Return of the Academi
Posted on September 2, 2008, by Harvey Kirkpatrick
Filed Under General News
‘Tis the season where little Jimmy and Susie have strapped on their Batman backpacks, filled their Barbie lunch pails, and ventured back to the realm of classrooms and textbooks. Today is the first day back for public and high school students across the country, while Kingston’s institutions for higher learning have also open their doors to this year’s crop of bright, young minds. And of course, this orientation week is bound to be filled with all the glorious shenanigans we’ve come to expect from the collective brain trusts. Thus far, the Frosh are keeping city officials busy!
This past weekend, an inebriated Queen’s student was hit by a car. Honestly, it’s bound to happen. One of the first things I was taught when I attended Frosh Week 8 years ago was “cars hurt frosh”. I suppose it’s surprising we don’t hear of more people getting hit around University and Union, or downtown, as traffic and crosswalk signals are rarely obeyed by young people on the go. The sad thing about this vehicular mishap was that the drunk student refused medical attention, and the driver failed to remain at the scene. The young scholar was reportedly uncooperative when the police arrived, but that was par for the course.
The Kingston Police responded to over 20 student-related incidents this past weekend, ranging from noise complaints, to drunk and disorderly conduct and even a fire in the student ghetto village. According to various accounts, an unidentified soul used gasoline to light a chair on fire on the corner of Aberdeen and William. The fire was quickly doused by the authorities. When I heard of this particular incident I was rather disappointed, as it reminded me of the burning car debacle, which sullied Queen’s Homecoming a few year’s back. Is this an indication of things to come for Homecoming 2008 on Aberdeen?
Frosh week is far from over. Queen’s, St. Lawrence and RMC orientation are in full swing, so we can expect more of the same types of incidents this coming week, with a projected spike in unruly behaviour this coming weekend. Although I don’t necessarily despise the tomfoolery, I will be sure to avoid student areas for the next week or so. I suppose that’s the general concensus around the city. Merchants are glad the students (read wallets) are back, while public servants clean up the mess, and tax payers pick up the tab.
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Friends & Supporters
Don’t suppose any of those idiots signed up for Civility 101, did they?
The university should also be held to account - any other BUSINESS (yes the uni is that too) that has problems such as this usually would have their business license revoked.
But I suppose the chattering classes will see things differently.