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The Forsaken Freshman.

We hear so much nowadays of the lack of spirit at V.U.C., of the indifferent attitude of the majority of students towards the fuller 'Varsity life, that it is really becoming monotonous. Who are these dismal complainers? Do they think that they are really advancing their cause? Are they aware of only one method of producing a result—that of driving and fault-finding? If indeed there is such a lack of spirit as they mournfully assert, then no amount of castigation will urge the jaded horse forward. It is only the spirited steed that responds to the lash, not the poor, decrepit hack. And yet here they are, crushing out every particle of pride that naturally asserts itself to some degree or other in the human being.

If you force a man long enough to believe that he is a fool, why, then, he will be a fool, and there is nothing surer. It was only recently that I overheard a student of V.U.C. cheerfully admit that Victoria College was merely a night school just a place at which one could attend the minimum number of lectures and then be well rid of; and he seemed to believe it. Why? Why was he devoid of any spark of pride in the College to which he belonged? Why was he satisfied to keep quiet while others spoke with pride of their Colleges, and even when his was deprecated yet make no reply ? The main cause lay not in the defect of his character—we are all capable of pride and interest—but in the belief that is being continually dinned into his ears that we are no good, that we are a second-rater, an outcast and a leper and not really a University at all.

If we could all realise our present ideals there would still be left something that we would want; we can never be fully satisfied. Our job in this life is not to boast of what we would do if we had the opportunity and right materials—what would sweeten achievement if that were so?—but to do the best we can with what we have at present. "Ich dien "—I serve—runs the old motto of the Princes of Wales, and can we do better than follow their examples? It is no good saying (as so many do say) "Let us wait until we have more full-time students and then things will be different." It would be more to the point to take off our coats and get down to solid work to raise the College spirit our-selves and now—not wait for someone else to do it; everyone can do that and there is no particular credit attached to or satisfaction derived from merely following in the track of someone else.

There is, I suggest, another way of obtaining the desired result than by that of fault-finding. Was it the custom of the ancient charioteers (to revert to the old analogy) to whip their animals round the course? Did Ben Hur win his race by the incessant application of a knotted thong? No, it was by word and voice that he urged his steeds along. We read that the old heroes used to marshal their men before the battle and, in burning words paint for them the famous deeds of their ancestors, show them the glory and honour of valour and point out the way by which they, too, might follow in their footsteps. We find no mention of disaster or base retreat. It was the upward path along which they were to travel and their goal was placed before page 42 them and their way pointed out. And might not we pause for a while and consider the wisdom of these ancients; pause in our downward contemplation of what is, and lift our minds to the ideal of what should be? Let us not revile the black depths because we dwell there, but rather ourselves, because we have not the courage and will to climb out of them.

Mazzini came to Italy in the early years of the 19th century and found, not a united and confident nation, but a collection of peoples, scattered and at variance with one another, yet all yearning for something just beyond their grasp; they felt the need for nationality and liberty, yet found no means of attaining it. Did Mazzini deplore the state of the country and humiliate the people by further impressing upon them the sense of their own shortcomings? No! He set to work to encourage them, to lift them a little higher in the plane of national self-respect, to create a new spirit, the youth, the fire of "Young Italy."

We can liken our own case to that of Italy. Italy was never successful until she first created a spirit within herself, and though afterwards she was forced to obtain help from outside, it was the alliance of two nations—one a little stronger economically, but both nations in spirit. We nearly all at V.U.C. come from secondary schools and colleges, and surely the lessons which we learned there and the traditions which we upheld do not cease their application immediately we leave the precincts of the old school. No; rather should they find a fuller expression begat of our ripening years.

I can imagine remarks, "Yes, this may be very well so, but what about a practical suggestion," and it is true that here lies a great difficulty. No difficulty, however, is insurmountable, and once students can be obtained to support the trial of a movement and at least make an attempt to remedy the existing state of affairs, its proportions dwindle considerably. And I would suggest that first of all the Students' Association call a meeting of students and put before them the plight of our University life. Public opinion is a vast power, and once public opinion can be swayed in the right direction it is comparatively easy to deal with those who resist. In my old school, certain school activities were compulsory, but their observance was never enforced by the school authorities because it never went as far as that. If a breach of school custom were made it was public opinion that fixed the penalty and public opinion that carried out the punishment. And surely this is the foundation of all social laws! Those who will not fulfil the requirements of a true University life should not be here, and they are better out of it—especially from the point of view of those who wish for a real University; and if pressure were brought to bear—perhaps backed up by University statute—they would very quickly fall into line or withdrawn to the seclusion of their own homes.

We need not fear, I feel sure, that public opinion would be the other way. I have known of many cases, both of young men and young women, fresh from the ideals of school and ready to plunge whole-heartedly into the life and spirit of the University, who have found nothing—just a blank; and gradually they have lost their enthusiasm and joined the mass of those who merely come and go. And you cannot blame them. One cannot expect page 43 a girl or boy coming straight from school to take the role of leader and launch forth on a new project. For the first year, he or she is settling down to the new life, finding his or her own level in the new surroundings. But—and here is where the mistake is made—both are ready to follow, to continue in the path of a fuller education, a glimpse of which they have had at school; all they require is leadership. The facilities are there—or I suppose they are—but the urging power to enable young-students to overcome their shyness (which is only natural at first) is lacking. Once they can be guided into the right channels before their enthusiasm is crushed and their keenness damped, then they will continue and strengthen in those channels. And this is where public opinion is needed. If it is the correct thing to enter into 'Varsity life, if it is "done," then the mind of the fresher will accept that as peculiar to University life and conduct himself accordingly.

So it behoves all students of V.U.C. to act now; to organise and prepare the proper channels of 'Varsity life so as to have them ready for the new students of 1926, and not leave these to beat against the hard wall of indifference until overtaken by apathy.—Yours, etc.,