New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-18
COLUMBIA AROUSED
AT STAR CHAMBER
Much Sentiment Against
Present Policy of Ath-
letic Association.
SPECTATOR TAKES UP
CAUSE OF STUDENTS
Attitude in Howard Case and on
Indoor Meets Causes Unrest
on Campus.


Student sentiment at Columbia has beer
aroused 70 a high degree in opposition &c
the policy Of the general university attn
letic association through editorials appear
ING in "The Spectator" and informal
meetings among the undergraduates. the
broadside against the policy Of secrecy IN
which all actions OF the association nave
been shrouded, began early IN the week
and nearly every issue OF The Spectator
has added fuel 10 the flames
"The Spectator" has taken care to POM
out that Harry a. Fisher. the graduate
manager Of athletics and official heaopiece
Of the association. has not been to blame
personally. and holds that the head OF
the body. no matter who he is at this
time. is merely Incidental 20 the general
spirit Of the association.
The Columbia students realize that foot
hall is n dead letter, and although they
have referred 10 Il as an Issue they kno"
mat Il is impossible TO regain the game
under the present state or Things on
Morningside Heights. Having football
they argue, II would be possible FOR the
athletic association 70 retain the loyalty
of the student body. but inasmuch as foot-
bail is dead and the association has adopt
ed a close mouthed policy, which does
not let them IN on IT'S intended actions
unfit definite steps have already been
taken. the students feel that they are be-
,rr called on 10 contribute money and
support 10 athletics and then denied a
voice in the financial or athletic policy OF
the association. "It makes US mere SUD
scrfbers, and not members" IS what Tine
Spectator" said.
The control Of athletics at Columbia
since 1903. when the present athletic as
ISOLATION was organized, has been vested
in that body through IT'S fourteen con-
stituent members. The governing board
,s also the university committee. or rae
ultv committee. on athletics, and IS com
nosed Of three undergraduates. three
alumni and three members of the faculty.
The meetings are held in private, and no
information relative TO the policy or the
association becomes known on the campus
other than that vouchsafed by the board
Of directors through the graduate man
ager.
What apparently has made the students
so wrathful against the association ar
This time is the attitude adopted when
Tom Howard. the hockey coach. deserted
Columbia and took up place With Yale
lie Was under contract TO Columbia as an
uouuced hv the association in october,
and the students cannot understand why
lie was allowed 10 go TO Yale, when the
case was apparently a fragrant breach or
contract on his part and an evidence or
lad faith on the part Of the Yale man
agement in accepting him.
Another cause Of the unrest is seen IN
the ruling Of the board not 10 allow Co
lumbia athletes to appear In non-collegi-
ate indoor meets without specific permits
sion Of the board and the track associa-
ton. This IN itself is held by many TO be
an excellent rule, but some Of the track
athletes feel that II should not have been
adopted without an open discussion.
This state Of affairs may have good
qualities tucked away somewhere Is the
way THE Spectator put It. but most
decidedly II does not tend to create an
enthusiastic body OF supporters We must
get away from II II we are TO get any
where I.amenting the small number OF
athletic association members will not help
We must realize that II IS due not tC
apathy, but 10 discomfort and We mus
act accordingly. There are many, many
students on the campus who are WILLING
10 he enthusiastic II there Is something
about which 70 enthuse. But they viii
not enthuse about the athletic association
unless they are aroused, either by foot
ball or by participation in the affairs OF
the athletic association. or both"
As yet, the crusade has had no apparent
effect on the athletic board, and II ha:
taken no official notice OF the proceedings
despite the fact that II held one OF rs
monthly meetings two days after the frs
attack was made. That there is something
wrong with athletics AT Columbia does no
take an expert 10 determine. In basket
ball and rowing the Blue and White ha,
held its own fairly consistently. but ever
in the first named sport tho season ex
per1enced year ago was disastrous and
until the wonderful brace which the team
took last week few expected that the rec
ord for 1914 would be any better than FOL
1918
Furthermore, although rowing on Morn
ingside Heights has been successful II Il
recognized that Il is due more TO the per-
sonal excellence Of Jim Rice. the coach
than any other one reason Rice, except
in the first two years he was al Columbia,
has had poor material to work with, and
his crews have been marvels from that
very fact. This year the support he IS
receiving Is abominable.
Only twenty-one men reported for the
varsity boat on the first day OF practice
and although he had twice as many
freshmen Rice was greatly discouraged
Since first day the actual numbers on the
books have picked up. but there still re-
mains the same backwardness at practice
on Thursday OF last week. which was
a representative day. only forty-seven
candidates out OF squad Of eighty-five
reported in track athletics Bernie We
fers finds that he has only a few men for
daily practice. and so II goes through the
list OF sports that Columbia has. Wheth-
er a change in the policy of the athletic
association would affect this trial alone
would demonstrate.