Awake! Awake!

This is not a contribution by Ripley, but did you know that in many countries the opinions of students are respected by people other than themselves? This comes about through the belief (mistaken, is it?) that the students of today are the leaders of tomorrow.

You are now at Victoria University of Wellington. Perhaps it is for the first time, perhap! it is just another year. But in any case you are now among; the future leaders of this country, which could be a great, though small, one.

If you are capable of appraising the position around you, you may come to the conclusion that today's leaders are not the students of yesteryear. If you are a "genuine Kiwi" you will probably sit back and let the world go on as it has been.

Here's a word of advice. If you do sit back, you are going to be left behind! There is a definite change in attitudes throughout the world. Look at the Harvard team now running the United States—undisputed leaders of today's Western World.

"This does not concern me," you say. Phooey! There is a group of young people in New; Zealand today who have become more dissatisfied with the rate of progress of their small, underdeveloped country. They have become fed up to the teeth with the "Welfare State" which they blame, at least partially, for the lack of initiative which New Zealanders (so proudly) display.

These young people are going to have a strong influence on the future development of New Zealand. You could be one of them, as long as you sit up and start taking an interest in more important things than beer and rugby. Yes, there are more important things, believe it or not. I'm a Kiwi, too, and like the rest of you I like both. But all they do for you is to create a vicious circle. One makes you fit, the other fat. You don't need an electronic computer to work out which part of the cycle you will end in.

As citizens of New Zealand you have a duty to start having opinions and to start doing something constructive about them. As human beings you have a duty to yourselves to climb up out of the rut you have got into. As students—and, therefore, presumably "thinkers"—you are going to be the leaders of New Zealand in the not very distant future.

Wake up, Victoria, and make yourself felt as a powerful Influence on the community! You are going to be felt whether you like it or not! If you are happy to let a small group express opinions for you, you had better all leave University today and find for yourselves positions as labourers — New Zealand needs labourers.

But if you sit hack, you are going to be left behind. Look around you! It is already happening to many New Zealanders. If you can't see it, give up!!!

—R.J.L.