Locals, the hall for the hall-less, has issued a notice stating that “HQ is open to first-years only” after being inundated by a swathe of older students in recent years.
For those who don’t know, Locals is a collegiate community at Otago Uni for first-year students who reside locally but not in a hall of residence, with an HQ on the first-floor of the Union Building – opposite Toroa College’s dining hall. Notably, the HQ comes with a microwave.
Critic noticed a poster stuck on the door outside Locals HQ last week stating that, whilst they have “loved having you in previous years […] the time has come for you to branch out and use the microwaves downstairs.” The call for space comes after allegations that older students had been misusing the microwaves supplied by Locals, with one begrudging local student, Dorothy*, saying, “There’s microwaves in the Link guys.”
Funding for the free service for the “800 first year students without halls,” comes directly from the University’s pockets. Critic Te Ārohi has also been made aware that funding for Locals HQ could be impacted if not enough actual locals use the space. “When you have second and third-years returning, is a bit of an issue,” one of the locals there said.
To illustrate their gripes, Dorothy told Critic that the situation was like “if Toroa leavers went back to their dining room, which nobody does.” While this year’s Locals contingent only has 800, there were over 950 students eligible to join Locals in 2023, technically making it the biggest of the University colleges.
Despite the notable drop-off for the year, the Locals HQ crew seem unfazed, with deputy manager Lei Lani Hosking telling Critic that their year could be compared to the 2005 hit song ‘Popping My Collar’. In efforts to reinvigorate the programme, Locals HQ has started a social media war with “Cringe Slayward”, with one staff member telling Critic that “Hayward stole Slay from Salmond college” as the phrase “Salmond Slay” was coined in early 2021 before “Slayward”.
Despite developing tensions in the social media sphere and their beef with second-years, Locals HQ has been going hard on their social events, hosting a PowerPoint night, Karaoke, tri-weekly pancake making sessions and an upcoming cultural performance evening.
Lei Lani assured Critic that despite the sign on the door, Locals is still a welcoming environment for all – well, as long as you’re a first-year. Locals HQ also attached a map of all the microwaves on campus, just to make sure the second-years got the message.
*Name changed.