The Boil on the Neck

Victoria has never been really popular in Wellington—but it has never been overlooked by the local citizens. In a community which is predominantly commercial, it isn't surprising that there is often a need for reminding about other values, other ideals. The university which points out these things often becomes disliked. By its very position above the city, the place is likely to be regarded as a boil on the neck of the community; an inconvenient institution for dragging up better-forgotten faults.

So it may be expected that we will often be criticised, by our community. This is nothing to worry about—we should need to start worrying if we didn't raise a hue and cry occasionally.

But we personally would like to think that when we get ourselves unpopular, it's for something worthwhile, something we believe is a cause worth sticking our necks out for.

Among the causes of unpopularity, we don't see any need to include sheer hooliganism as justifiable. There may be every reason why students should be allowed to work off that joie de vivre which accumulates: but that doesn't justify hooliganism. Some sense of responsibility should be more evident in students than in the ordinary populace; there is no reason, unfortunately, to believe that this is so. Senior officers of this association have many times had to complain about behaviour around the place. The latest grouch which the Executive understandably carries is about behaviour at the last Extrav. party. We think that it is just about time the more responsible students gave these hooligans something to bring them to their sense; perhaps a fine now and again where the offenders can be tracked down, or maybe the more stringent penalty of suspension from Stud. Ass. activities.

The good we can do as gadflies for the community is too often vitiated because the community refuses to lend adequate weight to the opinions of what it is able to regard as "a pack of irresponsible." We would very much like to see the citizenry deprived of the use of this abusive weapon, and the only way to remove it is to control the hooligans.

D.G.