The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-02-02
PRES. VINCENT ON
SPORTMANSHIP
SPLENDID ADDRESS, TEEMINe
WITH GOOD ADVICE, DELIVER.
ED TO FARGO COLLEGE STU.
ENTs THIS MORNING BY HEAD
OF MINNESOTA u.

Every one of us is a philosopher
of life" said President Vincent al
Minnesota university this morning in
the Fargo college chapel, but each OF
us has a different conception of life's
philosophy.
MANY people have referred to it as
the highway of life,' on which we
trudge toward the end, some of us
plod along, others straddle crawny
nags, while those favored of fortune
ride in motor cars leaving more of a
smell Of gasoline than the odor Of
sanctity.
ut has been referred to by philoso-
pliers as citing out on the sea of
life in which rowing UP stream is Of
more moral value than drifting with
the current.
Life is a stage, but many of the
parts are poorly assigned. Some that
should be back in the chorus are
pushed to the front, while others with
the possibilities of stars are left in
the background. You may have an
i~nconspicuous part but you must re-
member that you contribute to the
dramatic unity of the play.
Life may be a battle, but nova
days men get as far from the firing
line as possible, and figure out math-
ematically how they can hit the enemy
at four and one-half miles distance
behind a hill, but these forms of
philosophy do not appeal to us. These
are days Of philosophy of collectivism
in the cause of common service.
ION the other hand there is an APP
pealing theory that life is a game
but it is by no means a lottery. for
there is a casual connection betw cen
the ability and effort of the player and
the prize received. Lottery is pure
chance"
President Vincent's chief emphasis
was laid on the distinction between
the sportsman and the sport. "You
can tell the sportsman from the sport,
before, the during and after the game.
"The sportsman is not loud, does
not boast, but simply informs you
that he is going to give his best ac-
count of himself, and that he hopes
the best side will win. On the other
hand the heavens reverberate with the
threats of the sport-he is about to
do wonders and hopes to annihilate
his opponent. ." y
after the game, if it is won, the
sportsman is glad on account of his
success, he is not a molly coddle who
plays easy to save the feelings of his
opponent, but he does not rub it in by
humiliating the opponent. The sport
however gloats on the victory his
chief satisfaction is not in playing
the best game, but in gIodting over
the defeat of his opponent.
IF the sportsman loses, he does not
does not whine, but accepts
the results, and congratulates the win
ner. I like the old custom of teams
cheering each other.
you can always tell the sportsman
the game. He is playing within
the spirit Of the law, does not take
Of technicaIities, and he is
generally the man that wins. He rep
the style of man who makes
the sacrifice hit for the good of his
team, while the sport is the grand
who knocks the fly safely into
the hands of the opponent outielder.
The sportsman, too, loses himself in
The love for the game, in his en-
thusiasm, while the sport is constant |
thinking of his appearance, style
md form. . -m
students" said the speaker, you
should play the. game OF life in poll
tics and business, like a true sports
man, and who sacrifices himself for
The good Of those connected with him.
Il hope you will play the game like
that. Unless we can put athletics on
his basis it is bound to sink to q low
be a moral menace. I hope
you will fight the sport in every as
oect of life, and do your duty as col
eye men and women; do not yield to
he mob, but be a force toward good
craftsmanship, putting it on a higher
standard"
A large number of visitors were
at the chapel service, and all
enjoyed the talk immensely. |
H. Il