Burbling Babes

(The Editor, "Smad.")

I had the misfortune to hear during annual meeting of the Haeremai Club last week a most amazing exhibition of presumption on the part of a small but self-confident section of our College. The section of Victoria College's students that lives at Weir House had what can only be called the impertinence to say in this public meeting that their opinion was representative of the opinion of the University as a whole, and not only did they do this, this handful of freshers and second-year students who apparently suffer from distinctly swollen heads, but they actually proposed a motion of censure on the president of the Haeremai Club, Mr. R. K. Keating, for expressing the contrary opinion. The fact, that out of the eight hundred or so students at V.U.C. only about ninety live at Weir House, shows how rankly absurd is their contention that they could be representative of Victoria College opinion. On what ground do they claim to be representative?

The fact, sir, that they were visited by two members of the Students' Association Executive, that they took off their hats to their age, their appearance, and their oratory, that they bowed to their wisdom, and decided to act as they did is deplorable; but it is their concern. Their action, however, in making fantastic claimsto superiority over the rest of the students for no reason except that they happen to live in Weir House, is very definitely the concern of the college; while their attitude towards Mr. Keating, if it were notpalpably absurd in its arrogant childishness would be positively offensive.

I repeat, sir, that the fault in the first place, as regards the passing of the motion, lay with Mr. Wild and Mr. Bradshaw, as the innocent young things at Weir House could not be expected to see further than the ends of their noses. But I do not believe that the responsible students of the College wil tolerate for one moment the froward presumption and the downright discourtesy of these youngsters.

I have no wish, Sir, tobecome abusive, but I could notrestrain myself from writing to express my disgust, a feelingwhich, I think, is shared by all the older members who were present at the meeting of the Haeremai Club, at the effrontery and presumption of the members of Weir House.

A Call to Arms.

(The Editor, "Smad.")

I read in your last issue a report on the Executive's discussion of the Professorial Board's desire to hold the 1936 Capping Ceremony in the Concert Chamber and to give admission by ticket only. Your report concludes with a paragraph stating, "We understand that the Board has refused to alter the arrangements planned and we can only regret. . ."

"We can only regret," Sir, I desire to express my strong disapproval of this spineless attitude on the part of your paper. With statements such as these, you are encourageing instead of killing an attitude ofmind amongst us which has grown rapidly for the last few years, and is showing no signs of disappearing now. I refer to the immense growth of apathy amongst students at V.U.C. towards their college and their college's activities. I am quite unashamed to refer to the good old days when there really was an active student body-a complete body-which for all its diverse ideals was united in its enthusiasm for college activities. This enthusiasm has declined, and instead of your endeavouring to resurrect it we see your lamentable article on this latest blow to student activity. Where you should lead you unjustifiably take the lazy course of merelamentation. Lamentation never did anyone any good.

Were I quite disinterested, I would be inclined to say that we have been treated as we deserve. If we are not interested enough to make the Capping Ceremony an affair of note and of interest, then the Board is quite right to alter it. But despite the prevailing apathy and the lack of leadership in the Executive, I have yet been able to retain a little of my pristine enthusiasm for student life to point out sincerely that we can do more than "only regret."

I disagree that capping is the Board's "own particular racket." We hae a very vital interest in it and it is surely your duty and the Executive's duty to foster that interest to such a degree that the Board will realise that the Capping Ceremony must be held in the Town Hall.

No Personalities.

(The Editor, "Smad,")

I wish to protest against the publication in your last issue of the letter headed by you "Ex-President in True Colours," and signed "Weirite." The letter is not a matter of general news, but is merely a scurrilous personal attack by some disgruntled individual who has not the courage to use his own name but takes refuge in a nomde-plume. Not only will he not come out into the open, but what is worse, he misrepresents the facts by laying particular emphasis on statements isolated from their context and also by giving them a meaning entirely foreign to that originally intended. And while I can appreciate that you, sir, may have been short of copy, I am nevertheless very surprised that you should resort to publishing under such a caption, personal diatribes to fill your paper.

As for the substance of my letter, I still adhere to my original statement that the House will be a power for good if properly led. And I still say that as there are no residents over the age of 21, it is reasonable to suppose that experience in some spheres will be lacking, and notwithstanding that there are capable leaders in the house, leadership of residents in such activities must come from outside. The ridiculous suggestion of "Weirite" that I consider myselfalone competent to fill the bill is apparently inspired by the fact that some resident's vanity is wounded, and I assure all men in residence that my speech and letter were intended to reflect in no way on the personnel of the House but rather on the policy of the Management Committee.

To enter into a controversy over such a matter is rather futile, but I feel that my personal side of the casealso warrants presentation.

[Discussion on this subject is now closed.—Ed.]

A Correction.

(The Editor, "Smad.")

In last week's issue there was a statement in a report that it was to Miss F. Irvine-Smith "that we owe the artistic design which now adorns the cover of 'Spike.'"

I presume that the reference was to the mortar-board and quill motif which, though incorporated in the cover design for many years, was not used last year, so it can hardly be said that it "now adorns, etc." Miss Irvine-Smith was responsible for the very fine poster drawn for our early "Spike." which now hangs in the billiard room at Weir, and a reproduction of which appeared in last "Spike."