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"Weneed three new halls of residence to house about 900 students—and fast."
This is the plea of exec, member Bruce Middleton.
A Member of the accommodation committee, Middleton attacked the inadequacy of the council's recent decision to ask the grants committee to ask the Government to build a new hall of residence for about 300 students.
"One hall will be quite insufficient," he told Salient.
"For 26 years we have only had four hostels with places for 190.
"In eight years we can expect approximately 2800 students will be wanting accommodation in Wellington.
"This is 1200 more than the present number now living here away from home.
"Already the supply of private board and flats has reached saturation point," Middleton said.
"Of all New Zealand varsities, Vic has the fewest number of students in hostels—13 per cent of those living away from home.
"Knox College in Dunedin is having trouble filling its new wing.
"Costs of living for students can be expected to increase rapidly in the next few years." Middleton warned.
"This issue is clearly a greater threat to the students' rights to a free higher education than the rise in varsity fees.
Middleton said that overseas students were particularly susceptible to accommodation problems.
"If the Government awards these people scholarships, it should give them better treatment," he said.
Middleton was instrumental in getting executive to recently pass a motion pressing for a programme to publicise the great need for the building of halls of residence for Vic.
At the NZUSA halls of residence conference last August the urgency of this problem was stressed.
It was recommended that NZUSA "use every means at its disposal to publicise the present accommodation needs of Vic with special reference to halls of residence."
"So far practically nothing has been done, Middleton complained.
Extravaganza grog money has been tightened up. A recent executive meeting also decided the location of Graduation and Capping Balls.
Student money is not to be spent on grog without Executive permission. This motion, moved by Dave Preston, Publications Officer, was moved to prevent student money from being spent on such things as Extravaganza grog. The motion was passed to give Executive more control over liquor expenditure and to reassure students that their money was not being swilled away needlessly.
This year a Grads. Ball is to be held in the Students Union Building on Friday night of Capping. A Capping Ball is to be held on Saturday night in the Stud Ass building instead of the Town Hall.
A complaint was received from I. H. Boyd, Managing Sec., about the state of the common room floor. Special reference was made to John Irons's use of the floor as an ashtray. Subsequently Perham. Vice Pres., banned card playing there for a week. Later he seemed very upset that students were now playing "Crush Adolph" instead.
Concern was expressed at the waste of printing excess copies of Cappicade advertisements. Future cyclostyling will have to be done more economically.
Peter Blizard recommended that visiting artists be invited to give lunch-hour concerts to the students. Such a person could have been Marcel Marceau, but the terms of his contract with J. C. Williamson prevented it.
Bruce Middleton, social controller, moved that the Stud Ass, use every available opportunity to impress on New Zealand, and Wellington in particular, the need for emergency measures in the provision of halls of residence.
The popular Victoria sport of hostel-raiding has died an early death this year.
After several unofficial raids on women's hostels in the first few weeks, the students involved were warned off by the police, and the Professorial Board threatened summary action on any further offenders.
As one resident in a women's hostel put it: "After the second or third raid it doesn't seem quite as funny."
Raids reach their peak over capping week, when, due to the wariness of the Police, they are planned with stopwatch timing, adequate "getaway vehicles, and short-wave radios.
One raid in
The raid was in retaliation for an earlier venture when soap powder, sugar and flour were used with abandon.
The Police said that they were concerned about the possibility of getting a student raid mixed up with genuine prowlers, who are a constant worry to women's hostels.
One hostel committee is planning an organised water fight in broad daylight as a substitute. Details about who is being challenged and the time and venue are not yet available.
Jill Shand, leading figure in a university sex controversy, was loudly barracked when she rose to speak at the recent meeting of the debating society.
Miss Shand, one of several speakers from the floor, spoke on some implications of the Ten Commandments and retired hastily under heavy vocal fire. A leading barracker in the earlier part of the debate, Jill could not match the audacity of one interjector who called on a speaker to "pull up his pants and get out."
The debate that Christianity has failed was successfully affirmed by Messrs Dwyer and Hall.
Victoria needs an international policy, says the Victoria delegation's report from last Winter Council.
The report suggests a representative to be "clued up on the general situation," and suggests possible policies which can be forwarded to NZUSA Resident-Executive.
The report also suggests that all activities of a social nature for overseas students should be handled by the International Club.
Salient regrets that owing to pressure on space some regular features have to be held over till next issue. The editors hope the next issue will contain all regular columns.
Readers sending us letters for publication should keep them short. The longer they are, the less chance of publication.
University student campers at Little Congress were dragged from their parties by a group of local lads from Otaki. They claimed that a student had drawn a knife when they had tried to stop him lying on the railway line.
After following the student knifeman up to the camp, the locals were confronted by students who thought they were trying to invade the camp. The locals retreated.
They returned with reinforcements, and ringleaders demanded a fight. Isolated battles broke out, while the majority on each side stood and watched. After one student had taken a vicious beating from several opponents and had been carried off, even the ringleaders stopped fighting. This student was taken to hospital on Sunday morning to have an eye injury treated.
A threat to call the police sent the locals back down to the river bank after a finale of abuse. There were three students hurt, while none of the locals appeared to suffer.
Some of the students recognised that the locals had been blamed for student misdemeaners of the past. The locals claimed also that they had no choice in forcing the student to get off the rails. But it appeared their ringleaders were just spoiling for a fight.
A Recent Saturday saw the rugby season clank into gear for fifty semi-fit players led by new senior coach Mick Bremner.
Fitter than most was Alan Osbourne, fresh from the Senior Athletic Championships at Dunedin, where he was placed second in the 440 yards Alan, a Nelson rep., shaped well in the trial. Another asset to the University club is winger Ken Eglington from Otago and the Otago rep, team. Thick set, Ken showed a nice turn of speed and a good side step.
As usual, the trials were mainly an attempt by players to catch the selectors' eyes, so little constructive play was evident. Two who did stand out were Derek Benton and half-back John Tustin. John will face tough opposition this year from Noel Sadgrove and newcomer Paul Jones from Hastings. Paul impressed with his nifty passing and his ability to run with the ball.
The senior forward pack should remain much as last year: it is the backs who will probably be changed round quite a bit. Tustin and Donoven remain, but last year's captain and second fiveeighth, John Miller, is now back at Palmerston. Anchor man to solidify the line between Donoven and Utley will have to be found. John Taylor from Canterbury could fill the gap, for he is built much in the Miller mould. Left wine Ken Comber will have competition from Alan Osbourne, Ken Eglington and Sam Rolleston for the outside positions. Mick Williment will, of course, be at fullback. Mick Bremner, who takes over from Bill Clark and L. Savage as coach, should produce another match winning combination this year.
A Move is to be made at the next Executive meeting to censure Salient.
Peter Blizard is wild. He considers Salient has been overstepping the mark with its editorials.
He intends to press the Executive to (a) pressure an apology from ex-editor Palmer, (b) censure Salient.
He considers the story of the Cappicade "muck-raking." We say: it was the truth and our duty to tell students of any incompetence in student affairs.
"The danger which threatens human nature is not excess, but the deficiency, of personal impulses and preferences"
When the ideas of students conflict with the policy of the University authorities, always the inevitable murmurings about red tape and thick-headed administrators come out.
