Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1905-06-03
PoMFREr BOY AT OXFORD
Letter from John G. Shorburne, Jr,,
u. V. Ms "Rhodes Scholar"

Letter from John G. Sherburne, Jr.
u. V. Ms "Rhodes Scholar"
John c. Sherburne, Jr., U, v
NJ, 'o3, son of John G. SherbmnC
of Pomfret, writes an interesting let
ter to President Buckham from Ok
ford, where he is . "RhodeS scholar.
A part of the letter follows:
"WADHAM COLLEGE,
March 20, 1905.
My dear President Buckham:
1t is rather difficult to give ones
impressions of Oxford in a post i've
way. AT first we were struck by
some difference in manners and Gus
toms. We have found the Eng
lish college man as good a friend as
can be found anywhere.
a matter that seemed at first un-
pleasant was the fact that we were
again to be treated as freshmen.
Every one at Oxford is considered
to belong to the year and class in
which he enters, despite the fact that
he may already have degree, as
three-fourths Of the Americans have.
| think, however, that we are learn
ing much more of English student
lite by being treated as freshmen
than we should by being treated as
postgraduate students usually are.
AS it is, we get into the social life
of the college circle and become best
acquainted with the men that are to
be here all the time that we are.
But we are not looked down upon
by the upper classmen like the other
freshmen. We are thrown quite in
timately into contact with them, al
though not so intimately as with the
freshmen. This contact with the
undergraduate lie could not be so
easily gained if we were treated as
post-graduates.
The system Of instruction here is,
as is we'll known, quite different
from ours at home. A lecturer never
quizzes his class, bur spends all his
time in lecturing, even in the Ian
guage courses. The place of our
quizzes and tests is taken by the tu-
tor. Each student has a tutor to
whom he goes once or twice a week
and reports on the work he has
done and perhaps brings a paper
that he has been requested to write.
The colleges are practically only
social and disciplinary units. Each
college does not pretend to have
faculty to cover every course, but
the students-irrespective of college
go where the lectures are given
which they wish to hear.
The system of athletics at Oxford
is ideal. There are some twenty
odd colleges and each supports a
rugby football team, an association
football team, hockey team, a
cricket team, and crew on the
river. There being so many forms
of sport and the colleges averaging
only about one hundred men, nearly |
everyone is given a chance to take
part in something. Most contests
are between the different colleges,
and the spirit of the sport is of the
best, for the students play not so
much to win as for the fun of play
ing.
l was very sorry to see that so
many of the states failed to have
for the Rhodes scholar
ship qualifying this spring. 1t is
most emphatically good thing to
get, for-besides the value of the
course taken here-it affords unri-
vailed opportunities for man to be
come acquainted with the world.
The Rhodes scholar can see the
most important things Of interest in
Europe in the course Of his three
years, he can learn French and Ger
man where they are spoken, he can
study economic, social and political
there and contrast them
with those at home. A man who
has spent three years under these
conditions can hardly help returning
a broader and more useful citizen
of our great country"