UNIVERSITY NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3803, 1 February 1927, Page 72

UNIVERSITY NEWS.

WOMEN AT OXFORD. THE RIGHT HON. J. G. COATES, LL.D., CAMBS. (From Our Own C 'rrespondent-) LONDON, November 20. At a Congregation of the Regent House, Cambridge, on November 13, Graces were passed for conferring the degree of LL.D, (honoris causa) upon the Maharajah of Burdwan, Mr W. L. Mackenzie King, Mr J. G. Coates, and Mr W. T. Cosgrave. New Zealand students at University College, University of London, include Mr S. G. Chaplin, who is taking architecture, Mr T. R. Wielaert, whose subject is arts, and Miss Mollie Fisher, who is taking medical science (Department of Public Health). Mr Lionel A. Mathias (Christchurch) is now in the' second year of part I of the honours course in natural science (chemistry). Mr Mathias spent most of his last vacation in Devonshire and Cornwall, and he -hopes in the near future to spend-a vacation abroad in order to improve his foreign languages. He will probably be at Keble College, Oxford, for another three years. His recreations include rowing and rugger. Mr Desmond Neligan, son of a former Bishop of Auckland and of Mrs Neligan, went up to Cambridge this term to read agriculture, with a view of either farming in the future or of possibly taking up estate agency. New Zealanders will be interested to have news of Mr Desmond Neligan, who was born at Bishop’s Court, Auckland, in 1906. His ■ recreations include Association football and hockey, as well as fives and golf; but best of all he likes cricket. Miss Lucy G. Hogg (Christchurch), Newnham College, Cambridge, is busily occupied with her work and with a number of societies in which she is interested. Activities in the latter connection are part of college life, and they are useful media for becoming acquainted with interesting people in college. Her chief interest is. international work. In the vacation Miss Hogg was fortunate enough to be chosen as one of the representatives of New Zealand to the International Student Service Conference at Karlovcvi, Jugo-Slavia, ..where a most interesting time was spent, as students from almost every other country were present. The delegates, too, saw a great deal of Serbian life unofficially. On the return to England they stayed at Budapest, Vienna, and Munich. At Christmas time Miss Hogg hopes to go to Switzerland, if work will permit. Part II of the Historical Tripos calls for close study at present. The Council of the Senate, Cambridge University, has appointed Mr R. E. Priestly, of Clare College, the assistant registry, to be secretary of the General Board of the Faculties from January 1 next.

A STUDENT OF SCIENCE AND HIS RECREATIONS. Dr H. L. Richardson, who came to London in 1924 as a scholarship holder for two years’ research work at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, South Kensington has since gone on to Rothamsted with the Fellowship of the British Empire Exhibition. He is finding work at the experimental station full of value and interest His qualifications now are M.Sc (N.Z.), Ph.D (London), A.1.C., D.1.C., and F.O.S. . Apart from the academic side, he is enjoying himself when seeing life in a ' simple arid inexpensive manner. Dr Richardson mentions that he has pushed a bicycle some 6000 miles over the roads of England, Scotland, and Wales since he arrived. “Most of the way,” he says. “I have slept out (barns, hedges, haystacks, and all that sort of thing; but I’ve really been quite respectable, dressing like a Kibbo Kift or a. New Plymouth High School Boy, and carrying a sleeping-bag). It has been a great way of seeing the Old Country, and I haven’t done yet. To-day I am just back from a fine frosty ride through . the Chilterns; and when the weather is'hopeless for riding I can always tramp. I haven’t done a great deal of tramping over here—just some walks jn North Wales and the-Yorkshire Moors, and a fortnight in the Lakes District (that was nearly as good as the Rimutakas, but there was no bush !). Still, I have a jolly tramp in the French Alps last August—pack on back, sleeping under pine trees, roving over , flowered cols with the-most superlative views—really a good time, even when the rain came in the sleeping-bag, or the ‘cheese* of the country waltzed around the plate. It is really that way of seeing a country that I most enjoy. Last Christmast I went to Algiers, crossing the Mediterranean on deck with the Arabs and riding around - the country on top of native motor buses—l guess I saw most of the things that the tourist misses, and that for about a-quarter the cost. Of course the other side of life is interesting, too. In Paris, at a League of the’ Empire Congress, when-t we--went through all sorts of receptions, from the President of the Republic

