Noel Davies - Political students: know your place
Hello friends. I’ve decided, as part of my gift to Nouse readers, to provide some kindly patrician advice. I know I said in the above column that I can’t produce rules for society in general, but I think after three years here in York I can help you young freshers by listing the do’s and don’ts of student life. This edition’s rule of etiquette for a genial and educationally conducive time at university: Never insert politics into an otherwise ordinary conversation. The old adage, never talk about religion, politics or football (unless it is in someone’s kitchen at two in the morning after being thrown out of Toffs) is still relevant. Let’s take an ordinary example of what to do and what to avoid in a typical conversation. Housemate A talks to Housemate B about stealing milk. Housemate C is making toast. C is politically active, knows his/her rights, attends rallies, subscribes to the Red Star Tribune Daily and has a picture of George Galloway on their wall. People know all this because C never shuts up about it. There is, however, a time and a place for these views so lets not deny them to him/her. This is not that place. So when Housemate B says “I hate it when people steal stuff without asking and get away with it” the correct response is “yes, so do I”. The incorrect response is to say “Yes, which is just like how China illegally occupied Tibet and does so with the tacit consent of the capitalist world.” Similarly incorrect are any references to the Middle East crisis. Don’t worry, there will be times for politics, just not in conversations involving toast, milk or other consumables. Take heed young freshers…
