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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 15, No. 8. May 29, 1952

Dreadful Shambles

Dreadful Shambles

The Principal, Dr. Williams, in reply, expressed his pleasure that the proposer of the toast was an old student of his. He spoke in support of the Registrar and denied that the undergrads provided the money to run the college. "Mr. Patterson," he said, "condescended to live at Weir House—a happy phrase." Mr. Patterson had said that the Professorial Board prevented the consumption of liquor—it didn't. It prohibited it—the distinction was obvious. He wished he could tell his audience that night that some positive measures to improve student social facilities had been made. The only student facilities extent were the common rooms and the gymnasium, that dreadful shambles of a place. The provision for social life in the college was not much more than when the college had six hundred students; the only addition since then was the Little Theatre. One of the scandals of the time was that the provisions of student faculties is what it is.

Dr. Williams referred in passing to the long history of the Undergrads' Supper and then remarked that if the college did not have the science building up in five years there would be chaos. He was battling hard for the Student Union building but he did not know which was the most important—the science or the students' building. Negotiations had been proceeding and he expected developments soon. The Principal concluded with a few words to the graduands to whom he wished success and happiness. Each [unclear: degree] was of such standard as to be a real mark of distinction—they were degrees of this college which is in fact and ought to be in name a university. The staff made it more the equal of many universities overseas and it could not be long before the college was in name a university and the people of the city realised what they had had in their midst Dr. Williams hoped that the graduands would help their college, both with pride and out of their pockets, and he trusted that they would have the pockets to do that

Vice-president H. J. O'Brien, known as a undergraduate of long (and often) standing, proposed the toast to the graduands not however, as he said, because he was the undergraduate of longest standing in the college. That body of graduands was the first to leave the college unskilled in student revolution. The law and commerce students however had had a longer history than most students. He referred to Adam and Eve's internationally famous loose-leaf system, and Noah who was the first to sink his liabilities and float a company.

Body Builder

J. F. D. Patterson—a photograph taken as he rose to speak recently at the Undergrad's super. Mr Patteraon has been undergoing a course of body-building under the tuterage of the Law Faculty in preparation for his next lawsuit. Although now he has not the mental stimulus engendered by residence in Weir House, he appears to be unaffected by this from what our reporter could see through an alcoholic blur at the supper.