Open day

Sir—I was very pleased to have the opportunity of responding to the invitation extended to the Public to visit the University.

I deemed it a great privilege to be allowed to 'sit in' at some of the Lectures, which were for me most interesting and instructive.

I was, however, concerned for both the Lecturers and Students, because of the numerous extraneous interferences they had to suffer during the various lectures, but perhaps it was myself only that was over sensitive and that neither the Lecturers or Students were in any way perturbed.

I venture to address this letter to yourself in response to your invitation in your magazine "Salient" and take the liberty to refer to one aspect of life at the University. I refer to the Forum held on the Campus.

Apparently a number of the students took the opportunity to speak on the topic "Freedom" referred to on the front page of the magazine. It is well known that the trend among the youth, not only it the Wellington University, but throughout the world, they have a chip on their shoulders, due very largely to their failure to face up to the reality of life. They fail to understand, or refuse to understand, the meaning of their existence, and resort to behaviour, mannerisms and expressions of a cynical nature altogether Non-conformist to accepted practices in orthodox civilised society. This is done. doubtless, in order to express their frustration, or as I prefer to call it, their inability to express upon others their own personality and their immature intellectual development.

They fall back on seepticism and cynicism, and what, to my mind, is worse, blasphemous expressions.

I would like to add to the quotation shown in the contribution by Tony Jacques, the following:—"Freedom is not licence to do as one pleases, but an opportunity to do what is right."

I hope I may be forgiven for being forthright, but I do so, as one who neglected the opportunity extended to me, as a Child, to be taught, and have had to learn the hard way through experience.