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Escalating Acts

The remarkable growth of Student action on Victoria campus has been so rapid that a brief recapitulation of the main events may help students whom events have left behind.

The first evidence of strong feeling on fees was to be seen at Forum in the second week of term when the "Fees Action Committee" was introduced to students. In fact, this first public announcement had been preceded by activities behind the scenes, including an invalid SGM requisition and the drafting of the requisition on which the SGM was finally called.

On the following Thursday, the Executive met to consider the second requisition, and unanimously supported in principle the idea of a student boycott.

The next day a one-sheet foolscap pamphlet was produced and signature sheets were issued. On the Friday night the "non-covered in the first Salient special.

On Monday first publicity—unfavourable—was apparent in the press, and feeling at university was running high. A documentation booklet was being prepared.

On Wednesday the documentation appeared, a special issue of Salient was released, and that night a thousand students at the SGM heard the issues. The outcome—a boycott, an approach to NZUSA and the Association of University Teachers—is well known.

The following Friday, at a Special Meeting of Executive, implementation of the boycott within three weeks was endorsed, a scheme for social work approved, and petition initiated.

The following Tuesday night, Executive failed to confirm these decisions, and in a compromise move voted for a march to be held on Thursday, April 8, the day to include a petition and social work. A full report of this meeting appears in this issue.

Action then became less obvious—the active students having their time taken up in documentation and attempts at publicity. On Friday petition forms began to circulate and signatures by the end of the day were estimated to be about 750.

The following Monday some displays of newspaper cuttings were available, and on Tuesday the issue was still sufficiently alive to secure some speakers at Forum.

Wednesday, April 7, was passed in organisation, and on Thursday the planned march took place—detailed in another article on this page.

Many students do not seem to be aware of the variety and nature of press publicity received. At last count, four editorials had been written by metropolitan daily editors, a photograph of Holyoake at Auckland made the front page of 8 Oclock and such various minor accolades as a Minhinnick cartoon and a "Whim Wham" poem were granted the cause.

The contents of the Wellington papers have been a poor guide to what the rest of New Zealand has been receiving through NZPA. A particularly vicious report of the SGM gained frontpage space in Auckland and materially affected Auckland's attitude.

Other publicity included an interview with the Weekly News (probably due to appear tomorrow), an interview with the Dominion, two radio interviews, and a television interview NZBC coverage of student grievances on the news service has been particularly thorough. Press statements by staff members such as Professor Duncan, Professor Brookes, and others has gained good coverage.