MY FIVE-YEAR NOTRE DAME JOURNEY, 1965 – 1969 PART 5

This is the 5th of a six-part series from an article published in the 2019 Chicago anniversary brochure by the Notre Dame Alumni Association, North American Chapter – Part 4 here

By Mr. Pius Adebayo Omodara
National President (Emeritus)
and 1969 Senior Prefect

PART 5: SOCIAL AND SPORTS

            As an all boys school, our social outlook was nothing to write home about. Even though we had social gathering every Saturday evening, all we did was to dance “bone to bone” in circular form in the dining hall. We had what used to be a ‘turn table’ with many old plates. There were debates, quiz, riddles and jokes on such days. By and large we enjoyed it as it lasted, it was all fun. 

            One remarkable thing about Notre dame was the students’ neatness. We had a laundry department where we submitted clothes for washing every week. This was a very unique arrangement as we usually appeared well kept and neat in our uniforms. On Sundays too, we were always in our sparkling white to the administration of our host community (St. Joseph Catholic Church).

  Our outing (open day) was once in a month, usually on a Saturday. It was a day we would go out of the school to the neighboring towns of Ido, Ilogbo and sometimes to Ifaki Girls’ Grammar School. There was an old woman any Notre Damian would never forget in a hurry; that was “Iya Alanu” where we usually bought pounded yam on our open days. This old woman liked Notre Damians a great deal; many of us who had no money would eat free of charge. Pounded yam was a special delicacy since it was not in the school menu. May the good Lord rest the soul of this woman.

 Mama Ebenezer food canteen in Ido-Ekiti was another iyan spot for the students. While some preferred her food others stuck to Iya-Alanu. Continue with Part 6