SEPTEMBER 6 Semper Floreat VOL.38 No. 10 10c Page 2 semper floreat the U.Q.U. newspaper Friday, September, 1968 As possibly my first and last Editorial it would be in my own interests to utilize this space to maximum personal advantage. I have not. ROWLANDS RIDES WRIGHT RIGHT? Firstly, to criticise the immediate concern - the Sir, Sir, Union-would simply repeat past comment and As a final year English (Hons.) student and poet published in achieve nothing. five national magazines and newspapers, I feel in a position to I sincerely hope that your correspondent who penned the article comment on the unsigned poem "Expedition" (Semper Floreat on the Captive Nations Week Public Meeting (Semper July 26, Page Secondly, to attack the government and govern­ No. 9). 3) is not a Journalism student. Should he be, heaven help the future standards of Journalism in Queensland. ment institutions would require me to think - i It is not so much the stilted conceits (e.g. "canyon" for vagina), distasteful process. the cliches (e.g. intercourse as a "voyage"), the faUurc to achieve He spelt most of the names of the speakers correctly but very rhythm (I.A. Richards defines it as expectancy of stress including Uttle else bears any resemblance to the facts. We will forgive his being Thirdly, effective reversals of expectancy), the need to verbalize rather than unable lo count but an actual head count put the number present at realize and evoke or the utterly hideous phraseology ("dampness nearly 300 (not 150), about 12 police were there (not 30), not at wetter") - no, it is none of these that needs real censure. It is the our request, but because S.D.A. dodgers indicated an attempt to hypocrisy of vaunting this poem as a real experience when it could disrupt the meeting. The supposed "half of 150" was actually about have only been a fantasy. Perhaps it is poeticized Harold Bobbins. 50 to 60 students and others - others including Vic. Slater well known Communist Secretary of the Young Socialist League. The poem is entirely gratuitous because anyone who knows any­ thing about sexual intercourse will know it is a fake; and anyone who Senator Byrne gave an excellent address which most of the student doesn't will be sadly misled. body listened to intently. It was pointless to answer the interjections firstly because many were stupid and not to the point, secondly, I congratulate the Editors (Editor?) of Semper for publishing time was provided to put questions to the speakers. A number of the sex poetry. But I do recommend that they ensure that who ever was "non-students" who effectively countered many of the interjections responsible for acceptance of "Expedition" acquaint himself with from the noisy element of the student body, knew what they were some really find sex poetry, e.g. Blake, Yeats, Thomas, Cummings, talking about, having lived in the "Captive Nations" under Commu­ RhyU McMastcr. He will at least have a basis for comparison. nism and arc authorities upon the subject of Communist oppression. Poetry has a small enough audience as it is without alienating The"non-studentaudicnce"contained many young people who were any more people. If you have to go to the depths of "Expedition" well dressed, well groomed and have the intelligence to realise that to get to the masses, then it is not worth the debasement nor the Communism like Nazism and Fascism is oppressive, degrading and effort. must be prevented from spreading further in its attempts to enslave If by some strange chance, the poem was really written about a more people. Freedom is something to be cherished not ridiculed. real experience, 1 hope the anonymous poet's experience was vastly ?T''''i "^"'*" ^°' ^^^^ '^''''"°" ^^°'" "'^' ^•^•^- '""'"='* " ''"^c different from his recording of it. If it was not, I can only hope bulk of Communist preferences. that the sexual enjoyment and psychological insight of a genuine The real "howler" was the last paragraph. The resolution read to sexual cxperictiTO was lost in the pompous bombast, sentimentality the meeting was one with parts which supplemented one another. The and false rhetoric of the poem. motion for its adoption was put and I, as Oiairman, called for votes It doesn't make the poem any better but then, life is more against it. The fact that seven votes were recorded as being against important than art. the resolution hardly indicates a "unanimous" result for it. If your Yours, correspondent was asleep at that moment 1 must apologise for not Graham Rowlands, making sufficient noise to awaken him. (Eng. IVH) The meeting, I might add, like all functions in "Captive Nations Week" was very successful. The First Secretary of the Embassy of South Vietnam, Mr.Phung nhat Minh was delighted with his reception GALLUP GALLOP everywhere lie went. His two speeches have been roneoed and are Sir, available from the Citizens For Freedom (See Classified Ad.) A number of candidates in the previous Union elections were advocating the use of statistical poll methods as a means of