Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-16
Would Reduce Available Athletic
Strength Of the University Fully
0ne-Half if Adopted.
WANTS TO HOOK UP WITH
TIGERS AND HARVARD
Yale Works Under Same Rule as
Quakers, But Refuses to Shift.
Must Have Positive Guarantee.
BY Edward r. Bushnell.

College men throughout the east are
deeply interested in the proposal of the
board of directors Of the University of
Pennsylvania TO pass an eligibility code
which will reduce by at least one-half
the available athletic strength of that
university. The proposition now under
consideration is the passage OF a rule
limiting membership on all athletic teams
to students in the college or academic
department. This would make 1t impos-
sible for students in the professional
schools to play on any of the Red and
Blue teams. Just what effect 1t would
have on the future of the university In
athletic matters is hard to predict, but
IL passed il will surely take Pennsyl-
vania a good many years to regain her
present eminence in the intercollegiate
athletic world
Pennsylvania 3 belief that she needs
foot bail games and other athletic COM
petitions with Harvard and Princeton,
and possibly Yale. is responsible for her
apparent Willingness to revise her ell
gibility code. But II Pennsylvania does
pass the rule She Is now considering she
will have gone to farther lengths than
either Harvard or Princeton, with whose
rules ii is desired to conform.
Harvard, Yale and Princeton now have
rule by which membership on their
athletic teams is restricted to students
who have not received bachelors de-
gree. Indirectly, this rule bars all but
students Of the academic department at
Harvard, because the Harvard rule Is
that only applicants having a bachelors
degree shall be admitted to the various
professional schools at Cambridge The
application OF the rule at Princeton made
hardly any change whatever, since
Princeton consists only Of the academic
department.
All the enforcement of this rule did at
Princeton was to prevent the further use
of graduate students who had not used up
their full term of eligibility. Yale was
hit more lightly yet. for the New Haven
institution does not require a candidate
10 hold bachelors degree 10 enter Ter
professional schools. The Yale rule is
very similar 10 that a Pennsylvania.
Both Yale and PENNSYLVANIA have within
recent years raised the requirements for
admission TO their professional schools
20 that students are Obliged TO have a
standing about equa! TO that of the sopho-
more or junior classes in the academic
depa rtments. Their ultimate purpose IL
10 have a rule requiring the holding of .
BACHELORS degree for admission to the
professional schools. but neither appears
ready for 80 radical step at present.
There is no doubt that Pennsylvania
would like very much TO have foot ball
games with Harvard or Princeton. pref
erably with both. There is likewise no
doubt that the QuakerS have been IN
formed that the chief obstacle TO the ar
rangement of the proposed games Is the
difference in eligibility codes. Princeton,
for instance. has student body OF only
leo or thereabouts, while Pennsylvania 8
total enrolment Is more than 5000. Con-
seQuently Princeton has good reason Tor
declining TO meet Pennsylvania under
these terms. Harvards academic de-
partment totals nearly 5000 students. 50
that the Crimson has some justification
for her stand, though not so much as
Princeton has.
II Pennsylvania should pass sucn a
rule she would have fewer students from
which TO draw than would Harvard. but
still more than Princeton. The PROPOSE
ton already has aroused a good deal OF
argument at Pennsylvania, and II put to
a vote OF the student body would prob
ably be defeated. AS things now stand
probably not more than half OF Pennsyl-
vania's athletic teams are confined to the
college department, the other half COM
ing from the professional schools.
1t IL hardly likely that Pennsylvania
would seriously consider this radical
amendment to her athletic code without
having some definite promises from
Princeton or Harvard for the arrange
inent of a definite number Of games. As
things now stand the only body with
power to change the eligibility code at
Pennsylvania In the university. athletic
committee appointed by the board Of
trustees Of the institution and which has
but two representatives from the Ath-
leuc Association and two from the st2-