Salient. Official Newspaper of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association. Vol. 40 Number 4. March 21 1977
Letters
Letters
Marked on a scale from 0-10 for novelty, excitement, interest, and that curious brand of wit peculiar to university students, most of the letters this year score about 1½. Wake Up—your paper is what you make it!! Drop letters into the Salient Office, or post to P.O. Box 1347 Wellington.
Letters Must be double spaced and legible or else they will not be published.
A new Freak Bros. strip
Dear Salient,
At last a new Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. And a series at that. Please keep it going. Over the past years I have become so used to the continual reprinting of old strips of the Freaks that I must know them by heart. Not that they aren't good, It's just that winds of change are fresher.
So, for all us Freak Fans out here, keep them coming.
Yours for ever (if you keep it up)
Dave
,Em
,Ken
,Andy
andKat
, andJamie.
More Balloons Wanted
Dear Mr Balloon Man,
May I congratulate you upon your show of initiative, when emptying a bag of balloons in the cafe on Friday 11 March. My day had been previously off to a terrible start and upon entry to the cafe, I perceived untold balloons which cheered me immensely.
Let's see crazy things like this more often to relieve the apathy that seems to be setting in even earlier this year.
Vaguely crazy student.
Plastic on the Brain
Dear Editor or Sir/Ms if you prefer.
Can you tell me why is it, in this ecologically super-balanced natural-health-food freak-out i.e. VUSA no-one objects to the mountains of plastic, non-biodegradable, non-WCC issue rubbish bags? Is it indicative of a subconcious instinct for immortality through our rubbish?
Or does nobody give a shit?
I await with interest your comment.
Yours etc.
Nom-de-plumb.
More Book Shop Letters
Dear David,
Victoria Bookshop | Whitcoulls | Alterence | |
---|---|---|---|
Hanbka "The Earths Dynamic Systems" | 22.90 | 21.20 | 2.70 |
Flint & Skinner "Physical Geography" | 14.40 | 11.55 | 2.85 |
Barker "Understanding the Chemistry of the Cell" | 2.30 | 2.15 | .15 |
Tribe & Whitaker "Chloroplast & Mitochondria" | 2.30 | 2.15 | .15 |
Weir Stodury & Barker "Botany" | 15.35 | 12.30 | 3.05 |
57.25 | 49.35 | 8.90 |
And both shops gave 10% discount on texts.
Fellow students be warned. Do not buy any text books, reference books or stationery from Victoria Bookshop.
Pissed off but not so gullible to be ripped off?
Letter from an Ex-patriot
Dear Editor,
After 2 years intinerant potato-picking on the continent I decided it was time to return home to Enzed.
Upon arriving penniless I took up employment with the harbour board and was officially designated the task of draining the water out of Wellington harbour to aid in the reclaimation process. However, after pumping for 6 months I became disillusioned and decided to take the only sane alternative—go to varsity.
After being here for 3 weeks I received a serious shock - there were women on the campus! Not only were they in the lectures but some were roaming about outside without being in the custody of a responsible male!
It is obvious that without recourse to their sexuality women would never pass a single unit. I have even heard that one unfortunate girl had to satisfy the wanton lust of an honours student so that he would help her fill out the enrolment form.
As we all know, women are inferior to men, and as such should not be seen trying to raise themselves to our level. They should not, therefore be at varsity. Instead, they are recommended to go home, to look after their children, cook their husband's dinners, empty the slops, and generally attend to the domestic affairs for with Nature designed them.
By taking this advice they will gain the respect of all right-minded people an end not to be attained by unsexing themselves and meddling in masculine concerns of which they are profoundly ignorant.
Yours faithfully
Father of 10.
Alfonsos Alternative
Dear David,
With regard to the forum on the cafe, I would like to inform students of another alternative that is open to them.
I made some proposals to the Students Association executive, in which I asked to rent the Restaurant in the middle floor of the Union Building. They have not yet decided so I would like the students to be aware of the alternative service I am offering.
I would open from 10am-2pm and 6pm till 11pm and provide a variety of takeaway and restaurant foods with the emphasis on interesting quality food. Some of the dishes I would offer are; Winter or fresh fruit salad with a choice of cream, ice-cream or yoghurt (50c); macaroni or spaghetti with grated cheese and tomato sauce (60c); hot polpette (Italian style hamburger, fried in oil with garlic, breadcrumbs, parsley, parmesan cheese and eggs; together with side vegetables and potatoes) ($1.20); homemade soups (lentil, pumpkin, mushroom, minestrone) (45c); a smorgasbord of corn baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad, brown rice, eggs, and cheese; and a variety of drinks—tea (15c), percolated coffee with cream (25c) peppermint tea (20c), cariocas (a South American drink made of milk, fresh fruit and raw sugar blended together) (30c).
