The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-11

sWe abhor the woman athlete Gays
Miss Senda Berenson, the director Of the
gymnasium and Of physical education at
Smith College, Northampton, Mass. THE
woman athlete, like the man athlete, is
not normal and In fact 10 very apt to DO
deformed. There Is nothing pleasing TO
me In the sight Of a large percentage OF
college athletes. They are not perfect
men and perfect women
That is the controlling idea in the scheme
Of physical education at Smith College.
Unlike many other colleges for women,
smith has no field day for athletic sports,
and running, hurdling and Jumping are
net encouraged.
In fact the new field, which has Just been
presented to the college by j. @. Allen Of
Chicago, has been named Allen Recreation
Field, o description preferred to calling
10 IN athletio ground. That is by order
Il President seelye. The idea 10 to keep
ne students "gentlewomen an far as possible
and not hoydens, !" al it is apparently feared
tAa1 Indulgence in out and out athletic
apoets would make them.
Il would be hard to imagine a more
VIGOROUS colony Of young women h
To I,2Oo or 90 that Smith College has on
In registry list. Physically they are
eu1urb and class after class in the gymna-
atEzn n made up Of happy, healthy girls
wlso apparently enjoy every bit of work that
tAsy arc doing.
Thay walk about the grounds In the
od5dsst days Of winter bareheaded, and
ttaAis vtnost concession to the cold weather
iaa aolf sweater. The heavy wrap ls known,
hut except on gala occasions when II IL
nsedO4 70 cover up lighter clothing, is not
used.
TherS are differences Of another sort
bsSwoen Smith College and other colleges
fer women. At first view in the gymna-
dunn it IL surprising to find that there are
no dumbbells and no indian clubs in the
racks along the wall. Neither are there
the familiar pulley weights. 1t does not
seem possible that there can be a gymna-
afum without these things, because 1t has
grown up to be a belief that the first and
mcst important furniture for a gymnasium
arc these three kinds Of apparatus.
The Smith gymnasium Is modelled on
original lines. Miss Berenson, who lie in
charge, has her own theories Of what the
girls need to keep UP a healthful interest.
Fer enc thing she does not approve Of hav-
ing music for the regular classes to exer-
ofpe to.
A gymnasium class at Smith goes through
a simple plan Of exercise. The girls come
ia at the appointed hour, dressed In the
regulation bloomer suit, full bio uses with
caller collars and soft heelless slippers.
The noor n entirely clear and at first
glance It 10 hard to see just where the APP
nasetus b. The work begins when Miss
Beranasa orders the girls TO fall in line.
Tbs clans ct work numbers about fifty
skudontst They form @ company front
of t~wsntysfve. Everything Is done at COM
naana and they draw up with military pre-
eiaien.
The Girl at che extreme right calls "One,'
and the girl on her left, sTwo." Then the
sOne' 1.-TWO goes echoing down the line
until each one has q number, 80 that there
win ho no break In the succeeding work
Ths fornation for exercise Is done 80
quickly and with such precision that 1t Ia at
6rsk hard to follow II. The front rank
tahas O step forward and the rear rank one
huck.
me sone' girls in the front rank remain
in their places while the "two' girls take q
utsp forward The one girls in the rear
rink heap their places and the two girls
resrsat o step. The whole thing Is done
with speed and all there Is apparently Is
a snudding of feet three times as all drop
into place at the same momen
OF course this has little to do with exer-
| oiss itsslf but II Is indicative Of the unison
! hat oharacteri9es all the class drills at
smith, It is remarkable when 1t is con