News

Following reports from past and present students from the University of Otago Halls of Residence, Critic has spoken to numerous parties to address complaints regarding hall life.

A number of students have reported to Critic that their time at their hall is “cliquey,” “lonely” and “not safe enough.” As well as this, students and Student Support report that rules appear to be getting stricter each year, but in all the wrong ways. A resident of Arana said that he agreed with the comments made regarding hall regulations and that despite the same levels of alcohol being consumed each year, the rules turn the halls into “a bit of a prison.”

Critic spoke to Advocate & Student Representative Coordinator Philippa Keaney, who said that Student Support gets “quite a few reports” from unhappy students at the halls.

She said that there was “definitely” an issue with loneliness across all the halls, but this is understandable considering it is many students’ first time away from home. However, she agreed with the issue of certain halls, particularly the more prestigious halls, having a higher rate of “cliquey” attitudes. She said, “Loneliness and cliquey-ness are two very different things.” She does not notice the same issue with students who flat together, whether first years or not, “the only social issue with flatting really is not getting along.” A large part of the issue may be from certain halls excluded themselves from general first year events. For example, holding their own Toga parties, separate to the rest of the University events.

OUSA Colleges Officer Jess McLean points out that OUSA continues to promote clubs and recreation as “a great way to get out and meet new people.” Acknowledgement needs to be given to the fact that these first year students are living within the atmosphere of this “clique-ness” though and, as Jess says, “it can be like a mini high school sometimes!”

Director of Accommodation Services James Lindsay says the University is unaware of the reputation of Knox, Arana and Selwyn have as having a superiority complex over other halls. “However a perception that each college is different could be held by students themselves. Some colleges do, for example, tend to attract a majority of students studying particular courses, such as health sciences or teaching.” He says that this may “lead to the establishment of a different character or culture for each of the colleges that mirrors the predominant mix of students.”

Keaney believes the only way for the halls to address the superiority issue is to “diversify the intake.” She says that, for example, situations like at Knox, where there are students “whose parents, aunties, uncles, etc.” have attended the hall, “just adds to the issue.”

Keaney also said that the safety of women in the halls was a major issue: “It’s like they pretend nothing even happens.” She said that there is no form of advice in the hall handbooks and a solid policy needed to be in place. Keaney said that at meetings with Lindsay and the former Colleges Officer Brydie Ockwell, the halls defended themselves saying that the Residential Assistants were trained in dealing with incidents. Keaney says training the RAs is “just not good enough” and that there needs to be a consistent policy across the halls. OUSA are supposed to be working on a policy, but with the change in Executive Rep, they are still waiting on a draft. Jess said the hall policy on sexual assault “is moving forward” and plans on meeting with Student Support later this week.

In regards to the students who were recently asked to leave Unicol, there were rumours that the students’ rooms were actively searched whilst they were on holiday. The Proctor said that it was “absolutely not policy” to search peoples’ rooms “without an absolutely cast iron reason.” He says, “it is a student’s home,” but individual rules are with the Halls depending on what was signed in the contract. Lindsay said that cleaning services are required each week to enter rooms when students are not present; “also college staff may enter rooms for health and safety reasons when a student leaves for semester breaks, for example.” He said that this is done to check heaters or lights are not left on, or windows are not left open. “If a smell of cannabis is detected, staff will act to check the source to ensure no illegal activity is taking place on the premises.”

Another student complained of some halls blocking certain websites. In response to a Facebook post, he said “even though they're paying $300ish a week for the privilege of their own room they're not allowed to watch BangBus4 the Re-Bangening in the privacy and comfort of their own bedrooms.” He adds, “It just seems a somewhat too paternalistic view to take towards young adults, especially when they're the ones paying the bills.”

A resident at Cumberland said she felt the early kick-out time was “endangering us.” She explained that in the freezing winter months, being kicked out of the hall at 9pm meant students were taking bottles to the park and drinking there, “just relying on our alcohol blankets when we’re preloading.” Keaney said that this was “really irresponsible for [the halls] to do.” She was aware that some halls had that policy in place but may only loosely follow it. Students at a number of halls confirmed that the rule was firmly enforced at several other halls.

The Cumberland resident said that, if she were home, she would be allowed to responsibly drink in the house and their hall is supposed to be “a home away from home.” Critic asked if the University would support a move to encourage halls to allow drinking in the dining halls later in the evenings. University of Otago Director of Accommodation Services Mr James Lindsay said,“Rules about alcohol consumption in Colleges are in place for good reasons … Experience of running these colleges shows that not all college residents drink alcohol, and nor are they comfortable with the consumption of alcohol by others next or near to them.”

He adds, “Some colleges already allow alcohol to be consumed at certain times … all regulations are tailored to the character of each different college community.” Jess said, “If there was a demand for it [from students] then OUSA would be interested in discussing a better solution with the colleges, especially as the North Dunedin bar scene has changed and colleges are a safer place.” As a resident at St Margaret’s, she believes her hall deals with it well: “They don’t restrict times when alcohol can be consumed, instead they have repercussions if you can’t use it responsibly.”

Knox was widely known as one of the heaviest-drinking Halls of Residence affiliated with the University, but it appears that since the change of Master, the hall has gone “from one extreme to the other,” says Keaney. Residents who misbehave at Knox are required to buy New World vouchers for the OUSA food bank. Keaney says, “Now we are overwhelmed with New World vouchers.” She believes it has almost gotten too strict, with some students being punished for talking too loudly on the phone when coming back from a night on the town. “Friends are having to sneak their drunk mates in back from town. Their mates who also live at the hall.” It believes it has almost created an “underbelly of drinking.”

A former Knox student, who was a resident in 2009 and 2010, said residents were “encouraged to drink with our friends over dinner [as a] a way to encourage us to drink in a positive way.” He also attended Unicol, which he says “was an equally great time but different.”

Critic spoke to the Proctor, who said, “You don’t booze after tea.” He believes that allowing students to drink in the hall until 9pm is “very generous.” He explains that trying to get Halls to allow students in the dining hall to drink would pose “a huge problem” with the much bigger halls. He said that, “at the end of the day, the attitude of just getting smashed before town needs to change.” He explained that “years ago we would have all gone drinking and then hopped in a car. No one would do that now. We just have to change attitudes.” He suggests that students go to town earlier so town isn’t starting at midnight and can get going at 9pm instead.

The former Knox student believes that it is a shame Knox is heading down “the same road as the other halls.” He says, “including Knox these days, they are resorting to just putting a blanket over the issue of alcohol.” He says everyone is kicked out at 10pm at Unicol regardless of their drinking level.

At the same time, he said, “It was pretty unbelievable what we got away with. They went too far trying to enforce rules.” He says, “I could have walked in with two bottles of vodka and would have got away with it. I understand that is probably not a good idea either.”

The University clearly holds a favourable look on all of the Halls but speaking to a number of students and with OUSA it is clear that there are still many issues to address, especially in terms of the wellness of first year students. We all know that the issue of where freshers drink needs to be addressed, particularly with student bars closing down. RAs cannot be expected to deal with the sexual assault process, and Halls should be helping, not hindering, students with getting involved with the rest of the University.

OUSA Colleges Officer Jess McLean says, “We would ask anyone who is having any issues to get in touch with OUSA Student Support.”