Salient. Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 42 No. 2. March 5 1979
Letters
Letters
979 Handbook Under Fire
Dear Editor,
I Would be interested to know who wrote course critique in the Handbook for Political [ unclear: nee rather] think (s) the did not do Pols [ unclear: to or I12] last year, or else has a rather poor me [ unclear: ory] and an excellent imagination. I say this [ unclear: cause] of utter rot which appears in this [ unclear: crigue].
Let's have a look at a few examples. It is [ unclear: it] of Pols 111 that: ".... in 1978 lecturers voted their time almost exclusively to over- [ unclear: as] and often outdated examples. The major [ unclear: crptim] to this being John Roberts, arguably [ unclear: best] lecturer of an abysmal lot."
In fact most of the examples were revelant [ unclear: new] Zealand ones, and John Roberts did not [ unclear: en] lecture Pols III; the lectures being Or [ unclear: defend], Mr Debnam, and Or Clark. Nor was assessment "on the basis that term work [ unclear: old] raise the final mark but Not lower it." [ unclear: ither] the two test and one essay were [ unclear: includ] in everyone's final mark. Forty marks the final 100 were for the tests and 60 were [ unclear: e] final exam.
The writer boobs in the very first line for [ unclear: LS H2]. The course title was "Introduction Political Theory" not "An Introduction to [ unclear: clitics] which was of course the title of [ unclear: OLS II].
The author must have done more written [ unclear: ark] than me, or anyone else I know who did [ unclear: LS I12]. The required written work was two [ unclear: as] and one essay.
The next sentence absolutely amazed me. [ unclear: one] aspect that caused much dissent amongst [ unclear: dents] but year was that they were required to [ unclear: way] for the essay topics and the materials that [ unclear: ent] with them...." This is [ unclear: oure] fiction. The [ unclear: ny] topics for the one essay were handed out [ unclear: ce] gratis, and for nothing, and there were in [ unclear: ct] no "materials" with them.
Are you sure the writer was writing about [ unclear: political] Science at this university?
Yours,
Tellit Likeitis.
[ unclear: one] of the editors of the 1979 Handbook I [ unclear: apologies] if we misrepresented the Political [ unclear: science] section of the anti-calandar. Because [ unclear: one] from Pol Sci answered our pleas for [ unclear: dents] to write the critiques we were given [ unclear: ce] choice of leaving Pols out or ripping off [ unclear: at] critique. Because Pols has one of [ unclear: the] biggest stage 1 courses, we were not happy [ unclear: out] leaving it out. We did not realise the [ unclear: Me] had changed because no Pols student [ unclear: Id] us or offered to write the section. - Ed)
[ unclear: Sir,]
I am again appalled by an article in the hand- [ unclear: book] (again, because it was there last year!) [ unclear: which] leads me to question the credibility of [ unclear: ts] editorial staff.
The article, (on pages 34 & 35) is simply entitled " Women". It seeks to establish that women are at an economic, social and academic disadvantage at university by asserting, what I will politely term, untruths:
1) "It is not only more difficult for women to come to university, it is also more difficult for them to stay." Why is it more difficult for them to come and stay??? It strikes me that at every turn the difficulties for men and women are the same.
We are told that women must supplement their "paltry bursary allowance" with at least $800.00. Well, where's the problem? - 3 months working will in most cases achieve this sum, man or women. True, men tend to get some better-paid jobs, such as in the freezing works and the Wool Stores. So what? Good on them; not everyone's cup of tea, and the jobs demand more strength than moat women have.
2) What is this rubbish that women are subtly encouraged to take arts. From my school (a girls' school) as many girls took arts, More took sciences, some took commerce and law etc... Were we more intelligent and able to discern this arts-con? I think not, rather that this subtle encouragement does not exist.
To cut a long letter short (ahem!), there particular assertions are unadulterated rubbish:
That women must wear particular clothes to be " Normal". (What is normal by the way?)
That they must have an exclusive male companion.
That they're not after seen speaking at SRCs.
That they avoid political involvement because they are dominated - maybe they're just bored, like me.
Finally, that the Abortion legislation should seriously affect them. In plain terms one night filled with sin and debauchery makes one very tired, a state which is not conducive to good work output. The availability of abortion would, it seems to me, merely encourage the frequency and energy of debauching, thus making one even more tired - leading to an even shoddier work output. Plainly, the Legislation aids the female student rather than acts to her detriment.
3) The statement that women suffer an academic disadvantage is an outrage bordering on libel!
In conclusion, this article is so false and pathetic that I am forced to conclude that it was written by a Male Chauvinist, trying to undermine the self-respect of gullible readers. I can but hope, if this is not the case, that if a woman wrote it, she was having a laugh at the expense of the lunatic fringe of the Women's Liberation Movement.
Yours in some trepidation,
Kathy Drysdale.
Christian Saviours
Dear Sir,
On arrival, many new overseas students are plagued with a number of problems such as enrolment procedures, accomodation, and in general, getting used to the strange environment. While many clubs and associations try to come forward to help overcome such problems, some religious groups are rushing to offer assistance of the 'spiritual kind'. I refer particularly to members of tome Christian organisation who have been approaching there students within a few days of their arrival and trying to convert them.
