Students' “Debate” Was Last Straw

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 46, 17 May 1927, Page 14

Students' “Debate” Was Last Straw

NO CAPPING CEREMONY THE COUNCIL’S DECISION There will be no graduation ceremony for university students this year. The “debate” in the Town Hall concert chamber at Easter tournament time, when the three judges were a target for over-ripe tomatoes and two live hens were released on ti e stage, has proved too much for the Professorial Board, the attitude of which was endorsed by the College Council yesterday. The University College Council received from the Professorial Board the following resolutions: “(1) That the board call on the Students’ Association to furnish, by the end of the first term, the names of any Auckland students implicated in the disturbances at the recent inter-college deba.te. “(2) Further, that in the event of this Information not being forthcoming, the board recommend tc the council that no graduation ceremony be held this year. “(3) That the Tojrnament Committee be requested to add'ess to the chairman and judges of the debate, through the chairman of the Professorial Board, a formal written apology “(4) That the board approach the other colleges with a view to the abolition of the debate as a public function at the tournaments.”

The board also reported that the reply received from the executive of the Students’ Association had been to the effect that it could not identify the men responsible. The students had apologised to the chairman of the debate and to the judges The association also stated that it had been decided that in future the debate be held in camera.

The Hon. Oeorge Fowlds, presiding, said that he had always been a champion of the students in such revels, but it seemed the safes: thing to adopt the report and recommendations of the board. The council had to show its disapproval of the uproar. Those responsible should be identified and “sent down.”

Professor H. W. Segar stated that the disturbances originated in the gallery and the Students’ Association had only hearsay evidence against the ringleaders. A student, said Professor F. P. Worley, had told him that the tomatoes had been thrown by a man at the gallery door and that it was not certain that he was an Auckland student. The recommendations of the Professorial Board were adopted.