LIFE AT CAMBRIDGE

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 77, 31 March 1920, Page 3

LIFE AT CAMBRIDGE

A NEW ZEALANDER AT . .. ...NEWNH-AM... ..■.-••: ' IDIOSYNCEACIES OF GREAT MEN UNIVERSITY ETIQUETTE. ■■- (HOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) ,tONDON;"2Bth"Janiia-ry.' - Miss Catherine C. Braddock, who re- ' ceived her education at Victoria, Urn--versity College,- Wellington,- is-at-Newn~ ham College,' Cambridge, - having been awarded the Post-Graduate Scholarship in Arts from.the New Zealand Univer-. sity in-order to go abroad'-to : continue her studies in psychology'and'philosophy Previously she ha,d,!been' a..teacher for i some years in the Petone West School, . after obtaining her degree .iii the sec- * ondary' department ""' of" 'Pet-one "District. High jSphpol. , Miss,.Brad ; dpek J ,hjts lived' in various parts'of-New-Zealand, including' Nelson,'. Pictbri,. Xaikoura, and' Ohristchurch, so that interest will be taken in New. Zealand in seeing some of .the early, impressions., of life at Cambridge formed by this student, who ar-' rived in England,.'. .with-' . her mother, sister, and a cousin, in . the ..middle of last year. ' ■' •■ ' • . Mrs. Braddock has-gone, to live, at Rotherham, Yorkshire, where'her daugh-.. ter is doing well with a Montessori pre- I paratory school which she ■' has' started there. Prior to settling down fto Univer :: sity life, Miss Braddock-saw a good deal of Scotland, and spent some time sightseeing" and 'visiting" friends,..' As" a;, research student, she is doing post-gradu- ] ate w.ork, .largely in experimental psycho'- j ogy, in the-Psychological'Laboratory 'f1f... ;, Newnham, and-<also attending- lectures.' ; She will probably be two years at Cambridge. ; , ; ; " '-. ' ';' * ■/"keeping" terms:" ' ' - "Life here," writes Miss' Braddock in a very informing and bright letter, "is' very full and interesting. There is so i much to do, so much of interest to go to, and so much social life, that' it is difficult at first to see how any study is ; ' be squeezed in-at. all. One of the most ■ curious things, that strikes, .a newcomer is the extraordinary way life, becomes', all at once full of all kinds nf activities, - of which study forms'ho part.' TUecpre-. vailing doctrine seems, ,"to be that ..one I comes here for the life-and not to study, j |Of course, this is more or less so at-any j I university, but is particularly marked, in j j .Cambridge, where to 'keep terms' means j | to be in residence for so many nights. ] I and does not depend on the number oE | I attendances at lectures, and . amount, of j ! written work done, as in our ;New -Zen- I land colleges. .Different-"types of-stn-.j i dent-s look at the matter of study in difi ferent ways To the boy and girl just' from' school; keenness .in'-a--particular-direction is treated much' 'the;'same',as a. ! desire to go to Church:would be-^-a very i right and proper sentiment, but very dull, don't, you know. With ."others, it... may be. treated with good-humoured 'tolerance'or even with" open' contempt," according as..the..person' 'is.- interested" in sport ■or in 'going the pace.'' There is, however, a great deal- of unashamed interest in things . intellectual. .'. : Thus, there are clubs <and societies- in almost every branch of study in arts and science and for every shade of .political'opinion. COLLEGE ETIQUETTE: — •; '- "In a residential university such as this, the social ;side forms, no iricon-•'■ ■siderable part. It' is impossible with' an academic population of 5500 .to-expect : that there ,can. be. any.. real..university life. ' Of inter-collegiate", social activities there are little,. ..-or'- none. Thus -people- "fpi'm,,;;.the'ms"elyes " jnto groups,, according .to their college, ac- 1 cording ' to their, chief snbjectT,-0f..-in-" terest, and according to f thß;numb&r;""of friends and, acquaintances known in preacademic ; days or ..to"w horn.you have received introductions.; ,Ypu, naturally 'chum up' with the people who-'dine;' in hail' at y'oiif table or 'who occupy rooms near yours;-pn■the.t.hii'd'.floojiflp'pf.,the.: j right- wing, from whom you borrow .wheir necessary—they returning, ','fh'e ' compliment. With these you; give'and ,takct afternoon teas, coffees after.dinners, and cocoa suppers...'.The.etiquette of the college says that a first year may not invite a second year, firsts nor a second year a third year. The year above you must take the initiative in 'the"'matter* lof invitation. As a research student' is I counted as a fourth year, the:, scheme i rather-breaks down, because if she is a ! stranger, she""will .riot'.want--to, invite' i third or second years first, and-as'a'. ■ matter.of fact, they invite .her- -first. ; Many ,of . the . prof essors .invite '''their I students to lunch, and keen students ! in a particular subject gather round.the" I sacred tea-cup to. talk and,.discuss, .njix-" ] ing ,iip small-talk with deep meta- <■ j physical, problems.of ..life and death, and i j existence, and all things social and.ptili-': j tical and scientific, in-the-queerest way. « THE OLD LAND AND.' T.HE TN'EW—A - .■■■COMPARISON." — /';;;: "Ragging was a-t one time,a.great feature of University life. The'war has of i recent years absorbed 'all'the. superfluous , j energy of over-healthy undergraduates in' > this direction. - Nowadays- they do-not ; seem to be a-bleto think of' ariything,.niore ! brilliant-tpdo 'than ■to;,,'rag >; v N,ewnham J ' and thus "give vent to that'century-old ■male protest against the admission.of..the other seite'a learning'which'a,' hutfdred. I years ago was the birthright of man alone. j Mediaeval."prejudice"dies hai'd"'-' Coming | from a land unfettered by, the ,chains,,of t tradition and a University where ■; men j and women are co-equal in education, the position of woman here strikes .brie, .with all the more force. She is not a 'member of the University,' and so'.is-denied all sorts.;, of .rights, and prjvilegesCEbn;nected therewith. She may attend lectures indeed, and,sit, for the* degree examinations. If she passes, jshe is.given a certificate equivalent to <i- ilegree-'dip-loma if she were a- man; She may not sit for an ordinary pass degree (8.A.), but must sit at the end of three years for a. Tripos (Honours). If she failsj she is 'sent down,' and thus not .allowed a second'trial, while the men.may take, as long as they like to pass t/nese .examina,tious. " ' ' """.".' •.'•;' '■ : ■^".;- . A .NEW^fiXM-'sMBBOLETH. ' •' "•When the women's colleges"were^first established, all sorts of ■ -gloomy gnostications were forthcoming,- and" in fear and trembling, the authorities of Girton and Kewr.ham (dear good souls— all honour to these pioneers) surrounded their students with -.numerous strait-laced and grandmotherly rules, and built high walls round the colleges, convent-wise. But these rules are gradually-.beiug .abolished, and those.which'remain..'at the present time are fairly sensible. New Zealand girls may be interested-to learn that NeWnh.am7st'u'den"ts"~areV-"Sllowetn-i6 smoke, providedthey dp .so\in;^he prfvacy of their own^rooms. or-in- the- garden. :: "A Newnham girl who does not smoke is considered rather an extraordinary person. THE HALLMARK OF THE UNDERGRADUATE. "Cambridge is no do-übt the men's stronghold; There are 5000 men to 500 women -students, so that iri term time the town is. full of undergraduates. As seen, in street and shop, they have their own peculiar hallmark, as distinct from the non-academic, citizens of Cambridge town. You may happen oir two , men along 1 the street; one is muffled in a'coat and wears a felt -hat,, the other is. .bareheaded, wears no coat, and his socks match .tlie , colour, of 'liis iwee'dsV- TEere

