Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-05-22
EDWARD BLAKE: COLLEGE Student. !
BY CHARLES NJ SHELDON,
Author TN His Steps" Philip Strong
'Robat Hudys Seven Days"


presence.
II wish to say frankly that am not
in favor of these long trips of the foot.
ball team away from the college.
have heard it said that 1t is a good ad.
vertisement for the college to have the
team go out. But am sure Hope COL
lege could well afford ~ miss this ad.
vertisement. especially that part. of it
which turns night into day and dis
turbs the slumbers Of innocent citizens
on college hill, many Of whom, must
frankly tell you. are indignant with the
college for permitting scenes like those
of last Sunday morning. May | ask
the football team how much good ad
vertising the college receives when
some Of it's best friends at home are
growing hostile to it on account of the
conduct of the men who 60 away to
advertise the college to strangers"
Here there was slight attempt at
applause on the part of few students
who enjoyed the way the president
was rubbing 1t into" the football
team. He instantly and with some
sternness checked it and continued:
thereafter | wish 1t to be distinctly
understood that every football and
baseball player in the college shall be
held as strictly to account for his
grades in all class and laboratory work
as any other students. l also wish it to
be understood that If these trips of the
football team away from the college
are continued to the evident loss Of
time that belongs to the college work
steps will be taken by the college au-
thorities to consider the ACCESSIBILITY of
dropping football out of the college al
together. This is not in the nature of
threat, but it is simply a statement
which | am authorized by the trustees
and faculty to make. At our last regu-
lar meeting together we were almost
unanimously agreed that there has
been in the past too much prominence
given to athletics and not enough to
other forms Of development AS
said personally am not opposed to
football if it is rightly played. But l
feel very strongly my responsibility as
the head of this college to make it's
purpose as Christian institution
plainly felt If anything, whether it be
athletics or something else, assumes
more than its rightful share of stu
dents time and strength, to the danger
of his intellectual and moral life, l
shall, as now, always speak frankly to
the college for its own good"
The president stopped rather sudden
ly, as his habit was when he thought
he had said enough, nodded to the SEN
Tor class. and the students went out.
But that was only the beginning Of his
attempt to revolutionize the athletics
of Hope college. 1t met with deter
mined resistance from the mere
thoughtless element in the college. and
Edward Blake was not the only stu
dent that year and next to feel the eff
feet Of the presidents action. The air
cleared up considerably for many of
the students, however, and better
condition Of things began to exist in
the department Of physical culture,
The college had discovered that the
president, after all, did have some
rights in the matter and did not intend
to have them ignored.
So the fall passed on, and Edward
was fairly into his years work, every
day of it now filled with some new eX
perience. His literary work on the pa
per at this time began to absorb some
of the best Of his time. II he was very
unpopular with one class of men in col
lege, he was equally popular with an
opposite group and was beginning to
find compensation in the society of stu
dents who had so far been strangers to
him. He began at this time to take
special pleasure In debates on current
questions In the debating society. He
soon came to be recognized as good
thinker and careful speaker, not bril-
liant, but safe and exact.
1t was not surprising, therefore, that
by his society to lead the debate with
the rival society on the question of the
war in the Philippines. The question
was, Resolved, That the United States
is justified in carrying on the present
war in the Philippines" Edward was
assigned the negative of the question.
He had been hard at work on 1t for
several weeks. During the time be.
tween the date Of the debate and his
assignment to the place as the society's
debater movement had been begun In
the college by the Christian associa.
ton, heartily seconded by the presi-
dent, to increase the Christian life of
the college. A prominent college evan
gelist had been called to conduct meet
ings for two weeks. These meetings
were now in progress. Edward had
been In to one or two of them. He was
so far not much influenced by them.
He came up to his room one evening
during the second week of these meet
ings. AS he came in he found letter
in his box from Willis. He at once sat |
down at his table and began to open
the letter, and as he did so he was
conscious Of curious excitement in |
his mind oveS the coming debate on
the question, the character Of the reli-
gious meetings now being held in the |
college and the probable contents Of /
WilliS' letter His mind still folt tnta |