The Washington times., 1937-03-24
Student Body
Favor New
Set-up
By HARRY COSTELLO
IA Al,n ha,ntiSYn takeo

That's the question De1OTe Ine
house. now that the alumni have
dipped University Of Virginia
slightly in the waters of high
powered football.
Yes, the baptism took, and with
a vengeance!
The world of education, includ-
ing that section Of it which &C.
cepts intercollegiate athletics as
part of the educational program
and as a serviceable adjunct to
formal education, now considers
Virginia lin" Meaning lin" high
powered football.
AS this observer has emphasized:
University of Virginia is MOI
lin"
properly to understand the Vir-
ginia situation, one must under
stand the background.
For years, proud old Virginia
entered into athletic agreements
with various institutions through
official representatives. t h e e
agreements set down, more often
than not in writing, the rules
under which athletic competition
between the agreeing parties were
to be conducted. According to
virginia men, and many, many
others, the agreements were Vlo-
lated, not by Virginia but by the
other contracting parties. T h e
result was that Virginia was placed
in the ignominious position OF sui
fering humiliating defeats.
SubsidiZing Clauses
Virginia's agreements with other
institutions contained clauses per
tanning to proselyting and subsidlz'
ing athletes. Both parties to the
agreement were NOT to proselyte
or subsidize athletes. Virginia's
rivals. according to Virginia men,
any many, many others, unt1esl-
tatingly violated the rules set down,
while Virginia did not. Competl'
ton thus became unfair, and Vir-
ginia was penalized for being
honorable.
It's a matter of record and fact
that Virginia parted company with
the conference in which she was
an outstanding factor. Even so,
Virginia, to continue with any de-
gree of self-respect in intercolle-
giate athletics, felt she must do
something about it all. Virginla's
alumni stepped in. The alumni Of
fered to send a number OF athletes
to Virginia and to finance these
athletes each on the basis OF $500
per year. The University, truthful
about the whole matter, told the
whole story: The university will
not ban the student who receives
aid from the alumni because he is
an athlete.
It should be understood that the
University of Virginia is not ex-
tending aid to athletes under the
new athletic policy. All that the
university has done to meet the
new condition is to pass a rule that
athletes who are aided, because
they are athletes, will not be
barred from Virginia's intercolle-
giate athletic teams.
Consent of Board
It should be understood also !
that the alumni are to give finan'
cial aid to athletes at the uniVer-
sity with the knowledge and con-
sent of university officials and the
Board of Visitors.
Regardless of how much Vir-
ginia explains, and regardless Of
how logical Virginia'S explana-
tions may be, more than likely |
the hardened, practical world will
say that Virginia is "in"-mean-
ing, Of course, "in" high-powered
football. Thus, in sense, Vir-
ginia is damned if it does and
is damned if it doesn't.
Virginia'S alumni plan for CIV
ing the proselyted athlete $500
per year may and may not work
out well. Chances are that it will
not, for the reason that your mod
ern youth be he from poor or
wealthy family, doesn't care for
any plan which gives one Of his
mates $500 a year for playing
football and fails to give him $500
for rendering the same service.
This idea, spread out to other
varsity teams, such as track, bas-
ketball, baseball and boxing, might
prove very dangerous, for easily it
might cause wide dissension and
thus ruin Virginia's chances of
developing winning teams.
Virginia alumni, of course,
plan to do openly what other
alumni groups do Surreptitiously.
Even so, the world will hold the
university to blame, even if it is
the fact that the university is
blameless.
One Virginia alumnus, bitterly
opposed to the scheme, had this
to say:
"T did not oppose the move
because I felt that the best
way to prove its undeSirability
was to give it a trial"
WOULD VETO PLAN
Another alumnus said:
WISH cOulu nave Deen
president of the university or
a member of the Board of Wis
itOrs so that / could have We
toed the plan"
A third alumnus said:
obviously the plan will fail,
because it will cause dissen-
sion and humiliating defeats
will continue"
A fourth alumnuS said:
'T think it's a great idea. The
athletes will help Virginia while
they're gaining an education.
The Alumni nnfinn I feel is tn