The student knows there is a Vice-Chancellor (a peculiarly inapposite appellation for a man who is responsible for discipline, among other things), a Registrar, and a Professorial Board.
If he is very well informed he may have heard of that lofty and all-powerful body, The Council of the Victoria University of Wellington. But for the most part the student understands only the workings of his own Students' Association. The perplexities of University Administration generally mystify and annoy him. They are matters beyond his comprehension and his interest.
The administrative staff at Victoria numbers 54. This means there is one administrator to every 75 students. The category "administrative staff" includes everyone from the Vice-Chancellor to the typists.
As bureaucratic structures go, this does not seem excessive. The sphere of administration is wide—including staff, students, adult education, hostels, buildings, grounds and examinations.
Although it may be possible to analyse at Victoria the workings of Parkinson's law—the more staff you have the more you need—on the whole the University's private bureaucracy is no better and no worse than other bureaucracies.
But the story is not finished when the administration has been acquitted from blame. A distinction must be drawn between the bodies which carry out the decisions and those bodies which make the decisions. The real weakness of University government lies in the decision-making bodies.
Who makes the decisions that matter at Victoria? Is it the Professorial Board, the Council or the University Grants Committee?
It seems to us the governing organs of the University are top heavy, confused, and perhaps redundant.
The structure of University government in New Zealand is based closely on traditional British lines. And it is submitted that this structure is now outdated and needs a thorough overhaul. This will not be easy. The government of the University is entrenched by Act of Parliament.
The supreme internal body is the Council. It shall have, quoting from the act, "entire management of and superintendence over the affairs, concerns, and property of the University."
Membership of the Council looks as though it is designed to promote an equitable accommodation of interests. The Governor-General appoints four members. Six are elected by the Court of Convocation, which means graduates. The Students' Association appoints one, the Professorial Board three, and the University staff one, the district secondary schools one—even the Wellington City Council appoints a member.
Omnipotent as the Council is at Victoria, it is not a law unto itself. The University Grants Committee has the power of the purse. The Committee's jurisdiction extends to all New Zealand Universities.
What the exact relationship between the Committee and the Council is remains uncertain, but the control of the committee does not end with finance.
Yet another body enters this triangular hierarchy of control—the Professorial Board.
Its functions are defined as having "a duty of furthering and co-ordinating the work of faculties and departments and of encouraging scholarship and research." In addition the Board deals with the library, discipline among students, and courses of study.
As if this triumvirate of control is not enough, both the Council and the Board are mothers to a host of committees set up for various purposes. The Council has 10 and the Professorial Board no less than 16. One of them has a title informative as "Committee on Basic Problems."
Somewhere in the middle of this morass the functions of policy making and administration merge. But the result is to make decision making in the University a long drawn out process, where the lines of authority are imperfectly determined.
If the Council and the Board were merged and pruned some improvement might occur. And it might mean that the academics were released from some of their extra curricular activities. They would then have more time to spend on their own Departments and on teaching.
After all, University teaching is what these people are trained to do. By all means allow some of them to make policy, but only some.
The administration should be left to the professional administrators. They would do a much better Job if they were not responsible to a multiplicity of authorities.
Sir,—While Miss Susan Cook may be quite Justified in trying to take Jill Shand down from her I'm worldly wise and proud of it peg, perhaps she used the wrong approach.
In the heat of the moment, when you feel strongly on some subject, it is easy to let what could be a logically sound and effective assault on an opponent's position degenerate into an unbridled personal attack.
For, despite Miss Cook's assurance "I am not abusing Miss Shand" one notices a pronounced note of the abusive in her letter.
Sir,—Before resigning his position as editor of Salient, G. W. R. Palmer has abused that position, entrusted to him by the Association, to slander the character of two students.
He has raked up the past of one to bolster his disgraceful leading article. While all fair-minded persons will deplore such tactics I have no doubt but that this student will answer for himself.
Mr. Palmer has largely replied on innuendo and distortion of fact to substantiate his attack. Referring to the part that I played in the Pees issue last year, he says: "The methods he used then were thought by some to be unsavoury." What methods? Who thought they were unsavoury?
The methods I used were to assist in the requisition of a Special General Meeting of the Association in accordance with its constitution and at that meeting to move a vote of no confidence in the Executive which was carried by a substantial majority.
Using the two facts that I once worked on the Waterfront and that I am now studying at the University, he issues this distortion: "Since Bill Dwyer retired to University from his Union activities on the waterfront, he has become something of an agitator." I need hardly point out that the word "retired" is an invention of Mr. Palmers imagination, that the word "agitator" results from his prejudice and inability to acknowledge that the views of another may be honestly held and are, to that extent at least, valid.
For Mr. Palmer's information I might add that I was instrumental in calling far more special general meetings on the Waterfront than' I have been involved in here at the University. Some people may fear and dislike such meetings. For my part they appear to be healthy organs of a democratic society.
Mr. Palmer implies that as my name appeared either moving or seconding a number of resolutions at the Special General Meeting. I must have been responsible for the "forgeries" in respect of resolutions which were erased from the agenda.
The Constitution of the Association provides that fifty members may requisition a Special General Meeting and must stipulate the business to be transacted. Hence forgery could only occur in the list of signatures. It is common knowledge that requisitions in the past have been signed by such personages as "K. J. Holyoake," "A. T. Mitchell . . . subject to his consent" etc. Of course, strictly speaking, it might be said that the perpetrators of these signatures were guilty of forgery. The persons circulating a requisition must expect flippancy and even abuse of this type.
As for the names linked to the resolutions, there is no requirement or provision in the Constitution for them. However, as a matter of convenience in the past, it is now normal practice for the sponsors of a requisition to tender a list of movers and seconders to the Secretary. While I was not a sponsor of the last requisition I may speak in respect of those I sponsored last year and say that when the secretary asked me for such names—there being none on the actual order paper—I supplied such to the best of my ability relying on my own judgment, largely, in the absence of specific commitments.
Thus where I was unable to contact a person, who had signed the requisition in the first place, and who, I thought, was interested in moving or seconding a specific item on the agenda, I placed this persons name with the secretary.
At the Special General Meeting, I laid responsibility for the "Cappicade shambles" (Salient terminology) on the shoulders of the Executive.
I did so because the Constitution gives the Executive unrestricted power over the affairs of the Association. Such power surely implies corresponding responsibility. Whether Mr. Palmer agrees or not, this is certainly a valid point which may be honestly held and advanced.
But this position for Mr. Palmer is sufficient justification of the accusation of "contemptibly low political principles applied without discrimination."
Mr. Palmer has done the student body and Salient' a gross disservice. An apology might help to undo the damage done. Adequate space for reply is the least that justice requires.
Sir,—
My humble reply to the author of "An Old Salt."
Salt is a medium—a material medium—through which we, or I at least, overcome sourness. Can you blame me for using it when the plums are sour? I don't care why you:
Is sprinkling salt on plums so different from sprinkling sugar on them? If so, where does the distinction lie? In the fact that the latter is customary?
If that is your answer I think you desperately need to be overhauled. Don't you know, or haven't you realised, that different people have different tastes? If I happen to like plums with salt, it's just too bad if you have to say "ugh!" with every bite. "Ugh!" back to you!
