'VARSITY LIFE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 161, 1 April 1908, Page 8

'VARSITY LIFE.

THE TRIALS OF A. FRESHMAN. Tho: life. '' freshman during tho first week, or so' .Jif his- n'ovifaatq is not e-xictly a-bed .of ro'scs, to Prokvjsor:Mackenzie'! s • 'entertaining' Tccit-al of ; tho troubles which .beset .tho, freshman. of the ■ Homo* Universities. • This recital - formed tho- conclusion of his address t-fj. • tlip • now 'students at tho first ''opening flay-at Victoria .CJollcge yostbr'day.. .-According to Professor .-Mackenzie, :thi> lifo of tho .University novico. ih ; the Dominion is ah enviable one by comparison of tho freshmen of tho,, English or tho '.'bejans'' (yellow-beaks) of .'.tho. French , and rScottish Univbrsiti'es. In the' older Universities freshmen are. subjected, to various indignities, and initiatory rites of a mo'ro. br less grotesque character at , tho " hands ofr. senior students. A common practice; 11'ot so very long ago, : was. '.to,-' hof.o';. freshmen 'assembled 1 in'.-'a room' and insist upon , their delivering spoe'chcs.' -To'th'oso who gave, a gcod account of, themselves as orators,; a, cup of what was called- " candle(a mixture; of .wine, eggs, 'bread, sugar; and- spiced j' us.ually.'given ; to', invalids,. was , administered. Ttioso- who . acquitted themselves -fairly well had* ".candle ! V with a liberal : supply 'cifsalt-water ; added, and thbsp. whp.i wero. accounted failures " had to-'drink off a pint or two of -salt-water, alone. • . '. . , In the Middle Ag;es the lifo of the TJniver-. fci'ty novic'o, was'little other than' a. succession of tortmres. -and : indignities.;.;' In .'the sevent6erith century, .with a, view ;to/'making. tho freshman's life; nioro tolerable, a Kind' of official; imtiation wafe. inaugurated by. certain University authorities;.. >A - half-day. (at tho opening of tlio session)' wa6 devoted, to;,this purpose; A's.tho novicp.or new' student was presumed to possess not a-few of, tho marks, of tho beast arid.-devil, the;rite camotobo known (properly enough),- as tho;'" Depositio oonuiiim," .or. tho VdUborningi": m'wojmay put 'it.. Tho.!.freshmen -had ,to' 'appbar ;ih. rootloy.. They'.wbro caps,', to.' which . long:; ears and ■ horns 'wore' .attained.' -Tusks were inserted in their ,mouths.; V : '- ,

Tliey .wor'o then . driven like 'cattlo: by. an official called a "Depositor' (presumably thb ■ chairriian of tho Professorial .Board' for tho, timo being), into .a-.robm',.whero many, spectators ..wero assembled. Tho Depositor arranged them. in .a;.ei.rclo, in -.tho eentrG of.' which- no 'himself - stood; Tho ceremony was a serio-comic: one. I■;.V1 ■;.V •

What was begun " in furi " -.was eniifed very, ' senbusly.' ' -The 'Depositor;reriimdedi.tliem;of thb -errbrs: and - v.ices of of the necessity of. putting-.off-:;the beast, arid.'putting '. on tho , man. ''-He - put: (\ve; are. told) questions !■' to .-tliem,.- but. ' their'., boars' 'tusks prevented .them -, from-'speikirig/ distinctly; aridj ; uri,' consequence; fhe /called:. therii", boars.' Boars' tusks .'.'meant ■, '.he;.' said, ,;int'emperaric!!,' because .the mind of .young-people was /darkened through: eating ;and drinking too much. Ho- put their ri.ecks into a 'wooden. histfliriient, which,h<j pressed \uritiktlib .tusks'fbll-to tlie gro.und. ...If the, " b.ejants "-attendedvtff .their studiesand, were., diligent,vhb;said,sb..would they -. 105e... their.- inclination, ,te.', intemperance arid gluttony,- as, they, -lost'-their;.tusks: -Then the;,'.Dopbsitpro /rioljs&tljp;.. .'tore -: 'off ;..their i Ibrig ears, ".intimating .-.-tg. j.tfetim:-.act was meant, that they must study .diligentlyJ - v if whole ;o(t -their, lives.'.;, Then- ho, pulled: off their Kdnis!:(.wJiichi.sigriified';hrutalt roughridss)j and rWit|t' : tnis'^he went ('part '-of '.tho '.bejants ibodjf,' pbiiij^yjbOT^wa^ lqus Vcoreiibnios,tlip 'Deposito?. poured'-a'Tajge basin'i of .'water/ovbiv tho.,headß'''pf,'thb~ novicbs,' and .'dried ■themvwith'ya.cbarso ■ toweL

