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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 4, No. 7 July 2, 1941

Editorial

Editorial

To a dispassionate observer around V.U.C. this year it must have seemed that the fabric of student life was crumbling. A number of undignified quarrels have taken place between the Executive and odd unauthorised "committees" of students. The amount of petty bickering which went on about Extrav. was amazing. Now all this is over, and we have no wish to begin anew the well-worn controversies, but with a new Executive entering upon its year of office there are one or two things we should like to say.

The last Executive had a year of unprecedented difficulty, as well as extra work made necessary by abnormal circumstances such as loss of members, lack of an office assistant, and the holding of Tournament in Wellington. Students hold a peculiar position in the community—the slightest action of the smallest group of students is observed, criticised, and most usually condemned. The normal antipathy of this town to its University, an attitude surely unique among university towns, seems to have been heightened since the outbreak of war. This being so, no doubt our new Executive also will have a troubled year.

We appeal to students to support their Executive, to regain the coherence which the student body seems to be fast losing. Fascism suppresses universities. Were New Zealand to be invaded to-morrow Victoria University College would most certainly fall apart, instead of offering to the oppressors of free thought and free speech a united front.

We are not trying to suggest that students refrain from criticising their Executive. What we do urge is that there be an end to this pettiness, this descending to personalities, this aimless obstructionism which threatens to become a feature of College life.

Finally, best wishes to our new President and Executive— they'll certainly need them!

M.S.G.