Ah The Toga, an American frat party staple. An item of clothing rich with history and debauchery, dating back to ancient Rome where noble men, philosophers and emperors ran wild.
What the toga has become however, after years of uncontrolled partying on university campuses, is a tarnished symbol. A symbol that has surpassed innocent intentions, and has solidified itself as a reminder of awful past times.
University events, no matter the format, must provide a safe space for all participants and attendees, and that is what our campus has worked towards upholding over the last few years.
The question on everyone’s lips, should the Toga be retired like the relics of old, or is there still life left in the white cloth?
Dircksey met up with students at the ECU Student Guild’s annual Pantheon Party at Birra Bar Joondalup to gauge their thoughts on what the Toga means to them.
Is this your first Toga Party?
Of the people asked, 60% admitted to Pantheon being their first Toga Party. With the remaining 40% mentioning that they had only ever been to a toga party hosted at ECU or Curtin.
Where do you remember seeing a Toga for the first time?
Of course, having not attended a Toga party before did not mean that the concept was foreign to attendees. The majority of which noted having being exposed to Togas and Toga parties through notable pop culture films and media. Further to this, they also noted social media as being a contributor to this as well.
When we say Toga Party what words come to mind?
With this question, surprisingly, only positive connotations were associated with the Toga such as “fun” and “party.” Some even described the event as a University right of passage, showing how ingrained it is in tertiary education culture.
Having said this, some attendees did acknowledge that the Toga has had a tarnished history, but suggested that it did not accurately represent its standing on Australian shores.
Should the Toga stay?
Now to the main event – should the Toga stay? Of the attendees asked, 80% said that the Toga should most definitely stay, with attendees noting it’s importance to University culture. For the other 20% that were against this, they suggested that the idea had been exhausted and required a refresh. It’s important to note, that these individuals had attended multiple Togas previously. Some even noted that the idea of wearing a Toga may be too daunting for some individuals, potentially scaring them away.
Of course, this survey only represents a small minority of university students; those who attended the event itself.
Could this be a a delineating factor for this experiment? Those who attend Toga parties, must, to a large extent, agree with their purpose. Therefore can the judgement truly be made on whether the Toga has a place on University campuses today?
In all honesty, such a macro question cannot be answered with such a small target base, especially considering the awful history that follows this iconic party piece.
For now however, it seems that the Toga at ECU will live to see another year.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised, please contact dirckseyeditor@ecuguild.org.au or the ECU Student Guild to find support reosurces.
Have your say, should the Toga stay?