Incidentally, I take salt with apples, too.
Yours, etc.,
Salient offers Its apologies to Mr. Teck, a Colombo Plan student, for its apparent Intolerance of his customs.
Sir,—
Could your correspondent Pl please elucidate the following points in the article on Extrav.
I am, sir, a past student, who has been asked again to produce this year's Extravaganza. I would
be most happy if the student body offered some person capable of taking the job. It may not be generally known but the Extravaganza costs the Students' Association approximately £2500 each year.
For this expenditure a profit of up to £1800 has been made within the last five years, and indeed this amount, with the Government subsidy, finally made the Student Union Building a reality.
I ask your correspondent, sir. Why has she not come forward with a script with the "subtle, flippant, and risque dialogue and sharp witty satire denoted by the word satire"?
How would she distinguish between "Jokes badly lewd and full of obscene suggestion" from those which are "risque."
I have had, sir, the privilege to be intermittently associated with Extrav since
Trim starlet Margot Sutherland, last year's heroine, was no student. Salient appreciates Reader Browne's opinion but stands by its correspondent.
Sir,—Rather than let some poor cobber of mine abuse Gwrp I will bolster my persecution complex with this lot.
The implied charge of forgery in Gwrp's editorial was answered at the Sgm after a similar wild charge. To abide by the Constitution members must deem signatures to be valid until any invalidity is proved. I have never forged signatures, so I can't see why this rot got into an editorial.
The style of the editorial was such a fine example of righteous and etihical Journalism that its motives are obvious. Someone is very angry and perhaps even hates Bill Dwyer and myself. Hate usually grows from Jealousy or fear.
Little Letters
Readers—Please keep letters short, concise.
It must have been something big to cause a charge of "political smear tactics." If this charge was directed at Dwyer and myself, then likewise to you mate. Journalistic smear tactics are usually answered in the courts. Such rubbish shouldn't appear in Salient, published with Stud. Ass funds and opening up the Association for costly lawsuits. Salient is not medium for lies and malevolent innuendo.
It's easy to rake muck, but it usually shows a lack of morals as well as ethics. If other peoples' money is used and risked it also shows remarkable irresponsibility.
I hope that Salient will never again reach its all-time low and that it will regain its name for fair and responsible Journalism. I am, etc.,
"Cynics are only happy in making the world as barren for others as they have made it for themselves"—George Meredith.
Students failed History I because their work was not of University standard, said History Professor Wood recently.
History I is not a school subject. Many students are unable to picture the medieval way of life. There are comparatively few books written on the period, and a great demand for any that are available.
An option in modern history was offered this year. However, despite the obscurity surrounding the period, the course on the Middle Ages has proved much more popular, he said.
The History Department does not aim to produce students with an exact knowledge of every important date. History is not an exact science. Wood and his staff hope to provide the student with the equipment to form his own judgment on past events.
A successful history student must have both the material and the interest to put up a convincing argument in support of his own views.
At the same time he must be honest, Wood said. Too many students ignore important facts because they do not fit into their interpretation of some historical event. It is a great temptation to force facts into a pattern which is over-simplified.
The traditional controversy of historians is whether history is an art or a science. Wood stresses that it must be a combination of both. Students should relate historical facts in scientific manner. At the same time they should study art and literature in an endeavour to see how men really thought in history.
He said the History Department hoped to give a well-balanced view of history and a sense of intellectual honesty.
The ultimatum of the Minister of Labour to the Southland Freezing Workers was a sham.
The strike brought about by the alleged blacklisting of a union official was actually settled by the Fol president who allowed the Minister of Labour to settle the dispute because Mr. Shand's decision coincided with his own. What lay behind this superficially surprising situation?
The "blacklisting" of an official is of the highest concern to the trade union movement. A union cannot function effectively without representatives in the stores or shops where its members work. It must remain in close contact with its members if it is to represent them at all adequately.
Thus the practice of "blacklisting," if successful, can lead to the disintegration of a union. We would expect the Fol to adopt an uncompromising attitude towards it.
But the Fol did not do so. Shortly before Shand sent his "ultimatum" to the Southland unions, he met Mr. Walsh and it is therefore likely that the latter had prior knowledge of the telegram. The absence of any protest at any time by Walsh or any member of the Fol executive further indicates that its contents were substantially agreed with.
Several possible explanations can be advanced. Walsh was attempting to knock Otago Trades' Council president, W. B. Richards, out of the running for Fol office; the Fol "killed" a strike not organised officially through its channels; Mr. Walsh and his executive disapproved of the motivation of the strike.
Richards could certainly be a considerable nuisance to Walsh. Whether or not he is a Communist is irrelevant to this issue but his writings in the Nz Monthly Review show him to be what we might call an "activist" had this word not acquired sinister overtones. He believes that direct action by workers is the best way of protecting their interests and would accept strikes as a "normal" weapon, rather than keeping it in reserve as the Fol seems to favour. But Walsh would appreciate the seriousness of a "blacklisting" issue and only Nz Truth would be over-ready to accept personal interest as the reason for his decision.
Similarly although the Fol does not readily accept strikes organised without its approval, it would do so in a case such as this.
We are led then to the conclusion that Walsh and his executive did not regard the cause of the strike as significant. This implies that they did not accept the cause to be the "blacklisting" of an official worth the support of the Fol.
Either the refusal to employ Wesney was not regarded as the result of union activities or it was suspected that the strike was "rigged." We suspect that both factors affected Walsh's decision. And Richards announcement of both his and Wesney's candidacy for office in the union supports the view leading to this decision.
The strike achieved nothing but damage to the union concerned and to unions in a wider range.
The prestige of Mr. Shand rose in many quarters and the freezing companies can look with satisfaction on their victory—particularly if they overlook the part of Walsh and the Fol.
It is again demonstrated that strikes should not be initiated without a solid base of support within the union, within other unions and with a grievance such that there is a chance of victory.
Strikes are a useful and even critical weapon of last resort but in any other circumstances damage only the trade union movement.
Sir,—Re the exhibition of Wellington Art currently showing, it may be difficult to be both adequate and original when opening an exhibition, but Professor Page, in adhering to that modish cliche, "destruction of the mass." succeeds only in destroying its primary function.
More destructive still was his implication designed to flatter into acceptance of this, his judgment, by inclusion into a group of chosen few, doubtless gratefully endowed with those distinguishing qualities—that extra something.
Sir,—I was delighted to see you bracketing—a little misleadingly—Greek H.A.L. with the latest foreign films at the Paramount as a must for the pseuds. Any rush of beards and black stockings to this class will be taken as a sign of Salient's influence.
Their "outrageous opinions" will be welcomed, though not necessarily adopted, at Art tutorials, where the chief problem is to get students to sound off at all. A student who has begun to think about aesthetic values can be quite a help to those—perhaps the majority—who have not yet done so and don't know how to begin.
With thanks for a compliment perhaps unintended and certainly undeserved.
P.S.—Last year's Salient editor passed Greek H.A.L. Classics Department, Vuw.
"New Zealand should realise that it is in the South Pacific not the North Atlantic," said Mr. Conrad Bollinger, editor of the Public Service Journal, speaking at an anarchist-sponsored talk entitled "New Zealand In The Sixties."
