Alcohol, alienation, animosity: City girl split between Welly beginnings and Palmy future

“So, this is going to sound really dumb, but there are no pigeons in Palmy. And without pigeons, it’s just... dead.”  

As students flock to Massey Palmerston North this week, scaring away the pigeons, second year student Alisha* leaves behind memories of her first year…

A 30-day liquor ban from halls, rejection in the form of racism, trading docs for red bands, raspberry cruisers for Cody’s, and occasionally working on her social work degree.  

Born and raised in Wellington’s Island Bay, and having never seen a cow before in her life, Alisha’s decision to study at the Manawatū campus raised some eyebrows. But like a 5ft Hannah Montana, Alisha, shed her city wig and heaved her pink suitcase down to the land of no. 8 wire and loopy looking sheep.  

“Hello, Palmerstonians!”, she exclaimed, ready to immerse herself in the rich landscape of not just one, but two clubs. 

Alisha moved from Wellington last year into Tōtara Hall — a hall filled mostly with aviation students. She recalls guys jerking off in the shower and regularly coming home to find strangers in her bed.

Alisha says that Palmy’s derelict climate feels like the Truman Show. “It feels like they put us in a box to see what humans can do with nothing and see if they survive”, she laughs. She felt under surveillance, living in one tiny space for both studying and drinking.  

The air sharpens as the subject of alcohol arises. In high school, Alisha rushed into drinking, trying to keep up with her older brother. It didn’t stop when she got to halls.  

“I then went a bit cray when I went into halls. I liked how happy drinking made me.”  

She says drinking became a main character trait for her, and this, along with her Wellington beginnings, made her feel alienated.  

“People would say that they knew I was from Wellington because of the way I dressed and I just drunk a lot more than others.”  

“I felt like a little kid in primary school just wanting to be cool again”. 

The weight of unfamiliarity in Palmerston North felt heavy, and Alisha faced grueling homesickness. Sometimes, to the point of delusion.  

“There was a rowboat in our common room and one night I was so fucked up and tried rowing the boat trying to get home”.  

I try not to crack a smile. I ask, “Do you mean, back to Wellington?”. As serious as the conversation was, the thought of Alisha wailing in a stationary rowboat sanctioned a few giggles. 

Alisha says her homesickness also came from the alienation of being a person of colour. She explains that residents seemed to have limited experiences with different cultures.  

“It was like they never had met a poor brown person before.”  

She takes a long sigh, “I think it’s the environment they grew up in. In Wellington we are so lucky that there are brown and queer people. Then they go to Palmy, and people think they’re freaks.” 

Among the bad eggs, Alisha found a sense of community. On a particularly bad night when she was planning to run away to Wellington, her hall neighbours took turns sleeping by her side. “My neighbours were my saving grace,” she says.  

A turning point was Alisha’s 30-day liquor ban.  

The Alcohol Consumption Policy for Massey Halls has strict rules, like prohibiting students from having spirits like vodka or tequila, as well as playing drinking games. The policy also permits students from drinking during study breaks and exam periods. 

The halls also may confiscate alcohol if concerns for safety arise. Students showing signs of excessive drinking can also be referred to Massey Health and Counselling Centre. In serious cases, parents or guardians may be contacted. 

Alisha appreciated the help the university gave her. “As much as I would hate to admit it, the system was really good at helping me.”  

This year, well-being advisors are hosting ‘A Night to Remember’, an event for new students across Wellington, Auckland and Palmerston North campuses, promoting safe partying, STI prevention, sexual health and consent. 

Luckily, Alisha wasn’t kicked out of the halls or fined for her drinking, but she was strongly encouraged to find better habits.  

“In Wellington, you can just do stupid sober things, but in Palmy you really must seek those things out. I think that’s why I fell into drinking.” 

As the conversation comes to a close, I ask her what she wants from this next year in Palmy.  

She beams at me, “I’m doing a sober year”, she lets out a little scream, “it’s not going to be easy but it’s going to be better to experience Palmy sober and see if it’s that bad”. 

*Name changed for anonymity