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SMAD. An Organ of Student Opinion. 1935. Volume 6. Number 12.

The Cockpit

page 3

The Cockpit

Building Committee Speaks.

Dear "Smad,"

As honorary secretary of the Students' Association Permanent Building Committee, I wish to comment on the subject of the Students' Association's proposed New Building.

The Permanent Committee consists of the president, the treasurer, and repersentatives of the College Council, a representative of the teaching staff, three representatives of past students and two representatives of present students. Students may well ask what this committee has done or is doing.

Some time back meetings of the Permanent Committee were held, and after a number of schemes to raise the necessary funds were discussed, it was decided that, due to the general financial depression, a smaller amount would be collected by making an immediate appeal then, then by waiting until the depression was not uppermost in the minds of our supporters.

Briefly, the schcmes that will be put in hand as soon as the time is ripe are these: Firstly, students, past students, and well-wishers of the Association will be asked to take out endowment insurance policies and assign them to the Association. Secondly, requests will be made to past students and others to make donations and to provide for legacies in their wills. Thirdly, an appeal will be made to the Government to provide either a subsidy on money raised or to grant a straight out sum.

In addition, the preliminary steps were taken to run a big art union, but this idea was abandoned, as the authorities considered that such a scheme was not in the best interests of the College.

A recent edition of "Smad" quoted some criticism of the Executive in connection with the fund. In this criticism no mention was made of the £100 that is put away annually from the Association's funds towards this building, additional to the setting aside of funds raised from the Extravaganza and the Capping Book.

Now in my turn I ask, what are the students, either individually or collectively as clubs, doing towards this proposed new building?

At one time a Building Fund Committee, composed entirely of students, existed, but this was disbanded, or to be clearer, "fizzled out."

The Womens' Gymnasium Club, which has on three occasions made substantial donations to the Building Fund, has shown a very practical interest. The Dramatic Club, too, is applying the profits from its productions towards augmenting the fund, and I understand that shortly a revue is to be held for the same purpose.

With the exception of these clubs, we as students are doing nothing but grumble and criticise.

There are many ways that students can assist. For instance, one club could sponsor a monster entertainment in the Town Hall or other suitable public hall. The first half of the programme could be items provided by prominent present and past student entertainers. The second portion of the programme could be a short comedy produced by the Dramatic Club. The talent available is sufficient for a number of such concerts.

A Science Exhibition held at the College for three nights and arranged by the Mathematical and Physical Society and the Science Society would, if a small charge for admission were made, produce a substantial contribution to the Building Fund as well as providing a good advertisement for the College.

The clubs generally might reduce their requests for grants from the Students' Association funds and thus allow a greater amount to be set aside for the New Building. Clubs might also hold bridge parties or their annual dance, or, in conjunction with other clubs, balls in aid of the fund. These are just a few of the ways in which clubs could assist.

Such functions as I have mentioned would merit and, I am sure, obtain the support of a large majority of present and past students.

The Building Fund now stands at about £1300 Some £20,000 are required to erect a building suitable for our needs.

Unless we as individuals, clubs, and Association show our enthusiastic desire for a new building and not just a general discontent of our existing facilities, and, what is more, mitiate movements to raise funds by our own efforts within our own Association, then we cannot hope to obtain monetary assistance from the Government Neither can we expect more than a lukewarm support form the past students or other well-wishers of the students.

By all means let us advocate a five-year plan, but also let us put some individual effort and enthusiasm into our project, accompained by more than a little personal sacrifice.

C. S. Plank.

That Cocktail Habit.

Dear "Smad."

I have come to the conclusion that to be "tight" a man has to have a drop of Scotch in him. But there is no room for cocktails in this world, although I feel that there is still a bit of cocktail in me. It was my mischance, some may say mystery, to get acquainted with Hazel Walker, popularly known as Hazey, eldest daughter of Johnnie Walker, great posterior of Bacchus, at the Massey College Ball in Palmerston North. After a night of it I can assure you that the Walker spirit pervaded my every vein.

You do not give a hang how the world goes on. It makes one realise that Bacchus is not only the god of Mirth but also of Politics: for when George Goats and Gordon Forges, his posterior, embarked on the "Meet" they did not give a dame for the tales (or tails) they left behind them. Will they bring home the bacon? Or do they want a Ransom paid before they come back?

You see, dear "Smad," like Major Douglas, who is a financial comedian, goats, and Forges are Bacchanals. So are we. We are good people, aren't we all? Mind you, this is a dining-room and not a drawing-room yarn. Might I suggest, on these premises, therefore, that a Bacchus Club be started? The only qualification required is that you should help others. But God help the man who is caught helping himself.

Let there be a new Creation, and Bacchus be the god. Let there be light, so that when the Angel of God sees the "waters" he shall shout "Amen!" And we in turn shall sing. "As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end."

Slim Limb.

Stud. Ass. Elections.

Remember to Vote.

Dr. Kagawa Writes.

Dear "Smad,"

Can we say that an engine has no design when it works?

This universe is full of mechanical schemes, as all mechanical engines are designed by human brains.

This universe must have been designed by wisdom. We have many natural catastrophies and sufferings, but if we do believe in the theory of creative evolution through these calamities and sufferings, this universe is directed to have more values, and to me the theory of creative evolution is simply designed for development.

Even bacteria and diseases have their places in the variations in nature. Catabolism and metabolism in the physiological world are most wonderful phenomena. Though we may have catabolistic phenomena, we cannot ignore the wonderful preservation of health. so when people point out only the catabolistic aspect of the human body and think that there is no design in it, he is ignoring the other side of the world.

Even death has its evolution. Studying the evolution of death, we come to the amazing phenomena of sexual selection. Lower creatures have no natural death. Only highly-developed individual orgnisms test death.

Looking as a whole, evolution leads up to the human consciousness. With human consciousness we can never deny the purposeness in life. It may not be absolute purposeness in the universe, but we must allow relative purposeness in nature, and that purposeness is revealed particularly in human consciousness.

Unless there is certain law of purposeness in nature there is no chance for relative purposeness appearing in consciousness. Logically speaking, from nothing something does not come out. From blind nature relative purposeness has no chance to appear because there is certain law in consciousness in cosmo. We feel the reality of ego we must believe that there is cosmic law of ego as an engine has a design, and behind design there is a designer. This cosmic purposeness must be taken as designer of the universe.

That is my answer to those who deny the designs in nature and designers behind the design.

Toyohiko Kagawa.

Records Replies.

Dear "Smad,"

May I reply to Mr. Pepys' inquiries published in the last issue of "Smad"?

No schedule of the duties of the Records Officer has been drawn up, but the first duty is to compile a list of all past and present members of the Association and a record of their student activities and achievements. This involves a thorough search through old "Spikes," College records and photographs, and the collection and collation of information derived from many sources. Another duty is the custody of the Association's official copies of College publications, such as "Spike," "Smad," and "Cappicade," and the binding of such periodicals into suitable volumes. In addition the Records Officer has the care of documents, photographs, etc., which may be of historical interest; but it must be pointed out that the Records Officer is not historian of the College. He is merely the custodian of such of the Association's records as are considered worth preservation.

W. R. Birks.