BNC
SIR,—As a Brasenose man who sat his schools in the one exceptional year which saw us with fourteen firsts (since then the 'courageous' change of policy has failed to produce any result except the loss of various sporting cups) may I say how much I deplore the view expressed in the Oxford Magazine and shared apparently by you.
There is, and must always be, room for a number of 'muscle-bound fourths in forestry' at Oxford, just as there must be for less brilliant sons (I am one), grandsons, great-grandsons, etc., of former Oxford graduates. Why should an Oxford educa- tion be confined to an intellectual elite and denied to those whose prowess at sport wins honour to college and university?
May I draw attention to the case of Sammy Woods of Cambridge who failed his Little-go three times and got through at last when a keen cricketer was also an examiner. All Cambridge was alarmed because, without Woods, they would almost certainly have lost to Oxford. I regret the passing of such days.
Finally, great college spirit, as I know from my own experience, emanates from the sporting fraternity in which leading and secondary intellects in all subjects rub shoulders and thereby generate that spirit. In my day, BNC was fast losing that spirit (I could call it 'morale') owing to the influx of non-sporting intellectual hermits who spent all day at lab. or library, and only got seconds anyway !—Yours faithfully, C. M. BROUN
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