Chaplain in defence

Sir—As I said in my sermon, one of the important functions of the University is to be a community where ideas can be freely questioned. I was therefore delighted that Janice Eames took issue with me in this week's Salient.

Janice thinks it is obvious that man can't be cut up into parts—body, mind and spirit, but she had already used an analogy (minister of religion is to spirit as dentist is to teeth) which showed that she had missed the point. She is thinking of spirit as a differentiated "part" of man, similar to his teeth. But not only are they entirely different concepts, it is also far more obvious that man possesses teeth than that he possesses a "spirit". True, a man may have among his needs and interests those which are loosely called "religious" or "spiritual" (both words being notoriously difficult to define adequately), but these are the needs and interests of the whole man. To minister to these needs in isolation is futile and can be dangerous.

My conclusion from this was not that the Church is therefore indispensable (I agree wtih Janice that this would be an "absurb implication") but that the only worthwhile participation by the Church in the university total participation.

I agree with Janice when she says we need to do more than get a degree or participate in extra-curricular activities — I hoped I had made that plain; but I can't agree that wisdom is never "acquired by anyone lacking a sound and joyous Christian faith". Must we delete from the ranks of the wise such people as Socrates or the Buddha—or even Job himself, on whose idea of wisdom I based my sermon and who was not particularly joyous and was certainly pre-Christian?

Yours faithfully,

Peter Jennings.

Opera club

Sir—The university has two well-established cultural clubs: Music and Drama. But these cater for a well-defined minority.

I believe it would be possible to bridge the gap between them by having an Operatic Society.

Obviously both the Drama and Music Clubs will have to be approached for some recognition of opera and musical since they are the main ingredients of it.

However an Operatic Society would not be formed at the expense of the Music and Drama Clubs. It would also draw its support from the great number of uncommitted students who enjoy a musical, comic opera, or a stage show.

An Operatic Society would serve as a median between the Music and Drama fraternities because it provides scope for acting as well as musical performance.

Opera and musical are able to provide a broad programme of entertainment acceptable to a wider group of people than either music or drama.

I would like to hear the opinions of others on this matter. Yours etc.,

Richard Greenfield.

So much garbage

This letter was sent to :—

The Secretary, Student Union Association. Victoria University.

Dear Sir, —I am a third year part-time student at the above University and as such have been forced to pay your Union the amount of 539.00 to date

The fact that membership of your. Union is compulsory is perhaps the most repugnant factor of University life and is a direct contravention of the very basic principles of democratic living, however in order to gain a degree, I am legally obliged to pay your fees and have to accept the situation as such. I am very interested to know exactly what I get for my $13 per year, apart from that pathetic apology of a news bulletin "Salient" which I find is just so much garbage and rarely worth reading. Perhaps I am being 'protected' from exploitation by the big and nasty University Adminstration.

Being one of the many students who use a car to get from their place of work to University. I should like to know what the Union is doing to rectify the situation of totally inadequate parking facilities. Nothing has been done in the past three years.

It would well be that I am unaware of a lot of constructive Union functions, in which case I would appreciate some meaningful answers to the above questions.

Yours faithfully,

N. Merson.

Impartial

Sir—In view of the fact that B. S. Saunders was co-editor of Salient last year and is standing for Secretary I would appreciate the impartial treatment of the forthcoming campaign which I know you are capable of.

Yours sincerely,

Paul J. Wedderspoon.

[You are hereby viciously attacked, sir.—ed.]

In or out

Sir—Permit me to explain to you. I am violently opposed to the overweening supercilious outlook of these same 'outies'. I have been assured (in confidence, naturally) that, owing to a biological superiority these 'humbugs' have a secret awareness (or spiritual revelation) of being the master race. A pity nobody examined Hitler's navel!

Notice that I utter the term 'humbug'. For although this is a matter from which no elements of factual certitude are able to be elicited, due in the main to the peculiarly intuitive nature of the knowledge, I am prepared to remark that their claim appears to be a trifle mythical.

Look at me, for instance. I am intelligent, ambitious, the most popular student at the university, witty, vivacious, charming, sexy, and extraordinarily beautiful.

Yet despite all claims to the contrary I am an 'inie'. If this humble statement surpasses your credulity. I offer dirty postcards of my navel to all and sundry at the ridiculous price of $1.50 each.

Even the pretension of the outies to a second brain hidden in the darker recesses of their pivotal point (God bless my mother!) have neither been scientifically proven, nor borne out in fact. All significant people (see supra) appear to be inies. Simon is an inie. Even Jesus Christ was in all probability an inie.

Naturally outies will not accept inies in awful wedlock (freshers beware!) and are quite unscrupulous concerning sex. If they do happen to fall in love beneath their navel they insist on an operation before entering the bonds of holy lust.

Of course inies do not have such scruples, though I would not let my daughter marry one of the bastards. She went out with one once, called Wally, who was an excellent friend of mine.

However as soon as I, by cunning and devious contrivance, was driven to the conclusion that he was an outie I realised that he was only associating with my kind for motives of person prestige. He is no longer my chum.

J. S. Hales.

Forum

Sir—May I as an ignorant "Fresher" ask some questions through your colmumn? Who was the "gentleman" that spoke at Forum last Tuesday. He gave me the impression of being a raving megalomaniac, but my more educated friends informed me that he was a politician.

Do politicians really use that naughty unprintable word that this "gentleman" used? And also is the "gentleman" an active politician or has he retired to enjoy the admiration and esteem of his constituents.

I remain etc.

Gerald Williams.

[We avoid discussion of what is said, and by whom, at Forum —ed.]

Management Committee

Sir, —There has been discussion in your recent editions on increasing the student representation of Management Committee, culminating in a somewhat emasculated report of the appearance of three of its members before the Executive. The lack of knowledge, and seeming past reluctance to obtain it, was a most notable feature of the current Executive. The Executive gave no indication that current student members were not representing Association views adequately, or that Management Committee had done anything with which the Executive disagreed. Why then are there such strong demands for an increase, or even a change in representation? If the Executive has views to be put towards improving the machinations of Management Committee, surely the first step would be to lobby current members on future proposals. As a member of the Committee, and elected by it only because of the unusual presence already of the two previous Presidents, I should be pleased to put forward and discuss any reasoned point of view placed at my disposal. The fact that the current Executive has no direct appointee on the Committee is a valid and seemingly rectifyable matter, but proposers of the idea have not made clear what they hope to gain by increased student representation which cannot be acheived under the present system. If a vague predeliction for more power can be called a point of view, then in the words of your reporter 'I do not feel bound by the view of the Association'.

[I presume this letter was written by C.J. Robertson, whose name was typed at the bottom. —ed.]