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The Spike or Victoria University College Review June 1926
The Voice of the Democracy
The Voice of the Democracy
To criticise all is our portion,
The College at large is our share.
There was never a skirmish to windward
But The Spike Was a-probing there.
Yes, somehow and somewhere and always
We were there when the trouble arose.
From the last General Students' Meeting
To the earthquake when Beere blew his nose.—Spike's First Editorial...
Is there any objection to our establishing a hot water bottle depot outside the Library? The new lockers in the Women's Common Room are quite inadequate when it is a case of bed-socks, mufflers, blankets and comforters. These, and these alone, enable us to endure the climatic conditions of the Library. We would suffer willingly the inconvenience of the cold to ourselves if it were not that our neighbours are constantly disturbed by the irritating sound of our teeth chattering. We feel, too, that purple is a most distressing colour; and the countenances opposite us in various shades of mauve give us the blues.
May we even suggest, in addition to the above, that we are supplied with proper heating arrangements? We have never yet experienced the warmth of the heaters, as we are forbidden to sit actually on them. Nor are we permitted to put our feet in or under them, nor yet, again, turn our chairs towards them. Frankly, dear "Spike," we shiver in spite of ourselves, and we find it quite impossible to pursue our studies further under such deplorable conditions.—Yet we remain. O "Spike,"
Still Shivering.
[We are informed on first-class authority that the miners' strike in Great Britain was responsible for the cessation of activity on the part of the heating system, through the medium of a local sympathy strike. We have noticed that the same anti-British influences have been at work on the lighting arrangements of the Library, which have failed unaccountably and at most inconvenient moments several times of late. The fault is probably to be laid at the door of the Debating Society, which was responsible for first introducing the miners' strike into the College.—Editor, "Spike."]
To the Editor.
Dear Sir,—
Do the Professorial Board expect the long-suffering all-day students to spend all their time between the respective hospitalities of Mrs. Brook and the Rev. B. H. Ward? If they do think that we should have a little respite from our hard work, why not provide the present bare Common Room with a few easy chairs and a billiard table? The new Auckland University College has, so I am informed, three billiard tables and beautifully-furnished students' rooms. When are we going to be favoured with the attention of the powers that be?
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Also, why are the repairs to the memorial window being undertaken at present? Surely this could have been done during the vacation, and the present dust nuisance avoided.
Yours faithfully,
Hard-Working All-Day Student.
[A billiard table has, of course, been maintained in a conspicuous position in the "best room" of the College for some time. But a threatening notice, "For the use of the staff only. Trespassers will, etc.," has seemingly deterred would-be players from making use of it. As to our correspondent's other query, "When are we going to be favoured with the attention of the powers that be?" a member of our staff has been sent to fill a temporary position in the Prime Minister's office, so as to investigate on our behalf any possible channels of influence.—Editor, "Spike."]