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Recently returned to Wellington is Mr. A. E. Campbell, Director of the New Zealand Council for Educational Research, who was a NZ delegate to the United Nations Conference for the Establishment of an Educational. Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), which was held in London last November. When interviewed Mr. Campbell was optimistic about the success of the organisation, provided the nations who have agreed to the tentative constitution are prepared to put their proposals into operation. A notable feature of the discussion was the expressed desire of many delegates that the organisation should be of some value to the underprivileged groups in society. It was felt that the exchange of ideas and information which will be brought about should not be confined to the leading figures in the educational and cultural fields, but must reach the ordinary student, teacher and parent.
The conference consisted of delegates from forty-four nations and from seven international organisations, including UNRRA, the ILO and the League of Nations Committee of Intellectual Co-operations. The only significant absence was the Soviet Union but as the conference was anxious that that nation should join the organisation, a seat was reserved for her on the Executive Board of the Preparatory Commission.
The Conference was called as the upshot of a meeting of Allied Ministers of Education which took place in
The business of Conference was the drawing up of a constitution of the Organisation and the establishment of a Preparatory Commission.
Give fresh impulse to the spread of culture and to popular education
by collaborating with members at their request in the development of educational activities;
by instituting collaboration among the nations to advance the ideal of equal opportunity without regard to race, sex or any distinctions, economic or social;
by suggesting educational methods best suited to prepare the children of the world for the responsibilities of freedom.
Maintain, increase and diffuse knowledge:
by assuring the conservation and protection of the world's inheritance of books, works of art and monuments of history and science; by encouraging co-operation among the nations in all branches of intellectual activity, including the international exchange of persons active in the fields of education, science and culture, and the exchange of publications, objects of artistic and scientific interest and other materials of information;
by initiating methods of international co-operation calculated to give the people of all countries access to the printed and published material produced by any one of them.
The Organisation shall include a General Conference, an Executive Board and a Secretariat.
This consists of five representatives from all Member States. It is suggested that representatives be selected by a National Commission in each State on which the Government and various educational bodies will be represented. This means that the Governments will have some control over its delegates, who will not, however, be completely bound to it.
The General Committee is to meet each year and the meeting-place is to vary from year to year, but will not necessarily be different each time. It will determine the policy and main work of the Organisation, receive reports from Member States and will advise the United Nations Organisation on its findings, and set up technical committees where necessary.
The Executive Board will be elected by the General Conference and will be responsible for the execution of the programme adopted by the Conference. It will meet at least twice a year.
The Secretariat will consist of a Director-General and such staff as he may require. Its function will be mainly administrative and it will have permanent headquarters
Each Member State shall report periodically to the Organisation on its laws, regulations and statistics relating to educational, scientific and cultural life and institutions, and on the action taken upon the recommendations that have been made to the Governments concerned.
It is perhaps surprising that this clause has been accepted without much discussion. It gives the Organisation a means of ensuring that its recommendations are not shelved without its knowledge.
It is hoped that UNESCO will be financed by UNO. It will certainly work in co-operation with UNO but will have a large degree of autonomy. Co-operation with other international organisations who have related interests and purposes is also provided for.
A Preparatory Commission has been set up with Sir Julian Huxley as Secretary, its main function being to call the first session of the General Conference. It will also provide without delay for immediate action on urgent matters. A most urgent matter is, of course, the problem of the devastated countries, a problem that cannot be left until the General Conference meets some time this year. It has therefore appointed a special technical sub-committee to examine the problems relating to the educational, scientific and cultural needs of the devastated countries. This committee will work in collaboration with UNRRA, which is already tackling the problem of education in these countries. If it is satisfied that any ameliorative measures are immediately practicable, it will report accordingly to the Preparatory Commission and the Commission will then the steps to co-ordinate the provision of relief by approaching Governments, organisations or persons wishing to contribute money, supplies or services.
As the location of the General Conference will
The recent speech by the Chancellor, Mr. Justice Smith, to the Senate, has aroused the University to a close scrutiny of its own affairs. Questions of stuff, accommodation, standards, finance, have been raised before, but never was the need so pressing as at the present time. Everywhere, University people are asking: "What must be done to raise our higher education from its present third-rate level?" Can we make this same problem evident to the whole community?
First, the indictment. The functions of a University are two-fold: Teaching and research. The teaching in the NZU is not up to the standard of many British higher technical colleges. It has been claimed, by those who should know, that the European schoolboy sitting his Matriculation knows more about his subject than our average Stage II student. Research is for the most part non-existent. Some, Honours theses, an odd professor or lecturer who publishes an occasional book, one or two outstanding men who cannot be kept down. These scraps constitute what should be one of the most important aspects of our work. In the words of the Chancellor: "The University has failed to achieve as yet any recognised standing among the Universities of the western world."
