Capping stunt

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A capping stunt or capping is a New Zealand university tradition wherein students perpetrate a hoax upon an unsuspecting population. They are traditionally executed near May during graduation.

Capping stunts have a long tradition in New Zealand, and are a prominent event at and around campuses throughout the country, with many notable instances reaching national or local headlines. Perhaps the most notable recent suspected capping stunt was the Waiheke Island Foot and Mouth disease threat of May 2005, which is suspected to be a stunt by Massey University in Palmerston North.[1] A letter was sent to Prime Minister Helen Clark saying that disease had been released onto the island. Police said that the letter came from the Manawatu Region, and coincided with graduation week.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Virus release a capping stunt? (from the nzcity.co.nz website, 11 May 2005)
  2. ^ Foot and Mouth Scare - The Dominion Post, 12 May 2005, Page 5

[edit] Further reading

  • Ritual Song of Defiance: a social history of students at the University of Otago - Elworthy, S., Otago University Students' Association, Dunedin, 1990

[edit] See also