"Government is concerned with the New Zealander as a family man, an employed man, his possibility of being Jimmy Fletcher; it is concerned with all these things, but not with the New Zealander as an individual," he said.
"Republican ideas were originally tied in closely with the idea of a property-owning democracy.
"In the 90s, with the development of the frozen meat trade, a patriotic sentimentality towards the 'mother country' developed." Bollinger said.
"But 'big brother' failed during the course of the Second World War and New Zealand was forced to look elsewhere for protection against the 'yellow peril.'
"The 'yellow peril' has now become a more sophisticated fear of Communism," Bollinger said.
"We must realise that these people have a right to the same standard of living as we enjoy," he concluded.
Denis Rose said he had studied the Party manifestoes in vain for some mention of who should own the means of production and control.
An economist in the Reserve Bank, he said both political parties only nibbled at this issue.
"The National Party still talks about handing the Nac back to private enterprise and the Labour Party has schemes for making the Post Office a cheque-issuing organisation, but both parties are too wary to tackle the root of the problem," Rose said.
"Since the depression, economists have seen the necessity of Government intervention in economic matters to ensure that there is some mitigation of the boom-bust cycle, the natural upshot of orthodox capitalism," Rose said.
"There should be some attempt to establish co-operative control of industries and, except for a minimal amount of central planning, the workers should control enterprises in certain areas."
Rose concluded his talk with: "New Zealand has the right and obligation to experiment in such matters."
Jim Turner, a student, the last of the three speakers, emphasised the great social problems which would confront New Zealand in the near future.
"The prefab, schoolroom is likely to still remain, at least until it falls down," he said.
Some plans for high-density housing were essential as it was becoming obvious that the old scheme of the quarter acre per house just could not survive.
More reliance would be placed on charitable organisations like the Rsa to provide social relief in the community because the identical nature of the parties made comprehensive schemes unlikely.
He could see little likelihood of either party formulating a policy on the liquor question and such parties as Social Credit and the newly-formed Liberal Party would still only gain votes of protest.
This one slipped out in all innocence when a senior lecturer was addressing an Accounting III class recently.
". . . this item is put on the left-hand side of the account—that's called the debit side."
Seems one staff member is a hit parade fan.
Recently a student, ten minutes late for an Economic lecture, was greeted with:
"Walk right in, sit right down, Daddy let your mind roll on."
NZUSA Resident Executive is labouring under very great difficulties said Student's Association President, Michael Moriarty, recently.
"Much of the work is purely clerical and is very time-consuming, but I don't think it justifies a full-time administrative secretary."
"A Good shorthand-typist who could do all the routine work and perhaps draft letters would be excellent," he added.
Resident Executive is not unwieldy. It depends on the type of people you have on it said Mori-arty. "A number of delegates to Res Exec from other centres have not always been able to attend meetings which has been the cause of some delay in information going back to those centres. Many members do an enormous amount of work."
When asked about NZUSA Press Council Moriarty said that it could do a very good job especially for public relations, but it needed support. Press Council will stand or fall on their report at Easter Council.
Arrangements for Tournament this year were "going fine" said Moriarty. "But we still need more billets if it is to be a real success."
When asked if he had any comment to make on the suggestion that New Zealand delegates to international student conferences were "amateurs playing with professionals". Moriarty said he was proud of the fact that New Zealand delegates were amateurs.
"I'm proud that we don't hang round the universities until we're forty and then become student leaders," he said.
"It is important that we maintain our links with students throughout the world," he continued, "we see how the newly developing countries In Asia and Africa are faring."
"We hear the gossip and see where the needs are. At the moment NZUSA is supporting an African student studying extra-murally at London and these conferences help us to see where our money can best be spent."
"NZUSA is concentrating on educational problems at Easter Council," said Moriarty. "We'll be discussing the halls of residence problem to see if we can get something done as soon as possible." he concluded.
Victoria's yachties are confident of success in unpredictable Wellington Harbour this Easter.
The local crew sails well in heavy weather. David Cook, third in the
Strongest opposition might come from Massey. They are sending last year's winning skipper, John Parker to fight the Wellington breezes.
The loss of Peter Hatch to Auckland was a severe blow to Victoria's title hopes in men's swimming at Easter. Hatch, Nz record-holder for the 110 yards' freestyle, took the 110 yards' butterfly title last Easter and holds N.Z.U. records for both the freestyle and butterfly distances. Hatch is also titleholder and record-holder for the 220 yards medley. He will be swimming for Auckland at Easter.
Well-known Wellington surfer B. Crowder, who swam away with the first-ever Kapiti marathon in February, is a doubtful starter for the Victoria team. Crowder has commitments to his regular club.
Hatch should get stiff opposition in the short races from Victoria's C. R. Thompson, who holds both 110 and 220 freestyle titles.
Otago will be without triple champion Alison Bell in the women's team, but sprintman D. Gerrard should be a useful addition.
Every year this University becomes more and more overburdened with petty bureaucrats who attempt to justify their over-paid positions by indulging in officiousness and red tape.
In the administration of the grounds, the Student Union Building and of the University itself, petty officials, idle for much of the "working" day, use their position of authority in a manner which can at best be described as officiously bureaucratic.
Particularly bad in this respect are the administrative staffs of the grounds and the S.U.B. The position of the managing secretary of the S.U.B. is one that has caused some speculation.
"What does he do around the place?" is one of the most frequently asked questions around the Cafeteria and Common Rooms. The answer is not obvious.
Apparently one of his tasks is to hinder and obstruct students in the use of their own building. Recently a Drama Club producer requested the use of the Little Theatre for a practice. Although this was not a dress rehearsal and would have occasioned no inconvenience to the cleaning staff, and although no one else was using it at any time within twenty-four hours, permission was not granted by the Managing; Secretary.
The reason? The theatre must be booked in advance. A period of six weeks was mentioned at one stage.
What other duties has the Managing Secretary? As far as can be made out, he handles theatre bookings, and is in charge of the administration of the S.U.B. These tasks could be performed adequately by the caretaker. The highly paid position of the Managing Secretary is an unnecessary one.
Grounds and building staff, too are idle and officious. Vast numbers of little men in grey coats are to be found pottering about the University, emptying ashtrays and issuing parking tickets. In previous years their duties, of which cleaning is probably the only Justifiable one, were performed by a staff of perhaps half the size.
Nor are the administrative and office staff of the University itself free from taint. Recently a student, working during the day, attempted to enrol, somewhat tardily, for an extra subject. She was compelled to return to the office three days in succession in order to complete enrolment. On the second occasion, having filled in all the requisite forms, she was ready to pay her fee at thirteen minutes to five. She had to return for this purpose next day, however. "The cash desk closes at quarter to," she was told. The office was full of apparently idle staff at the time.
Other examples of administrative officiousness abound. The uninitiated might imagine that in an institution primarily concerned with higher learning, red tape and bureaucratic methods would be almost absent. If Victoria is a fair example, he would be sadly mistakenJohn Murphy
Schoenberg Rehearsal: "Pierrot Lunaire"—Arnol Schoenberg Played by the James Robertson Ensemble
Listeners who criticise music of the twentieth century frequently have much reason to reject performances of such musical works as being senseless and confusing. Not because the music itself Is bad, but rather that the performance it is given may be dull, incoherent and under-rehearsed And whilst one may play Mozart, or Handel, or (possibly) Beethoven in a muddled fashion and still make some sense of the music, such incompetence is quickly revealed in an inadequate performance of new music.
