Students' toga parade turns ugly

Excuse me, I am in fact, a local Westerner, and am simply applying repeated observations, at home and abroad, when it comes to student behavior. As Polygonia ably pointed out, in Southampton, UK, there is the same disgusting carry-on. I myself have stayed in student areas of the UK, and have seen exactly the same thing as here, (especially the huge amount of strewn rubbish) and the culprits have always been western. As I cleaned buses in the same city for some pocket money, the buses that came off student routes were often badly vandalised, and, along with torn up student papers all over the floor, fast food deliberately squished into soft furnishings just for the fun of it (so 'evolved' it was better to do this than eat the thing!) it wasn’t uncommon to find a defecation in the rear of the vehicle. Having extensively been in backpackers around the world and domestically, every time there’s been a disruptive group, being totally arrogant, making excessive noise, and leaving an abhorrent mess in the kitchen, a bit of over hearing always reveals that they are western students from USA, Canada, UK, Australasia or New Zealand.
Conversely I have known other students, especially from Asia and continental Europe, who easily grasped the common sense factor that having fun is done without infringing on other people. That’s when they get spare time to do so, they are usually heads down tails up. They’d never even dream of doing what we see here - because they are evolved human beings. You never see Asian students lighting fires in the street, nor in fact any other race, it’s white NZ guys. In their acts, these people do neither the planet nor other humans any favour, with their wasteful, arrogant lifestyle of debauchery.
That said, I hasten to say that I realize not every single Caucasian student is like this, of course. I’m well aware that many other such are appalled at the behavior of the others. But, on a pro-rata basis, they unfortunately are a minority. This latest is exemplary of the majority as a person, an I’ve seen plenty of it close up.
Its a shame we don't have Singapore type law in this country, that would sort the trouble making degenerates out when they cause such a mess.

A friend tells me he saw it on this morning's news ....

Yes we're a bit slow over here but there was some footage on the daytime news today about "students running riot in a New Zealand town".
Question:
Although the student presence in Dunedin is paramount for the city economy does anyone think that students are given just a bit too much leeway?
If the stories about faeces and vomit are true, I personally would charge them. Dunedin has a hard enough time as it is attracting visitors without this sort of thing.

Whilst I agree with most comments about student behaviour here (I came here from Oxford) and I am in favour of a harsh approach to student disorder, I am also acutely aware of how many degenerates, hoons, druggies and alikes live permanently in Dunedin. We have a disproportionate number of degenerates, per head of population, who reside within Dunedin and are not students. It is a good idea to come down hard on badly behaved students but we also need to come down hard on the local degenerates, hoons and gangs.

I find that racist comment "However I know there are a certain band of students that are somewhat more evolved, mostly they come from non-western parts of the planet" offensive! How dare you write such racist stuff on a blog!
I don't believe anyone is any more evolved based on culture or race.
I am a westerner and I think that the behaviour of the people who were throwing things and damaging property absolutely disgraceful. I really feel for the store owners.

Why parade students down the main street? It is certainly not something to show off to the city. Let them go nuts, party and booze but just keep it out of town...maybe even on campus - now that would be a good cleanup. It's not just students from out of town either - there are just more of them.

I was not all that surprised to read of the
disgusting criminal behaviour connected to the
student parade in Dunedin.
Here in England most of our major cities have had their once up market neighbourhoods turned into student ghettos, many of which have a slumlike appearance. The criminal damage which occurs as clubbers return after a night's drinking has driven most long term residents from these areas during the last 20 years.
The few brave people who remain use the Internet to send complaints about students
directly to the Council, the Police and the local University. This has brought about a
slight improvement in the situation.
There is no such thing as Campus Watch here.
Polygon Resident Southampton England.

The usual sort of totally un-evolved carry on to be expected by many of them, such are the regular, arrogant consumerist wastrel type that think of no-one but themselves. "Who cares about other people or the planet?" is their catchphrase. Funny how often I could drink without infringing on other people or their property.
However I know there are a certain band of students that are somewhat more evolved, mostly they come from non-western parts of the planet.
Say, we are spending 100s of millions a covered stadium for mostly this sort of infantile cretin, so for a few times per year they can swill beer without getting cold, throw bottles and cans everywhere while yelling inane phrases like "OTAAAAAGOOOOO!" I guess one day they move up to high places, the wheel goes round.

