Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-23
Harvard's Athletic Troubles.

aaTVdTQ ALlleL1c 1rOu DleS.
Prominent Harvard athletes and gradu-
ates who still take an active part in
guiding the sporting destinies of the
Crimson are complaining with consid-
cradle bitterness at two of the rules which
came into operation with the 1905 reform
wave. These are the rule which limits
participation In athletics to two sports
and that which bars from athletics all
students in the graduate schools. 1t has
been discovered that both of these rules
work injustice to some students.
The opponents of the two sport rule do
not ask that this rule be abolished alto
gether, but they want enough elasticity
given it to permit the authorities to allow
eNceptlonsl athletes, who can still main
tain satisfactory standing in their stud
les, TO compete in more than two sports
during the academic year. In support of
their plea II is pointed out that the new
captain Of the foot ball team. L. Withng
ton. is not only an exceptional foot ball
player, but swimmer and Oarsman as
well. Under the present rules he is
obliged to confne his athletic activities to
foot ball in the fall and rowing in the
spring. Swimming flourishes only in the
winter, but Wilmington is not allowed to
compete on this team. Now the faculty
Is being petitioned to permit athletes such
as he. if their scholastic standing reaches
a proper standard. to compete in more
certainly ought to be granted. 1t is a
fact that the majority of college students
are not fitted TO compete on more than
two university teams, but the rule GER
tainly ought to have enough elasticity to
it to permit exceptional students to be
members of more than two teams If they
also have the athletic ability.
The criticisms of the graduate rule have
had their origin in the regulation of the
faculty whereby students can secure their
bachelors degree in three instead of the
usually required four years Inasmuch
as freshmen are barred from membership
on university teams. it is evident that
precocious students who take the four
years in three thus limited TO two
years of athletics. The critics of the
present rule are concerned for those stu
dents who take the regular course in
three years and then enter one of the
graduate schools. They contend that all
Harvard graduates are entitled to three
years of athletics and. while they would
not permit students in the professional
schools who come from other UNIVERSE
ties to compete in athletics they do con-
tend that an exception should be made in
the case OF Harvard students who COM
plete the regular course in three years
and then enter one of the graduate
schools
1t may be taken for granted that this
argument will not weigh heavily with the
faculty. 1t is presupposed that when a
man enters a graduate school to which a
more serious plans than intercollegiate
athletics. also it is presumed that a man
who completes four-year course in three
years has no time for athletics Conse-
1uently while it may he shown that there
Is some injustice under the present rule
it is wholly unlikely that ii will be
changed
Will Welcome Navy Track Athletes
Every one interested in intercolle-
giate track and field athletics is hope
full that the Naval Academy will grant
permission to its track team TO COM
pete in the coming intercollegiate cham
pionships next May This permission
has not been received, but if the request
is granted ii is virtually certain that
the l. c. A. A. A. A. will welcome the
navy with open arms This association
aims solely to develop amateur ath-
letics, and it will certainly put no OBJ
stacles in the way of the midshpmen
Track athletics have had a really re-
markable growth at the Naval Acad-
envy within the last four or five years
So proficient have the middies become
In track and field athletics that last
year they made quite formidable
showing against Pennsylvania and other
colleges. Indeed, their work was such
as to indicate that they can make
respectable score even in the intercolle-
giate cha mpionships. The annual meet
ing Of the /. c. 4. A. A. 4 will be held
In New York. FEBRUARY IS. nr9 If the
rsldAiss sat ssrH,is~'." frs~' 'ha'' va.