What are the causes? Chiefly, the phenomenal increase, amounting practically to double, of numbers during the past ten years. The results, admirably summarised by Professor Gordon in his forthright article to the "Listener," are understating, shortage of accommodation, lack of equipment and facilities. How much valuable knowledge can be imparted by one man to three hundred restless students, crammed into a class room where an amplifier is needed for his Voice to be heard? What chance has he of giving attention to the problems of individuals? How much time is left for research after preparing and delivering a dozen lectures a week, marking a hundred essays or examples, attending to the minor administrative work of a big department? To keep in line with similar institutions overseas, VUC should increase its staff fourfold. It needs twice or three times as much room. Apparatus and books could be increased many times.
All this boils down to one thing—finance. University education in New Zealand has always been starved for funds. There is a tradition of stinginess which has cramped much-needed expansion. Mr. Justice Smith and Professor Gordon both blame the Senate for failing in its function of acquainting the community with the needs of the Colleges. But blame also goes to teachers and students, graduates and undergraduates, who have remained complacent.
Besides this rather familiar complaint, there are perhaps other factors worth considering. How far has the high percentage of part-time students, whose time does not allow of the fullest concentration on study, lowered the standard? Would more widespread granting of scholarships (at present totally inadequate) and courses designed specially for full-time students improve the position? There have been many critics of the Federal system, with its semi-independent constituent colleges. The present arrangement, with the NZU purely an examining body, is cumbersome, and will presumably disappear. Yet it could be much improved, within its present structure, if we are prepared to learn from similar institutions overseas. Thus, for example, in the federal University of Wales, the professors in each subject visit each constituent college in turn, to lecture on their own specialties.
The Chancellor has called for a "Five Year Plan." This must be backed by even student of Victoria. The affairs of the University of New Zealand have reached a crisis. Only organised action can save them, and ensure that high standard of learning and scholarship so necessary for a modern country in a troubled world.
The quality of this part of "Salient" depends upon the quality of the contributions sent in. If you write verse, short stories (very short), criticisms, or book reviews, leave them at the "Salient" room. In addition, any letters on the merits or demerits of the stuff we print will be welcomed.
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I seem to remember the reviewer of "Spike, 1944" regretting that its material was derivative and parochial. He found it emasculated and a little precious after the lively breadth of earlier "Spikes." This year's publication should make him happy. If "Spike 1944" was an elegant monotone, "Spike 1945" is variegated and diverse. The writing is not uniformly smooth, but it has vigour.
"Spike
It is difficult to criticise the prose en masse because of its diversity. The creative fiction is probably the weakest section. I think that Maybe the Army has the most conviction. The form is unobtrusive and the tautness of a mind in conflict is maintained. There are no Neutrals in Hell has its moments of true intensity but the deliberate marshalling of brusque phrases becomes almost maddening in its determination to be significant. Chez Griffier is efficiently written but gives the effect of an episode rendered static by an over-descriptive presentation. The critical prose is good. Sophistry III, The refugees and us, Physics and reality, the excellent article on documentary films, even the frivolous classification of screen monsters—all show a conviction that the University cannot be an "island of culture," but must take part in the physical and intellectual life of the community. Then there are the appreciations of professors whom Victoria is losing and of students whom it has lost, an article on the Stud. Ass. building and copious club notes. These add little to the literary value of "Spike
Prof. Gordon was pleased to have difficulty in finding a bad poem. Unofficial judges have been equally pleased with the absence of affected obscurity. The poems have form, and, I am happy to say, are not laboriously Stark. Pat Wilson's work is packed with swift oblique images. W.E.S. has pointed tonic clarity and W. H. Oliver uses a finely-shaped vocabulary, though his technique is a bit spasmodic.
So "Spike
Much of the verse contents are summed up by the lines—
in Opportunity School by Bernard Smith. There is a good deal of the naive leftism of the The Galley by W. Hart-Smith, the automatically introduced social content ruins an otherwise excellent poem. The war poetry is graphic but still devoted to "passive suffering." the ballad by J. F. Lewis is an unpalatable mixture of Lawson and Auden. The poem with the most form, and for that reason alone the best, is The Ninety and Nine, by the same author.
is the annual journal of the New Zealand University Students' Association. All students and graduates of not more than five years' standing are invited to contribute.
"Rostrum" wants essays (scientific, philosophical, etc.), general articles, short stories, verse (light and serious), points from theses, abstracts of theses and papers presented at meetings of university societies. Suitable art contributions—photographs, woodcuts. linocuts, sketches, paintings—will be reproduced. All contributions will be treated, with care and returned to any given address. The editor (R. I. F. Pattison, Auckland University College) and the secretary (Iris Park, 120 Shackleton Road, Mt. Eden, Auckland, S.2) wish to collect copy during the first term. The closing date is the beginning of June.
