The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-11
STU3VTTS on TTE NRRARATUS.

Miss Berenson views her work from a
point that it il safe to say that few gym
nasium directors use. There is a peculiar
enthusiast SIN about the way she directs things
that not even fourteen years Of hard work
has been able to alter. Her conviction Ia
world with sound, healthy bodies she is
doing much for future generations, and
that Is an idea in which she is supported
by President Seelye.
"The matter Of physical education here
eerned with creating the greatest gqod
lieye in making out a card for each student
and saying: Now you must do these exer-
cises and not those
THE average girl needs just about 50
much general exercise and that 10 what
she gets. The work planned out for. the
early Glasses is designed to exercise all the
muscles of the body.
which may cramp or deform the body
while they are being done. For tnstanoe,
the back lift that forms a part OF the strength
test Is apt TO make the head sink down in
between the shoulders and overdevelop
the muscles at the shoulders. That would
not only be ungraceful but would be dam
gerous.
the work care is taken to make the girls
keep their chests well forward and full Of
air 20 that there will be less danger of
trouble with the lungs.
Il have been In a college gymnasium for
men and have seen huge classes exercising
The as they come in do not appeal to me
They are not symmetrical, n feel that
regardless of a mans ability as an athlete
he has gained little from his exercise II he
is not symmetrical. ,
b at is no advantage to Re ov~erdeveloped
in one set of muscles at the expense OF the
rest. In these gymnasium classes maybe
200 men are pulling at chest weights, A
small percentage &c the work right. The
others are all wrong, and there. are not
enough instructors 20 set them right.
1T Is impossible to assert that individual
attention is paid unless there is an instructor
for each student. That, or course, IS an i'm
possibility. But the nearest approach to
that state is to give the students about
what is good for any normal healthy girl,
and the general result should be beneficial.
l believe in applying the philosophy. OF life
to gymnasium work. The greatest good
for the greatest number applies In the gym
nasium as it does elsewhere.
This work, it seems to me is better thar
that of a doctor Of medicine. We are pre-
ventlve physicians here and we put forward
a crowd OF girls each year who 60 out into
the world at commencement time equipped
against some of the contingencies at least.
at has always seemed to me that the
term commencement Yves 80 very we'll
chosen for that reason. The college is not
a finishing school-it is q preparatory school.
When the girls have finished here they 60
out to begin the big things Of life, We try
to give them such a physical equipment
thai they will at least suffer under no handi-
cap In that regard.
fThe main sports for the girls here are
basketball, tennis, skating, snows hoeing,
swimming, horseback riding, field hockey
ard canoeing, outside the gymnasium work.
place is really basketball mad.
'All the girls wa MT to play, and the big
games for the championship always pack
The gymnasium. we want, however, to fx
out to play the game will not be simply
feeders for teams, but will be able to play
for the fun Of the thing.
THAT will not be, ! ann afraid, until we
Which will be for basketball only, At
present the girls have to use this place In
the intervals between classes or at other
odd times that they can. =
1T is really pitiful 70 think that they
simple building, just an ordinary floor
big enough for the purpose, We could turn
that owes to the girls for their use
1t is interesting 10 note that Smith Col
lege or rather Miss Berenson, is responsible
for a new system that is being introduced
in Japan for physical culture for women.
! Some years ago q man went to Japan from
Amherst College, which is near by, TO install
the Amherst system Of gymnastics for men.
Recently q young Japanese woman went
to Northampton to learn English.
While there she became interested in the
gymnasium work and got. permission to
enter one of the classes. She did her regu-
lar work and watched the others. Only
a short time ago she returned to Japan and
word was received a few days ago from
her that she had at length suooeeded in
persuading the Government to install ber
eystem-that Of Smith Collsge-for the
use Of women. :
There are teams Of seven players In
basketball 90 the game 10 managed Ht