the way they choose, is simply madness in practice.”

She added: “With the age of modernization, technological advancements, industrialization and changing societal roles, the pattern and style of dressing of individuals in the 21st century have become more complex.

“With these militating influences, many people in trying to be “fashionable” seem to be confused about what constitutes “dress sense”. What we now observe as dressing on campuses, streets, market places and even churches are fast becoming an eyesore.”

Prof. Arubayi noted that “in Delta State University and many other institutions of higher learning, there has been growing concern about the dressing styles of students on campuses.”

This, she said has led to some form of ban on indecent dressing with sanctions for defaulters, adding that institutions of higher learning are now setting moral standards for good dress sense and placing bans on indecent dressing on campuses.

She however called on institutions “to explore the legality of institutionalizing moral dress codes as part of university culture in order not to undermine constitutional rights of people.”

Present at the occasion include: Prof. Victor Peretomode, VC, DELSU, Abraka, his wife,  Dr. (Mrs.) Otaroghene Peretomode; Prof. Sam Oyovbaire, Chairman, Governing Council, DELSU, Abraka; Prof. Eric Arubayi, immediate past VC, DELSU, Abraka; Prof. Amos Utuama (SAN), immediate past Deputy Governor, Delta State and Dr. Steve Oru, former Hon. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.

Others are Comr. Ovuzorie Maculey, former SSG, Delta State; Dr. Chris Oghenekevwe, former Commissioner of Health, Delta State and Chairman, Governing Council, DELSUTH, Oghara; Justice Sharkarho, Retired Justice of Nigeria; Prof. Andrew Onokerhaye, former VC, UNIBEN and Rt. Revd. John Aruakpor, Bishop of the Diocese of Oleh Anglican Communion.