11am Facilities Boost Activity

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31340, 10 April 1967, Page 8

11am Facilities Boost Activity

Since the new Students’ Union building at Ham was opened by the University of Canterbury, there had been a tremendous surge of new activity and an accompanying surge of community interest, said the university information officer (Mr E. T. Beardsley). Since development at Ham was first planned, the university had hoped that both students and the public would find that fine facilities would stimulate joint endeavour. This was happening already, said Mr Beardsley. The many committee and club rooms in the Student Union building had been in daily use with the annual meetings of the 70 student societies, and the start of their programmes. The Ngaio Marsh Theatre had been used for addresses, folk music, films and an orchestral recital. There had been a variety of religious seminars. The World University Service work day was managed from the Students’ Union.

The public in large numbers had attended public functions in the Students’ Union building and in neighbouring lecture theatres. This week these ranged from, an address by an eminent novelist to an address on heart surgery.

Mr Beardsley said that Ilam had also become a popular venue for extension studies courses and for professional conferences ranging from the Medical Association of New Zealand to the New Zealand Institution of Engineers.

All this had been reflected in an increased demand for the university’s conducted tours, said Mr Beardsley. On Thursday 100 persons# in three parties were shown round.