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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 27, No. 12. 1964.

Murray Brennan, Otago University Ex-President:

Murray Brennan, Otago University Ex-President:

There is often much criticism from within and without that students form a society within a society. This is in effect, both true and false at Otago University.

Naturally, like any other section of the community who have in common age, type of work, intelligence and place of work, the students at the University of Otago do form a definite entity, and it is this entity that is presented to the public or society as a whole.

Generally, society accepts students as a group characterised solely by group activities such as capping, procession, capping concert tournament and sporting teams. It would seem unfortunate that even in a city the size of Dunedin, where "Town and Gown" rapport is so developed, the individual actions and activities of students within society should be so little appreciated. Yet most individuals in a city so orientated to a university would find it difficult to pinpoint some field of activity that does not in some way bring them into contact with the university, or is not influenced by university personnel.

That is to say unbeknown to many, students participate widely in society, retaining at the same time their group affiliations (often being identified by this affiliation) and yet still retain their own inherent individuality. These associations or, more correctly, these assimilations, can be seen in each and every field from vacation labour to choral societies. However by virtue of their academic interests, they can be seen particularly in cultural societies, and briefly (in terms of time) on the sporting fields.

As illustrative proof that this is so and is of benefit to society, we need only consider the large number of university trained personnel (no longer students) who have come to take their place in non-university communities as teachers, administrators and participators.

But not all is active participation. There are numerous other situations that students could and should be interested in—political, moral, religious, economic, cultural, physical—the field is unending. These are all fields to which the student can contribute.

A great deal has been written about student apathy, and no doubt a strong case can be made for greater and more active participation by students in extracurricular activities. But before recommending any specific activity, a sound appraisal should be made of what the student can be expected to give and, secondly, what he can expect to receive from participation. The latter is probably best answered in terms of contribution to student education, as opposed to the narrow specialisation of his academic course.

What the student can offer is a great deal—physically, his time, culturally, his academic appreciation, mentally, his intelligence.

The student in society is often such that society knows him not away from group student activity. By this I mean that the present student, who is often ready to assert his own ideas of dogmatic conformism within his University peer group, is unwilling or unable to assert and support these ideas as an individual in contact with general society. In this respect, I expect sociologists would say he is no different from any other member of any other closed group. That this may or may not be, is not my concern. Rather is it my concern that, despite a university education, he or she is unwilling to try. By all claims of the student himself he can readily implant his ideas on any other group. I assume that, as students who believe this is possible, we are notoriously unwilling to put ourselves to the test.

Perhaps the old familiar cry of "There is no time" is here apparent. I dismiss this, superciliously for some, by using the axiom that where there is interest time can be found. To anticipate the next reply, I must say that there must be interest, for I feel that only by using these extra-curricular testing grounds can we aid ourselves to ensure an education rather than a technical training. (This may be more apparent if I say that the writer is a member of one of the specialist schools of the University of Otago.)

In finally extending this argument or can I call it a plea, can we look for this participation, this assertion, even at inter-faculty level.

Can we say, therefore, in summary, that the student can obtain a great deal more by offering himself more fully to society. The domain of influence of the student is surely great, but, oh, how constricted the student makes this domain.