Yesterday was my school’s matriculation. It’s the day when all the recently admitted students are officially accepted as bona fide students of the school. It’s always a thing of celebration because getting admitted into the school is a thing to be celebrated. Families and friends of the freshers would come en masse, bringing in food and drinks, the groove and vibes for the entire day would be one of non-stop parties.
That’s how it is all the time. The school is decorated beautifully days before, all the buildings are repainted to give them a shiny new look, and the flowers are mowed for the best aesthetics. A lot of effort is put into giving the school a good look on that matric day because a lot of people come to visit.
During my time, when I was in ND1, I got to see what a matric really was. There were so many people, that it was almost impossible to move around. Right from my school’s gate and onto the major road and then more than five or six bus stops both ways, there was a total gridlock! Cars were not moving and the only way to get ahead was by getting down and walking the rest of the way. That’s how bad it was.
Eventually, some people had to give up and just stop where they were. Their wards had to come to meet them there because getting into the school was almost impossible. And those who did manage to get into the school found it hard to find parking space. No matter where you went, a family and their guests had already claimed it. Canopies were already set up and they were dishing out food.
Despite it all though, I was able to see my family when they came for me. Although they couldn’t stay as long as I would have loved due to the traffic. Coming was war, but going was just another war, so the smart people were getting out as early as they could.
Still, we had loads of fun!!! There was enough food to go around, all you had to do was go to some random canopy and you’d get a plate. It was like an all-you-can-eat! It was part of the things that made my first year in this school so memorable. And it’s not something I’ll be forgetting anytime soon.
But that was then. Yesterday, we were treated to a matriculation that was nothing as close to what it used to be. Yesterday was boring asf!!! The streets were quiet, some freshers I saw were even too shy to wear their gowns because they didn’t want people to see them in it. The turnup was pretty low and the roads were as free as any other Tuesday. What made it worse though was the Rector saying everything should be done by 5 PM, as in ehn… isn’t that the time when the main party starts?
Anyway, over the last few years since my matric, it seems the standard has gotten lower and lower with every passing day. Things were a bit better in my time, but I have to admit that the economy today is not one for partying and jollof. Everyone wants to celebrate their matriculation, everyone wants to cook rice and share it with all their friends, and everyone wants to be with their family on that day. However, the big question is, can they afford it?
I know a friend who simply told her parents not to bother coming over because she didn’t see the point. It wasn’t as if they were getting marks for students who had the best matric experience. The economy has dealt with us severely, so even the things we used to enjoy and spend freely on, we can’t do them any more. It’s the same thing that’s happening to the Christmas and Easter seasons. They used to have their own special fragrance in the air, one could easily tell that it was a period to be jolly. But these last ones were just there.
But then, what can we do? We still have to observe them and move on. Things may only get worse, or they could end up getting better. No one knows for now. I guess we’ll have to watch and see.
