University Club

A University Club is to be established in Wellington in the near future according to a report tabled at the April meeting of the University Council.

The report, tabled by one of last year's student representatives on the council and a senior lecturer in Administration, Mr David Shand, said that the Club will be officially launched at a function in early June.

Established by lay members of the University Council on the initiative of former NZUSA President, Peter Rosier, the Committee on the Establishment of a University Club is now seeking University help for initial finance.

The Committee envisages a membership of between 800 and 1200 and reported to council that it would need at least $10,000 to be met from sources other than subscriptions in order to become established.

Mainly for university graduates, the Club is looking for clubroom facilities in the business area of the city. The establishment committee has adopted a full constitution, is seeking incorporation, and will be attempting to gain a license for the sale of liquor.

Ph.D. Students Given Drinking Rights

The drinking facilities of the Staff Club are now open to Ph.D. students.

This was decided at an extraordinary General Meeting of the Victoria Staff Club held on 22 April.

At the meeting the Club's constitution was amended to give Ph.D. students associate membership. This means that Ph.D. students will now have access to the Club's facilities and have an obligation to pay the club's subscription, but will not be entitled to attend meetings or be elected to the committee of the Club.

It was also decided that students who are the wives or husbands of staff members shall have visiting rights to the Staff Common Room: All Council members, including student representatives on the Council, are to continue to be honorary members of the Staff Club.

Continuing Story Ends?

Table service will continue to be available in the first-floor dining room.

This was decided at the 20 April meeting of the SRC where a motion to have table service abolished was heavily defeated.

Socialist Club members George Fyson and Howard Moses, who moved the motion, said that the abolition of table service would help to stop class distinction on the campus.

Margaret Bryson pointed out that the Catering Sub-Committee of the Student Union Management Committee had already passed a recommendation to Mr Levenbach, asking that table service be made completely optional.

Alan Browne

Campus Felons

Increasing theft and vandalism have been noted in the Student Union.

On Monday 27 April Executive passed a motion that "Executive views with grave concern all incidents of vandalism and theft in the Union."

Apparently there has been an increase not only in the theft of such items as ash trays and cutlery, but also in theft of sweets from the counter of the canteen in the ground floor cafeteria.

At the SRC of 28 April Miss Bryson pointed out that the inevitable result of such actions would be increased prices for food.

Grads' dinners

Graduands' dinners will again be subsidised this year by the Association.

At an SGM on 22 April a motion calling for no subsidy for the graduands' dinners was lost.

Bill Logan in moving the motion, said he believed that graduates were earning enough money from their jobs and bursaries to be able to pay for the dinners themselves He said that over S600 would be saved if the dinners were not subsidised.

Margaret Bryson, the President, said she believed there should be a subsidy. She said that the Capping Balls were expected to make a $1,200 profit. "This means we are making about a $200 profit out of the graduate functions," she said.

Whither Do You Wander?

Gary Weinberg and John Kirkby may play League in Sydney next year.

A reliable source has intimated that a wellknown Sydney Rugby League club has invited the two players to sign up.

Their salary is reported to be "running into five figures".

Both Gary and John are members of the Victoria Senior A team and past members of the Wellington representative team.

The offer has not been definitely turned down and it is rumoured that they will be moving to Sydney at the end of the academic year in order to prepare for next year's league season.

Legal System Transfer

The Students Association wants the Legal System unit to be cross-creditable to an Arts degree.

A motion urging the Professorial Board to make this change was passed at the 23 April SRC.

Mr Frykberg, speaking to the motion said that some people found the going too hard in the law department and wanted to change to a B.A.

They were often deterred from doing so because they could not cross-credit all the units they had already done.

International Club Rebuilt

The University's International Club is to take on a new format this year.

As well as the usual elected officers, the club committee will also include one elected representative of each Overseas Student's Association.

These representatives will automatically become members of the International Club and will not have to pay a subscription.

Club President Paul Karalus said this step had been taken because the overseas students were forming their own national associations and this had resulted in a falling off of support for the International Club.

This year the club hopes to hold a number of combined functions with each Overseas Student's Association being host.

An International Concert, a wine and cheese evening and an International Ball are also planned for this year.

Drug Abuse Committee

The NZUSA Executive were joined by representatives of the Wellington Teachers College Executive in a discussion with members of the Blake-Palmer Committee on Drug Abuse and Drug Dependency in New Zealand.

While the meeting was held in camera reliable sources indicated that the Executive were interested in discussing (amongst other things) the question of the legalisation of marijuana.

History of NZUSA

A draft History of NZUSA is to be presented to the June meeting of the National Executive.

In preparation since August 1969 the History will trace the development of NZUSA since its inception in 1929.

The author, Lindsay Wright, NZUSA's Education Research Officer said that the final document will deal with the Association's growth as a pressure group in national and university affairs.

"The growth of Tournaments, Arts Festivals, Volunteer Service Abroad, and even the local student press has been closely associated with NZUSA" said Mr Wright. "The background to these and other activities should provide valuable information to future student leaders".

Asian Students Association

Discontent has been expressed by Auckland President, Mike Law and Lincoln President, John Hayes, on the viability of the Asian Students Association.

In a lively discussion at the Executive meeting International Vice-President Trevor Richards, argued for a transfer of the Association's Headquarters from Kuala Lumpur to Hong Kong.

Such a move, he argued, might increase the possibility of extending the membership beyond being "a sort of Students for Seato-type organisation".

Set up in 1969 as a loose-knit association of the National Unions including New Zealand, Australia. Ceylon, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong, the Asian Students Association will be holding its Second Conference in Hong Kong in July.

Trevor Richards has been selected as NZUSA delegate to the Conference.

Scruff & Tiddles?

A Mr Victoria Contest is to be held this year in conjunction with the Miss Victoria Contest.

This was decided following overwhelming opposition to an SRC motion calling for the abolition of the Miss Victoria Contest.

The SRC also decided that the winner of the Mr Victoria contest would be the person with the loveliest legs.