"Rostrum" depends on students who are prepared to aim at presenting a worthwhile annual journal from our University.
For the returning out-of-towner the movie horizon presents a rather barren prospect. Few of the old and trieds are exhibiting at the moment, and the major shows are featuring a number of what might be called post-war players.
Among these is Van Johnson who recently gave a routine hero preformance in "Thrill of a Romance"; he is notable for his effect on the Bobbysock imagination and a rather sub-standard appearance.
For stage one psychologists and those who are not over-reflective about the effects of concussion, this film
The obvious aim of a story of this kind is suspense with perhaps a little straight horror for the less sophisticated, but it fails in both. The straight horror is too quickly done, without yells or other acoustical results of strangulation, of which there are two and a half examples. The suspense fails because, by the end of reel one, even the most indifferent are aware that the hero is about to reproduce in real life the triple murder which he commits in his play. Having been deprived of the major interest, that is the promise of the unknown, one is
The film is supported by a particularly moronic Hollywood slapstick short, and I might serve a negative function in recommending this as a show to avoid.
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To quote G.M., it is a story of sin and schizophrenia in Italy. A story which may or may not make a social point depending on one's beliefs, but I would not feel justified in saying that this film is intended to be more than a particularly tense and unknowable drama of a case of dual personality. Phyllis Calvert is the victim of a sexual assault when a schoolgirl which materialises in adulthood as a double life: a process which is not defined in the development of the theme. It is a fault of psychological dramas that the relations between cause and effect are too often excluded from the substance of the action, or even worse, are inaccurate or pander to naive concepts. In all these methods there is an impression of artificiality and unconvincingness. And this is an effect that detracts from the power of the Madonna to enthral. Uniquely enough, some of the advertising blurb which accompanied the film is actually justified in the seeing. By this I mean that there are not a few ingeniously contrived situations where the atmosphere and play are intelligent and feasible enough to arouse even those who go along to impress their companions with a blasé apathy.
Unknowable was the adjective which I used to classify one of the two main elements of the action and for that reason I would refrain from giving an outline of its development; suffice it to say that the plot is highly intriguing and unlikely.
For those who like drastic characters and can stand almost unrelieved unhappiness, this is a film to see at once.
Without doubt the most successful in the history of the Tramping Club, the Wilkin Valley Alpine Expedition will ever be remembered by the nineteen present, not merely by their triumphant climbs—two virgin peaks, the attack on Pollux and the crossing into East Matukituki, but also for the imposing majesty of scenery, the wide unspoiled river valleys, beech forests and uneroded grass flats, and by the friends won in the Alpine Club—without their co-operation such an excursion would have been impossible. Friday. December 21, saw the University party and the Wellington section of the Alpine Club board the "Rangatira" for the daylight voyage to Lyttelton. Ahead was a 36-hour journey—boat, train, bus and launch; sleep would be hasty, intermittent. . . .
Behold the grandeur of the West otago Divide, a splendid ripple of peaks, lost to the Cook group one hundred miles north, merging into the milford beyond Aspiring to the south. Thin country was once a high plateau, but glacial dissection and other interminable forces have slowly eroded in ealleys—long hollow fingers radiating from the higher peaks, twisting, meeting and ultimately leading to the expansive rubble plains—the glacial mor-raines. Of these valleys the Wilkin is but one, twenty miles long, up to four in width, it is enclosed by two breath-taking walls—save where it is intersected by its subsidiary inlets, the South Branch, Wonderland. Newland and Siberia Valleys—every one a Shangri-la.
And into this solitude gaily charged 95 paranoiacs, armed to the teeth with ice axes, crampons and rope, primuses and dehydrated food. Pack horses, tents, supplies, all passed up the gaping corridor to Jumboland, where a small village was raised between breakfast and lunch. For fourteen full days, between sunrise at five and dark at nine, parties relentlessly and without apology hacked their rugged way up snow grass, rock and ice wall—sometimes resourceful, other times agile, occasionally fortitudinous, but always alert—pinnacle after pinnacle of the princely kingdom fell to man's omnipotence. Then, as a cinematograph in reverse, the vision retracted, the Wilkin was left to her emasculated sophistry.
Leader of the University party was Barney Butchers. With several seasons' climbing experience he combined activity with an adeptness for the intricate organisation the journey required.
