Plea For Freshers

The freshers here at Vic. are getting a raw deal. Many have been complaining about the lack of social life and I think they are justified.

When this edition goes to press it will be the third term of our academic year. And what have we had? The Official Freshers' Welcome, Freshers' Ball, Capping Ball and that inaugural dance in the Common Common Room. This last was a hopeless flop, due mainly to bad publicity and a danceband that should have been playing last century.

Some may argue that there are plenty of clubs at Vic. to join. I say that this does not help solve the problem for the fresher's activities and the new people he or she meets are necessarily restricted to those clubs or societies.

Many of your older students must recall the out-of-place, awkward feeling you experienced when you were freshers, when you knew nobody and nobody knew you. Perhaps it was even tougher for you than this year's freshers, without the new Student Union Building to congregate in. But it is our duty to make the fresher feel at home as much as possible, to aid his adjustment and above all to help him make ; new friends, and meet other freshers. For some of them, the only time they see the opposite sex is at lectures, common rooms, or in the caf.

We all know that if you know enough students or have been here at least a year, there are plenty of parties going on Saturday nights. But how can the fresher break in on the social scene? His chances are very limited, unless he is tied up with the happy-go-lucky Extravaganza types. Admittedly, the first year student should knuckle down to his studies, and an excess of parties would not be conducive to that, but if periodic socials were organized, they would be able to let their hair down without any harmful effects later when finals come along.

Training College has a rousing dance every fortnight. We should have at least two dance-cum-socials a term. There is certainly no lack of facilities. Either the Common Common Room or the new gymnasium could be used. Once things got swinging, they would run themselves, as most student functions do.

There are no end to the variations an active committee could start. A Bohemian dance, for instance, would be very popular. Some students wouldn't have to change their clothes!

Perhaps our social-controller can do something.

John Parkyn.