Te Aute vets Tu Tangata

Tu Tangata, Issue 27, 1 December 1985, Page 21

Te Aute vets Tu Tangata

The suspicion that Tu Tangata was not being bought, and hence not being sufficiently read around New Zealand, prompted a party of fourteen Form 6 students from Te Aute College to drive to Wellington with their Englishlanguage tutor, Lincoln Gribble. They met with magazine editor, Philip Whaanga, to request that a free issue of a class-set of Tu Tangata be given to Te Aute College every two months. Student Tony Collins commented: “Mr Whaanga was a real ‘gun - at speaking in both English and in Maori. He was usually at the centre of the talks and he held our attention, as did his supporter. Andrew, who also had a perfect bilingual tongue. Both were fast-talking

men and as we followed their speech our only reply was an affirmative, “Yes”. So the makings of a trap were laid: Philip getting us to do work for him, and we so dumbfounded by him we couldn’t reply.” The outcome of the journey was an agreement reached whereby Te Aute will receive multiple copies of those issues to which it has tendered copy and pictures to the high standard required by Tu Tangata. We face a real challenge; yet have been given the opportunity to be in touch, through Tu Tangata , with a nation-wide readership and with an international audience beyond our shores.