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Salient: An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 12, No. 1, February 23rd, 1949.
[Introduction]
Students creeping like snails unwillingly to 'Varsity may find consolation in the knowledge that after what one of them described as a "glorious" tour of Australia and New Zealand, the Panamanian Powerhouse, Lloyd La Beach, holder of the world record for 100 metres on a grass track, and his equally famous companion, Herbert McKenley, holder of the world ¼-mile and 400 metres titles, have also returned to the lecture-room and the text-book.
They were in high spirits when I interviewed them in their hotel room the day before they left New Zealand. To the accompaniment of much splashing and singing from McKenley in their private bathroom, I listened while La Beach sat up in bed and talked about American universities and the colour question.
As might be expected, American universities, too, are overcrowded, and admission at present is largely on a competitive basis. And when you hear of a student "working his way through college" by washing dishes, it's an even chance that he's a star footballer, that his dishwashing consists of about five hours a week, and that his pay is some 95 per cent. "subsidy" from the wealthy alumni (old boys, to you) of the college. Academically, of course, he must still satisfy the university authorities.