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The Spike: or, Victoria University College Review October 1905

[editorial]

"Yet hear a fellow student; 'tis as though The blind should point out the way to go."

Horace.

Devil hammering nail through mortarboard

TThe long expected consummation of our hopes is at last almost at hand. For seven years pioneer students have fondly hoped that before they left they would be able to point with pride to their college as one of the show spots of the city—but they have departed with the hope unrealised. During this time the work has been carried on—not without a fair amount of success—under disadvantages such as no other College labours under. Perhaps because of this there has existed a feeling between Professiorial staff and the students which has done much to lighten the tasks of both. The pioneer students too deserve the thanks of the present generation for the fact that a College spirit was fostered and has been growing stronger from year to year. This is no small achievement when one considers that here there are no tradition and page 6 in a sense nothing round which such feelings can gather. Yet in spite of this, and the fact that the College from its separation under various roofs seemed rather a fortuitous assemblage of individuals organized society, that spirit has not been absent which in the past induced students to sacrifice time and inclination for the general good. It cannot be supposed that the present race of students is less willing to work for the good of the College than students in the past have been and the cooperation of everyone is required if the social side of the College is to be what it undoubtedly ought to be—an important factor in University life. There is a danger that the few who are willing to take on the duties of office should be left to manage everything and that the body of students become mere spectators.

When speaking at the debate for the medal for oratory, Lord Plunket took occasion to remark that one reason for giving the medal to Victoria College was that owing to the close proximity of Parliament and of the Law Courts it was extremely probable that some at least of the speakers would turn their attention to politics and in their ease early trailing in public speaking was particularly deirable. There is no doubt that owing to this and is and to the fact that at Victoria College will be the Law School of the Colony, student of law from all parts will in time look to V.C. as the Mecca to which they must direct their steps. It is for this reason that it seems a pity the College Council have limited tube benefits of the, Jecob .Joseph Scholarship to those who base been connected with the College during the whole period of their degree course. As the scholarship is limited to those who pass the L.L.M. with honours within six years from the time they matriculate this means that those only will be eligible who can come to Wellington and live here for the whole time. A Dunedin student who was thinking of taking up law would not wish to Come here for the first two years, as law does not come in the course at all and lectures on jurisprudence are given at the other Colleges. It would appear that a wider selection would be given if the scholarship were open to those who took the law portion of their degree here. The same remarks may not apply with the equal force in the case of those student's who take the science degree as they would probably come at the outset to the College which specializes in their particular line of study. But in any case the policy of giving prizes exclusively for our own students does not seem calculated to foster University feeling and to remove even a page 7 suspicion of provincial rivalry so noticeable in other spheres.

It is to be hoped that the Students' Association will take into consideration the question of improving the Students' Carnival before the next one becomes due. There are several reforms which might be instituted with the object of providing for its better management. At the last concert the want of a stage manager or general overseer was painfully obvious. The parts of the entertainment seemed to have been arranged without any regard for the exigencies of time and though the waits were long the programme had to be cut short. The Spike would suggest that a committee be appointed at the General Meeting or as soon after as is convenient, and that the committee be given power to arrange the programme and call for the Capping Songs some time before they are actually required. It is not absolutely necessary that this should be left to the last possible moment. The committee should recognise that students require at least two months before they can nerve themselves to write. The Spike feels certain of this because even with a month's notice only one Club secretary sent in his report in time. The committee might also be empowered to use the scissors—freely—in the case of performers whose speeches appear to be meant to rival a College Councillor's in length.

It might also consider the advisability of settling the lines on which future entertainments should be run. The other Colleges have more or less settled lines on which they proceed from year to year. A play written by one of our students (there are those in the college quite capable of writing out a comedietta dealing with a question of the day) would, we feel sure, prove a welcome novelty.

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