[INTRO – ENSEMBLE]
(stomps, claps building)
ENSEMBLE:
Ladies and gentlemen! Step right up!
Education meets expectation—watch it erupt!
⸻
[ROUND 1]
GRAD (fast, aggressive):
I was told “get a degree, that’s the key to the door”
Now I’m locked in a system I can’t afford
You sold me a promise dressed up as a plan
Now I’m paying for a future that I don’t understand
I did the work, I put in the years
Now I’m drowning in interest, choking on fears
You call it “investment,” I call it a trap
Signed at eighteen—who explains all that?
ENSEMBLE:
OOOH!
⸻
BANK (smooth, controlled):
Let’s get one thing straight—you made your choice
Nobody forced you, you had a voice
We offered a path, you took the ride
Now you mad ‘cause the cost came with the prize?
This is a system—it runs on trust
You borrow the funds, you pay what you must
You wanted the title, the status, the climb
Now you owe the bill—plus interest over time
ENSEMBLE:
Talk that talk!
⸻
[ROUND 2]
GRAD (faster, sharper):
“Had a choice?” That’s funny, let’s break it down—
Go to school or get stuck in a minimum town
Every teacher, every ad, every voice said “go!”
But nobody mentioned the lifelong OWE
You profit off dreams, you package the hope
Then tighten the leash with a financial rope
I’m working two jobs just to stay in place
Tell me—where’s the freedom you said I’d chase?
ENSEMBLE:
HE GOT YOU!
⸻
BANK (cutting, slightly defensive):
You wanted returns—this isn’t a game
Degrees bring opportunity, not instant fame
We manage risk, we calculate cost
Some win big, some take a loss
You blame the system, but play your part
Signed your name—that’s where it starts
We didn’t create ambition or need
We just supplied what you chose to receive
ENSEMBLE:
Hmmmmm…
⸻
[ROUND 3 – OVERLAPPING / INTENSE]
GRAD:
You built a ladder with missing rungs!
BANK:
You climbed it anyway—young and sprung!
GRAD:
You knew the fall would break my back!
BANK:
You signed the terms—don’t dodge the fact!
GRAD:
Dreams shouldn’t come with chains attached!
BANK:
Dreams cost money—that’s a match!
GRAD:
You sell the hope then own the soul!
BANK:
We fund the dream—you chose the goal!
⸻
[BREAK – ENSEMBLE CHANT]
ENSEMBLE (rhythmic):
Who’s to blame? Who’s to blame?
Is it the system or the game?
⸻
[FINAL STATEMENTS]
GRAD (emotional, powerful):
I’m not asking for a free ride—just a fair start
Not a lifetime sentence for following my heart
If knowledge is power, then why’s it a debt?
Why punish the ones who ain’t winning yet?
You say it’s business—I say it’s lives
Numbers on paper don’t show what survives
We’re more than a balance you calculate—
We’re the future you’re putting in checkmate
⸻
BANK (cold, final):
Emotion don’t balance accounts or books
The world runs deeper than how it looks
We didn’t deceive—you just didn’t read
The fine print defines every deal you agreed
You call it unfair, I call it design
A system of risk, return, and time
You want change? Then rewrite the rules—
But don’t blame the lender for fundi
x1xGenz
