A Collection of College Words and Customs Part 11

The obsequious attention of college servants, and the more unwilling "_capping_" of the undergraduates, to such a man are real luxuries.--_Blackwood's Mag._, Eng. ed., Vol. LVI. p. 572.

Used in the English universities.

CAPTAIN OF THE POLL. The first of the Polloi.

He had moreover been _Captain_ (Head) _of the Poll_.--_Bristed's Five Years in an Eng. Univ._, Ed. 2d, p. 96.

CAPUT SENATUS. Latin; literally, _the head of the Senate_. In Cambridge, Eng., a council of the University by which every grace must be approved, before it can be submitted to the senate. The Caput Senatus is formed of the vice-chancellor, a doctor in each of the faculties of divinity, law, and medicine, and one regent M.A., and one non-regent M.A. The vice-chancellor's five a.s.sistants are elected annually by the heads of houses and the doctors of the three faculties, out of fifteen persons nominated by the vice-chancellor and the proctors.--_Webster. Cam. Cal. Lit.

World_, Vol. XII. p. 283.

See GRACE.

CARCER. Latin. In German schools and universities, a prison.--_Adler's Germ, and Eng. Dict._

Wollten ihn drauf die Nurnberger Herren Mir nichts, dir nichts ins _Carcer_ sperren.

_Wallenstein's Lager_.

And their Nur'mberg worships swore he should go To _jail_ for his pains,--if he liked it, or no.

_Trans. Wallenstein's Camp, in Bohn's Stand. Lib._, p. 155.

CASTLE END. At Cambridge, Eng., a noted resort for Cyprians.

CATHARINE PURITANS. In the University of Cambridge, Eng., the members of St. Catharine's Hall are thus designated, from the implied derivation of the word Catharine from the Greek [Greek: katharos], pure.

CAUTION MONEY. In the English universities, a deposit in the hands of the tutor at entrance, by way of security.

With reference to Oxford, De Quincey says of _caution money_: "This is a small sum, properly enough demanded of every student, when matriculated, as a pledge for meeting any loss from unsettled arrears, such as his sudden death or his unannounced departure might else continually be inflicting upon his college. In most colleges it amounts to 25; in one only it was considerably less."

--_Life and Manners_, p. 249.

In American colleges, a bond is usually given by a student upon entering college, in order to secure the payment of all his college dues.

CENSOR. In the University of Oxford, Eng., a college officer whose duties are similar to those of the Dean.

CEREVIS. From Latin _cerevisia_, beer. Among German students, a small, round, embroidered cap, otherwise called a beer-cap.

Better authorities ... have lately noted in the solitary student that wends his way--_cerevis_ on head, note-book in hand--to the professor's cla.s.s-room,... a vast improvement on the _Bursche_ of twenty years ago.--_Lond. Quart. Rev._, Am. ed., Vol. LXXIII. p.

59.

CHAMBER. The apartment of a student at a college or university.

This word, although formerly used in American colleges, has been of late almost entirely supplanted by the word _room_, and it is for this reason that it is here noticed.

If any of them choose to provide themselves with breakfasts in their own _chambers_, they are allowed so to do, but not to breakfast in one another's _chambers_.--_Quincy's Hist. Harv.

Univ._, Vol. II. p. 116.

Some ringleaders gave up their _chambers_.--_Ibid._, Vol. II. p.

116.

CHAMBER-MATE. One who inhabits the same room or chamber with another. Formerly used at our colleges. The word CHUM is now very generally used in its place; sometimes _room-mate_ is subst.i.tuted.

If any one shall refuse to find his proportion of furniture, wood, and candles, the President and Tutors shall charge such delinquent, in his quarter bills, his full proportion, which sum shall be paid to his _chamber-mate_.--_Laws Harv. Coll._, 1798, p.

35.

CHANCELLOR. The chancellor of a university is an officer who seals the diplomas, or letters of degree, &c. The Chancellor of Oxford is usually one of the prime n.o.bility, elected by the students in convocation; and he holds the office for life. He is the chief magistrate in the government of the University. The Chancellor of Cambridge is also elected from among the prime n.o.bility. The office is biennial, or tenable for such a length of time beyond two years as the tacit consent of the University may choose to allow.--_Webster. Cam. Guide_.

"The Chancellor," says the Oxford Guide, "is elected by convocation, and his office is for life; but he never, according to usage, is allowed to set foot in this University, excepting on the occasion of his installation, or when he is called upon to accompany any royal visitors."--Ed. 1847, p. xi.

At Cambridge, the office of Chancellor is, except on rare occasions, purely honorary, and the Chancellor himself seldom appears at Cambridge. He is elected by the Senate.

2. At Trinity College, Hartford, the _Chancellor_ is the Bishop of the Diocese of Connecticut, and is also the Visitor of the College. He is _ex officio_ the President of the Corporation.--_Calendar Trin. Coll._, 1850, pp. 6, 7.

CHAPEL. A house for public worship, erected separate from a church. In England, chapels in the universities are places of worship belonging to particular colleges. The chapels connected with the colleges in the United States are used for the same purpose. Religious exercises are usually held in them twice a day, morning and evening, besides the services on the Sabbath.

CHAPEL. At the University of Cambridge, Eng., the attendance at daily religious services in the chapel of each college at morning and evening is thus denominated.

Some time ago, upon an endeavor to compel the students of one college to increase their number of "_chapels_," as the attendance is called, there was a violent outcry, and several squibs were written by various hands.--_Westminster Rev._, Am. ed., Vol. x.x.xV.

p. 235.

It is rather surprising that there should be so much shirking of _chapel_, when the very moderate amount of attendance required is considered.--_Bristed's Five Years in an Eng. Univ._, Ed. 2d, p.

16.

To _keep chapel_, is to be present at the daily religious services of college.

The Undergraduate is expected to go to chapel eight times, or, in academic parlance, to _keep eight chapels_ a week, two on Sunday, and one on every week-day, attending morning or evening _chapel_ on week-days at his option. Nor is even this indulgent standard rigidly enforced. I believe if a Pensioner keeps six chapels, or a Fellow-Commoner four, and is quite regular in all other respects, he will never be troubled by the Dean. It certainly is an argument in favor of severe discipline, that there is more grumbling and hanging back, and unwillingness to conform to these extremely moderate requisitions, than is exhibited by the sufferers at a New England college, who have to keep sixteen chapels a week, seven of them at unreasonable hours. Even the scholars, who are literally paid for going, every chapel being directly worth two shillings sterling to them, are by no means invariable in attending the proper number of times.--_Bristed's Five Years in an Eng. Univ._, Ed. 2d, pp. 16, 17.

CHAPEL CLERK. At Cambridge, Eng., in some colleges, it is the duty of this officer to _mark_ the students as they enter chapel; in others, he merely sees that the proper lessons are read, by the students appointed by the Dean for that purpose.--_Gradus ad Cantab._

The _chapel clerk_ is sent to various parties by the deans, with orders to attend them after chapel and be reprimanded, but the _chapel clerk_ almost always goes to the wrong person.--_Westminster Rev._, Am. ed., Vol. x.x.xV. p. 235.

CHAPLAIN. In universities and colleges, the clergyman who performs divine service, morning and evening.

CHAW. A deception or trick.