NZUSA Supporting US Foreign Policy-Vol Kerl
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Registered for transmission by post as a newspaper. VOLUME 44, ISSUE NO. 2 Free to students NZUSA supporting US foreign policy-Vol kerl ing The US State Department student leader grants are of limited value to New Zealand student associations and NZUSA should consider withdrawing from local sponsorship of the scheme, according to Auckland Studass Publications Officer, Mike Volkerling. Volkerling, who spent two and a half months in America on such a grant over the holidays, said this in a report submitted to the recent Executive meet ing of NZUSA. “It is not true,” the report says, “to say that this trip is a specialist programme which provides an in-depth study of American student life and instituti ons. The significant word in the title is not student but leader.” The report quotes the director of the programme, Mr John Esteline, as saying last December, “Basically the programme is an instrument of US foreign policy. We realize that those students coming on the programme will become leaders in their If only we could find it own communities. We would like them to understand our country better, for we know that if we help them to do this they The pretensions of the Otago University Students’ will be able to help us in the future.” Association caused some amusement at last week’s meeting 15 DAYS of the Auckland Studass Executive. “Unless formal written Volkerling says that of the 70 criticised by the organizers on the He suggests that NZUSA this trip only since their agreements are received by March days spent in the States, onlly 15 grounds that we were intended to would be justified in liberalising governments committed troops to 15, 1970, from Auckland, were spent in universities. be relishing the joys of American its selection policies but adds that Vietnam,” he says. Massey, Victoria and Canterbury The rest were spent staying family life, instead of pursuing any attempt to adhere more He considers that there are constituents guaranteeing that with families, seeing Government our own interest, which, we were closely to these selection policies four alternatives open to NZUSA. their Capping publications or departm ents, guided tours, assured, would be subsequently can only be seen as increasing It could continue the scheme on equivalent will not repeat not be inspecting newspaper offices and catered for in an official capacity. NZUSA’s complicity in its present basis. “This would not sold south of the Waitaki River, sugar beet factories, and attending They never were,” says the promoting US long term foreign appear to be viable because of the th en the Otago University a Halloween party and report. policy interests. problem of executive absenteeism S tu d e n ts’ Association will squaredancing. Volkerling concluded that and the limited value of the trip withdraw its delegation from “The the main aspects of since the trip did not provide to New Zealand students’ Easter Council.” American society one is exposed adequate opportunity for gaining associations.” It could liberalize Copies of the telegram were 1 to are those which are seen any worthwhile insight into the the selection policy and publicize sent to other universities. through the eyes of a series of structure and problems of the programme to a far greater Studass President Mike Law upper middle class American American Universities that the extent on campus in order to commented that Auckland had families, and, at the risk of grantee can probably be of more attract a wider range of intended to sell Capping Book sounding unnecessarily benefit to his local association by applicants. “But this would not south of Hamilton last year but OTAGO ideological, the power elite.” remaining at home for the term of alter the facts that the trip is of had run out of books. He says that of the 15 days his office. little value and the NZUSA is still “GO to HELL” spent at universities, ten were supporting US foreign policy C apping Controller Don spent at Cornell where there is no aims, despite their dubious Henderson said Otago should be student government and even the COMPLICITY efficacy.” told to go to hell or it should be newspaper is run by an outside Volkerling challenges the basic CHANGES asked to refrain from peddling its concern, although staffed mainly assumptions of the grant when he It could recommend changes in publication north of the by students. says that “there is little evidence the established programme in Wanganui River. Law pointed out Tours of Berkeley, Stanford 0 T H E BLUFF to suggest that there is any order to bring it more in line with that other universities were and Harvard were conducted by correlation between those New Zealand needs. “However,” treating the request with the administration employed guides university graduates in New says Volkerling, “I tend to think SUSPECTED LOCATION and provided no opportunity to ridicule it deserved. It was Zealand who do become that New Zealand problems in meet students or staff