Rising 6,000 feet behind Jumboland base camp was its peak Jumbo. Across the river, rearing its massive snow bulk into the sky, was Aeolus, a "cake-walk" that caused at least one aspirant to throw in the sponge on a misty day. But these were not for ex-volcanico Robin Oliver and his dauntless band. Mt. Alba, tucked safely away at the head of Newlands Valley, was the call. One glance at Alba and they decided to try their luck on the virgin Mt. Kuri. The first attempt was unsuccessful but the following day saw the indomitable three. Robin, Dick Jackson and Frank Evison, sidling along the razor-back rock ridge that led to the summit. Overjoyed, they returned to Jumboland. The rapine had begun.
Meanwhile in the North Branch two diligent climbers were prospecting a route up Pollux, the highest peak in the region, only twice before climbed. The entire party accordingly joined them.
From a glade by the river at the north forks Pollux comes first into the traveller's view—bluff surmounts ridge, ice-dome surmounts rock, all culminate in the highest at the corniced summit ridge. Behind his nearest brother's face scowls Castor, twin son of Leda. Over, 3,000 sheer feet of rock bluff he sheds his glacial cap—every few minutes the air is rent as the ice avalanche pours its streaming foam down to the valley floor below. From the valley. Castor is unclimbable—the only route to its summit leading from Pollux.
Three o'clock next morning and a small torch procession wends its way up the snowgrass slopes to the foot of the rock bluff. By six they reach the centre of the snow dome on the main spur; at eleven they rest at the foot of the summit cornice. Then Robin Oliver leads the first rope, cutting steps in the ice for every foot of the climb. One slip could spell disaster—no one slipped. Afterthree hours on the overhanging cornice the summit is attained—8,341 feet. To the north lies Cook; the south, Aspiring; the dense forests of the West Coast contrast with the barren wastes of Central Otago. Five minutes on the top, the view admired between handfuls of scroggin, and party descend Twenty hours out of camp, they return victorious.
The day after Barney Butchers led two ropes up the virgin Ragan. Several previous attempts had been frustrated due to choice of route and weather conditions. The cloudless sky endured, however, and in the early afternoon Don McLeod climbed what appeared to be the highest of the summit rocks.
One party did not return till after dark, the others choosing a "short cut" down.
Afterwards the Pollux party crossed from the South Wilkin to the East Matukituki. The expedition took four days, being only the second, ever made. They arrived at Wanaka raving about a storm on the Pearson saddle which let down the Alpine tent in the middle of the night, the unclimbable Mt. Picklehaube, and a batch of scones baked for them by a fair maid on Mt. Aspiring sheep station.
The bulk returned down the Wilkin, climbing Mt. Turner by way of interest. Several others left earlier for the Haast Pass trip to the West Coast. Back at Wanaka township the party split up, individuals leaving for Wellington, Queenstown and Dunedin—most, if not all, have reappeared since.
A notable innovation was the addition of two meteorologists to the party. Save on one occasion, when a disagreement almost led to bloodshed, it was generally agreed that they were worth their weight in millibars.
A pleasant sequel was an evening sponsored by the Alpine Club in Wellington showing films and slides taken during the trip. At this well-attended gathering veteran mountaineer Mr. A. P. Harper spoke laudably of the Varsity club's efforts.
And after, of course, came the reunion—but who reads the police files?
At Training College last week the members of the Language in Action Club decided to put language into action by running a wall newspaper. With characteristic TC enthusiasm they began immediately, and next morning an astounded College found that some 200 square feet of wall had been neatly wallpapered and some pseudo-artistic column headings had been dreamed up. The editor was elected at 12.15 p.m. and his first action was to announce that the prime object was to cover as much of the wallpaper as possible. Three days later girls at the lunch-hour dance found themselves short of partners—all the men had retired to the far corner to gaze at the wall.
As well as contributions by students the paper features selected reprints from other publications on topics of general interest. Comment from Time entitled "His Bomb Shelter a Bible." concerning the activities of one General Dob-dob, aroused considerable interest. We have also been introduced to "Doomie," a somewhat gremlin-like character who sticks his nose over brick walls and has an amazing talent for negative discoveries.
Varsity students are probably too blasé for such a radical venture—a stark notice board seems to fill the functions of a topical news sheet—but as an example of the vigour with which TC students adopt a new proposition, the wall newspaper should be an eye-opener to their fellows on this side of the hill.
Cappicade
Deadline for all copy, March 20.
Hand in copy to Exec room addressed to Business Manager, Nig. Taylor. Cappicade.
Names of those prepared to assist together with addresses and phone number likewise to Exec room or ring Business Manager, 41-377, c/o Stevenson and Anyon.
The
A down-town production is planned for June, and for this, as for any worthwhile programme, the club needs sup-port from the students of the College.
