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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria University, Wellington N.Z. Vol. 22, No. 8. August 3, 1959

Firmly Set

Firmly Set

Miss Boyle in her speech restricted her attack to the South African racial policy and this placed her third equal. There can be no doubt that Miss Boyle has studied this matter closely, has read a lot, and has very firmly set views on the subject.

This is of course an essential prerequisite to the delivery of an oration, but it is not the only one, and Miss Boyle's speech, admirable as its message was, probably lost out on its presentation.

The subject "Aspects of the South African Racial situation" is of course, very topical, and perhaps all the more dangerous for that, in that the audience probably have decided views of their own on it, but it contains the elements of oratory.

With all this in her favour, plus the fine voice which Miss Boyle last year showed us she possesses, it was all the greater pity that she chose to present her speech in the way she did. The dramatic moments sounded almost as if Miss Boyle were a little girl, who wanted the African blacks to have equality and was annoyed because they didn't.

An almost petulant attitude to the subject probably cost Miss Boyle a higher placing. After all, to shout, is not necessarily to be emphatic.

Mr Hamlin, who was also third equal, chose as his subject "Orwell—his plea" and this was a closely reasoned, intelligent plea to recognise man as something more than a maker of machines. From the opening quotation from John Stewart Mill "If all mankind minus one were of one opinion ..." to the conclusion, Mr Hamlin stressed his message and did so very effectively.