Imagine a new arrival. He hasn't got many friends. During the first few days of his stay in a strange land, he is lost. He hardly knows where to turn to for assistance and thus become) a likely target to many selfish movements aimed only at promoting their own cause. Caught off guard, he is likely to fall victim because the methods employed to convert him even I must admit, are top-class. I am not against Christianity personally, but I am against fanatics; people who do not have their own sense of direction and cannot think and speak for themselves. They only present a limited viewpoint on the philosophy of life and explanations are often illogical and without concrete base.
So first year students especially, if you are approached by some smiling self-professed Christians, only listen and talk to them with an open mind. Just remember, you are master of your own destiny.
Yours sincerely.
T.S. Koh
Reds Under Beds
Sir / Miz / Madam / Comrade (?)
Your unsigned article on Kampuchea, in it's lack of references, of any source material whatsoever, is nothing better than a polemic disguised as reportage. It has now become fashionable to see a Russian plot in every Western policy misadventure — Reds under every bed.
Now that the recent American global role seems to be receding-witness the warning of former U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Zumwalt that Australia could no longer count on the United States for aid if attacked, and should look to it's own defences (The Bulletin., 27/2/1979)-a lot of people are getting twitchy about our own recent imperialist past.
With all that fissionable matter stockpiled (on all sides) let's not suddenly start playing 'holier than thou'.
Sincerely Yours,
Joe Green
(The article was written by Lisa Sacksen - the by-line was left off by mistake - Ed.)
Dear Editor,
I am puzzled at an apparent typographical error in the unsigned article title "Kampuchea: Nation in Struggle." My copy seems to be cut off at a point where it should read: "P.S. And China has invaded Vietnam."
Yours without bias,
Margaret Davey
Another CIA Operation?
Dear Sir,
If the C.I.A. were involved in a coup in 1935 in Iran (as mentioned in Salient Vol 42, No 1 in an article by James Morgan) it is then possible that the American Revolution was another C.I.A. operation.
Yours sincerely,
N.P. Revere
Student Union Fees
Dear Sir,
Why did I have to pay more to belong to the Students' Union than I did (if I had) for tuition fees? It's a crass injustice. The only thing I am able to use the Union Building for is to walk past it on the way to the real world.
Saxby to Fix NZUSA?
Dear Mr/Ms Editor,
Many of your student readers, including those present at University for the first time, will be aware of the existence of the New Zealand Universities Students Association (NZUSA), which has gone to some trouble to advertise itself over the Orientatior period. After the events of 1977 and 1978, NZUSA now sees the necessity of conducting a good PR campaign among it's members. Through your letters column, may I point out the other side of the story?
1. | NZUSA continues to adopt policies which are not representative of student thinking and rejects policies which clearly are (as shown by student referendums, etc., This applies to many so-called "International" policies and to Education policies. Also, delegates to NZUSA Councils have resisted tome recent attempts to introduce safeguards into decision-making procedures. |
2. | NZUSA claims to successfully lobby the government on behalf of students. But there is very little evidence that students have benefited more han they would have without NZUSA, or that a staff of three full-time "political" officers and five administrative stall are required to [ unclear: ir] this. On the other hand, there is evidence that the primary object of NZUSA campaigns is to organise students politically rather than to win Bursary increases and so on. |
3. | NZUSA it diverting an increasing part of its income (which includes about $110,000 in student levies) to minority-interest groups, notably the National Overseas Students Action Committee (NOSAC) and the Women's Rights Action Committee (WRAC). Apart from the danger that these groups will become representative of a minortiy-within-a-minority-, it is obvious that student control of student money, through an elected President and Executive is being watered down. |
4. | The strength of NZUSA is symptomatic of a more general disease in New Zealand society - the pervading view that the government can and should solve our problems and therefore that all our complaints and opinions are best dealt with by referring them to some centralised authority (such as NZUSA This out-dated attitude is held by most NZUSA defenders and especially by the political factions involved. |
5. | The management of NZUSA and its travel company, Student Travel Bureau, has come in for some harsh criticism recently. Last August, without giving notice, STB required the seven Students Associations to provide it with financial guarantees totalling more then $100,000. This scheme, unsurprisingly, has come unstuck. Many other examples of administrative disasters could be cited from past years, yet most pro-NZUSA spokesmen (and spokeswomen) regularly call for more money to be placed in the charge of those who seem incapable of taking responsibility for it. |
Finally, it is worth noting that students' information on NZUSA comes predominantly from NZUSA itself. Contributions are made by Association Presidents and student Editors but overall, the information provided depends on the energy, discernment and prejudices of only a few individuals. It is thus appropriate that an independent organisation exist to provide facts on NZUSA to students and to consider various ideas to alter the present set-up. Further information on the above may be obtained by writing to:
Lower Hutt
Sincerely yours
P.J. Saxby