is no need to ask" which•'is the townsman and which the student. The undergraduate, compelled:'by traditional usage to. wear cap.. and"~go,\yn, cannot, therefore wear any other form of -Outdoor"attire. He 1 makes a' compromise arid -wears neither.' Besides, this fina, upstanding young • product: ;of the • -pußlic" school is probably healthier than his less fortunate brother. When roing to a lecture at which- academic; dress is "required';"' the . student carries the sign of-his--position 'in .'fttatu .pupil-lan.' rolled up "uricleiv his arm, or y.-ourtd;. round his'neck like a boa.' Only after dark, under-the ful influence, o£.,:proctor 'and :bull-dog combined, will he be seen in the full . glory'of gown-and trehch-8r..-'/ ' -."' .. ..VERY. HUMAN. AFTER ALL/ . "Prince Albert and Prince Henry are here. Prince Albert is taking a course' ,in mechanics, and- Prince.-Henry ;irf;history and economics; The latter sits just behind a friend'of mine in the, history class, who.,WHB.-amiisjd-ib.hear.-him-re-■mirk. the' 'other' day, tb"'his next 'neighbour that he had spent all morning reckoning up his expenses, and ,con'Bi'dei'jSd the f?esraT. Trimty.'."QoHege irere ridiculously high. -^Hip/companitm laugh•'■ed." I. suppose- lie thought, like-the-girls in the front".row >-. that. a."prince would not need to worry about money! ■ ." "GBEAT M3SN' AND. THEIR " ■" PECULIARITIES.. ....,,,; '.':;''.' one of the really' . splendid "things aSout Cambridge is the ■ diversity .. of. opinions on any one subject. You can go to hear a man'of.'world-wide fame ona da.y, and go the next' to his critic, periwps equally well-known, who will ana> 'lyie. dissect, and: bi-£ak in pieces every,' I assertion ..your first; man 'made- This is ! an invigorating if a somewhat confusinj; expeiionce... It-is no doubt duo to these) conflicts of opinions that ...Cambridge people, arenas-a- whole, so open ; minded and ! liberal in their "views. Freedom of j .thought, and freedom, of, speech are-much.'.,' „.enoo,uraged; „ True, .they issii.e ofti:ii in . ; those -discussions about everything, .in-' 1 general--and .nothing in; particular, so, dear Lo the. student'heart~iiut then,-wo think'they are'im.portaht,. if! the outside ■ world flops no cpnsider.;.thain;as sucil'. lb Vis curious thai js'uch open-minded liberality of thought^ ehould march' hand-in hand with.queer customs and traditional I idea&—the relics of the I)<irk Ages. Jl'x- ■ I tremes indeed meet. . "Even ; the groat : 'Q,' who. combines the character of novelist with tliat of '/learned 5,'--profession,■ -.a.nd whase lectures..aye a,' treat to listen, to, prefixes every other sentence 4, with" .■.Gentlemen,' alt-;#;i£u- tlie-lecture nallis. crsmmed to the doors \vith~3adies! Tho: j I'hilistine 'student mind is inclined to I iiotu all sorts of characteristics, other j than scholarsliip, in its lectures. A leci ture is not merely t!ie outpouring, of a, ] great mind, some fragments of which. | may-be scrapped up by lesser niiiids; j The mind has its bodily manifestations, and it is the latter rather than the for- ■ r ffiw>-which force-themselves ..on to th& attention,, in...the_ first ,few Ni lectures particularly.. Who can. help" being, inter--" ■ ested in'-the ■ number of-glasses of water, which a certain.high-bro''.veS!philosoph«a: abiiprbsjn.tho course.of.a. kcture, or notiiig- with amusement ■ the' -characteristic-; -ally-baggy-trousers'and shabby hand-biig which mark.'.a "man. Svho has-tor.half a. ceiitiiry held liway over an ' importantportion of the intellectual world? To. 'respect a man's scholarship and to Jaugh.. at his little peculiarities'are'.'.not' incompatible attitudes of- mind,- but rather they enhance out another.-Idiosyncra-cies.in' great'.mau'." appeal to us'- the mora just because they .'are great. Perhaps: - it is that we like to see people to whose: minds we mus.t : bow as intellectually , .superior, exhibit the aommpn-weakneEsea of .mankind." ..■-■■■ ...-;- ' ■:; ■' - - " ''coming "oi"' anc "going-: :' _ ...down::" ;.:.,;■•■■.■- ... J."One.,might..descanjfc..on .many, othec aspects of Cambridge-lifej the town itself, which is the dearest, quaintest-old place, ' ,'or.~,,ih'e. ar'cKitecture.-of .-the .various'X/01-: lege buildings,. ■'One might attempt to> describe-King's'.CoHege^Ghapel,- but-that would be trespassing' on ground sacred to 'Milton -aiid Wordsworth. One might tell of returned ._ soldiers. who become scornful of University notions and scien- '. Ctifi'cith'eoKe's,'^ and .tell .us Vwe are'Jisinff -'in-, the 'clouds'' here; 'and■■•dovnot' come, -into-- contact j with real life at all; "But,: iAd'eecll'living'iri'clouds is rather delight■ful, except for the dampness thereof. .Certainly if clouds are .cold and damp, the! -■"simile appliesT-to Cambridge weather.. It is a- pity that new progressive Govern-; . mont of yours can't devise some way "of packing, sunshine and sending.it over here in ba.»s.. , It. would find,a ready .market, aiid the "lucky promoters -would- sooh.i be . raillibnaires'!' „ „:,[.'■'..'..,"■ '.',.'.',^ „;..„

