THE CAPPING CEREMONY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1791, 2 July 1913, Page 4

THE CAPPING CEREMONY.

• (To the Editor.) Sir,—ln your sub-leader to-day, on tlie capping ceremony, you have a good deal to say about th<J. irritation of the-Chancellor, which'' you / declare' waSi not ~warrantedby the conduct of the students. I regret that you can find no word of reprobation fqr the deliberate and premeditated insults offered to the Chancellor by the students in a former year by leaving, the hall in a body when ho was addressing the nesting, and this year by remaining' outside the hall until the conclusion of his remarks—l ami etc.," H. F. VON HAAST. 1 Jum 27. [Ws have no desire or intention to defend .the students where they are in the wrong, and are ready at nil times to lend such assistance and encouragement as may |be possible to thoso in authority.' Our comments on the occasion under review were confined to the capping ceremony of last week, and the circumstances fully warranted the opinion we then expressed.] Sir,—May I be permitted to draw attention to the above title, "The Capping"?. One is expected, on entering a hall of students (what of is merely a query in passing), to bo received in a. manner betokening at least a minimum of respect to thoso who have been invited, per medium of the press "invitation" tickets, to listen to wit'and wisdom., No doubt- there was •a minimum of wit and wisdom within the hall which held so large a concourse of people—but a visiting, student should be struck not merely by the hopeless want of wit and wisdom—but a wonderful and varied abundance of vulgarity and coarsethose learned in the arts and science? who held the undoubted honourable positions as doorkeepers. It i 3 surprising that such learned ungraceful youths should be chosen to open the doors to gentlemen and ladies,' without possessing at least an iota of respect which one 110 doubt anticipates from students, but the fact remains that Victoria College has a tendency to mature "youths" into vulgar manhood, judging by the eveningsuited gentry of the doors of the TownHall last night. These dress suits cover a multitude of sins, but these' young men attending college should 'learn well that /'some camnot afford to bo rude." Apologising for the length of space I have taken to utter rt useful warning.—l am, etc., AN OLD OTAGO STUDENT. ; June 2(j.