University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1913-04-30

answered the girl in the short skir
and MILDLY blouse. They disappear
ed with the rustic bridges and tn
crOquet grounds. If you want to Sc,
the new women, though, come will
me to the baseball game this after
noon between the seniors and juniors
The junior pitcher can throw the bes
curves"
You'd much rather go to the ten.
mis- tournament" interrupted ar
athletic looking girl.
"Or see me play golf l can drive
120 yards" said another
"Or watch the archery contest, OF
the hockey game. or take a walk with
the hiking club" added the first girl
Perhaps you'd better do them all il
you want to get acquainted with the
University women"
The alumnus looked puzzled.
Times certainly have changed here"
he said slowly.
But the alumnus was wrong. 1t is
not the times but the women that
have changed at the University. The
frivolous damsel of college romance
has been succeeded by the practical
minded athlete Baseball has replac-
ed the game of authors, nerve has
taken the place of nerves"
In the Last Two Years.
And this has all happened in two
years. Some say the suffragists did
it, others that the strict rules as to
strOlling drove women to athletics,
while the girls themselves say it is
only the modern athletic movement
among college women which was
little late reaching the University of
Missouri.
This being somewhat secluded
University in Southern town, it was
one of the last to give up the tradi-
tional sweet girl graduate" Old
fashioned girls with fans and sun
shades paced the Quad long after
women in other colleges were culti-
waiting freckles and breaking each
others shins with hockey sticks. But
two years ago gymnasium work was
made compulsory for freshmen and
sOphomOres and a great interest was
thus awakened in athletics which has
eliminated this spring in nearly ev-
cry woman i'm the University going in
for some out-of-door sport
Baseball is the newest game for
girls and one of the most popular. |
When the girls first started playing
il, however, just as the mems game /
is played, some were discouraged by
he mems criticism.
The girls hold the bat as if il
we're a tOothpick," said the boys who |
)eeped through the fence.
The balls certainly did "go wild"
he first day. To prevent injury
arge soft ball was used, and this
seemed to jump out of the girls hands
is soon as it got in. When they saw
t coming they spread out their fingers
md held out their hands as if to ward
,ff an enemy. The pitchers threw it
,ver from the shoulders. lust like
Ill girls throw" the boys said, and
he batters when they hit it usually
Knocked il toward some ones head.
Seven at One Base.
Girls. don't stand with your
lands on your hips or your arms
olded," the instructor had to call out
gain and again, or Don't all try to
et on one base" she would say when
even perhaps would be congregated
what they should do next.
But that has changed now. Girls
Tho used to play "catch" and "anty
yer" at the little country school,
ouse have developed into star pitch
RS and catchers and even the most
mid girls sometimes make sensa-
onal home runs. A desire to play
just like the men do" has taken hold s
T the girls and the rooters on the s
declines encourage them in this.
Throw out your feet when you
ITCH" or double up as the men do,"
hey will cry, and the popular player
the one who rubs her hands, whis-
es and goes into the game with the
lost energy.
Many of the girls are wildly en-
lusiastic over baseball. "It is the
est game of ALL" they say, because
teaches you to think and act quick
:, to carry yourself well and it's
ore fun than everything else put to- t
ether" IL
But baseball has not taken from e
le popularity. of tennis. 1t was one b
the first outdoor sports introduced r
ere. Two years ago when the new r
hletic movement started its only {
lpital was tennis racquets and few b
,lf sticks. There are more than
teen courts at the University now c
4.