"Mr. Bolfrey" will be held on March 14, 15 and 16 in the gymnasium.
March 9. service at St. Peter's preceded by freshers' welcome tea. March 16, picnic at Wilton's Bush. March 30, talk on the poetry of Eileen Duggan, probably by Mr. Alan Mulgan.
Somewhat unenthusiastically I journeyed to the uncomfortable Polar region of Dunedin. It was summer time and what they say of it is true—it did rain both days.
I found it purely a student affair—not many of the superannuated variety. Mostly we were young and disgustingly active, squeezing into an overcrowded programme tennis, fives, baseball, table tennis and "rambles." There were the usual stunts and sketches (Extrav. choruses, especially the "Zombles," furnished useful material for us Victorians). Some of us with faint aspirations towards the life of the mind met for the first time the returning student generation seared by war. Some had fought, others had been imprisoned, most had acquired the wisdom conferred by suffering. As a result thought and feeling tended to be close to reality and free from superficiality in political, social, and economic fields, and from traditionalism in religious experience and theological study.
The study rudely disturbed many of my cherished preconceptions. What was more, its solid Biblical and historical basis provoked in me an aggressive desire to examine its truth by systematic Bible study. You have, I imagine, been excited, by the clash of idea with idea. I was, at any rate, as I sat listening to the open forums. There a pacifist flung down the challenge "that all Christians should be socialists," only to be taken up by a levelheaded opponent arguing that the present social order should be supported since, suitably modified, it provided stable social conditions necessary for religious growth. There, too, some argued against drinking while others believed that non-drinkers cut themselves off from their fellow students. In the discussion on war criminal trials I was pretty much of a mugwump. The majority, however, felt that the court was to be upheld as embodying the principles of international justice and outlawry of war despite its grave abuses inherent in the Allies' position of Judge, jury and Law in their own cause.
The prospect of listening to an address on "the Evangel" somewhat alarmed me. I was afraid of being deluged with the oversimplified 19th century individualistic attitude implicit in such pernicious phrases as "are you saved?" "accept Christ," and "make the decision." Far far different was the approach of H. A. Mitchell who had ministered to fellow prisoners in a German prison camp and whose thought had plainly been refined by "the irreducible and stubborn fact."
Finally, you may or may not hold with the validity of the spiritual life—what I label a quality of experience found in such things as deeply-based friendship and the un-selfconscious search for truth. I do. And I caught fresh glimpses of it at this Conference. Most of the services, I must admit, left me cold—not so the Jubilee Service in the wide arched unfinished Gothic cathedral. Filled with awe, feeling the universal church and the cloud of witnesses through the ages pressing about me, I knew that the word "movement" was no misnomer for the SCM so long as it retained its contact with the life giving power of the Spirit.
1946 will mean to so many a return to the normality of peace, but to the Society a return to the normality of aggressive, spirited debating. 1945 saw the re-enlistment of returned men in the club, and the inevitable and deserved lament "that things have changed since we were here." During the war the membership of all Varsity clubs was drastically depleted. But far more serious was the lack of enthusiasm, the apathy of students as a whole towards all Student Association activities. Yet 1945, in spite of the loudly-lamenting ex-servicemen, showed a most encouraging improvement on the previous war years. With two exceptions, meetings were very well attended, and the number of those participating in the debates showed a considerable increase.
This year should see a return to the pre-war activities and membership of the Society. The Victoria-Teachers' Training College annual debate was resumed last year with the honours going to Victoria. But it is proposed that other inter-club and inter-faculty debates, such as those with the Law Society, should take place this year.
It is also hoped that the new membership of the club will allow for a full-scale New Speakers debating competition. Before the club membership dropped, new speakers, besides taking part in the ordinary Friday debates, held meetings on Thursdays under the management of a subcommittee. A prize of a £1/1/- order for books is awarded to the new speaker who gains the most points in new speakers' and regular debates.
Two points of interest to the "old-timers." In your absence the society has become a member of the Wellington Union of Public Speaking Societies. In
The Union prize was won in convincing manner by Roy Jack, and the New Speakers' prize was awarded to Jackie Patrick.
The Plunket Medal Oratory Contest, held in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall, attracted a large audience, and was won by Klaus Neuberg.
Kevin O'Brien and Roy Jack represented VUG in the Joynt Scroll Contest held at Otago, but they did not succeed in regaining the trophy, which was won by Otago.
Three teams were entered in the Wellington Competitions Society Impromptu Debate Section, and we gained first and third places in this contest.
Debates with Training College, the Junior Chamber of Commerce, and the SCM were held during the year to large audiences.
The committee welcomes returned men and women to the club as well as freshers. Notices about annual general meeting will be posted on Monday, March 4, on notice boards and in the cafeteria.
