Dearest reader, there’s nothing that says you’re home at Nnamdi Azikwe Hall better than the sound of loud jeers, jibes and the reverberations from constant contact with the railings. Zikites in all of their glory, winding down from a day’s worth of work by indulging in the lightness and fun of Aro. According to most zikites, you’d hear Aro talked about as jests and funny commentary aimed at lightening the atmospheric mood.
“The Aroer and the Aroee are usually friends and most times are just playing with each other” said one Zikite. Another vehemently stood on the grounds of brotherhood and oneness, saying “Aro is just a means for us brothers to have some brotherly fun.” To therefore think otherwise would be to spoil the fun between brothers and for a hall that prides itself on that front — brotherhood, you don’t want to cause problems between family.
However, to other parties, Aroism just might not hold the same zeal. The light and cheerful banter of the great and ever conscious residents of blocks A, B, C, and D have often been the cause of some ruckus between Baluba and other kingdoms.
For context, the tired sounding voice of one passerby said “I just want to go back to my room and sleep after a long day of classes. I don’t need any of this.” He complained about how he thought it was unnecessary and in his opinion a waste of time and energy.
While this might be laughed off as someone who doesn’t appreciate the fine arts of jest, there is another party that often has strong opinions of Aro. The tales of Eves speak volumes of just what Aro is to them and I’m not sure whether or not it surprises you dear reader but most of those tales would neither refer to Aro as fun or friendly.
It took some doing to water down some of the terms females used in describing Aro. I was mighty surprised by the use of strong language by some of these ladies. According to one, “It’s just so infuriating and I can’t think of other words to describe how I feel about it.” This was after severally referring to the practice as “cow dung”. A good number of responses though, had common words like ignorant, insulting, derogatory and unnecessary. “You guys say Aro is just bants and play, but talking about my body like you have a right to is definitely not a joke” a very pissed Idiate complained.
According to the Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall’s Aroism policy — yes, such a thing exists — Aro could simply be “an individual shouting funny cliché lines directed at no one in particular or a group of friends directing banter at each other in public for entertainment purposes.” Does this then mean that a group of conscious zikites shouting from their respective floors to very particular sets of people passing through the hall isn’t Aro?
Another very interesting part of the Policy states “the aroer may make comments about how nice and comely a lady’s dressing is, complement her gestures and good looks (excluding sexual connotations or anything akin to catcalling).” An Awoite said “They kept shouting I had yams for legs and that I was the ugliest one amongst my two friends.” According to another, “A lot of derogatory remarks were made but the one that stuck was someone saying I was slept with because of a plate of rice”
Dearest reader, it begs the question, “Is this Aro?” Do you think an assessment of this being some form of harassment is accurate? Or do you think this is a bit extreme? “I feel like this is harassment and abuse. It’s sexual harassment and verbal abuse at the same time” complained an “aroee” she went on to say “People just think it’s fun to say stuff to others without even thinking of how it can affect them. Boys need to start showing a little kindness.” Another report said “Most of these guys can’t even say these things to me face to face, they keep hiding behind their numbers”.
Aroism has been a controversial topic for the longest time. Several people have shared their opinions, thoughts and idea about this ideology but it just seems no one has a clear definition of what Aro is and what it Isn’t. What is light banter for one group is regarded as sexist and derogatory for another. While many say that the juxtaposition between the views is solely based on individual countenance, most times the effects of aro especially on the female populace is negative.
Several ladies spoke of having to go through longer routes to get to classes or get back to their rooms to avoid going through the hall. Some expressed a fear of passing the hall alone and often have to walk in numbers to feel safe. Others talked about their inability to visit the rooms of their friends, colleagues and even partners because of their experiences.
“Aro is an easy means to catch fun or get entertained for both the aroer and aroee” is listed as one of the relevance of Aro. From my findings, dearest reader, it is safe to say that most aroees neither catch fun nor get entertained and that this relevance might only apply to the aroers.
This same policy states that residents of the hall mustn’t make sexual remarks and shouldn’t cause discomfort to anyone, adding that breakers of this rule be reported to the hall executives. How many people can be reported by one person? With heads bent down and feet shuffling to get out of the hall quickly, does one have the time or consciousness to pick out faces or room numbers? “If a guy is going to compliment me, he should walk up to me and say it. Screaming about the size of my behind from two stories up just doesn’t cut it.” reported a passerby.
Dearest reader, just like I’ve done throughout this, I’d leave you with the words of an aroee “I honestly just want to be left alone”
The PA
