Commentary

The end of the first semester is fast approaching and with it the first examinations for those who joined the University last October and the final stride starting for those sitting for their comprehensive examinations next June.

A lull can be felt on campus as the students are busy studying and the lecturers preparing the examination papers. Some lecturers use these two weeks to catch up with their research activity before becoming busier still with more lectures and tutorials as well as correcting the examination papers.

There is still that odd faculty resistant to the typical credit system, such as the course of Medicine and Surgery, where they stuck to their guns and retained the traditional system of tests in minor subjects and massive examinations at the end.

Consoling the students in their worries and encouraging them in their efforts are the University Chaplain, who opens his doors to the students at this time of the year, the student counsellors, and a number of staff both academic as well as administrative.

All feel the real fraternal warmth of our University where academics, all other staff and the students strive as one family to meet the set goals for academic achievement. Some departments have recently re-evaluated the setting of the assessment system and decreased the number of examinations students need to sit for without diminishing the academic standards.

Some students were obliged to sit, on some occasions, for four examinations on a single day. However with the new adjustments, which clearly are more humane and make more sense, credits were grouped together and those credits which are carried out over two semesters are examined at the end of the second semester. This decreased the inordinate number of examinations that students are required to sit for.

Those departments who are stuck with too many examinations should be encouraged to toe the line and follow the sensible example of those who did decrease the number of examinations to those essentially needed without causing a reduction in the standards expected at the tertiary level of education.

Rosa Zammit Salinos has trained her family of cats to respond to the needs of the students during the period of examinations and many of the students find it a very relaxing effect to stroke the many cats on campus, whether they are the BSc cats (Best Stray Cats), or the theology cats (those with a collar). Several cats proudly parade themselves readily to be cuddled. These include Makkak, and not least Roger, named in the honour of the Rector, who is also readily available for staff and students, not only in sternly supervising the examination system but also in passing that word of fatherly encouragement to all the students, not least to those to whom he regularly lectures; as a true paterfamilias, the rector serves the whole university community.

Back to the cats, one must state that stray cats do their best to survive in a man-dominated environment. Each one is supposed to have nine lives but in reality it has only one, and that life can often be harsh and painful.

Animals are full of fascination and soothing to be with. There is growing medical evidence of the benefit of animals to humans, especially in reducing tension and blood pressure during exams. One must appeal to all to support the cats on campus. It is true that the cats do appear amply fed and well taken care of.

However this is only because Rosa and her team of cat lovers on campus go out of their way to see to it that the cats get what they truly deserve. All help is encouraged and still needed. It would be greatly appreciated if all those on campus stop at the stipends office and donate that cent or two to the cats' collection box. Items, such as books, suitable for a car boot sale are also welcomed.

May all the cats on campus serve as a living substitute for good wishes cards to the students for the examinations and hopefully also as congratulations to all for the great effort and deserved achievements. Good luck to all!