estab­ Harold Wright, galmahra lishing student opinion on any important issue in which they feel President, Citizens for Freedom this opinion should be their guide. I would like to point out that a far more useful and realistic guide to student opinion is the one used GALMAHRA is the annual magazine of the University ot in the number of instances over the last two years, namely a vote Queensland Union (last produced in 1963). taken at a Forum at which both sides of the issue under consideration SUPPORT OR SAG! arc discussed. GALMAHRA is a high quality magazine representing the It is well known to all but the most apathetic that, in any im­ Dear Sir, best of current creative thought on the University Campus. portant issue involving the whole of the student body, the Forum On behalf of the Student Apathy Group I wish to thank those becomes the focal point for discussion of the issue some days, or GALMAHRA is aval lable at the Bookshop and Union Shop. ^r .. '"^"y™""'^*"''"''non-members who, apathetic and uncommitted, even weeks, before it is due to be decided. This provides the oppor- t^'d not vote at the Union Elections. Their abstinence (from votinc) tumty for those of us who arc not too apathetic to make up our '•ctf'icts from the universal glory and prestJEe of the oosition. ho\d minds,, one wayv nor llthme nthootherr , ,,on„ .l.the„ :„...issue> , o—n .Lthe. I....:basis. o_f th.L^e hu„llby ourr so-callecr.^.,Mn/dl studen„...J._t. leader.__j. s and. enhance. *s the Imag">l- I'WIUUIIe of a universS MLIO­ facts and ideas presented. On the day, then, when a vote is taken, a ity as a place of light, liberty and learning rather than as a vehicle for vast majority of the people present are genuinely interested in the power-seekers and opportunists. issue, and have some basis for making their decision one way or the other. Surely if Union Council wants to act on behalf of the student Continued apathy must eventually produce candidates without body, it should act on behalf of those people who lake the trouble ulterior moMves, student intellect will be recognised as something to investigate an issue to some degree, and to express their opinions more than that of sheep. Our apathy n.ust be directed solely against on it, rather than on behalf of people who arc cither loo disinlcresicd those who seek to use students on their climb lo the Room at Ihe to express any opinion, or willing to express one knowing little or lop and ihose who need the support of the student body in nothingabout the issue involved or on the basis of an ill-conceived or furthering causes they so fervently identify themselves with. one-sided idea of the issue and any repercussions il may have. GuesI Editor Evan Ham Associate Editor Michael Vours apathetidy, Kelly Advertising Managur Evan Ham Photography This is the obvious disadvantage of the poll method of gauging stu­ John Doe. WinstonMaikv Alan Fowlir Cartoonist Brian Doyle dent opinion.Any random sample of students willcontainaproportion Typisic Janine O'CarroU Motoring Evan Ham lilni (and going by past pcrforiiianccs of Queensland Uni. students prob­ Reviews Roy Sprengcr Trevor McCaul Geoff Dow ably a very large proportion) who cither don't care at aU about an Literary Reviews Graham Rowlands Arvus Biela issue, or kiunv M^ liulc ubout one ot hotli sides of the issue that they FINALLY John .Saunders Live rntcrtainincnl Michael Kelly William Mahvnty I'oliliial CorrespoiiJcjH Man jrf incapable of osprcssMij! any meaningful opinion. Until these Dear Sir. Fowler linaiue John Saundm Ken Cross Jmcr- MudcniN an- lucparcd it. spend .i hit of their precious lunch hour findini! out \Uiul is involved in any particiiiur issue, there appears to niitiom\Vofti's\MW{\ci\lsMohamcdKamarRobin W. I he Combined Advisory Commiltee has considered the policy be no reason wh^ HK-V sluKild \uw .i voice in what stand the Union Smith ANti«)l(>j;ii Mulwcl Kelly f.eneral Staff motion No. 5.V771 of the 55th Union Council and recommended Peter Ham Phil lusl Andrew Brown ,\wk Council >honld make on the issue. that as Irom \%') Science students be permitted to lake up to two Booth AutlioriscJ Ken BntJihaw lypesetlinp Qld. Type Service Uniscrv f7i J5ti.il I'rintod Watson and liiially 1 should sugiicst that any lime and energy expended in Arts subjects to counl towards their Science degree. holding a poll would be put to belter use If it were used for the Ferguson Rcnistvredin Australia for trainmission by After noting this rccommcndalioii, the Board of the Faculty of wider advcttiscincnl of l-orums and their topics, and that any vote post as a periodical Views expressed arc not Arts has rccotnmendcd that students enrolled in the Faculty of necessarily those of the University of Queensland taken at a loruni should be held on at least two days for the benefit Science should be permitted to take Arts subjects if the Board of Union or the University Adminisi'ration Copvright of students who may have some spedal conunilment and be unable the Faculty of Science desired this.