These remarks were prompted by my listening to a recent rehearsal of Schoenberg's "Pierrot Lunaire" by the James Robertson Ensemble in the University Music Room. Here was a complex, not particularly modern work, being closely studied by a small group of musicians. A valuable experience, one which should be repeated to more widespread audiences as the future may permit.
The instrumentalists were finer as a group than as individual soloists. At the rehearsal, the cello cadenzas did not appear to be as precise as they ought to have been.
But the ensemble playing in No 13, "Beheading," conveyed exceptional strength and vigour, collapsing with unearthly lassitude as the voice ceased.
The faintly irresponsible fifth poem, "Chopin Waltz," provided a bizarre and purposefully shopworn interlude in a small group of gentle, lyrical movements. These included a very beautifully played poem entitled "Night" (a passacaglia built on a tiny three-note motif).
But the endings to many of the more fiery movements could have been more aggressive. A piercing piccolo scream at the end or "Gallows Song" has its counterpart in other poems, but this element in the work tended to be neglected.
The performers presented a forceful "Pierrot," catching all the morbidity of the music; sometimes letting a more bucolic element arise. The admirable rhythmic impulse (despite the odd disparity) with which James Robertson conducted cave immense vigour to the playing.
Here, particularly. Margaret Nielsen handled the awkward piano music with knowledgeable enthusiasm. Rosemary Rogatsy singing directly to us (and not through a sound system as at the Chamber Music Concert) gave a moving portrait of the music—and; it was good to be following her without the inevitable distractions, of the formal concert hall.
"Pierrot Lunaire," written in
Instead, he attempts to approximate the rise and fall of the natural speaking voice, a proceeding that is of questionable success
Although she rendered a fiendishly difficult vocal part with authority, Rosemary Rogatsy was consistently well below the approximate pitch that Schoenberg demands. But the concluding portion of the poem "Sick Moon" (flute and voice duet) was a superb example of the pathos of the singing.
The poem "Homesickness" was also memorable for its introspective vocal part, surrounded by strange scraps of melody slipping from one instrument to another.
Footnote: Schoenberg's "Pierrot Lunaire" received what is thought to be the New Zealand premiere at a Wellington Chamber Music Concert the following night, Tuesday, March 12, over 50 years after it first appeared.
Tournament, and particularly Easter Tournament, is the period when all the national student bodies meet and legislate.
The three major organisations—New Zealand University Students' Association, New Zealand University Sports Union, New Zealand University Student Press Council—will convene over the Easter break to discuss next year's events and make recommendations for the
Last year's NZUSA Council discussed accounts and budgets, reviewed negotiations with the Government on the Fees and Bursaries question, heard many of reports made policy on relations with overseas student organisations.
Relations with Resident Executive came into question. The council "noted with concern" the lack of preliminary reports on budgets, accounts and overseas travel. Otago felt that too great a burden of work was placed on Res Exec, cited delays in the publication of
Two important sub-committees were set up. A Finance sub-committee under Treasurer Cherry Pointon was directed to look into budget and accounts and report back to council. An NZUSA balance sheet and statement of account was adopted on the report of this sub-committee, but this does not appear in the council's minutes.
Victoria will field its strongest men's tennis team ever at the Easter Tournament this year.
With three Davis Cup players, the men's team appears an unbeatable combination for major honours, Hawkes and Souter, New Zealand Davis Cup reps in Sk, leading Malayan player.
Tan who took a set off Souter in the finals of the team selection matches, was picked as Malaya's number one Davis Cup player in
The women's team: Sandra Parsons, Alison Park, Linette Almond and Beverley Watts has not the potential of the men but should beat Canterbury at least.
The matches are to be played at Khandallah Tennis Club in Delhi Crescent.Sports Correspondent
After two years of construction work a new university restaurant was opened at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frank-furt-on-Main on February 18. The two-storey building contains two dining halls with a seating capacity of about 900 altogether, a restaurant and a snack room to seat 100 each. The kitchen has modern equipment and can prepare 4000 meals in two and a half hours. The students also have two large self service buffets and an automatic buffet at their disposal. The cost of the new building amounted to 6.1 million marks (over 500,000 pounds sterling). Half of this was met by the Federation and a quarter each by the Federal State of Hessen and the city of Frankfurt. Both of the old university restaurants in Frankfurt, which together had a seating capacity of a mere 450, were closed down. (Dsw-Informationen, Bonn).
This year students have a means of saving money on admission to concerts. The Students Association office is providing a simple method for concessions to both National Orchestra and Chamber Music Society concerts.
For admission to the former, students are given a signed chit, presentable to the Dic Booking Office or Town Hall box office.
Auckland Association President John Rankin's comment on Resident Executive of NZUSA is the "summary of a very difficult situation", said Women's Vice President Keren Clark last week. (Salient 3).
Easter Council of NZUSA will be asking if Resident Executive is just too unwieldy or whether the whole concept of resident executive needs to be rethought, Miss Clark said. "As it is now, Res Exec is composed of people who just happen to be in Wellington and are willing to take on the Job. A few of them are very good."
Miss Clark pointed out that a tremendous amount of the executive's work was "Just straight administration. A wealth of material from overseas has to be read through and assimilated by somebody. Then there's the routine stuff of running tournaments."
Asked whether Resident Executive's work could be handled by a salaried administrative secretary, Miss Clark said that those who put forward this idea did not conceive of the secretary as having any executive powers. "There has to be somebody to authorise various decisions on international policy, and therefore there must be something like Res Exec," she said.
"The problem is to decide how big it should be."
Miss Clark added that Executive was also responsible for all finance decisions on Tournament, which had to be channelled through some central authority. She mentioned the "terrific job" done by NZUSA Vice President Florence Jones and former Victoria President Armour Mitchell on the fees and bursaries issue. "It was not Miss Jones' fault that the organisation fell down," Miss Clark said.
"Like any voluntary organisation its success depends upon the willingness of the people involved to work," Miss Clark concluded.
"Marcel Marceau is a genius," said a French lecturer. There was nothing much to go on in that statement, so I went to see for myself. Although a newcomer to mime, I was not disappointed.
Marceau produced an astonishing display of mute acting, astonishing not only in its technical skill but in the range and depth of its emotional expression. Advertised as a comedy entertainer, he was never just that. Many of his sketches were satirical, bitter, and even a little horrifying.
All of them, like the tightrope walker he created, teetered between comedy and pathos. The element of pathos was always near, even in the most slapstick routines. It seemed personified in Bip, a Chaplin-like character who was always up against the world.
As an obviously accomplished street violinist, we saw Bip drowned out by a raucous brass band and pushed off his spot by a mandolin player, eventually departing resignedly clashing cymbals in the same brass band.
This illustrates the miniature but incisive quality of Marceau's work. Other sketches lampooned the mannerisms and foibles of high society, modern pseudo-artists (in the form of a sculptor), and a law court.