A pictorial brochure which appeared on the notice board late in October describing the scenic glory of South Westland attracted considerable interest, but when the tour left Wellington on January 11, personally conducted by the Tramping Club's Chief Guide, Peter McGill, the number had dwindled to seven. The Company's organisation had arranged for a special car at Hoki-tika station to drive us to our hotel; later in the evening another special car was commandeered for the scenic drive to the hotel at Lake Mahinapoua. The following day we travelled by motor-coach to Paringa and retired at an early hour in preparation for several days' arduous tramping. Feeling very fit after weeks of daily training between the hours of 5 and 6 p.m., we found it comparatively easy to reach Haast in three days (most parties require fully two days to make this trip) and settled down to three days' recuperation. A day's fishing in the Haast River brought in a good catch—a dozen bottles of stout being landed without difficulty.
The ladies in the party in the meanwhile had discovered that the men who inhabit this outpost of Empire are extremely virile, and promptly engaged one of them and his packhorse to make the rest of the journey more easy and enjoyable. The only female inhabitant, however, was, although wealthy, rather unattractive, so the men marched off into the bush, discussing abstract modern philosophy as they went. From Haast onwards the route lies along the proposed motor road which will connect South Westland with Central Otago. From time to time one comes across ferro-concrete bridges and a hundred yards of super-highway; in between these lies miles of bush and numerous river flats. At the heads of the valleys are the magnificent peaks of the Landsborough Valley and the Haast Range and occasional glimpses of the peaks in the Wilkin and Hunter Valleys are seen. The Southern Alps are crossed at a relatively low point, the source of the Makarora River which leads ultimately to the head of Lake Wanaka. The next call is obviously the Wanaka Hotel, where, although the Scottish proprietor was most uncooperative, the kitchen staff welcomed us nobly, the pub-owners being the main losers as a result. The company's organisation came into operation again at this point, and we proceeded at a leisurely pace in a series of motor coaches through the Arrowtown Hotel, The White Star, Eichardt's, and the Mountaineer Hotels (Queenstown), the Hotel Cromwell, the Tarras Arms Hotel, the Omarama Settlers' Public House, Warner's in Christchurch and so back to the Carlton.
This year more will be heard of the new Students' Union Building and, it is to be hoped, more action will be taken towards its ultimate completion.
When the present gymnasium was built in
The selected site is between the tenuis courts and Salamanca Road, terrace fashion.
All this will need money, £50,000-£60,000. So far we have raised about £9,000. Each year £100 plus 4/- for each student is transferred to the building fund from the Students' Association fees.
There are the profits from the Extravaganza and from the Capping Book ("Cappicade"). This year we will need 500 students to sell "Cappicade" during the projected procession.
Design.—If you have any ideas that you would like embodied in the proposed building then write them down and forward them to the Exec.
Actual construction is governed not only by the available finance but also by building permits and, further, by the priority allotted to the building in the five-year plan prepared by the Ministry of Works.
(A fuller account of the building position is contained in the
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This time-honoured function, the first of the year, will be held in the gymnasium on Friday March 8 at 8 pm. Dave Cohen, Stud Ass President will welcome freshers—Men's Vice-president Dick Danniell will provide light entertainment and at 9 o'clock all will adjourn for dancing and general frivolity. With the aid of Freddie Gore and his orchestra this will extend to 2 am. Freshers are admitted free—others half-a-crown.
The social committee as a sub-committee of the Executive arranges all the dances during the year. Tea dances once every fortnight, informal affairs, from 5.30 to 8 with tea, are provided for the modest sum of 1/-. There will be dances at the beginning and end of the second term with odd intermediate ones. The social committee (about a dozen) are always grateful for assistance—taking at the door, washing up and arranging food.
The consistently good performances this season of VUC, who now lead in the Wellington senior cricket competition, would appear its greatest asset as possible winners of the championships. Should the team be successful, it would be its first championship since entering senior ranks in 1925-26 season.
In no completed innings this season has VUC failed to top 200 runs, and only one opposing side has exceeded 200—Wellington reaching 202 in the exciting sixth round match in which 'Varsity was beaten by one run. In its seven matches VUC has aggregated 1,947 runs for 74 wickets, an average of 26 runs per wicket. Opposing sides have aggregated 1,643 runs for 92 wickets at an average of 17.8 runs per wicket, giving 'Varsity a plus average of 8.2 runs per wicket.
This column heading in bold type in Tuesday's "Dominion" must send a twinge of remorse through those stalwarts whose sporting services to Varsity have been dominated by a policy of splendid isolation which has led them either to offer generously their services to non-Varsity clubs or to refrain assiduously from participating in sport.
