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Socialist Club burns magazines

by Michelle Denson

A ceremonial burning of "The Reporter" was held after the last Forum.

The ceremony, reportedly attended by about thirty students, was held outside the Administration building.

"'The magazine was obviously produced for the student population, yet the students were not consulted at all as to the necessity for publication, or even the form it should take", said a spokesman for the group.

"The main theme behind '"The Reporter" is to dampen down and avert serious discontent before it reaches New Zealand.

"It does this by featuring articles containing crude analyses of student rebellion overseas, and attempting to show the irrelevance to New Zealand conditions.

"Apart from the miserable content, the expenditure of $1200 was unjustified in a year when the Library quota has been severely cut."

The Principal, Dr. Culliford, said "it was pathetic".

"Are four people and a waste paper basket representative of student opinion?

"If not, what were the other five and a half thousand students doing?

"'The Reporter' produced a reaction", he said.

"It was attractively produced, but the Joint Committee recommends that in its present form it should not be published again.

"It's a dead duck", Dr. Culliford said.

"De mortuis nil nise bonum", he said.

The Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Simpson said "'The Reporter' was an experiment that didn't come off.

"It was referred by the Council to Joint Committee who didn't think much of it.

"The Joint Commitee suggested the abeyance of 'The Reporter' and recommended the Gazette to take its place.

"The Gazette would contain factual information, and he distributed to Executive, and if possible, to students.

"This decision must be finalised by Council", he said.

"I have set up an ad hoc committee to look into the possible development of the Gazette, consisting of Dr. Culliford (Chair), Miss McGrath, Mr. Boyd, Mr. Cleveland and Mr. Keane.

Mr. Kim Keane is the Information Officer and edited "The Reporter".

"The Gazette would be published fortnightly in its present format, from which it could slowly develop.

"I think in due time there is a place for 'The Reporter'," said the Vice-Chancellor.

"However, the information published was too broad and not factual.

Feedback from the staff and students indicate that it didn't meet the requirement."

Caroline McGrath, Women's Vice-President, said "It was an interesting journal, but not what I had thought it was going to be.

"The money could have been better spent.

"I think the Gazette is going to fulfill the function required more satisfactorily than 'The Reporter'," she said.

"What we need is brief reports of all meetings of the University, including the Students' Association, notice of position available and appointments made, a number of articles of general academic interest."