How did this one man in a simple white costume, alone on a stage without properties, manage to create this kaleidoscopic world of scenes and characters? I'm still wondering. His face (painted white) was a rubbery one capable' of almost any expression.
His arms, hands and fingers could form a character with a single distinctive gesture.
His ability to suggest the existence of another person or object was phenomenal. Like a mass hypnotist he had the audience gasping as he swayed across the stage on an imaginary tightrope, or mystified as he climbed a nonexistent staircase without taking his feet off the floor.
It seemed his genius was not so much in creating a staircase in mid-air, but in somehow keeping himself anchored to the floor when his every action said he should be ten feet or more above the stage.
The highlight of the evening was his final act "The Masks Maker." With swift changes in his plasticine face, he put on one mask after another. One of them, a cheerfully grinning mask, became immovably stuck on the maker's face.
His despairing struggles to remove it contrasted grotesquely with the grinning mask. At last, with only feeble strength he drew off the mask and exposed underneath a face of utter exhaustion.
An impressive piece, which fittingly concluded the show of an artist worth seeing.
A Political Science Society has been formed at Vic and its aims are to promote the academic study of politics, to hear and discuss lectures and papers of interest to political scientists and to hold social functions.
At the first meeting President J. Spanjaard was elected with a committee of seven.
The society proposes holding six meetings throughout the year. It was hoped that such people as Professor Brookes, Sir Guy Powles. Foss Shanahan and an Asian ambassador would speak.
With the support of the Political Science Department and the patronage of Professor Brookes the club expects to fill in an important gap in the University.
World Affairs Council spent a considerable length of time at their recent Agm redefining the aims of the club.
The club reaffirmed its support of complete disarmaments, opposition to any form of racial intolerance, and support for world unity. Two members registered their opposition to the club's continuing liaison with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, but the rest of the club supported it.
The president's report bemoaned the fact that during the latter part of last year the club had declined from being an effective outlet for radical thought in the university to a virtually defunct organisation.
"There must be some fresh activity initiated and a detailed plan for the year worked out," Acting President John Murphy concluded.
Officers elected: I. Hart, president; John Murphy, vice-president; R. Stuart, secretary; W. Dwyer, treasurer.
The new collection of waitresses at the cafe certainly believe in putting their boss's anti-litter campaign into practice.
A friend of ours left his sandwiches for a moment to buy a cup of coffee and returned to find an impersonal female hand imperiously sweeping his lunch from the table—presumably to the nearest rubbish bin.
Due to disorganisation and dishonesty. Orientation Ball showed a deficit, said John Harris. Association Treasurer, at Finance subcommittee meeting recently.
Students had borrowed Freshers' badges and gained admission for 5/- instead of 10/-.
Doorkeepers left the door unattended, enabling students to get in without paying.
As a result of this, a motion was passed stating that a written set of rules be formulated for the running of future Orientation weeks.
The administration of Extrav must be ready to start production at the beginning of the Varsity year.
A high quality script should be finalised by the previous December. Production should be of a high standard, such a condition necessitates the assistance of relevant cultural groups within the Student Organisation.
These were some of Roger Pitchforth's ideas about the revitalising of Extrav. He felt that it needed to be run by-students to a greater degree. With the support of the Music Society and Drama Club, the tenor of Extrav could be raised.
The time had come when Extrav needed a rethink. Students should change their naive approach that Wellington liked seeing a shambles, in the light of the facts that most of the audience was attending due to their loyalty to the University.
In spite of the massive advertising by Extrav committees, intending participants often found themselves up against an Extrav clique at casting meetings, which naturally dampened the spirits of those not so thick skinned.
"Students with skill use it-there must be some talent in 4000 University Students!"
Peter Blizard, Public Relations Officer for Vuwsa, believes that Students should be able to buy their text books at the University. For this, he proposes the formation of a University Book Shop.
The main advantage would be financial, as a large profit margin would not be necessary.
He envisages the bookshop, which would be in the Sub, run by an experienced person.
Because of their short terms of office, the Executive would have nothing to do with daily administration.
Capital may need to be run on a credit system. As publishers grant 3 months grace on payment this should be feasible.
He was interested in hearing of other students opinions on the matter.
Peter Connor. Lib student, was dissatisfied with the insufficient numbers of textbooks stocked by Whitcombe and Tombs. He would like to see a University Bookshop able to cater for all student needs.
Although he did not know quite how this shop would be run, he felt that a full time bookseller should be employed.
If a hard core of publishers could be found to supply books the shop could be started in a room in the Sub.
If a University textbook shop could be a practical concern, John Jensen. MSc Maths Student, would be in favour of the venture. He did point out that paying a full time man on a limited turnover, covering administration costs and paying part time sellers could put costs up to present levels.
"Marriage is popular because it combines the maximum of temptation with the maximum of opportunity"
Fears of increased radiation due to bomb tests may be exaggerated. Compared to the natural radiation all around us, the temporary increase in radiation caused by testing is negligible.
This was the conclusion reached by Sir Ernest Marsden, the distinguished N.Z. physicist, in a talk delivered to the Maths and Physics Society of V.U.W. recently.
Sir Ernest has spent several years studying the effects of fallout and measuring radiation in soils and food. He said that the rays from strontium 90 and other fall-out products do not have such lasting and dangerous effects as those which occur naturally all over the Earth's surface as certain elements decay.
He has recently been studying the effects of radiation on the people of Niue Island, where the background radioactivity is about 180 times that found in New Zealand. He found ample evidence of genetic abnormalities and sterility, due largely to natural radiation.
Government sponsored research into the subject was desirable, but in such a controversial subject as this it could not be completely impartial. No matter how honest the individual workers were in their conclusions, if these were contrary to government policy they could be concealed from the public.
It was a vital function of a university, said the onetime Victoria professor of Physics, to be a centre for truly independent research.
Sir Ernest answered several questions from the floor at the end of his talk. Replying to a question by a student about nuclear war he said that as a physicist he did not think that the threat of radioactive contamination could legitimately be used to prevent bomb testing. People should not get too emotional about the matter.
Maths Professor Campbell wondered how people could refrain from being emotional when their lives were at stake.
"There is a tremendous need for the ordinary people of the world to act—but not In fear, self-righteousness, or panic," said Rev. Lance Robinson, addressing a lunchtime gathering of students.
The topic of the address was the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Seato.
Speaking "as a Christian man," Robinson outlined the policy and objectives of the Nzcnd.
He quoted Dr. Linus Pauling: "The present world stockpile of nuclear weapons means an average of 500 tons of high explosive for each person living on earth." Therefore the conclusion of the Nzcnd was the necessity for New Zealand's withdrawal from military pacts such as Seato and Anzus, which could make it a party to nuclear warfare. While it belonged to these, it could not speak in Uno as an individual country.
Robinson mentioned the growing support for the Cnd in Australia and New Zealand. The forthcoming Easter March from Paraparaumu to Wellington was an instance of this. He stressed Australian recognition of the need for declaring the Southern Hemisphere a nuclear-free zone. This he considered a "first step" in world disarmament.
Sir Herbert Read is an eminent poet, critic and art historian. An expert in his subject, he is especially interested in abstract and modern art, its evolution and its meaning.