Feces, vomit, eggs, bottles and rubbish were thrown on these people. Do you not think that most of the mess came from other people and not the first year students? Maybe the police should be controlling the spectators?
It's a little bit ridiculous that ODT blames the students for this.
Let the first years have some fun - it used to be a really cool tradition and lots of fun. Maybe you should focus more on the other people surrounding these kind of events.

As far as I can see there are three parties that need to take a look at themselves, at what they have been doing and how they are enabling this sort of behaviour and they are:
The students who think that this is a good thing to do. Would you act like this in your parents' house? Then why do it anywhere else. Would you destroy your own property? Do you want your car windows and mirrors smashed? As a member of this society you are expected to act to a certain level of civility, mainly by not breaking the law, and showing some respect for others and their property.
OUSA, if they can't (with the help of others like the police) ensure that their official orientation events are going to be safe and not destructive of property then they should not be holding these events at all.
The law, in essence the way that trouble makers at the uni have not faced serious enough consequences for their actions, and their blatant disregard for property and the law, has led those that come after to act as if the law does not apply to them. The police, courts and the proctor need to come down on any students causing trouble along these lines, like a ton of bricks and set the standard: that we will not tolerate this sort of activity in our town or our university. The government can start by ensuring those that cannot be trusted with alcohol not have the access to it by raising the drinking age back to where it should be.
As a student of the uni, I am appalled at this behaviour and as a citizen of this city I do not want to see this or the riots happen again. Those responsible should be held accountable.

I was a student in Otago, and have been both herded, and a watcher. After I finished Uni I worked in Dunedin, and have defintely noticed the toga parade going down hill.
It has turned into an intiation type thing over the last few years, snowballing as older students pass on what they had given to them.
Halls of residence need to inform the paraders of what to expect. This year defintely isn't the first year that paraders have been pelted with eggs.
If the egg throwers aren't going to be stopped, better policing of what's being hurtled should defintely be done.
O'Week shouldn't be seen as a get-out-of-social-responsibilities free card.
Fun, sneaky antics and debauchery is awesome and part of being a student, but try not to destroy the place you're hoping to call home for the next few years. Or at least be more subtle about it

The previous two people liken it to war and note the violence. I was there and I agree with them.
If the police can't keep order the army should be called in to maintain public safety.

Since when was it okay to attack people? Hurling eggs into crowds of people, buckets of weetbix slop and bags of rubbish is just disgusting. Before I came here I got the impression the toga parade was peaceful and entertaining; I was wrong. It was embittered second and third years (and yes, drunk toga wearers) on some sort of eggy rampage. Perhaps if students weren't being attacked and forced to stampede and run over themselves to avoid getting covered in crap the parade would have been manageable.

As one of those first year students who was a participant in this event I was appalled by how violent this annual event was. I think that a lot of people are jumping to the conclusion that the mess was made entirely by the students in the toga parade. However in fact the thousands of eggs, vomit, tomatoes etc was thrown by second, third and forth year students. This to them seems like an annual initiation for the "freshers" to be hammered with the unthinkable. I think that some ground rules needs to laid down for this event to be safe and enjoyable.
During this event I felt like I was being herded like cattle while the other students hurled bottles and things at us.
So stop blaming the first years! We were just sticking up for ourselves. I mean hey who likes faeces thrown at you?

Over time, Dunedin in association with its university, has created a unique city that has so much to recommend it to students from out of town. We have a rich history, lively social scene and have become an incubator for arts, science, technology and business innovations. We're also, generally-speaking a safe place for parents to send their kids in order to become educated adults. I wonder though, if we need to plan very carefully as a city what we say about ourselves. Somehow we have thrown our doors open and allowed a percentage of students to believe that in our city it's ok to burn, damage, vandalise and cause general disruption without retribution because 'that's what it means to be young'. My family and I are fortunate to be part of the obviously well-kept secret that Dunedin is a really unique, quirky place to live. Our city is not actually going to die if we don't have a giant sports stadium, and our university isn't going to fall over if we stop marketing to the low-hanging student fruit - those who come here not for the education and lifestyle we can offer, but to behave in a way they wouldn't get away with in their own backyard.