ADDRESS TO STUDENTS

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1088, 29 March 1911, Page 10

ADDRESS TO STUDENTS

VICTORIA COLLEGE OPENING TERM. PROFESSOR HUNTER'S REMARKS. Yesterday afternoon Professor Hunter (chairman of the Professorial Board of the Victoria College) delivered an address on tho occasion of the opening term. Professor Hunter extended a hearty welcome to the young students of tho university—those who were beginning their studies and those who, having already begun, had the courage and perseverance to continue them. New students were passing a turning-point in their life's history. They would find themselves altogether in a new environment, and they would endeavour to adapt themselves as best they could to the changed circumstances. Educationally they would find a great difference in the'relationship'between the teacher and pupil. If one looked at university education it would be found to consist fundamentally in a cooperation of effort. No.doubt tho common idea was that the pupil must be looked upon as a jug, while tho task of the teacher was to fill that jug as quickly as may be. That belief, however, was fast ceasing to occupy any prominence in education work. In the lower stages of education tho gap between tho teacherand pupil was a pretty sharp one. When the secondary stage was reached the pupil was found to be m.oro and. more on his own initiative, and the co-operation of efiort between teacher and pupil reached its climax at the university.- The element of compulsion, as far as studies went, censed. Students must 110 longer depend upon their teachers to forco them to study. •In the university, therefore, the gap which was supposed to exist between the instructor and the instructed ceased to exist. At a university, all ought to be students. "We have prided ourselves in. the pa,st in this college," the professor asserted, "that thero has been-that feeling of cooperation between tho teacher and student, and we feel that - those just entering oh their studies will see. that the reputation of-the college is maintained. In order that it might he. maintained it is necessary that students should get into touch with their instructors and fellow-students. They may lie safely left to the clubs to get into touch with- their fellow-students." Professor Alexander's classification of students was as follows:—"Those who ask intelligent questions, those who ask foolish questions, and those who ask no questions." There was one other point Professor Hunter would like to make, and that was what. were they to conceive as the object of a university education ? He supposed he would not do the majority of the new students an injustice if 110 were to say that they Would/answer that question by replying; that they desired to get a degree, whereby their salaries might be increased. (La'ughter.) He did not deny that increased knowledge ought to bring With it an increase of this kind—far from it. But if any of tho students had studied the motto of tho eollfgo they would ste that if they were going to live up to that motto this could not bo the sole thing in the university life. Literally translated he did not know what the* motto meant— (laughter)—but practically translated it meant something like this: "Though, gold may be the .commercial,, it. may not be tho" lifo standard of value." Tlio object of a university education and training was that better citizens may be produced. Therefore, the moral basis of a university training 'was the search of truth. He didi not intend this word to be accepted in its narrow sense. But if tlio university did not succeed in making men who could change their conviction if the weight of evidence' makes it better for them to do so, then the university had failed in its object. They should bo able to weigh evidence and take it for what it was worth. Ho quoted Epiotetus: "If truth you will not need to-gain a;,victory by every possible means; and when you have found truth you need not fear being defeated." Marcus Aurelius had said: "If any man is able to convince me and show me that I do not think or act rightly, t will gladly change. • for I seek tho truth by which 110 man was ever injured; but ho is injured who abides in his error and' ignorance." In later years .Tohn Locke had «rid: "To love truth for truth's sake is the principal part of human perfection in this world, and the seed plot of all other virtues." Professor Hunter then went on to give, some practical hints -to the new pupils as to bow thev should arrange their courses. If a student had any subject in which he .would like to strive, fo.r honours he should immediately consult the professor of that subject, and ask his advice. If the student had not a subject of this description one could be selected from those upon which some knowledge had already been gained at the. secondary school. University life, he concluded, was complex. Many students tended to get lost in the social maze. Thev should select those- clubs, so that their social life vnuld be well balanced with educational life.