When he arrives at this university he will deliver 4 lectures entitled "Education Through Art," "Nature of Abstracts," "Limit of Painting," "Beauty and Ugliness" and one poetry reading between April 22 and May 1.
Sir Herbert has a most distinguished record. The son of a Yorkshire farmer, he studied at Leeds University until the outbreak of World War One, when he served as an Infantry Officer on the Continent. After the war he specialised in stained glass and ceramics and in
He has also written numerous studies on poetry and art as well as several books of poetry.
A record loss of £154/7/5 was incurred by the Ski Club last year in spite of an active membership of 120.
This was disclosed at the annual general meeting held recently.
The retiring treasurer, Tony Hassed, pointed out this loss may partly be attributable to the unfavourable weather last year, but said that the biggest loss was in the transport accounts.
He suggested that in future the financial policy of the club "be tightened up severely."
Following the election of officers and the screening of two films on ski-ing, Hassed gave a brief sketch of the history of the club and its association with the Auckland University Ski Club.
The two clubs have combined to construct a ski lodge on Mount Ruapehu worth about £2500. Hassed said he thought this to be the only successful Joint venture of this type within the university.
Dry ski-ing classes were recommended to all those intending to go on a trip who had not been up to the mountain before.
With a view to promoting more dances, Tony Bush was elected to the new position of Social Controller.
Others elected were: President, Tony Hassed; treasurer, Alec Mumford; secretary. Alison Brown: gear controller, Peter Pohl; committee, John Patterson, Rod Moody. Helen Hess, Dave Andrews, Carol Dwyer, Caroline Scott.
"A moderately honest man with a moderately faithful wife, moderate drinkers both, in a moderately healthy house; that is the true middle class unit"—Shaw.
At the Music Society's Agm Jenny McLeod was re-elected President. Stravinsky was reelected Patron. Mr. Macomie suggested that as the Society had had trouble gaining a grant from Executive, Exec. Grants sub-Committee meetings should be made public.
The President remarked that the Society had had to turn down an invitation to perform in the
A concert was held after the Agm featuring music by David Farquhar and Douglas Lilburn played by Margaret Nielson. A trio, consisting of Murray Gronvalle (violin), Susan Smith ('cello) and Jenny McLeod (piano) played Haydn's Trio in E Flat.
Old hand Arts full-timer Mike Coleman got a big splash out of his 21st birthday the other day.
Slumbering in his bunk before breakfast, he was set upon by a group of his fellow Fielden Taylor hostellers.
Dragged from bed, the protesting Coleman was manhandled to the bathroom and tossed, pyjamas and all, into a tub of cold water.
It happened during a psychology lecture. Now as you are probably aware, anything can happen during a psych, lecture; I mean, it's just that sort of subject. I stopped contemplating the psychomatic state of the lecturer and brought my mighty mind to focus on something of great importance to me, namely, myself.
Two years ago, in the halcyon days of my youth, I dreamt of great things; I had great plans, great ambitions. Perhaps one day I would be a professor, an ivory-towered sage, calmly explaining the intricacies of projective geometry to eager freshers, or presenting my views with a scintillating incisiveness to a respectful professorial board.
But somewhere along the line something went wrong with this Grand Design, something which not even I understand.
However, I am becoming too morbid, but I thought I'd let you know that I'm not really as decrepit as I usually try to make out.
As usual the party on Saturday night was unenjoyable. Someone gave a wonderful demonstration of fire fighting. He simply unleashed an extinguisher into a crowded room. Still, beer plus carbon tetrachloride makes a change.
When I started writing my column it was intended that I remain anonymous, but slowly over the weeks my pinnacle of safety has eroded. Within an hour of the first issue someone commented that they enjoyed my column and was I going to carry on with it? I said that I was but that I was also going to write a column entitled "Son of El Crud." which was to be printed in glorious Total scope, the only holdup being that Salient have only got black and white typewriters.
Another said he recognised the style after reading only two lines, which is very nice for the ego but is a trifle unsettling all the same. The final blow came at a party the other week; I was feeding this female my usual decrepit third year line when she remarked that I sounded just like that clot who wrote for Salient. "Madam!" I cried ecstatically, beating a Rarotongan tattoo on my breast. "I am He!"
If there is one thing that gets under my skin it's that group of people who use the lift for only four or five flights. I think there is an urgent need for a special express lift for maths students only. This would enable us to segregate ourselves from those of lesser breed, as we climb to the rarifled air of the maths department.
The problem of finding billets for 700 competitors confronts Janet Minton, Easter Tournament Billet-ting Controller.
"With 4000 students here at Victoria we should be able to find 700 volunteers for the job," Minton pleaded.
Free entertainment and sports passes are available for billetors. Minton stated. Meals will be provided in the cafe, also, if billetors find it impossible to provide them.
Billet forms are available at the Executive office.
"Success of this tournament depends on accommodation," Minton stressed.
"TheUniversities are full of miserable little conformists who are there for negative reasons. They are pushed out of the schools, and they go to University because they don't know where else to go."
These are the views of a young Londoner who was at the University of Reading last year doing a post-graduate course. He is a very original person, bubbling with ideas, but to the average English student he was an outcast. Not because he is rude or unlikeable, but because he holds very radical views about the nature of British society.
Yet I am convinced that there was a great deal of truth in what he said. It showed itself in the atmosphere there, a kind of intellectual stuffiness. Many of the indigenous students never noticed it, though it came close to choking me at times.
But the outsiders noticed it. I noticed it, and so did quite a number of other students from the Commonwealth. A Ghanaian friend mentioned it to me a number of times.
Part of it is due to the character of the students which is eminently middle class and respectable. After all, what can be built on respectability except more respectability?
However, much of the blame must be laid on the University itself, and its failure to arouse, to stimulate, to challenge. The virtues of Reading University are mostly negative ones. Granted, it is more soundly constructed than Oxford, and there is a more civilised male/female ratio, but there is not much else you can say for it. Part of its failure to provide a broad education can be attributed to the "degree factory" effect. There are very few second chances given to students who fail exams. As a result many students devote their entire intellectual energy to their subjects, and take up only those extra-curricular activities which need little thought.
The lack of second chances is due largely to the competitive nature of the Universities: Reading receives 12 applications every year for every available place, so newcomers are given more consideration than failures. The result is a small turnover of students, because those who get in usually stay in.
Due to an acute shortage of money, the English Universities are totally unable to do anything about this, though it is doubtful if they want to. The present system very effectively preserves the educational elite so prized by "The Establishment."
There are also elites within elites. The academic government at Reading is a fine example. Not only is it dominated by the professors, as you would expect, it also chooses its own successors. It has no student representation at all, and is not likely to have in the future. The students are just not interested.
This is not to suggest that there is not enough contact between the staff and students at "the top". Quite the contrary. There was too much contact that most people knew little about. There is not the same sort of contact between ordinary students and lecturers.
An example of this arose in two successive years in the Education Department. On both occasions students were dissatisfied with the course, and on both occasions the Prof, would not listen to their objections. On both occasions the students failed their exams.
One of the student leaders last year told me that the trouble was that the course tried to cover both Education theory and practice in too short a time, and consequently did neither adequately. I don't know who was right, but I do know that the Prof, more or less retreated into his shell when challenged, and that some of the lecturers "turned nasty."
