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Salient: Victoria University of Wellington Students' Newspaper. Vol. 32, No. 2. 1969.

"Salient"

"Salient"

As The Start of the varsity year draws near yet again, we look forward to the orientation week whirl.

Not least among these, as always, will be the canvassing by various organisations to gain new members. The ardent fresher, anxious to belong, or to appear as if he belonged, joins indiscriminatingly. Or perhaps with some ideas of how to climb higher on the social ladder.

Sir, I do not excuse myself. In 1968 I, not even a fresher but a second-year student, joined in happy anticipation of glory the august ranks of the Salient reporting staff. I joined—I typed— I did not report. I came to the Salient office early, I left it late. And as I typed I watched the writhing convolutions of the Salient hierachy as some wormed higher and others were tramped. Owie Baby wandered in and out, halo slightly askew. Bill on top of the filing cabinet housing copy and NZSPA beamed benignly from behind notched canines.

What hope had I of getting to the top?

I left one day and did not return, (Nec ab ullo mortale unquam vidatur !)

My dear, my very dear Sir. When will Salient learn not to intimidate? When will her noble portals open to the great unwashed? When, in other words, will she grow up?

Jane Rankin.