Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-01-08
Colby Students
DisfavOr Proposed
Athletic Ruling
(Special to Kennebec Journa'

Especial 10 kenneDec Journal)
Waterville, Jan. S-Tomorrow even
ing at'the regular monthly meeting
Of the Colby Athletic Association it
is understood that a proposition will
be presented by some college official
for the carrying out of the freshman
ruling at Colby for the first semes-
ter of the college year. No definite
statement can be secured from COL
lege authorities in regard to this
matter but it is generally understood
around the campus that such n
measure will be presented for the
action and discussion that the Ath-
letic Association cares to make on
the matter.
The purpose in the main Of this
proposed measure is to bar all men
of the entering class to Colby col
lego from participating in any COL
legiate sport during the first semes-
ter of the college year. from about
the middle of September until the
first of February of each year. Such
an act. If passed by the Athletic
Council. will bar all freshmen from
football and cross country teams.
Students on the college campus
are hot about the matter and feel
ing Is running high within the walls
of Colby. The college men are prac-
tically unanimous in their stand
against the matter as they claim
that 1t will completely ruin the
greatest of fall sports, football, and
will seriously hamper the cross coun-
trv team. 1t has been pointed out
that If the first year men are bar
red from playing football, the places
left on the Blue and Cry eleven will
have to be filed from the material
that was left over from last fall, and
that was a scarce article. On the
Colby Championship team this fall
there were five regulars who were
freshmen, Carson, ODonnell, Math-
ers. Dunnack and Peacock All of
these men made 1t possible for
the local college to take the state
series high honors and bring fame
to Colby, the barring of freshmen
next fall would compel the Colby
grid mentor to fill the place Of Tar
pey. Mcdonald, Burckel and McGarry
with upperclassmen.
The action would also hit the
cross country team a hard blow in
that there are three seniors who ran
last fall who will leave college in
June with practically no material
other than what will be left from
the team in the three upperclasses.
This last fall. Coach Mike Ryan had
all he could do to make up q team.
using two freshmen, Brudno and
Smart. If the track mentor is COM
PEELED to search out the material in
the uppcrclasses and leave the fresh
men alone, 1t will be a task that
would break the best of coaches.
Colby has Stl1dont Indy of n
little over 800 men. The University
Of Maine has over 1000 men from
which to select their teams, Bowdoin
more than 500. and Bates about the
same as Colby. The University of
Maine enforced the freshman ruling
two years ago and has made n COM
plete success of it, for there are
nearly thousand men in the three
upper classes from which to make
the teams, regardless of the enter
i'm freshmen. Bowdoin is DESTROYS
Of securing games with colleges like
Williams. Wesleyan and Amherst.
all of which have the freshman rul-
ing: therefore compelling the Black
and White to resort to this measure.
Bates can not afford to pass this
ruling and it is felt by the students
at Colby that Colby can not afford
The question of added expense to
maintain freshman team in both
football and track with extra coach
ing forces also is pointed out by the
opponents to the plan as one of the
bad features and one which Colby
cannot well afford to overlook
Those who arc in favor of the
policy declare that too many COL
legcs, not implying that Colby does.
have men registered for a year or
less merely to play football or some
other major sport and that the
freshman ruling does away with
these ringers" They also point out
that the first year men should he al
lowed to study a greater part of the
time and thus secure firm hold on
college work before entering into
intercollegiate contests which occupy
so much time.
Undoubtedly. at the meeting TO-
morrow night when IL is expected
that this plan will be presented for
the pleasure of the Athletic Associa-
ton. it will be thoroughly dashed
over but It is hardly expected that
a decision will be reached for con-
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