"Smad" Looks Back.

Looking back from the pinnacle of another year-ending, on Brookie and the other ideas that make up University life, one wonders how this year will appear in the "good old days" dreams of ages to come. Will we have a guilty feeling that it was really not so grand, or will memory move us to vie with the grandfathers of to-day in gilding the glories of our past?

The year has been quietly eventful. Capping stands out as the best for years. Renewed interest in the Building Fund has brought this dream nearer reality. Social functions have been few but of a high quality and well organised. They promise well for the success of next year, with the strain and greater opportunities of Tournament and Capping in quick succession. Time is still the great enemy. The work of organising concentrates in a few hands, and these few—however willing—are unable to devote the extra time and attention necessary to secure any great improvement. A greater participation of full time students would help to solve this difficulty, and we hope that they will play a more dominant role in the future.

Perhaps our greatest lack is that of the vociferous and unyielding Common Room extremists of some years ago. Communists we still have, but they are not enough or not vocal enough to wage the violent controversies that used to empty the library at 8 p.m.

One of the most promising signs for next year is that nearly all those prominent in organising will be back again. Provided our militarists are not disporting themselves on the Abyssinian battle-field and "Smad" is not filled with special news from the front, next year should see the realisation of much progressive work that has been done this year.