Violence in the Student Union

A 'shindig' organised by a student group held in the Union Hall on Saturday night ended in shambles. Beer cans were thrown over the floor, free-for-all fights broke out, and more were threatened. The evening's entertainment apparently wasn't good enough for students and the bikies and other assorted youths who had come up to the dance thirsty for adventure. Amidst the confusion, Graeme Jordan got his shirt ripped breaking up a fight and called the cops. The hall was soon cleared.

Several people were slightly bruised, damage was done to clothing, and [unclear: wreck e] in the building included a broken sink [unclear: a] mirror in the men's toilet and a couple [unclear: o] broken windows. A few bottles of beer got past the vigilant eyes of the doormen. These were later broken and soon stood on — blood was spattered over the the floor of the Union Hall. Various drunks couldn't find the toilets and urinated in corridors and dark corners.

This wasn't the first time the police have been called in this year. On two previous occasions they have come in to prevent fights in the Union Hall. They have also been called in to search the building in response to bomb hoaxes.

'No cops on campus' is a principle to be preserved if at all possible. But it looks like being set aside with the present trend towards more violence on campus. In previous years violence and drunkenness has been mainly confined to sports club functions and the like. Now Union functions are attracting people from within and beyond the university to whom violence is commonplace.

The question of having more social functions, stein evenings etc, was raised at the election forum in the Union Hall. John McDonald, standing for President on what he called a 'social' platform, wants to foster the organising of more such functions, conducive no doubt to attaining that state of "alcoholic bliss', so dear to the hearts and minds of the "silent majority'.

The same sort of mentality oozed through the ideas raised by members of the newly-formed Capping Committee at the Exec, meeting on Monday night. Suggestions included a 'Chunder Mile' at Kelburn Park, a Beer Festival, etc. One member suggested quite seriously, "what's wrong with a bit of a smash?"

McDonald would have us believe that 'the silent majority' wants most of all an active student life on campus. The sort of active life suggested, it would appear, floats on a sea of grog. If this is the trend, perhaps it would be best for the University and everybody else if the 'silent majority' remained silent.