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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 24, No. 14. 1961.

"Social Life"

"Social Life"

Just a few more comments on Social Life, Tournament.

The Drench was the dance of the week. Railway Hall, where it was held, is no bigger than a basketball court inside. But the numbers ran into the thousands . . . How to get in to the milling throng without a ticket. (Few Victorians had such essentials). Some unnamed soldiers from our ranks entered through the window. Others used a little . . . "influence?" Once in, man, the scene was wild! Someone said later she woke up after dancing for one and a half hours to find a host of yelling males . . . indeed? Many were the wild scenes of creative dancing. Funny how many quiet girls there were from Vic—few sober. Karly was a fan for Victoria's women's drinking team (Merry Widow, of course).

Meanwhile, there was a basement taken over by "beatniks?" —art students. Hands bleeding, blood smeared over the keyboard, mad piano playing aroused the listeners to a kind of ecstacy. That's Varsity life for you.

There were three other official dances. On Saturday night the first was held in the Kiwi Gym. My main impression of that was of dozens of ten-foot scarves weaving in and out. Two dances were held during the week in the concert chamber. Both were rather quiet affairs apart from the odd "balcony dropping" Isn't it funny how everyone pairs off . . .

Thursday night was the big night—Tournament Ball. I have only hazy recollections of that . . . sparkling burgundy, etc., etc. . . . Mr. Kerr's spectacular entrance via a motor-scooter . . . Mr. Parkyn's spectacular exit via three assistants . . . and, of course, the Miss Universities contest, but the less said about that the better the band was good (I think).

Anyway, it was all great fun. I'll never miss another . . . Tournament.

—J.A.L.