Obviously some Profs, are worse than others in this respect, but there is a common tendency among English middle-class people to use social distance as a weapon against people with unusual ideas. Not surprisingly, most people are unwilling to face it, and so accept traditional values without much opposition. The English would never say that they use social distance, they would say that they are "very reserved." and tell you that it was a virtue on such a crowded island.
There is another factor which I have only mentioned in passing. It is the persistence with which this University models itself on Oxford. Unfortunately, the reason why Oxford does something is often lost in the process. If they could forget about Oxford, they might be able to develop a distinctive character of their own.
Gerald G. Mckay: Not suitable for publication. We are not that desperate—Editors.
The new £850,000, 10-storey Library and Arts building will be ready for students by the end of next year.
This was the confident prediction of Mr. Millar the Chief Librarian, when interviewed about the new building.
It is intended that the library will ultimately take up all the space in the building but temporarily a substantial part of it will be used for other purposes—mainly staff studies.
Besides the library, the block will provide storage for 500,000 books, 140 studies for members of the academic staff, and classrooms for 1000 students.
A novel feature of the library will be the dispersal of the stack-room areas. Normally, reading rooms and stack rooms are kept separate, but the new library will be quite different.
The stacks of books will occupy a central position on each floor, with tables for reading around the perimeter of the rooms. This will be in line with the general aim of the reader and the books as close together as possible.
The library will take up the first five floors. The two major reading rooms are on the lowest level shown in the photos. One will be a reference reading room with seating for 100 and perhaps easy chairs on which students may relax. At the other end there will be an undergraduate study hall with multiple copies of much-needed books.
Between these two reading halls will be a large catalogue hall which will probably include exhibitions and displays.
On the roof terrace level will be a big periodicals room with space for 30,000 bound books.
The third floor will be devoted to one large room for the exclusive use of advanced students. It will be limited to third year students and over. Other students will not have access to this room but may arrange to borrow books from it. There will be room for 60.000 volumes on this floor and seating for 320.
Above this are floors for staff studies and the Mathematics Department who will be sharing their quarters with the Applied Mathematics Dept. of D.S.I.R.
The first floor beneath ground level will contain the Law Library room. This library will operate completely independent to the main library with its own librarian, catalogue and entrance. Law students will have their own reading room with space for 18,000 volumes.
At the very bottom of the building will be a big stack room which will provide storage for 112,000 volumes. There will also be a number of small carrells for individuals engaged in research of an advanced nature.
On the seaward side will be a documentary reproduction room for micro-filming and photo-stats. An innovation will be a bindery for periodicals and for repairs to books. In the past this work has been sent out and has sometimes caused inconvenience and delay. A staff of three will be employed. Both Otago and Auckland Universities have their own binderys.
The Film Society hopes to hold weekly screenings alternating between lunch-time and evening sessions this year.
The intention is to show comedies and light features at lunch-times and to have full-length feature films in the evenings.
Lunchtime screenings is an attempt to provide some form of daytime entertainment for students.
The films shown already: "Kind Hearts and Coronets," a Charlie Chaplin series.
"Students had shown an encouraging response," said Andrew Cornwall, club secretary, "especially as they were the first screenings this year.
"We hope to attract more interest as the idea of lunchtime screenings catches on," he said.
"Our greatest need is for qualified projectionists," said Cornwall. "It would only involve perhaps one hour a fortnight and I would urge any such people to see myself or some other member of the committee."
Following the success last year of "Joan of Arc" and "Aparjito," the society intends to show further sequences in the "Apu Trilogy" and some of Norman McLaren's experimental films which have proved very popular.
In
For Nzusa's budget was about £1428, contributed on a 4:4:4:4:1:1 basis by the six universities of Wellington, Auckland, Canterbury, Otago, Massey and Lincoln. Out of this 26 per cent went to administrative costs, 22 per cent on rent, 16 per cent to subsidise overseas travel, 8 per cent for travel of officers in New Zealand and 7½ per cent to international organisations Cosec and Isc. The budget was raised £272 over the previous year.
Let's hope this Easter Victoria will lose the athletic wooden spoon it won last year at Auckland. With a number of promising freshers and, of course, the inevitable "veteran" competitors, Victoria should be a stronger team than in past years.
The Nelson athlete and Wellington representative, Alan Osborne, was second in the 440 yards National Championship this year and should have little difficulty in winning that title at Easter.
He will also be the mainstay of both the 110 and 440 relays.
Graham Hall-Watson, also from Nelson, could gain a place in the 100 yards sprint and the pole vault. A promising middle distance runner is Heinz Oettli who, although in his first senior year, has run some fast half-miles. He has represented Waikato.
Mark Harris and Andy Larkin will be a strong pair in perhaps the toughest race of any athletic meeting, the 440 yards hurdles. The former represented Wellington in this event in the National Championships. Doug Cosh will be a great asset in the javelin as he is a former New Zealand University representative.
Two of the women competitors who should gain places are Gillian Davies and Ginny Ward, both good all-rounders. Going by last year's tournament standard those two will be fighting each other for first place in the long jump, both are up to the 17 feet mark.
The team has a number of Wellington representatives amongst its numbers: Alan Osborne, Graham Hall-Watson, Mark Harris.
Doug Cosh and Paul von Dadelszen.
The team is:
Men: 100 yards—G. Hall-Watson, B. R. Smythe; 220 yards—G. Hall-Watson, J. Pearce: 440 yards—A. Osborne, A. Larkin: 880 yards—H. Oettli, C. Murray; 1 Mile—H. Oettli, J. O'Connell; 3 Miles—R. Clark, D. Eddy: 120 yards Hurdles—B. Collins, P. von Dadelszen; 220 yards Hurdles—A. M. Harris. P. von Dadelszen; 440 yards Hurdles—A. M. Harris, A. Larkin: High Jump—J. Ridge, P. von Dadelszen; Long Jump—C. Corry, B. Collins; Pole Vault—G. Hall-Watson, J. Whitcombe; Hop. Step & Jump—C. Corry, J- Adams; Shot Put—J. K. Fuimaono, W. J. Gould; Discus—W. J. Gould. J. Ridge; Javelin—D. J. Cosh; Hammer—P. Jacobsen, W.J.Gould; 110 x Relay—G. Hall-Watson, A. Osborne, J. Pearce, A. M. Harris. B. R. Smythe; 440 x Relay—A. Osborne, A. Larkin. G. Hall-Watson, J. Pearce.
Women: 100 yards—V. M. Ward. G. Davies; 220 yards—V. M. Ward, J. Corry; 440 yards—A. McHugh; High Jump—A. McHugh. G. Davies; Long Jump—V. M. Ward. G. Davies; Shot Put—G. Davies J. Corry: Discus—J. Corry; 80m Hurdles—G. Davies. J. Corry; 110 yards Relay—V. M. Ward. G. Davies. J. Corry. C. Kerr.
Among those representing other universities are hurdler Roger Johnson, sprinter Don McKenzie and highjumper Bill Spiers.
The meeting will be held at the Basin Reserve on Saturday and Monday. April 13 and 15, both sessions starting at 2pm.
Printed by Truth (N.Z.) Limited. 23-27 Garrett Street. Wellington, for the Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association.