LIFE AT OXFORD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21868, 2 August 1934, Page 13

LIFE AT OXFORD

ATMOSPHERE AND CULTURE OVERSEA STUDENTS POPULAR FORMER AUCKLAND LECTURER Various aspects of life at Oxford University were described yesterday by Mr. R. Syme, formerly lecturer in classics at Auckland University College, and now lecturer in Greek and Roman history at Trinity College, Oxford, who has returned by the Rangitane to spend a month's holiday in New Zealand. Mr. Syme left New Zealand nine years ago and after taking a two years' undergraduate course at Oriel College, spent some time in Germany, Italy and the Balkans before accepting his nresent post at Trinity College. "New Zealand students always seem to bo popular at Oxford," Mr.-Syme said. "I know they wish there could be more Rhodes Scholars from the Dominion, and it. was a matter for regret a year ago when none was selected.

"At first I was very much surprised not only at the intensity, but also at the very high standard, of the work done at Oxford, more especially in view of the fact that compulsory attendance at lectures is not enforced to any great extent. An Oxford degree, of course, can mean a very great deal or a very little, depending on the honours obtained, but anyone with a first class honours degree at Oxford has a very real status. ?

"Actually, it is quite true that a young man can spend three years at Oxford, without hardly opening a* book or attending a lecture, and still benefit from it. Atmosphere is unconsciously absorbed and contacts are made which lead to cultural development." The popular conception of Oxford as the "home of lost causes and impossible trouserings" was nothing but fallacy, Mr. Syme continued. It had to be remembered that the name of Oxford had a very high publicity value, particularly in the popular London press, and consequently events or pronouncements which reflected the opinions of only a very small section of undergraduates were often invested with an unwarranted degree of importance. Mr. Syme referred to the "anti-war debate" in the Oxford Union a year ago; "There was some discussion about a loosely-WQrded . resolution concerning refusal to fight for. Kinc and country," he said. "However, it is pertinent to ask whether views expressed in the Union are representative ofi-the University as a whole. Even those at Oxford who did not agree with the resolution as passed in the Union did not make the same fuss about it as people outside."

. Complete academic freedom obtained in the old "universities, Mr. Syme continued, although they were, in receipt of large Government grants. One of the great features of Oxford was its atmosphere of tolerance; Another popular misconception was that it was the home of sons of.the idle-rich.- At present"4s per cent of its -iindergraclnates were in receipt of some form of subsidy, either from their own school or council authority, or from the college to which thev belonged. 1'