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Notes from other colleges

AT the Capping Day ceremonies at Auckland this year, the Chancellor commended the Students on the very fair and good hearing they had given to the speakers; he also complimented them on the prospect of having new buildings in the near future.

L. T. Pickmere spoke from the student's gallery and impressed on the College Council the urgent desire of the Students that in finding a new habitation for the College it should secure an ample recreation ground as well. Perhaps our President will note this. Probably we shan't get it, but it is just as well to keep it before the Council.

In the afternoon many good college songs were sung—no remarks are made about the metre—and in the evening a concert was given of which the chief feature was a musical comedietta—'A Modern Hamlet'—three acts—written by L. T. Pickmere. This proved to be one of the greatest successes the College has yet had.

We notice in a Southern exchange an article on Oxford, by J. A. Thomson, last year's Rhodes Scholar. In giving his impressions of the life, he seems specially struck by the slang—which at first is as an unknown tongue; Oxford etiquette, which for instance, does not allow the second year man to recognise the Fresher in public, is also a stumbling block. He seems rather surprised at the "amount" of work done, two hours' page 64 lectures and four hours reading constituting a day's work of which one may be proud.

Otago University has done exceedingly well this year in Senior Grade football. At the present time they tie with Kaikorai for the premiership. Their record is as follows,—Played 5; Won 4; Points for 74; Against 13. This augurs well for the success of their team on the other side. Their back team is said to contain some top-notchers, among whom Heale, the five-eighth is specially noticeable.

From Dunedin comes news of strife. The Professorial Board has issued the edict that no young lady attending lectures shall appear with flowing locks and abbreviated dresses. Surely there must be a lady on the staff of the Otago Magazine, for instead of sympathizing with the victims of professorial tyranny the comment made is "We consider it well that there is a hope of seeing the child disappear from our midst."

Perhaps our Board may see the necessity for a similar measure at Victoria College. We announce our opposition to the change.

Canterbury College footballers seem grieved at the hard heartedness displayed by a certain professor in refusing to allow his class to miss lectures during one afternoon a week in order that they may attend practice. Whilst the 'dissolute mechanics' are thus debarred, the football scribe can see no hope for the future of the Club. To cheer him, we may remark that our case is still sadder, since the only field practice our teams can get is either in their matches, or very early in the morning on the outskirts of the city.

The Otago University team is said to give a better exhibition of Rugby, from the point of view of the spectator, than any other team in the competition, and on the occasion of a recent match, a great crowd of enthusiasts followed the fortunes of the game. As yet we do not require the services of a band of stalwart policemen to prevent the crowd from encroaching on the field of play.

At the last meeting of the University Council, a letter was read from the Students' Association, drawing attention to the bad state of the footpaths. Our students, who have to wade through a miniature lake, will sympathise with our southern friends.

A comparison of the results of the 1903 examinations with those of 1904, shows that Victoria College is steadily improving page 65 as far as the number, both of pass degrees and honours is concerned.

In 1904 in Arts and Science the Honours obtained by the various Colleges were as follows:—Otago gained 3 first class, 1 second, and 4 third; Canterbury College 4 firsts, and 4 second 1 Auckland 3 firsts, and 2 seconds; and Victoria College 1 first, 2 seconds, and 1 third.

In Senior Scholarships, Otago holds the premier position with 4, Canterbury coming next with 2, while Victoria College obtained one. The John Tinline Scholarship was won by Otago, and the Macmillan Brown Essay Prize by Victoria College.

In 1903, Victoria College only obtained two Honours, a first and a third. Though we are still behind the other Colleges in the matter of Honours, this cannot be considered surprising in view of the fact that nearly all the students can employ only a part of their time in study. In addition to this the College cannot as yet afford the facilities provided by other colleges for those who wish to devote themselves to Honours work.

In passes for sections of the Pass Degree—excluding those n Law, Medicine, or Engineering, Otago is first with 44 passes, Victoria College 43, Auckland 24, Canterbury 28.