The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-04-01
A DEBATE
Resolved "That Athletics are Given loo
Mich Prominence in American
Colleges"

On last Friday at the Graded Schoo a warm
debate was held by members OF the Ninth
Grade. The girls were pitched against the
boys in this forensic fight. The query was:
Resolved that Athletics are given 100 much
prominence in American Colleges. Read the
debates and give your decision.
The first speaker was Miss Alice Jones of
tIe Affirmative side who spoke as follow:
Mr.. Ples;den'; Friends and Oppopeuts-lt
was IN that age Of heroes, Guds and Goddesses
when Greece was mistress of The world and
reveled In a civilization Incompatible, In her
day; When Alcibiades and Phidlas were rank
ed with kings and demigods. that. the great
Isthemian games were Instituted, jeaiously
supported and were woven Into their reiig-
ious life as a sacred rite AID practlsed with b
laudsble end In view. Tue design in these
games ofraclng, boxing, wrestling throwing
weigh etc., was OF course to deveIope tht
ply steal to It's best, 10 raise the human form
TO their ideal OF beauty and grace, which thu
Greclan g-nulses stro,e 10 produce In their
wonderful statuary OF Gods and heroes, wher,
they chlseiad from the stone their Appo.l
and Venus. This was laudabie, even enot-
ing ali OF these athletics, was to make thethu.
man bic the divine. But their ideas u.
the divine, we're such az could be embodied
In a perfect physical nan-a strong arm, a
steady aim, a full chest, an indomltaple per
severance, and a superb endurance.
Perfect physical manhood was their one
though and purpose: they POSSESSED nothing
OF the moral and spiritual, nor cared thy
muCl LOT inc lDle lectOal. For however muCn
they prSised Aristotle aud worshiptd Plato
they coo'y devil. ed his murder.
Now anything that will better any side OF
this complex nature OF ours IL 10 be CONNER
ded, provided II does no harm 10 the moral or
intellectual side. Any game or sport Or eXer-
else that will strengthen and better the ph5
steal without sacrifice 10 The intellectual OF
moral ought not to be objected TO. If II
makes a sound body In Will. b TO develope =
sound mind lei us have It.. But no one can Of
ford, DO not In the least, TO sacrahce lnipn
and moral for all the games and sports In the
world. Better far To have a weak b. dy-even
an unde' eioped one with q sound mind.
with a pure neart, with Influences Tor good
u on ones fellows than 10 be the most superb
ly developed specimen with the beauty Of an
! Apollo and q poor, weak intellect Nhat can
never bless The world.
Let usi have all things here equal. Let Us
train this body and train II well, but be sure
that nothing Is taken from the mind and
above all IL at the moral suffers not In The
least.
Now are our colleges\and distributions Of
higher earning 80 conducted that due I'M
portance Is given toiesch department OF de-
partment OF developemenI? No they are not
For when q young man IL sent to- College to-
day, in some places more money must be
sent along With him for clubs, and mines
and "elevens," uniforms, fines and privilege.
than for books, clothing and tuition. This o.
and would produce a Stock to II, lflt were no,
for the glamour which public opinion throws
around II. A public opinion formed by tht
prominence given TO II In these later days. .
The craze for athletics is carried TO such
extremes that ii some instances The colleg'
team pays the tuition OF or really hires q pro.
fessional player to enroll as a student and tht
faculty submit TO this sort of thing although
the professional may be q dull and Indifferent
student, In fact usually is. ray the faculty
and those in authority wink at this sort o
thing: Why? Because the public opinion ir
general and the student body In pariicula,
to- a q
shame. a crying shame, that these things ART
tolerated. II encourages expensive indplgen
ces and living beyond earning capacity. 1
oelIttles the worth Of dollar and The cost o
money.
This kind OF selfinduIgence must necessar
ily make work and mental work especially
irkRome. Expressing the mind With sport
cannot encourage expansion In classics ant
languages.
Some iport-atbletic exercise is DESTROYS L
keep the body in good order, for the mind ant
heart to work. bul just as soon as there Ia al
excess the mind aid heart must suffer.
Every year demands o score or more apolo
gists and defenders for foot ball which lead u
TO infer that 1t is not at all above criticism
and further that The out put OF our colleg'
life today by no means ~Justifes the conclusion
that so much prominence given 10 athletics !
not 10 the sacrifice OF the other natures Of GU
men.
Presidents and professors. wheIe they hav,
been true good mer, with the life purpose o
have been In counsels from year to year try
Ing, to determine the extent to which thi
very matter could be allowed with their COZ
acieniious approval and ale still seeking
light. This fact shows that they are troubled
over these things and mutt be cautious lie
cause Of the very popularity OF and In
once rapid growth OF public opinion In .faVo
OF them. which threaten gu control by on
Institutions. Which jeopardize their veIy III
and usefulness, and means a return TO hen
then estimation Of true manhood.