: '. "..The :oere'mony:.oii.ded., l mthl:. , a'S6peech V dressed to"tho;polislied, : 'wa'slied, and: rubbed company, 'saying 'riiust' begin 'vanew'.life,' 'bvercPirib' all•. Jiad ;■ inclinations; - and lay, aside bad -habits," which disfigured their souls,. just- 1 as. the .parts .'of • tHeir cast-oil .motley'disfigured' their'bbdiis'.'.: .'After tho.',.cbremony l :'^ , a3; over', :'.;tho'' ; Depasitpr.';tpbk them to'/the'dban'.bf; tho,faculty of/ arts, who' .subjected them to':,T slibi:t:prelimiriary-exami-nation :in- the/subjccts which 'they -had learned at./scliobl,' and'/gayo/ihem 'advice as. tb,.\tho methods of . prosecuting . their '.TJniversity' studies'." .' '.' ' ■

"Although considered,: after., this, initiatory, ceremony, and preliminary , examination,' .fit and proper .persons iSartalio of;"tlie: ".neetared.:'swee'ts '?.• of University;education; they, had • to« 'undergo • 'a'' few years l ;' exacting academic discipline befor f o, receiving;,, their - " cap of liberty." The liberated; Roman slaves received: a-cap of Jliborty ; ; ';(pileua)', /and this; is supposed: to explain oiir University " cap : ping", cbremojAy. /The, student,'- while-,an,:,un-. dergraduato,'. was regarded ; as.V an " academic' slavo, /not':. fit; to .:bo; (intbllect'ual)y) at large.' Tli'o graduate'", : wai ■ formally "capped,", or givon/ his "'capof;liberty; I 'Va's ; a symbolic indication of his fitness '.(in tho opinion, of the University - faculty) • ,to :bp * academically .and intellectually, at : .large. In. the 'older Universities- aVcommori'','cap'.' (yery-much' Jilto 7a : Ui;;-. Ver&itytrbnehe'r of :hoary antiquity), is.;placed "oh 6f : -•' ."'tho' .Chancellor;is.< reciting the iforr mulir., •hopeleiss'to attempt to-, introduce,',tliis. part of tho . cbrpmony/' into/.New,,/ZMlaiid .in- '.these -daysof "individualcbmmumon ■ .pups ;ajid ab-, normally-. active. microbes;'. as ; alsoVof. 'ener- 1 getic.' . ' - ; . Life ;,at; ,prie. : of. our.;University...Cbllbges-'jis sober, serious, -and 'sedate; .'as- c'oiriparedvwith that' of ,not.".a/ : .fe\y ,of the older,, Universities (even at ' the .present - day);. Professor. Mapkenzib •'surmise have' .nrit fordevisjrig, mischief''like so- mahy.;6f the,stiidents of the,.older-institu-,tioil^,'., They/.luiye,-,but.*one. 'day/..'in ; ,thp -year ,^ra/ltn^}!aro;.&jiiMd^rj^,;mpre|.pr--il^.-flti-tion}., day. v has. "been, ,;frojriv,timev'immemprial almost;- - rpgarded-as ; a! 'fitting;;-bccasion}' 'for ands, arc ;.privilcged:;-t0,,,d0n'., the;:-academic "cap ,'of ..liberty;!."; .(and, a's; a,-r'lilo :hayo v their'claim • allowed) ".tlie right. to don ;.a; cap' arid"bells';", : -;; -,'..;, J tlib ;Prpfessori ;";I.feel, confident::'.that,K-if; 'yqiiy.apply.. , .y6urselv.Cs.';tp your: studies', 'in :the';right-,way;and .spirit, '.-and' show, tliat. you aro" working with an honest desiro'. to '•cbme, r by,\'thbv'acadehlic'''-"'cSp: of. liberty,;, the,',. University /"authorities will: not grudge you th 6' .prntflege:, (you claim) of "doriniiig motley, 1 or, a.rcap.; aii'd bells,;, oil." one', day in the^coursp'.p'f; the, academic 'of' cpurse; tha.t-you show- a: true' sense of ' apadentic' precedent;'arid-propriety/- on. such' beb'asionsi"