I read Ursula Cehner's letter (February 26) and smiled. Ms Cehner is a Slovene student studying at our University, who first stepped "on Maltese soil five months ago". She states that "Maltese students in general know a lot about Maltese politics, which is the complete contrary to the situation in (her) country."

If all Slovene students know nothing about politics, and Ms Cehner is a Slovene student, then it follows that she too knows nothing about politics.

Yet, having been here only five months and being a self-confessed political ignoramus (though females, like males, abound who would fit this description, there seems to be no feminine of the term), this Slovene student writes a letter to the foremost Maltese paper telling Maltese voters that "there is not much choice for the Maltese to vote on... Of course, the Nationalists have been in office for quite a long time... (but) voting in favour of other parties just for the sake of change can be very risky."

This young lady has left me lost for words: I am just smiling. Where does she find the cheek to write such barefaced contradictions? If she self-confesses to political ignorance, how can she advise Maltese voters? I hope she's studying neither law nor philosophy!

On one thing, however, she is (partly) right. In her quaint naïveté, Ms Cehner observes: "The impression about the whole debate was one of shock. This is not the way we do politics in Slovenia. Especially, the students' reaction... Shouting provocative words and disturbing the speeches during the debate was a very irresponsible and childish behaviour by students."

I would correct the underlying innuendo of that statement. It was only a few students who behaved that way. Many students I know are quite responsible and much more mature than those few who did their best to be noted by the higher echelons of the PN. (The most successful in this self-promoting endeavour was a youngster whose lexical knowledge is... well... not exactly highbrow, if you know what I mean.

And yet, this youngster had the gall thus to invest in his future. With just a two-word imperative, he outdid all his fellow students and gained immediate nationwide fame. Or notoriety, depending on your political persuasion. The others made the din, he reaped the benefits. That's a fast student!)

Despite the welter of noise and shouting on that day, there is a sizeable quiet segment of University students who sympathise with Labour but tend to keep their ideas to themselves, possibly out of fear of reprisal. Now that's something to mull over. Does the national institution of higher learning fail to teach tolerance of, and respect for diverse ideas? Is the Maltese Alma Mater culpable of falsely assuring students that there is just one, fundamental truth, the rest being drivel? That wouldn't be an intellectual approach, would it? It could try to pose as such, reducing our University to a provincial, if not an outrightly backwater, preposterous institution.

My smile suddenly disappears.