members. decided to send a polite letter to OF THE WAITAKI gig influential in the community and tertiary education are basically Otago stating that Auckland •Saw earlier membership of a students’ Michael Volkerling local ones which can be solved would not sell south of the Law suggested that the association executive” and further CRITICISM only by a more detailed Waitaki. telegram should not be taken “Efforts to organize our own that present “student leaders” are “It is interesting to note that knowledge of present conditions Earnest Craccum inquiries have seriously as he believed it to be trips to local universities during not necessarily executive New Zealand and Australian and possible future developments. failed to reveal the whereabouts merely a piece of internal the homestay period were members. students have been eligible for Moreover, knowledge of of the Waitaki River but it is politicking on the part of American universities, which believed that it lies somewhere Anderson. Otago’s President is at might be helpful when north of the Bluff. present in America. considering local problems, can be acquired probably in a more acurate form, by reading. Volkerling finishes the report M *1 by recommending that NZUSA Muldoon refuted consider withdrawing from , . , sponsorship of the scheme as it now exists and recommend Muldoon s accusations of irresponsibility on the part of Students’ took &ok. Associations were quickly refuted by Studass President Michael Law after the alternative uses for the finance, Minister of Finance had addressed an overflow audience last week. either in New Zealand or abroad. The Minister had stated that the public image of the b6ok universities is not helped by the attitudes and actions taken by Students’ Associations from time to time. He said that the associations tend, perhaps unwittingly, to appear to act irresponsibly although, it was quickly pointed out, the associations were not in themselves entirely irresponsible bodies. Mr Muldoon’s specific attack exclusion, Vietnam, and the All on the Auckland University Black tour, it seemed to me that ôooke^ Students’ Association policy over he was maintaining that when the student exclusion from this SRC or an Association General university brought a stinging reply Meeting adopted a policy with from Michael Law. which the Minister or the TMndwfotjicinikot Law said that the Association’s community at large could not policy on exclusion has been agree, then students were being primarily concerned with, and has irresponsible.” always emphasised, the number of It seemed that only a small PAUL'S book arcade school children of today who will number in the audience agreed be unable to secure university with Muldoon’s contentions; which reinforces Mike Law’s places from 1972 onwards. for ALL UNIVERSITY TEXTS “Our concern is less for those belief that student policy should who fail than for those who will reflect what students are actually BACKGROUND BOOKS never get a chance at all. and honestly thinking rather than what . the politicians and the AND ALL THE BOOKS YOU FAILED general public would like them to WANT TO READ BUT REALLY “And” said Law “it must be be thinking; SHOULDN'T seen that many of the one “However” said the president thousand (mentioned by “if Muldoon has a large number 49 HIGH STREET, AUCKLAND Muldoon) who have failed to pass of supporters on this issue, then at the Canterbury Arcade the requisite two units in the past they will have the opportunity to two years have been secondary change the Association’s Up the road from the R.S.A., across the road from school teachers or others who constitution and policy at the the Registrar of Births, Deaths and other things, because of their occupations are general meeting on March 24, unable to maintain sustained They will even be able to throw down the road from the Victoria Street Parking studies. myself and the rest of the Station loo. “Although Mr Muldoon was executive from office if they want Alan Kolnik not specific except with regard to to.” Mr Unimpressive Page 2 — Craccum, Thursday, March 12 This space provided A pearl is cast for armchair REVOLUTIONARIES It makes one sad to see a good man start on the road downhill. While one need not agree that Mr Muldoon is necessaarily a good man, at least he used to be comforting to look at, with his facade of competence and assurance. But the Minister of Finance’s recent visit to the returning for a Sunday night at the Lido. Reflections in a Golden University showed that the poor old chap is losing his Eye was good but not that good; grip. Gears are slipping in his mind and he shows signs of Sir, the same can be said of the beginning to wind down like the rusty alarm clock he The choice of films for the rest-Becket a classic! has imitated all these years whenever he thought that Auckland Festival this year Nobody minds a policy of re-runs, especially if they’re other party looked like conning the people better than demonstrates the extent to which this event is becoming classics, but most of us could he was.