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Salient. Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 42 No. 16. July 16 1979

Editorial

page 2

Editorial

As the Education Fightback campaign, and those involved in it, wind themselves up to fever pitch in preparation for the climax on July 26, editors can sit back in the comfort of their swivel chairs and centrally heated offices and somberly evaluate the campaign to date.

At Victoria the campaign has been quite out of the "traditional" mould of VUWSA's past campaigns. Not only has it appeared to have gathered the grudging approval of the student body, but it has succeeded in involving "ordinary, non-political students" to an unprecedented level.

By achieving this involvement, the Fightback campaign has laid down the foundations for a truly successful campaign. Not only do more people learn that more activities can be planned and run, but any campaign spreads most effectively through personal contact. People involved in the campaign discussing things with those around them, persuading them of the importance of the issues, and answering questions students may have is a vital aspect to a successful campaign. With the diverse backgrounds of those involved in the campaign as well as sheer numbers, this informal publicity is surpassing that of any other campaign run in the past few years at Victoria.

The other imporant aspect is actually bringing the issues to the attention of the students, and in doing this those involved in the campaign have been particularly energetic. Through articles and supplements in Salient, with leaflets, posters and pettions with large scale speaking to tutorials and lectures, I find it hard to believe that many students are unaware that there is a campaign on and that it is centering around cuts in education spending.

Whether all the presentation of material has been effective in terms of persuading people is of course a different matter, and one that it is hard to evaluate before July 26. However most of the feedback so far indicates that a majority of students support the principles of the campaign - not surprising as it would be hard to deny them. Certainly the response to the sale of buttons etc. suggests a strong measure of support — people giving money.

In terms of actual activity the campaign has not been quite as innovative as originally hoped. A variety of proposals for increasing both public and student awareness of the campaign have not come to fruition. Some of the ideas that it does not appear are going to eventuate are such things as advertisements in the daily papers. Coasters for distribution around the pubs (the idea of an air drop of biodegradable leaflets was never, I am happy to say, seriously entertained) and a whole host of other ideas, some of them gimmicky, others less so, have not seen the light of day.

Although the campaign has not been innovative in terms of these sorts of activities, by running in the way that campaigns are meant to be run, with many people involved at all levels, the Fightback Campaign could almost be regarded as a new thing in a student's association where activity has for too long been restricted to the few who seem to become involved in everything.

Peter Beach.

EPISODE 14 "IN WHICH LESS HAPPENS THAN USUAL." JOE SPUTNIK AND THE MUSTERY OF RAVIOLIS FATER So you see my boy, there is no escape from this psuedo - natural world in which we are imprisoned. But there must be an entrance! we got in here some-how and by golly we're gong to get out! COME ON! DO AS HE SAYS GET HIM OUT OF HERE THEN IF YOU THINK YOU'RE SO BLOODY CLEVER! if that's what you want- I WILL! I'll get him out of here for you! I'll get us all out. But it'll be a long hard journey and mostry up hill. It'll give us a chance to see what eggs are really made of!! HUMP! WATER 73.7% PROTEN 12.55% FAT 12.10% CARBOHYDRATE .55% MINERALS 1.10% ..... SHUT UP! LEADING HIS PARTY OF ADVENTURERS, CRISES SETS OUT ON A CONCLUSIVELY TO THE WORLD THAT HE IS A MAGICIAN HO HO! CONTINUED...