downwards, I enjoyed every bit; but the gilt, scrolled elaborations of Parisian interiors hadn’t half the charm of a whitewashed mosque at Bon Saida, or the primitive mud minaret of Ouled Djellal, under the moon (but I mustn’t start in rhapsodies over the beauty of Algeria.- I shoulan t etop 232 NEW WOMEN MEMBERS AT . OXFORD. “ , There are ICO more Freshmen at Oxford this year than last year, so that the women a"re still some distance from numerical superiority. The numbers are: Balliol, 86; Christ Church, 81; Exeter, 70; New College, 70; Keble, 66; Queen’s, 61; Brasenose, 56; Magdalen, 56; University, 54; Non-Collegiate, 52; Trinity, 50; St. John’s, 49: Jesus, 48; Worcester, 48; Merton, 47; VVadham, 45; Oriel, 43; Pembroke, 38; St. Edmund Hall, 37; Lincoln, 34; Hertford, 30; Corpus 21. The women’s societies (says the Isis) report 232 new members: Home Students, 63; St. Hugh’s, 56; Somerville, 44; Lady Margaret Hall, 37; St. Hilda’s, 32. The women students used to be rather serious people, as their authorities doubtless intended them to be. Their “terracotta palaces on the Banbury road,” as somebody has called them, are still somewhat oppressive in their extreme tidiness. ■ It is all the more refreshing.. therefore, to discover in the Isis that at St. Hilda’s, over Madgalen' Bridge, they were quite bright at the Freshers’ Debate, the character of which is sufficiently, indicated by the motions: —“That it is easier to live wth a sinner than with a saint,” and “That there is no fundamental difference between Hall mutton and Hall beef.” They also discussed the motion “That every undergraduate should be allowed to keep a pet.” Somebody, it seems, suggested that essays could be read to pets, but it was thought that the practice would be prohibited by the R.S.P.C.A. The subjects for the" chancellor’s prizes' next year are: For Latin verse, “Canarsa Laudes”; for Latin prose, Emerson, “Collected essays.” Compensation, pp. 90-6. “Experienced-., men. . . are justified”; and for the English essay, “Authority.” For the Newdigate prize the subject is “Julia, daughter of Claudius.” COLQUHOUN SCULLS. There was rather more wind in evidence yesterday, and a stronger stream was flowing when the semi-finals of the Colquhoun Sculls took place at Cambridge. It rained pretty heavily throughout. The defeat of H. C. Boardman, the First Trinity trial , cap. came as a surprise .to many, but his opponent deserved his success, and should have little difficulty in carrying off premier honours this afternoon. T. E. Letchworth stroked the Christ’s coxwainless four a. few weeks ago, and has received a trial with the trial eights, but was “released”, in order that he. might train for this event. The New Zealander F. O'Rorke, had to fight hard for his victory against H. B. C. Davis, of Trimly Hall. R. L. V. Bevan, the old Johnian 'Blue, undertook the duties of umpire. Heat E: (first station) F. O'Rorke (Christ’s College. New Zealand, and Jesus), 1; (second station) H. C. Davis (Eton and Trinity Hall). 0. Both were steering with caution, and exerting themselves to the utmost. At Red Grind they were almost dead level, but having entered Long Reach the Jesus man began to gain , a slight advantage, which he succeeded in increasing over the final stage, and won by over a length; Bmin 29sec. Heat F: (first station), T. C. Letchworth’ (Downside and Christ's). 1; (second station) H._ C. Boardman (Malvern and First Trinity), 0. The trial cap gained a slight advantage at first. b"t was gradually forced to relinquish it. Letchworth was two seconds up at Grassy Corner, From this point he had the race well to himself, an’d won by four lengths: Bmin 17sec.