Whither?

The closing session on "The Student and the Socialist Movement," was led, in the enforced absence of Dave Cohen and Jim Winchester, by Conrad Bollinger and Ron Smith. A leavening of Council members of the N.Z. Progressive Youth League, in Wellington for their annual meeting, further swelled the audience and enriched discussion.

Conrad spoke of the orthodoxy of teaching in the university, its service to the status quo, and the historic role of heresy; he traced the two tendencies within our society—towards fascism and towards socialism, and of the tasks of students in struggling for the latter. Most entertaining section of the talk dealt with the history of the progressive student movement in VUC—culminating with "Freedom's" verbal vomit over the Student Labour Federation in 1948—"Teen-agers and Bobby-soxers Kowtow to Ikons of Czar Stalin I." Ron added a few of his observations and experiences of students through the metal draping that splits Europe, and of progressive student movements elsewhere.

Floor discussion centred round policy and concrete activity for the socialist students and young workers in the Immediate future—some decisions about peace and the Stockholm Appeal and such student needs as bursaries, textbooks, and hostels, being made.

Home was the caper well after 10 p.m. A full weekend, but certainly not a lost one. Special thanks go to Mr. and Mrs. L. B. Piper for the extension of their hospitality, and to Mr. Neil Grange who, did a fine job at the head of the Commissariat.