The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-02-10

intercollegiate athletics for reasons
that are as OBVIOUS as they are ua-
worthy.
There aye spectators Of certain
class VINO defend the games, just as
the same class Of men once defended
hoySe-rac;ng and prize fighting. When
horSe-rac;ng was more general and
respectable than it IS row. these men
advocated the races under the preteEt
that the turf promoted the breeding
OF fine horses. PriZe-fgh:ing they
call by the euphemiStic names OF
grove contests" ard ''te manly art.
Candid ard discerning people cannot
fail 70 see that ali such stuff is moth
ing more than the hypocritical pre-
lenses Of the gamesters. They, wish
thc educational institutions of the
country 20 furnish then? with sports
that kill and they wish to use college
students IN place Of horses and
Isluggers.
Herein IS the source of the gamb-
ling which is inseparable from inter-
collegiate athletics 1t is worse than
idle, i: IS insincere, to try to Disguise
or minimize, the gambling which
gathers around the games.
A prominent business man in Ala
5ama wrote me as follows concerning
what he saw in an Atlanta hotel when
2 notaole game was played few
weeks ago. He said, IF l had not
been already in sympathy with your
views concerning intercollegiate ath-
letics, my observation at short range
of the students OF the two colleges
whose students played here yesterday
would have thoroughly convinced me
that the evil has run away with some
Ischoois and has become the chief
thing with them. 1t has been long
time, # ever. that / have seen such
betting, to say nothing Of the drinking
and profanity. / could not help De-
ing mixed up with the crowd in tn"
,lo5by of the hotel, and what / saw
iand heard made me really sick.
was very glad that Emory university
was not involved in any such thing,
etc.
But some will say that "intercolleg-
late athletics" promote ''that !ndefn-
, aole thing called college spirit" Let
US ask in reply What sort Of college
spirit is thereby promoted?
Upon this. point President Foster
, speaks most forcfbly in the article tC
which reference ; has already been
made. He says:
The first question is what we mean
,oy college spirit. A student may
throw his hat in the air, grab mega
phone, give three rahs,' go through
the gymnastics Of a cheer-leader--
+ putting the most ingenious mecnanl-
cal toys 70 shame-and yet leave
some douhcc whether he has adequate
Ily defined college spirit.
"What is this college spirit that
hovers over the paid coach and his
prandstand-this 'indefnable some
thing as one writer calls It. which is
famed into bright fame by inter
collegiate athletics? Shall we Judge
the spirit by its manifestations in an
institution famed above all else for It's
, winning teams aid its college spirit?
In such an institution, not long ago,
every student was cudgeled or cajoled
into supporting the team and many e
,callow youth acted as though ne
thought he had reached the heights
of self-sacrifae when he sat FOR hours
:; on the grandstand, watching practice,
putting irrumerable cigarettes, and
laying up stock Of canned enthusl-
, asnl for the big game. A student who
would not support his team by betting
len il was regarded as deficient IL splr-
i. Every intercollegiate game was
the occasion of general neglect OF
college courses. If the game was at
a neighboring city, the class rooms
. were half empty for two days; but
the barrooms of that city were not
empty, and worse places regularly
doubled their rates on the night OF
the big game. Some Of the most en-
thus;astic supporters of the team went
to Jail for disturbing the peace. Ii
1.-THE contest took place at home, re-
turning alumni filed the fraternity
houses ard celebrated with general
drunkenness. AN indefnable some
thine'-consistinG of college property
and that of private c:tlzens-Was
famed into a bright fame IN cele-
Lro+;on of +ha viotOrV Following