By Odo Christian Obinna
Mirabel least anticipated that her mental health would completely collapse on that fateful day she left her Awo room for classes. She assumed she had developed a thick skin to any foes that might exist outside of her world because she had lived in her alternate world with only her common foes since her 200 level days. She had forgotten that all it took to start a chain reaction was a trigger, a simple tug at the critical point in the grid.
The classes were unusually long that day. Since most of her courses were borrowed from different faculties, it meant she would have to break into a run at the end of each lesson to catch up with the next. She was also famished and the worms there did not spare her the details of the state of her stomach. Emptiness! She felt compassion for them as she did herself. No one deserves to attend classes on an empty stomach!
And to make matters worse, following these exhausting classes, students in her shoes must journey back to the remote Awo at sundown. But this was not her greatest worry. She was still troubled by the call she had gotten from home that morning. Her parents had quarreled again and her father had, as usual, beaten her mother to a pulp. And this time, she was informed, her mother was seriously hurt and required immediate medical attention.
She trudged along one of the notorious males’ hostels on shaky legs, oblivious to whether her mother was dead or alive, only to encounter ‘aro’ from the lads. Those banters did not only break into her thoughts, but hit her so hard. That those sarcastic remarks were made in tongues she was unfamiliar with made her situation worse. She knew that she was the target of their scathing, unrestrained wit, but she was unable to determine, even on a hurried reflection, the specific aspect of her life they were treating to a costly meal of contempt. Had they seen her yawning her insides out?
Her mind hurriedly drifted home. That was it. That her enemies had told her secret to the entire academic community was the only thing her disarrayed mind could come up with. She would not be dealing with her only old foes now because she had a new, worse foe to contend with; in the University community. She was crushed by the weight of these questions immediately and the many hypothetical conclusions and all the progress she had made in her psychotherapy sessions nosedived.
According to her therapist, Mirabel’s condition has reverted to a point zero following that horrific encounter.
The Practice
Anyone who attended the University of Ibadan should be familiar with the renowned aro culture. Some people had the unusual “luxury” of having their own “culture shock” for the first time as mere hopefuls who had only traveled to UI for the post-UTME exercise. Up until the tables are turned and you are caught in the crossfire, it is entertaining to witness these would-be Uites or even students from other halls or schools getting pummeled by the superior fire of these aro crusaders. This was the case with another student who goes by the name Onyinye. Like Mirabel, she has never seen the supposed fun side to these banters. After a full day of exhausting lessons, all that her body craves is a good rest, and probably sleep. She constantly feels awful about those ill-timed banters. “If you’re on the receiving end, you will see that this is not at all fun,” Onyiye said, hoping for a stop to this age-long practice.
Aro is the term for satirical or hilarious comments made by students to one another with the intention of making both parties smile. It is a custom that has been passed down from one generation of students to the next. This practice is a regular part of campus life, however, residents of Nnamdi Azikiwe ‘Zik’ hall and their next-door neighbors in the Katanga Republic, have elevated it to monster dimensions.
The Voice of Jacob, But Hand of Esau
What was once thought to have been simple, lighthearted banter has evolved into something that most students, especially ladies, fear the most—a monster that eats anyone and everything it chooses along the way. These conversations are seemingly harmless and allegedly lighthearted, however, beneath the surface, loud voices can be heard. These allegedly lighthearted banterings are the innocent, but cunning hands of Esau; they have the loud and destructive voice of Jacob. Aro is now seen as the standard for what it appears to be rather than what it actually is. How can we reconcile its outward look of innocence with the fact that it has a possibility of destructive effects? Like Onyinye, many Uites—particularly females—are attempting to escape this catastrophe, which they did not cause, but is brought upon them by some overzealous fun seekers. Many prefer traveling longer distances than passing through these notorious halls. For Onyinye, she would rather take long walks to protect her mental health. Although many students defend the supposed innocence and harmlessness of this practice, the fear and inconveniences students, like Oyinye, experience start where any remaining innocence in this bantering culture ends.
Wrong Timing, A Misfit
Perhaps “aroism” fits the culture of the past, but today, its characteristics do not only make it inappropriate but also a possible trigger of mental health crises which are now prevalent.
In its 2020 report on mental health, WHO noted a concerning trend of an increase in poor mental health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 44% more high school students in the United States reported formulating a suicide plot in 2019 than in 2009 (1 in 6 reported doing so).
Data on this subject are scarce in Nigeria, which makes it all the more concerning. Despite this, there are consistently reports of mental collapse or disorder among students in the news, which increases our concerns that perhaps the situation in Nigeria is far worse than what is being reported in the US. Adolescents’ high rates of poor mental health are a developing issue, and today, adolescents make up the majority of students in postsecondary institutions.
Undeniably, schools have become a home away from home for many young people as it is a way for some to escape the harsh realities of their own homes and their ability to feel connected to these homes has become a key coping mechanism. However, the habit of using these ostensibly light-hearted banters could cause this coping mechanism to fail. No jokes or satirical remarks, no matter how innocent, funny, or ironic they may be, are ever hurled in vacuo; instead, they are typically a reaction to a trait or characteristic that the victims already have and may not be particularly proud of.
When Every Lizard Crawls On Its Belly
Adolescents who make up the bulk of our campus community appear to be most affected with mental health-related issues. Unless diagnosed, it is difficult for even affected persons to conclude on the specific mental disorders or illnesses they are battling with using their symptoms. Sometimes, they are not even aware. It is also harder for anyone who is not a professional to identify someone who is suffering from a mental disorder or is at the brink of a mental crisis that lighthearted banters could trigger. Who knows who among us is teetering on the brink of collapse given that all lizards crawl on their bellies, making it impossible to identify which one is experiencing a stomach ache?
Therefore, it is time to start discussing the consequences of this damaging practice on campus. Unlike Mirabel who was fortunate enough to be enrolled for therapy sessions sponsored by a non-governmental organization, Oyinye had to face her struggle alone, in the shadows of her already terrifying world. Her situation portends the reality of what the majority of students experience every day.
It Should Stop – ASIDO Network’s Vice President
The Vice President of ASIDO Campus Network, Tawakalt Olaoluwa, in a chat with UCJUI, opined that the practice should stop. She argued that Aro is a form of verbal harassment which can worsen mental health issues in the victims.
“The simple implication of ‘aro’ is that it causes people to feel fear, embarrassment and humiliation. Individual response to aro which is a form of verbal harassment varies but it can range from reduction in self esteem, self confidence, increase in self doubt and hyper-vigilance. It can worsen symptoms of people with underlying body image issues, anxiety, stress, self harm and even depression.
“Like it is always said, we never know what challenges a person is currently facing, kindness shouldn’t be a dictionary word but a habit we embody. Practicing kindness involves stopping all forms of bullying and harassment including ‘aro’,” she said.
Asido Campus Network is a student led mental health promoting club and the youth arm of the Asido Foundation, dedicated to ensuring optimal mental health for every student on campus through awareness creation, advocacy, peer to peer counseling and support, youth mental health, drug abuse prevention, outreaches and research.
