Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 25, No. 6. 1962.

Exec. Profile

Exec. Profile

Mr David Lind-Mitchell, Social Organiser, a fifth-year Law student is a man of wide and general interests. Fencing and debating, with University clubs tend to fill up any spare time left after Exec, and private matters have had their share. But that has not always been the case. Some years ago, he tried the Literary Society, and "Salient". His great-grandfather was an early settler, and left a plot of land to Dunedin's Knox College.

"Is Victoria University red?" No. it is blue and has been that way for years. During the post-war years there was more misguided idealism than there is today. Student apathy can be trusted to keep radical movements the hunting grounds of only tiny minorities. Most students are just not interested.

A slow and careful speaker, Mr Lind-Mitchell took some time before committing himself on whether this newspaper should allow much space to articles on foreign affairs or not. He thought these are a good thing as most students are very ignorant in such matters. He did not think members of the University staff should contribute, however, as their accounts tend to be biased.

He considered that there has recently been a lot of hot air unnecessarily wafted around Exec, concerning "academic freedom." The Labour Department's request did not encroach upon this as such freedom concerns only the realms of literature and ideas, not administration.

David Lind-Mitchell

As Social Organiser he intends to revive an institution of three years back. This is the weekly dance on Friday nights, which used to take place in the old gymnasium. It will now be held in the Union Building. A second plan is to organise club dances to raise funds and provide a livelier social life.

All in all, our Social Organiser seems a fair-minded individual of good administrative abilities.