Varsity's Senior XI commenced the season by defeating Kilbirnie, last year's champions. Then Wellington College Old Boys suffered the ignominy of a follow-on, for the first time for years. Wilde 57, Oakley 40, Beard 50, Woolley 59, enabled the score to reach 317.
An achievement lauded by rival teams and public alike was the slaughter of Hutt. To Varsity's 240 (Larkin 55, Wilson 46, Beard 47, Oakley 53 not out) Hutt replied with 102 and 193.
An "exciting" one-run reverse against Wellington has proved the one setback to date.
Peter Wilson with a beautiful 113 and Beard 59 (the latter puiverised the cable car with malicious glee, making it dangerous for passengers) together with the usual graceful Larkin knock helped the tally to 343 against Institute. Then superb bowling by Wilson, Beard and Mullins led to an outright win in ideal rugby conditions.
Beard represented Wellington in the Plunket Shield team and Larkin was likewise requested. Brian and Wilde also attended rep. practice, and Woolley, Beard and Oakley played for a Wellington team against the Nelson Hawke Cup team.
The second grade A and B teams have at times shaped well. The A team, after initial failure, developed into a formidable combination and last week tallied 355. The B team scores include a 398 and 347.
Inter-Varsity cricket was resurrected and Victoria's 318 (declared) was answered by 265 from Auckland. Victoria thus holds the coveted "Speights" Shield.
"University's championship prospects appear to be excellent and this is due to the virile Varsity team."
A few Instances of performances with bat and ball may be of interest:
Partnerships
98 v. Midland: Stringer 56, Larkin 59.97 v. W.C.O.B.: Wide 57, Oakley 40.95 v. S.P.C.O.B.: Stringer 63, Wilde 38.84 Institute: Wilson 113, Beard 59.83 v. W.C.O.B.: Woolley 59 not out, Beard 50.79 unbroken v. Wellington: Oakley 38 not out, Wilson 36 not out.
The administration of VUCCC is in the hands of Carrad (Club Capt.), Oakley (Dep. Club Capt.), Loveridge (Sec.), Wilde (Treasurer), Committee: Brian. Vance, Burrows, Moore, A. MacLeod, Stringer.
NZUSA has ruled that all returning servicemen and women may use eligibility for Tournaments and Blues, gained before going into the Forces, at the first Tournament after their return to Collage.
Since its rejuvenation two years ago the Athletic Club has been growing steadily and last year staged an all day inter-faculty sports at which there were eighty competitors and over two hundred spectators at Kelburn Park. The meeting was won easily by Science with Arts second and although some of the performances were of a low standard, the quality of the athletes was generally high and they produced a spectacle well worth watching.
In the Easter Tournament held last year in Wellington, athletics was the main event, and for that reason was probably the main cause of Victoria's defeat by the other three Colleges. We might say that we collected the wooden spoon in spite of the fact that we had six atheletes capable of representing Wellington in the National Championships.
This year, with Easter so late, we will have much more, time to prepare ourselves for Tournament and a bigger and better inter-Faculty Sports is planned for March 23, followed by a dance at which trophies will be presented. In addition to our own athletes, Training College and Massey athletes will be invited so students wishing to participate will be well advised to make the most of the next three weeks of term to prepare themselves. The Club's gear is available to all but the most irresponsible of students and It is stored in Weir House. Furthermore, Dr. Richardson, an ex 10-second man from Canada, who has been so kind as to coach us, will help all who go training on Monday and Wednesday evenings.
For Easter the Athletic Club Executive will be selecting a team of about twenty male students to represent Victoria in the Tournament at Christchurch. There will also be room for four women students in the team this year. The team will be chosen mainly on the performances at inter-faculty sports, but there will be ample time for others to ask for consideration after the team has first been drafted.
If you are interested in athletics, don't be slow to talk to Ewen Drummond or Trevor Benjamin about it and come along to club practices on Kelburn Park with your friends.
A critical observer might have noticed an improvement in the activities of VUC Sports Clubs during the past two years. The magnificent collection of wooden spoons reposing in the cupboard is no evidence but, what with returning servicemen and women, increasing numbers and the general revival of College activity there may be some hope of acquiring more silverware in the coming Easter and Winter Tournaments. We make no rash forecasts, but at least we can promise our opponents a run for their money. Tournaments are not the be-all and end-all of our sportsmen and there are good prospects of success in the local competitions.
The Cricket Club have started
An absolute necessity for a sports club is good attendance of active numbers. All sportsmen and women should rally round their clubs from the first practice onwards. If you are interested in a sport, join the club and take your part, both for your own sake and for the sake of others who will benefit by your co-operation.
