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The Spike: or, Victoria University College Review October 1911

Bishop Hadfield Hostel

Bishop Hadfield Hostel

We are pleased to be able to report that those of our number who were laid low last term by various accidents and illnesses, have all long since recovered, and resumed their ordinary occupations.

But though our sick men returned, the number of residents keeps fluctuating slightly, even during term page 56 time. We've had the misfortune to lose Inder; he, being one of those successful people who have kept all terms necessary for LL.B. decided, on his resignation from the Court awhile back, to put in the next two or three months studying at home. For almost two years he loss, capably filled the position of senior student, and his loss, coupled with that of Leary, is felt considerably, as both were men well fitted for management and leadership. Then one of our theological students has gone off to take up clerical work in Marlborough. We much regret that a man of so kindly, cheerful and inspiring a nature as Curly should have been with us only for so short a time; but all we can do is pretend we are a fine, unselfish company, willing to sacrifice ourselves in the interests of the district to which he has gone.

The vacant places have been tilled again already. If it were not for the possibility of laying ourselves open to the accusation of having, like many another educational institution. an inherent tendency to "talk big," we might here observe that facts speak for themselves.

Our activities as a body have not recently been numerous. Within Our walls, of course, there has been the usual round of mysterious machinations of a harmless order, and the buzz of life that must result from the assemblage of some sixteen students. And even without, we have been in evidence at least once or twice since the last publication of the Spike. The first occasion was when he joined forces with the men of Ward's, to see if we could humble the Training College at football. We didn't do it. Honestly, our reason for not publishing the score is that we've forgotten it. Then a number of us appeared in the capping procession as "local loafers" —whether aptly or not we scarcely know. As we had other things on hand the item was worked up somewhat hastily, but might perhaps have been less effective than it was. At all events, we can safely assert that those Hostelites who joined the troops of Maoris and the like made the very most of their opportunities.

It remains only to mention the names of two or three individual members who have, been aspiring to fame. It was Dobbie, who, with able assistance, scored for Victoria against Canterbury College in the match played in Christchurch early this term. Mackersey was a speaker in the Minket Medal oratorical contest; and considering his comparative inexperience, and the short. page 57 ness of the time available for preparation, deserves considerable credit for his treatment of the Duke of Wellington. But it is for Leary that we must unquestionably reserve first honours in the matter of individual outside effort; for it is perhaps not too much to say that his untiring energy and valuable assistance in the departments of management, authorship, and stage production, were largely responsible for the success of the capping carnival extravaganza. While speaking of honours sought and in some cases won, we might add that in our opinion there is good reason to regret that Leary was unable to appear recently in competition for the Plunket Medal.