And the Dust Settles

I can't believe how stupid students actually are! After this weekend's rampant show of idiocy. Here I take idiocy to mean any/all of: watching other students being idiots, back-chatting cops who waere probably already heckled, living in an area known for its disorderly behaviour, not following the instructions of people who are bigger and more heavily armed than you. I just hope that the University will take the threat of drunken idiots seriously.

A couple of years ago - I think it was - we had a Code of Conduct instated at the University. The ostensible reason for this was to give the University powers to deal with disorderly/illegal behaviour in house. However, the more important reason is to protect the Universities reputation. Not only is the reputation at stake here but also the reputation of an Otago degree. I think all those students convicted of offenses - and they should be punished and not just given a smack on the wrist - should also be expelled from the University; if they do not know how to behave as useful members of society then they should not be recognised as such by the leading university of that society.

To this end, I applaud OPSA barring anyone arrested on the night from Student's Association membership. I feel that OUSA should have taken more of a stand but - on a directive from NZUSA - they did not mention anything about the event at all. Here, again, NZUSA is at fault. They thought it would be better to play clean-up after the event rather than to have a position to which they could stick. Perhaps they were just waiting to see what happened but it does seem like very inept leadership to advise inaction from student governance.

It seems as if it is going to take drastic action to stop idiocy infecting Otago; perhaps Otago really does only create free drinking students.

26.8.08