Planning on a bender but don’t know where? Consider the Central Library. A mysterious male individual has been caught not once, not twice, but allegedly on weekly occasions of drinking six to seven bottles of wine in the Central Library over the summer break. However, the University is reportedly only aware of two bottles found.
There is no confirmed identity of the wine enthusiast. However, security guard John* told Critic Te Ārohi that he was on shift at the time when a bottle was initially discovered. “We find around six to seven bottles a week. Most of them have been found in the UniPrint bins,” he said. When asked how security knew it was the same individual and not a different person, John stated he could be sure as the perpetrator “only drinks red wine – he is a classy guy.” Either that or he’s attempting to execute the ‘Hemingway study method’.
Campus Watch and the University were only aware of two bottles found in early February but had no further knowledge of the multiple other incidents that have supposedly occurred. Critic Te Ārohi sent a range of questions to the Proctor for more details on the matter, who confirmed two wine bottles were found, telling Critic they were picked up on the 10th of February. “We are not aware of a regular problem of wine bottles being left in the library [...] No particular details about the wine were recorded.”
On top of this guy sipping and studying his way through the Dunedin summer, the possibility of the wine enthusiast having free accommodation in the Central Library ground floor bathrooms was also discussed by John. “There is also a guy that was found sleeping in the male bathrooms on the ground floor every weekend from the end of last year to the start of January,” he said.
The University was asked if they could confirm whether the report on a man sleeping in the Central library bathroom was true and if it was connected to the wine bottles. A spokesperson told Critic, “There was an incident last year where a man was found sleeping in a Central library bathroom. I am not certain if there are any connections with the wine bottles.” The University stated that if they were to find anyone sleeping in the bathroom on University property, “they would be dealt with appropriately to ensure the safety of students, staff and University property”. As far as John and the Uni was aware, there have been no further reports on the individual since then.
Critic asked the University if they believed the wine-slugger and the library-sleeper were one or multiple individuals, to which a spokesperson responded that they “do not have enough information to speculate. The central library is open to students, staff and the general public”.
So far there has been no confirmation of the two individuals being the same person. If one were to speculate, the time frame between the pre-game in Central to the slumber party in the bathrooms would seem to be awfully convenient.
Students in the library were approached about any knowledge surrounding the wine incident. Lily, a 5th-year Health Scientist, recalled that she “was doing summer school but didn’t notice anything odd in Central.” Olive, a 2nd-year Business student, spoke to us about her summer school experience. “Nah. [The library] just seems how it usually is, to be honest. The worst I’ve seen is someone sneak a vape.”
At the time of writing, students seem to have suffered no harm as a result of the library wine bandit. Cheers to that *clink*.