The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-11-09
THE FRESHMAN
JUST AS HE IS
.r- ga H.. .....- - - ~ = AAS $780,
VARSITY KEPT CLOSE TAB ON
81. THE STUDENTS.
Interesting Figures Gathered at the
Gymnasium Where a Closer Watch Is
Kept Than Is Generally KNOWN
Habits of the Students Figures Are
Closely Followed. e.. =, -..-.--.

In the archives Of the gymnastic de-
partment at the University of Mime
sofa are stored away materials and rec
ords which are interesting from the
standpoint Of the sociologist as well as
the physical instructor Here are Zig
ures and facts showing the physical de-
velopment Of the freshmen Of the last
eight years, their weight, height and
their individual strength both before
and after the prescribed courses Of ex-
ercise. There are cards showing wheth-
er or not any particular freshman was
addicted to smoking and whether or
not he used intoxicants. There are sta
tistics showing in what state he was
born, what manual work he had done
and what sports he has entered into be-
fore his arrival at the university. 1t he
has played football or baseball the rec
ord of his activity will be found and it
he is handicapped physically at the en-
tering Of his college course cogn1zance
is taken Of the fact and the special
work prescribed Tor him with It's re-
suits is stated.
Heredity is taken into consideration
and if there is disease running thru
his family the records show this and his
work is prescribed on this hypothesis:
In making the study of the physique of
the freshman the department, goes SO
far as to inquire as to the profession. & OF
physical developments Of the city and
farm bred boy can be made by refer
ence to the material in the office OF DR..
Cooke, the physical director.
A study of the facts which have been
gathered in relation to the present
alone freshman class at the university is
decidedly interesting. The gymnastlc
course is required of academic freshman
alone, but taking the academic freshman
as fair example Of the freshman in
the engineering, medical, dental, law or
pharmacy departments rather accu-
rate idea of the average Minnesota
freshman can be obtained.
Physically, he is FIVE feet, seven and
| eight tenths inches tall and his weight is
1877 pounds. According to DR.. L: j
ing the year in both height and weight
OF the 164 academic freshmen taking
the gymnastic work this year 102 are
| coffee drinkers, but the proportion OF
! those who are addicted to the tobacco
| habit is decidedly smaller. Only thirty
are smokers and the Anticigarette
league has some consolation in the fact
that only six are cigarette users. The
! Of all but seven of the thirty.
Four members of the academic class
admit an occasional indulgence in al
coholic connections, an unusually small
number according in comparison with
! the records of previous years. The large
majority Of the Minnesota students are
native born Minnesotans, but in the list
of l64 freshmen there are natives OF
sixteen other states. Iowa comes frs
with 16; North Dakota has 9; Wiscon
sin, z; Illinois and Indiana, 6 each
4 Vermont. 6; South Dakota, 4; Kansas
and Michigan, each; New York, 2
and Washington: Massachusetts, Idaho
/ Pennsylvania, Ohio and California arr
i each represented by one.
Five members of the class are for
4 eign born, two from Sweden and one
each from Austria, Norway and Den
! mark.