The first consideration of any game is of course the team co-operation and the game itself. We are fortunate in having a tradition of excellent sportsmanship in all games but, at the same time, because of laxness of attendance at practices, have also gained an unfortunate reputation, prior to last Sanson, for failing to make the grade in competition. Keenness is a good thing, but, without a little science, tends to do more to demoralise the referee than the opponents.
"Salient" wishes all teams and players every success for
This lesion the Club has been very active, participating in Inter-Club competitions and the running of a men and women's singles ladder.
The Senior A team hat won one game so far, white the second grade team has won two. It is expected, however, that with the resumption of classes this year the strength of the two teams will be considerably increased as many of our top-ranking players have been out of Wellington during the recess. Returned Servicemen will also add greatly to the strength of the Club.
The members of the A team are Ben O'Connor, who has been playing top for the men, with Win Stutter, Jack Walls, Alister McLeod and Peter McKenzic constituting the remainder of the men's section; while Nancy and Rae Turner, together with Avis Reed and Joyce Strange have made up the women's section of the team. Joyce Strange has since gone to Auckland, and her place in the team has been filled by Jean Miller. At the New Zealand championships at Auckland. Ben O'Connor distinguished himself by winning the Men's Plate and by reaching the quarter finals of the men's doubles. Ben has retained his form throughout the season and continues to play excellent tennis. Win Smiler was unlucky at the beginning of the season when he had to give up playing owing to an illness. He has since fully recovered, and during the last few matches has begun to show snatches of his old form. Jack Walls is a steady player but needs more tournament play. Alister McLeod has Improved with practice and is now playing some fine tennis.
The women's combination is weak, and it is evident that more practice is needed in both mixed doubles and women's doubles. The girls could do with a little more devil in their play, and a lot of practice. Nancy Turner has been playing some good tennis at times, but has not hit last year's form so far. Joyce Strange was another member of the team who met with bad luck in the form of illness earlier in the season.
The second grade team suffered by not having the same team throughout the season. Due to this state of affairs, team practices were very few, and as a consequence of this successes were not spectacular. Taking the team by and large, it is in need of efficient coaching, although some of the players show great promise. First amongst these is Sue IIott, who is the bright spot on the horizon. Suzanne shows every promise of developing into a top ranking player. She is a very keen tennis player and one who has been coached well, enabling her to play her strokes with punch and accuracy. Gilbert Taylor, who plays top for the men, does not take the game seriously enough and should concentrate more on his service. Alister McLean, who plays second, could do with practice gained by playing on the University courts. He could also improve his game by concentrating more on the accurate placing of his shots. Bruce Weir is still inclined to use his forehand drive indiscriminately and should exercise more care. His service, although good at times, is still in need of practice, and concentration on this particular stroke would do a lot to Improve his game. Jean Miller, who was playing top for the women earlier in the season and who Is now playing in the A grade, plays a very steady game and is a very useful mixed doubles player. Loris Webley shows exceptional promise and should develop well with coaching. She has a very useful forehand and plays a good game at net. Yvonne Chapman could improve her game by paying more attention to it. Elizabeth Millward plays some quite good strokes at times but needs a lot of practice and experience in match play.
Two successful days have been spent during the season by members of the club when working bees have been held, and quite a considerable amount of useful work has been done.
A very hearty welcome is extended to all Freshers interested in tennis, and a Yankee Tournament will be held on Saturday, March 9.
The
Prospects for Tournament are no better than usual. However, Varsity swimmers continue to make a brave exhibition in local swimming.
Of the men. Doug West is probably the sprint swimmer with Doug Kerr offering good competition. Jack Bennett is the chief long distance freestyle swimmer; he came third in the I-mile freestyle last Tournament, and has been training assiduously. Toby Easterbrook-Smith is the best so far discovered at backstroke. Versatile Charlie Withers (of social committee fame) shows form in backstroke.
There have already been several close fights between Janet Caselberg, Elizabeth Daniell and Margaret McKenzie. Recently Misses Caselberg, Gardner and McKenzie astounded the natives at Thorndon by filling the first three places in a 662/3 freestyle handicap. The girls modestly claim (naturally) that there were only three entrants.
Bernfe Knowles is the most promising breaststroke swimmer amongst the men, and Catherine Eichelbaum amongst the women.
The polo team generally includes seven of the following: Bennett. Bogle, Easterbrook-Smith, Kiddle. Kerr Munrien, Murphy, Osten, Shannon.
Club nights are held on Wednesday at Thorndon, 8 p.m. The Club Captain is B. B. Hands, recently resigned. The Secretary, G. S. Bogie, is to be found at 45-012 or 46-546 (Physics Department).