OUSA president Logan Edgar has lashed out at claims by the Otago Daily Times’s Rosie Manins that the Hyde Street Keg Party has been “marred by disorder” in previous years. The comments from Edgar came as he clinched a significant political victory, securing the future of the keg party after having the Dunedin City Council agree to let the event run if glass bottles were banned.
When questioned about Manins’s inflammatory article Logan told Critic “that’s such a fucking yarn, last year there was like one fight. Any trouble usually starts well after the event has actually finished.” Surprisingly, Edgar’s view on Manins’s claims actually seem to be backed by the evidence, with Manins’s ODT colleague Eileen Goodwin reporting that last year’s party had a “very good atmosphere”.
Under Edgar’s leadership OUSA has taken a more active role in the organising of the event this year, with the association providing a sausage sizzle, First Aid tent and portaloos for the street party.
University of Otago Vice-Chancellor Harlene Hayne has also pledged to donate 100 more sausages than Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull, in a sort of strange “I love my students more than you love my students” game of one-upmanship. Logan, Harlene and Dave intend to tour the party giving out awards for best-dressed, least-drunk and tidiest house, among other things.
The total glass ban for this year’s party is being welcomed as a brilliant initiative by those charged with cleaning up the mess. However despite the ban Edgar is still recommending that partygoers wear “sturdy footwear, follow the lab rule”. Critic is not entirely sure what this means. Edgar also added that anyone caught disobeying the glass ban will be told to “fuck off”, and that “if you didn’t know about the glass ban you obviously don’t have friends on Hyde Street and probably shouldn’t be there”.
In more upbeat news about the annual event, this year’s house themes include “911 Emergency”, “Mile High” and “Hyde Street Shore” (you know, like Jersey Shore but Hyde Street). Edgar intends to attend the “Hyde Street Shore” and expects this year to be smooth sailing, with “200% more fun and 80% less injuries” than last year.
When Critic asked if OUSA were planning on spreading their tentacles and organising other formerly-student-arranged shindigs they replied, “No, Hyde Street is the only one we’re doing, we don’t really care about the Castle Street one.” However, Critic speculates that people might care more about the Castle Street Keg Party if they had the opportunity to win awesome prizes from local dignitaries. Something to think about.
Hyde and seek
