River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1897-11-11
PHYSICAL CULTURE AT THE
NORMAL.
Mrs. TruesdeIrs Department An
Interesting and important One.


Interesting and Important One.
Though the kinde rgarten child is
still the darling of the hour, and the
charm Of the new kindergarten de-
partment seems not TO wane with
age, it appears that the real show at
the Normal, the thing that has all
the essential elements of an eAhi-
bition, Is the department Of physical
culture. This also has its quarters in
the basement story: and it's worth
while TO observe in this connection
that the good things still seem TO get
in on the ground floor. All the exer-
cises Of physical culture are now held
in the gymnasium, which occupies
the west wing of the main building.
Here, at most any hour Of the day, but
more especially at 1915 in the morn
ing and 300 In the afternoon, classes
are called according to the regular
program Of the school, and various
drills are carried out, with music and
commands.
The classes range from whole
companies Of little people in the
Model grades to mixed commands Of
boys and girls in the Normal proper
or select numbers Of young women in
uniform, whom some recent visitor
has graphically called the bloomer
girls. These last, as their name
would indicate, are a very blossomy
organization. As they trip in from
the dressing room, looking natty ana
light-footed, and nonchalantly con-
scious, they make an easy company Of
soldiers and jolly good argument for
sensible dress reform. The ones
| earliest upon the scene take a turn
about the hall or perch them selves
upon the ledge that nearly surrounds
the room. chatting quietly and swing
| ing their feet over the edge like
chorus girls waiting for their cue.
Presently the command is given and
all fall in" heels together, toes out
and chins along an even line. Then
the music strikes up, the exercises
start of with a march movement in a
fancy catch-step, and things are taken
seriously for the next three-quarters
of an hour
After brief round of rapid march.
ing and various catch-steps, to put
enthusiasm into the lines, tho
performers are drawn up in rank and
file and lightly 90 through with 9
series Of exercises similar to the
movements in the Manual at Arms
In these preliminary and more
spirited exercises, Mrs. Truesdell
who has exclusive charge Of the de
parJment. usually gives the direction
herself and sees that every motion
from the poise Of the head to the fal
Of the foot, is executed with grac,
and promptness. At each exercise O
the advanced classes two Of;the mem
bers are selected by turn to cunduc
the movements and issue the com
mands. Part Of the exercises theI
taken up are still in the nature Of
military drill, done with percisioI
and snap. while others resembl,
delsarte, with one pose melting easil.
into another. Something of Tia,
efficacy of many of these movement
depends upon the music which az
companies them, and the department
is fortunate this year in having two
exceptionally bright musicians il
Miss Eta Foster and Miss Nellie
Gray.
This exercise OF the bloomer girl
which is, perhaps, with the single ex
ception Of a special class called in The
early morning-the star attraction o.
the course, closes the exercises Of the
! forenoon. At three o'clock in the
afternoon a class Of about THIRTY
young men and women meets for Z
daily drill and affords a convenient
object lesson in the comparative
merits Of the performances of the
boys and girls. As usual in mock
battles and make-believe, the boy,
appear at disadvantage. In the
first place they wear no uniforms
many doff their coats and their high
collars, and in all sorts of business
dress and undress, parade the shiny
floors of the gymnasium in odd con-
trast to the more trim and neatly
clad company of their sisters. More
| than that, the boys take the whole
thing less seriously than the girls,
who are uniformly conscientious in
their department during drill. II
! the girls make mistake. they correct
the movement with what grace they
can: the boys, on the other hand,
usually shuttle it off in a sly aside, and
smile knowingly as if to say, "What a
/ delightful farce is this self-culture,
after all. Some, however, are very
| proficient, carrying themselves
throughout the drill with confidence
and reserve; even the awkward lines
| Of an unromantic sack suit cannot
disguise the compact strength of their
movements or their native harmony
of pCise. As commanders, too, the
boys seem well able to hold their own
Underlying all these exercises-this
display in discipline and the poetry of
motion--there is OF course a very
serious philosophy. But the purpose
OF the course is set forth with due
! clearness and dclibeIation in the
school catalogue. where the curious
may read it at discretion. Primarily,
as we have already suggested, the
course is one of self-culture. Pursued
Systematically, it cannot fail to add
something Of ease and self-reliance to
ones movements, and a certain finish
and diStinctness to the outward ex-
preston Of personality.
The exercises change from term TO
term, aud even from week TO week,
in accordance with regular plan Of
development This plan accords with
the Swedish Educational System,
which has brought about such strik-
ing results in physical culture as are
manifested in the famous turnyerein
fetes. and is the basis of the courses
given at the Normal. The work OF
each succeeding term is more inter
eSting than that of the last, the
M 0x-a m pt1ts laqnu1p m orp rom Inflated