For dinner I would offer the same plus Italian style meat dishes - Spezzatino com patate (goulash) ($1.50), Fettina al tegame (veal steak with garlic and parsley and side dish) ($1.50) and Cotoletta Alla Milanese (Weiner Schnitzel with side salad and baked potatoes and garlic) ($2.00). The restaurant could be decorated with candles and pot plants and provided with stereo equipment to give it a more stimulating atmosphere, especially in the evening. Another possible is allowing people to drink wine and beer there (sold through SASRAC).
I am prepared to work hard and give good service and hope students will support me. If you like my proposals, come along to the forum on the cafe (Monday 21st 12-2pm in the Union Hall) and express your ideas.
Alfonso Fanelli
Rotten Sound System in Theatre
Dear Person,
I wish to congratulate the Student's Association for having the good taste, judgement and foresight for showing "Ladies and Gentlemen—The Rolling Stones" once again.
However I sympathise with all those people who attended the performance in expectation of ½ hours good 'Stones' music. Obviously those people who walked out had the most sense.
It was impossible to hear the music unless one was wearing a hearing aid. I'm sure those who underwent the said torture will agree with me that it was an absolutely soul-destroying experience to see Mick Jagger whispering into the microphone (you couldn't even hear the whispers for the static!)
I hope Studass will learn by its devastating 'mistake' in having such a worthless 'sound system for a classic film. Never to be done again.
Yours Soul destroyed.
Protest Library Cutbacks
Sir,
I wish to protest about the reduction in library hours—they were inadequate enough already. The closing of the library on Friday night now means that it is not possible to study on any night during the weekend. While this may not affect full-timers too greatly, it does affect part-timers who have limited time to study during the week.
In my own case, work and family commitments mean that the weekend becomes the only major time for study. And with the amount of work that the university throws on its students these days, study becomes increasingly important if one wishes to pass. Many books required, particularly law reports, are only available in the library and consequently a trip to the library is necessary. Fitting the time required in the library with other commitments is not easy when the library hours are restricted.
I would like to see not only the library reopened on Friday nights and during the holiday weekends, but also on Sunday nights. Then it would become possible to do a decent amount on study in the library on Sunday.
G.R. Anderson
Dear Jeremy Collins (alias Phil Hay),
Despite the fact that you own a smashingly good guitar and Know your music inside out and upside down, I believe there must have been either a misunderstanding between 'music lovers" or a psychological clash, somewhere along the line. For, you see, I know my music, too. And, tell me, how many forms does music take? Surely out of any one of these forms is at least one highly commendable and enjoyable sector. Or not? Can anyone honestly write off disco or space/funk jazz or 19th century Romanticism or West Coast rock (to mention only four ants in the entire heap)? I think not.
As you pointed out, rather aptly the reviewer's task is to get beyond personal opinion and taste. His job is, firstly, to let the (interested) reader know the particular prejudices and preferences of the reviewer himself, so that he may judge for himself the record in question, keeping that point strongly in mind. Secondly, the reviewer, the "critic", must justify his statements and impressions with understandable (within the context) remarks concerning the record's production quality, presentation etc... as well as the artist's musicianship—a word which cover: enough territory without further elaboration. He may do this through background information on the subject of the review and/or specific, technical examples. But, most importantly, the good reviewer stands on firm, not shaky, ground in all that is produced for the public eye.
Granted! and with pleasure!—portions of my own past reviews which, for some strange reason, attracted so many delighted comments, have not always held up to the standards stated above (which are only a few of hundreds). Yet, it could only have been a mental clash of some kind between us that induced you to order me off to the Royal Tiger-I am present there on a sufficient number of occasions, my reasons being to attain great musical pleasure and instruction. (And any brand of Camels cause a violently distasteful reaction; nor is joining the Nazi party much of a probability). So...Salient needs me, whether they, you or I know it or not.
Have an enjoyable year in all respects, Mr Collins, and, "Do not let this prevent you from opening your cars to a wider range of musical experiences."
Cheers,
Katy Corner.
Cable Price The Agreement
Dear David,
Now that the dust has settled on the events that marked the Cable-Price dispute (Salient 7th Feb 1977). Two matters of direct concern to student at large. First is the reality that most students do not bother, or object, to becoming a member of an appropriate Union.
Second that most unions in this country that do not have weekly deductions, have no provisions for temporary/short term membership.
On the first question, the events at Cable-Price and other student work experience demonstrate the need for Union coverage, and illustrate the obvious advantage of same. The second question of Union fees is a more complex issue. It would be desirable that either V.U.W.S.A. or NZUSA negotiate with those unions or agreement whereby there is a special rate for students. This special rate could be for example approx one third of the full yearly rate. It is interesting to note that similar arrangements already exist in most major Australian Unions.
If this idea was to gain favour, the general reluctance of students to become involved in Trade Union affairs may be, in part, over come.
Kevin Swann
VUWSA Secretary