Diary of a Sober Guy: O-week blows

- Alexander Kalauta

Academic O-week, party every night in the H-town clubs or dorm room for a week till you end up stumbling around outside your room, screaming for a bucket/rubbish bin or rushing to the bathroom where you regret those pres and all that liquor in your system the next morning. Then it’s round two, drinking again next week, rinsing and repeating the same things over and over again but this time drunk in class.

Well that is not me, I’m the so-called Sober guy/Dad on my floor looking after all the drunk floormates stumbling home from town and kickons. While we are on the topic of dorms, even though Bryant Hall is awesome, it’s stuck in a time capsule from the 80s and we need something to freshen up the place. Why should Bryant hall be left behind while the University is trying to modernise/reinvent itself as ready for the future, even if it’s just new carpets or paint colour. Isn’t that enough?

Being sober can be really funny and shouldn’t be criticised as a bad thing. Alcohol allows you to see a side of people that is not normally out in the open– booze just unlocks a hidden state of being. If that person becomes more open or assumes the role of a joker there to create chaos, it’s just fun to sit there and just watch them as they go down drink after drink, or taking multiple shots.

Coming from Auckland it’s a complete change of pace being living on campus rather than catching public transport with long travel times. Is it too much to ask to at least get a fleet of e-scooters or e-bikes to get around. No offence but the stairs are killing me. This campus is huge and it’s a mission and a half just to get to lectures. I went from doing nothing, just walking a few metres a day during the holiday, to walking half way across campus to just get to the library or some orientation lecture. Understand that yes, I am a lazy person. Please take this as a space to complain.

But to be honest after one week here it’s starting to feel like home. Kind of sappy, I know. But we have a mixture of people from different background, all coming together on the premise of piss, parties and partial studying. The limit does not exist ;). Not to mention the amount of support and free things around as well. You really can’t beat it, meaning it’s not been a bad first time out of home, and to be away from Auckland.

PS the Blues are going all the way this year, sorry Chiefs. Maybe next year, I might be out of Auckland but im still reppin the blues.