Click photo to enlarge
Police talks to students at the start of February's toga
parade. Photo ODT files
Alternatives to the traditional student toga parade are
being sought by the Otago University Students Association
(OUSA), following confirmation the parade it organised annually
will not be held again.
OUSA saw the ritual of the community welcoming first-year
students to the city as a necessary part of bringing students
to Otago and was seeking other vibrant and interesting ways
to do that, general manager Stephen Alexander said in a
statement yesterday.
"The toga parade was established so the community and
students could meet and greet each other in a colourful way.
"The welcome seems to have turned more to tit-for-tat
disorder between the proudly parading students and some
members of the community, so the decision was taken to end
it. We want Dunedin to feel happy and proud of the new
student intake."
OUSA would welcome ideas from the community about how best to
welcome students, he said.
'Pride must be earned'
If first-year students wish the community-at-large to be proud of them, then perhaps they should turn their minds towards doing something which will earn that admiration; or like everything else 'student', is that something the rest of the community should have to earn, but students should receive as-of-right, in their rather cock-eyed perception of the way the world functions?
Simple
Just keep alcohol out of the mix.