;';"Aprppos, of ,the clQud,,idea,::it is curi-ous-the way Cambridge' folk like to re.gard.themselves as-on. a. height. 'To :go away,'from " Cambridge, "north,.' "south, ■ea.st,--or west,- it ■matters n'otjHs' 'going 1 "down, while" coming,'" to Cambridge' is ;.'comin-? i ,u^;,;; i E.yerywl)exe..elß9,>ih : '.'iihe world is 'down,' Cambridge is ,'up.' But, ..t'nily.,',jvitK.' r rall iii'.-cjjmvit^ idio'syiicra.cies, .-.Cambridge.is" t am enjoying myse!f';immei\sely;-and-'wilL be quite soray-.when-.ray ..time comes to 'go. .down.'" ... UTOPIA—UNLDI-ITBD; -■- ■It is Miss, Braddqclc's conclusion; that .English people -have the queerest notions ;a-.bout...jST e>v..Zealand.,. ,lShe.says' :—lA. •r-voman in a 1 Yorkshire: tram", with whom -I ea.me-into don-veifatiqn-the other-day,v "cpuld n'ot'get rid of the"idea"(even after . ;her"mistake was .pointed' oilt) that New Zealand wa.s somehow.;part;of America. -"Even "amoiig -Hie "better- educated -class/ ..ideas ,p)i the subject are. very vague.' Ohe uervailine notion seems to be that New Zealand.is a-place-where.everything is.l perfect,' where nothing ever happens, and so'far off that'nothinS.'she'does.'matters. /; The-fu'st-nctioii' of "New-Zealand .aslX.Utopia- ,is..no^doubt impai't-pd'' by -our"soldiers," while"th 6 'secondhand 'third are deductions from the almost-entire absence "ot'New 'Zealand news from English, papers."' ■ - _ __ :.,.,.-,..,..,...'