Margaret Bryson

A New Kind Of President

Fourth year law student.

Returning Officer, April 1968.

Records Controller, Winter Tournament 1968.

Hon. Secretary, VUWSA, 1969.

Student rep.: Joint Committee,

Student Union Management Committee.

Committee on University Entrance, Bursaries and Entrance Scholarships.

Enrolment Procedures Committee.

Furnishings Sub-committee and others.

We need a new kind of president for VUWSA. The establishment of the Student Representative Council, with its wide policy-making powers, should, and will, make the executive just what its name suggests, an administrative body. The president will, therefore, need to be:—

1. An efficient and experienced administrator.

2. An impartial chairman—for Exec., SRC, and Management Committee.

3. A person who can put the views of the students clearly to other bodies within the University and to the news media.

4. A person who is prepared to commit a great deal of time and effort to the office.

5. A person willing and able to see all sides of a problem and to present them with clarity and care for student decision.

I will fulfil these requirements to the best of my ability. In particular I will work for a student union building with the facilities and furnishings wanted by students, and for a more realistic system of student representation. We must build for the future—a second Student Union Building—a closer liaison between student representatives. We need a new outlook, a new kind of president.

John Eade

Nominated: John McKoy, Pres. Biological Soc.

Seconded: Alan Pratt, Pres. International Club, Glenis Davies.

John has started a law course this year having studied for his B.Sc. during the last three years. He is an active member of the Bach Choir and interested and associated with Drama, underwater swimming, soccer and skiing activities as time permits.

John is on the Finance and Long Term Planning Committee and is International Affairs Officer on Exec. His specific aim this year has been to help in the integration of overseas students into New Zealand life and has worked closely with the International Club and his committee of 50/50 N.Z. and overseas students, which has organised a number of activities including USA publicity during International Week, the model UN assembly, the visits of WUS and ISMUN general secretaries and has arising out of that established committees of WUS ISMUN and 1 per cent AID. He has also organised a successful appeal for an overseas student excluded from the university by the Labour Department.

John feels that the time has come to get away from "personality" presidents to one who is willing to get the work done acting on the guidance of the students through general meetings and the SRC and as such he would give a stable and unemotional lead in the complex affairs of the students association.

Mike McCarthy

The Student Government should be actively promoting this Vietnam War opposition. Conservative student governments have been a major reason for the stagnation of this movement here in New Zealand.

Policy:—

1. To actively promote the movement of opposition to the War in Vietnam.

2. To replace Fritz Levenbach as union caterer with a manager, paid by the students' association and responsible to the SRC. This ensures that students get food at the cheapest possible prices and that profits made on after-hours catering accrue to the association and not to an individual.

3. To demand a rise in wages of the dining room staff.

4. To invest union money into its own bookshop on or near the campus. This bookshop to be run by students on part time wages, at no profit to the association, thus providing cheaper books for students.

5. To create more interest among the student population for their active participation, through the Student Representation Council, in Union policy and Campus affairs. This would be done by raising issues of wide controversy such as is not being done at present.

Bob Phelps

Nominated: Bill Logan.

Seconded: Candy McGrath, Colin Knox.

Policy:—

(1) To study the existing examination system and to make presentations for its reform based on evidence gleaned from the study.

(2) To look at the effectiveness of present student participation, at the departmental level, in decisions relating to course work requirements, and the degree to which the needs of students, as they perceive them, are communicated to the teaching staff, through the existing channels of formal student representation.

(3) To ensure that all information which is relevant to course or degree requirements which could materially affect students is conveyed to them in some appropriate written form from time to time.

(4) To be available, as required, to receive representations from any students with problems relating to course work matters and to make appropriate recommendations on their behalf.

Bob is completing undergraduate study this year, with majors in Psychology and Sociology. He will be doing Psychology Honours in 1970. Although not previously involved in student politics, he feels confident of successfully meeting the demands of this portfolio.

Tony Hurst

I am a Ph.D. student in Physics with a B.Sc.(Hons.) and have also done some work for a B.A.

I have a record of service on student committees including the Maths and Physics Society and S.C.M. execs and the Science Club) Committee. At present I am on the Interdisciplinary Activities Sub-Committee of the Professional Board as a Student Representative.

The Education Officer is going to have to look outside the University as much as inside in the future. We cannot get very far in improving the Education we get here without taking part in the political activity involved in decisions, both affecting the Universities and in the wider area of Education.

On Exec in general, there seems to have been little confidence in recent Execs by student. Exec always seems to be following student opinion and action. I will do my best to make Exec a place where ideas come from, not where they get lost.

Richard Chan

(Second year law.)

I am standing for this office because it is one of the most disused on exec. There is reason to believe that very few students know of the existence of this office, and even less students could name the past and present holder.

The democratic process allows all people to be equally represented. The international affairs office was created as much to represent the overseas students as to mouth protests. This function is not adequately fulfilled at the present. It is the duty of an officer to make known his policies and views and to put them into action. There is a vital difference between holding office and working in the office. I propose to do both.

Paul D. Karalus

Nominator: Bill Logan.

Seconders: Sale Va'ai, R. Abhakom.

The candidate:—

Is a second year_arts student and resident of Weir House. Spent 1967 as a VSA teacher in Tonga. Is at present on the International Affairs Committee, the International Club Committee and remains active in VSA.

As International Affairs Officer chief endeavours would be:

1. To make use of the SRC as a policy making body and sounding board for student opinion.

2. To encourage increased student participation in 1 per cent Aid, VSA, WUS, etc.

3. To promote closer and more frequent gatherings of overseas students and New Zealand students.

4. To see that International House transcends its present intangible existence by at least telling Campus what it is.

5. To urge students to take a more active interest in matters of international concern.

John Pearson

Nominated: J. H. Eade (International Affairs 1969).

Seconded: A. L. Pratt (President International Club), J. Entika (Secretary Malay Student Association).

John has lived overseas for most of his life in various countries in East Africa. Middle East and Europe. He emigrated to New Zealand five yean ago and is now a third year arts student. During 1969 John was a member of the International Affairs Committee and a committee member of the International Club. He was also a WUS delegate to the annual conference in Christchurch.

Policy: —

1. Greater liaison with National student bodies.

2. Give vigorous support to WUS and Ismun.

3. Work for a sounder attitude to international affairs based more on local facts and difficulties, than on ad hoc identification with overseas trends.

4. To assist any student group in an international capacity, in making its feelings felt by acting as a direct spokesman to Exec and for SRC.