The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-14
II.
BY Martha. c. Wells.

~ n my late visit to Oxford found
D that almost without exception
the American Rhodes men were
assigned rooms in the college
buildings for their first year. This
is exactly contrary to the Gus
tom at home. If there is lack of
room, our upper class men have rooms
in college, the others outside. AT Ok
ford the entering students are given
the advantage. This plan is particu-
larry desirable, for the acquaintance
made during the first year are those
retained ;thruout the course. The COM
mon fellowship and coterie of friends
forms the basis of very large part
OF university training.
Rooms are assigned upon separate
'staircases which extend to the fourth
floor, the usual height of buildings. All
dinners are served in the common hall,
but other meals are prepared by scouts
separately in the mems own rooms,
according to their tastes or needs, and
these form a good share of the battels,
as the bills are called, and frequently
have to be struggled with. In Keble
college only, fixed payment OF $40
is established for room and board.
The common dining-room in many of the
colleges is in the early Gothic style
with rich, old black oak vauiting; the
arrangement is for four long brass
bound tables, two on each side of the
room, one for each class, while at the
end OF the hall on raised platform, or
dias, table where the fellows, dons
or tutors sit. The serving is from two
center tables. While merry laughter
and busy conversation accompanies the
meals, no one minds the long benches
without backs which take the place OF
chairs. Some colleges have peculiar
fashion, called "sconce." If man is
tardy, tells old jokes or commits any
gaucherie, the students call "sconce."
The offender commits his case in writ
ing to the dons, and if considered
faulty, his penalty is to drink quart
of beer without breath. Failing in
this he provides it for his table, or II
the dons fail to sustain him, the prose
cutor must pay the penalty. I heard
u story Of case which seemed quite
certain Of penalty, and the whole table
were expectant, whereupon the man
compiled his brief, in faultless Latin
hexameter style, and was acquitted.
After dinner adjournment for coffee
is made, frequently to the junior com.
mon room, where papers, books and
conversation pass the time until study
period. Frequently man has his scout
prepare breakfast for three or four
men in his sitting-room: or don in
vites several students to lunch. In the
Oxford colleges there is more intimacy
between professors and students than IS
usual in America This friendship to
Rhodesians, separated from all home
ties, proves very acceptable. Early in
the year each second year man invites
the freshmen in groups of a dozen or
SO to breakfast; this is not only the be-
ginning of intimate acquaintance, but
as they sit around listening to stories
and adventures Of former days, the
early traditions and established Gus
toms of the college, are handed down.
Each mans college rooms consist of a
suite of three, sitting-room, bedroom
and his pantry, or room where the scout
prepares breakfast and lunch.
Social Life at Oxford.
Social life which forms so large a
part Of Oxford, may or may not inter-
fere with study.
Rooms are heated for the most part
by freplaces, which in cold weather
must seem inadequate to the Americans.
It recalls the old doggerel on students
going to chapel in Trinity:
with chattering teeth and noses blue
We creep together to our pew,
Responsive quavering out.
The halls and chapels of all colleges
are open to visitors, and by application
to the porter, any suite Of rooms, dur
ing vacation, by small gratuity.
, At all the colleges the residential
term is counted only by attendance as
requested, and since graduation de-
ponds rs much upon residence as ex-
animation, it is impossible for man
to take his degree when chapel attend
ance is lacking, hence the Oxford I'M
dergraduate gives this his anxious care.
The freshmen are given an annual
banquet. At the first one of the
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