In General.

Before coming to our task of setting forth in an orderly fashion our impressions of the events which constituted Capping 1928, there are several matters of general interest which we would touch upon. In the first place, no official ceremony of any kind—no ceremony, that is, run under the auspices of either the Prof. Board or the College Council—was held this year. The Prof. Board discussed the pros and cons of holding an official congratulatory ceremony at which to welcome the graduates of the year, but then in its far-seeing and page 14 truly professional wisdom decided to recommend that no such ceremony should be held. The College Council likewise discussed the matter, received the recommendation of the Prof. Board, and then, to avoid coming to a decision, quietly went into committee over the whole business. The result was inevitable. Nobody was in the least surprised when the Council also decided to take no steps. So much for the Prof. Board and the College Council. The outcome was entirely in line with that strange inertia, that incomprehensible aversion to taking the lead in matters affecting student interests, which has of late become only too common in the deliberations of both bodies.

Be this as it may, however, the executive of the Students' Association, when they realized that no lead was to be expected from the College authorities in regard to Capping, boldly took on themselves the arrangement of a Public Congratulatory Ceremony to the graduates of the year. For their boldness, the executive was rewarded with an almost unqualified success. And "Spike" wishes to congratulate all those concerned in the organisation of the Undergrads Supper, the congratulatory ceremony, and the Capping Ball, for the able manner in which they so satisfactorily and efficiently carried through what was in its very nature, a task of no little difficulty, one involving not only initiative and foresight, but courage and good organisation. We sincerely and devoutly hope that both the Prof. Board and the College Council will take the lesson of Capping 1928 to heart, learn it carefully and, when the times comes again, be prepared to take that initiative in such matters which one expects from College authorities.

Speaking of the Prof. Board reminds us further that "Spike" wishes to enter a decided protest against the action of the Prof. Board which, at one period in its lengthy deliberations over Capping, demanded from the Students' Association guarantees as to the good conduct and exemplary behaviour of students, before it (the Prof. Board) would consider holding a ceremony. The Students' Association replied—and. in our opinion, quite rightly,—that it was in no position to give such guarantees, In effect, what the Prof. Board required was that the Students' Association should turn itself into a private detective agency and, in that capacity, should attempt the impossible task of keeping an eye on the every action of each individual student—which, of course, was absurd, as the Prof. Board should have had the wisdom to recognise in the first place; and we congratulate once again, the executive for the firm stand they took over the matter.

All this, of course, is not to say that there are no several minor criticisms which we think could be directed against the Congratulatory Ceremony in particular; for instance, since the official programme issued is of the nature of a record, we think that it would have been advisable to print thereon a record of those graduates who were successful in carrying off the various University scholarships for the year. We think, look, that it may be of use to reiterate again the absolute necessity—when a ceremony is held in the Town Hall—of those responsible securing speakers who can make themselves heard, not only to members of the audience in the first few rows of seats, but to those students and others occupying the rear of the hall. Just as long as undergraduates at the back are unable to hear speakers on the platform, just so long will they have an excuse to make a senseless din. Thirdly "Spike" notes with disapproval that although—as we understand—all the members of the staff, both professors and lecturers, page 15 were the recipients of formal invitations to be present at the Congratulatory Ceremony, only a bare half dozen thought it worth their while to attend. Not a single apology for absence was read out by the chairman—whether any were received we know not at the time of writing—and none of the staff but one were present at the Ball. If this is the interest that the staff in general takes in college activities—strictly "unofficial" though they be—can it wonder that at times there may be a certain lack of interest in the College on the part of the students themselves?

Finally, in connection with Capping as a whole, we were sorry to see that no extravaganza was forthcoming. The Executive is supposed to have hopes of one for the next year. Whether this is so or not, we sincerely trust that adequate steps will be taken next year to revive once again that now almost defunct glory of former Capping celebrations—the Extravaganza.

But this is more than sufficient in the way of a general review of Capping 1928. Let us now consider the events in order.