Homecoming 2006 - repeat or restraint?

The streets of Kingston are once again filled with those cheery faces of Queen's students. Frosh week is currently on and Homecoming is but a few short days (it was moved forward in order to cash in on The Score televising the Homecoming football game, or so I heard). Of course, you mention "Homecoming" in Kingston and everyone thinks back to the glorious time everyone had last year. The school, the city, the police and other interested parties have spent the last 12 months talking about how to avoid a repeat of last year's craziness.

Despite the launch of a Safe Homecoming Campaign, which includes what promises to be a high-profile advertising strategy, the sceptic in me is a bit worried that their efforts will be in vain - the students and hangers-on may very well do whatever the hell they want and that appealing to people to stay away from Aberdeen by reminding them of their "responsibilities as students and citizens" may just not have that great of an impact on the people who want to party. According to the Whig, students who live on Aberdeen seem to be rather unimpressed by the efforts, and I think it is safe to say that others feel the same (although I have to wonder what more could they possibly do? I suggested locking everyone in their rooms for the night but the logistics of that are pretty staggering).

Queen's and the City seem to have acknowledged that a party is going to happen and the AMS have made plans to ensure that those who do show up have access to first-aid, water and toilets, which I think is responsible on their part. Given the (unwanted) media-attention and the pressure from the administration, will people stay away? If people do stay away from Aberdeen will they congregate somewhere else? Will non-Queen's people descend on the Ghetto looking for a party? We shall have to wait and see.

I must admit that even though I am typically jaded and pessimistic, I remain cautiously optimistic that Queen's students will show restraint this year - both out of fear of the harsh punishments that are promised to be handed out to anyone who is found to have breached the Queen's Code of Conduct or caught doing illegal things and out of a sense of moral responsibility. I think the student population is probably tired of being associated with hooliganism and wants to avoid another debacle. Of course, last year it was only a small minority of Queen's students who participated (not that I am denying the responsibility of those affiliated with Queen's) and the out-of-towners, townies, highschool students, etc., who were there in full force last year will be harder to hold accountable. Hopefully they will stay away after hearing that the Po-Po might be breaking out the watercannons and rubber bullets and tanks or whatever their plan was/is.

I am going to be in Toronto next weekend so I, along with a lot of other people shall be watching from a distance. What do you think? Weigh in on the comments or with this handy-dandy little poll.

How do you think Homecoming 2006 will unfold? People will stay away and it will quiet There will be a few parties but nothing major It will be like last year, just in a different location MAYHEM! ABERDEEN IN FLAMES! Free polls from Pollhost.com

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