Drunk Vic students incense neighbours
VICTORIA UNIVERSITY’S booziest hall of residence has been identified, as neighbours band together in an effort to curb the behaviour of rowdy students.
Figures released under the Official Information Act show drunken behaviour at the university’s halls of residence come with real dangers, with dozens ending up in hospital.
Ten residents of the inner-city Katharine Jermyn Hall, which has been plagued by a string of alcohol-related incidents, have ended up at Wellington Hospital’s emergency department this year, after drinking too much.
Capital & Coast District Health Board figures show the university’s hostels combined have had 33 alcohol-related visits to ED this year.
Meanwhile, the university’s own figures show that it deals with alcohol infringements at its 10 halls at least once every two days.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Guilford said this figure had fallen over the years and, with 3000 students in the halls, the percentage causing problems was small. ‘‘The actions of a small group should not obscure the fact that the vast majority of our over 20,000 students are responsible, community-minded and behave considerately.’’
The university was already taking steps to address issues, he said. This included security patrols of Kelburn Park – a favourite evening drinking spot – as well as education around alcohol, and a van shuttling students from hostels to the city and back.
The university was reluctant to ban drinking in its halls because students of legal age could simply drink elsewhere.
It was offering to use taxpayer money to help fund double-glazing to soundproof badly affected houses.
Katharine Jermyn Hall’s ED record, which was higher than any other hall, was partly because it was the second largest hall, with 390 students.
It was reported in September that fewer university students were turning up drunk to ED.
Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said the council was fielding complaints from Kelburn and surrounding residents concerned about the noise and partying, which was increasing as the weather improved and students stopped for study break.
Kelburn’s Dennis Walton deals with the noise and mess each Wednesday – when some city bars have cut-price drinks – as well as Friday, and Saturday nights. He is part of a loosely formed group of neighbours of the hostels, calling themselves Vic Neighbours, lobbying the university to do more to curb the drinking.
On many nights he saw hordes of students getting kicked out of Weir House at 10pm, only to continue drinking till near midnight at a fountain in Kelburn Park beneath his home.
The up to 170 ‘‘screaming and yelling’’ students regularly left vomit, broken glass, and beer boxes as they moved on into the CBD. Last weekend he saw young children playing near broken glass left from the night before.
Vic Neighbours had kept track of the number of complaints its 15 members had lodged with agencies, including police and noise control. At Kelburn Park, there were 6 in 2011 and 65 this year.
Walton believed parents were oblivious to teenagers’ behaviour. ‘‘Victoria has absolutely no intention of doing anything about it.’’