Evening star., 1942-11-17
ougenng Course Puts Average Test Into kindergarten Class
Only: Game Hoyas Lisl
Should Be Called
MansIaughter
Obstacle Route Is Even
More Strenuous Thon
Army, Navy Demand
BY LEWIS r. ATCHISON.

army NoVy Demond
by LEWIS r. ATCHISON.
There was q time when strong
backs generally were not associated
with strong minds. The bright kid
IN the class was anemic, wore specs
and washed behind the ears. He
was perfect little gent, but an
unhealthy specimen OF human being.
His only exercise consisted of being
chased home by the other kids and
his spare moments were spent poring
over textbooks or poetry. He was,
as his momma would admit, rs
bright as silver dollar.
The tough kids were extraordi-
narily muscular, especially between
the ears. Their school marks were
small, but not their appetites. They
did their home work on a neighbor-
hood lot with q football tucked
under their arm and another kid
gnawing on their leg. Their badge
was q slightly crooked nose, or at
least bruised knee and naked ell
bows peeping through their sweat
ers. Most of 'em grew up to be
traffic cops.
That time was not SO long ago,
but the war has changed all that
from grammar school up through
college, and it is the latter we wish
to discuss today. Tough college
boys are pretty good students, too,
and more, the chances are that the
dudes who delighted in parading
their sartorial splendor will give you
= good bif on the nose If you have
the audacity to make a crack about
their outrigging. Last year they
may have burned in silence, but not
this year. The collegians are get
Ting to be downright roughnecks OF
q polite and learned breed.
Good Training-if Boys Survive.
At Georgetown the other day we
saw a demonstration of why they
are tough and how they get that
way. The invitation was extended
by Joe Gardner, Hoya graduate
manager, the master mind behind
the university's make-'em tough
program. He trotted out no hand
picked batch of trainees, but one of
his smaller classes, 180 men, all av-
erage in ability, because it suited
the newspapermen's convenience to
drop around at the time this par
ticular class reported for work.
Gardner has modelled his obstacle
course along lines similar to those
constructed by the Army and Navy,
but in at least one item Joe has
gone the services one better.
The boys run in pairs, after 20
minutes of push-ups, bicycling and
assorted calisthenics. The first OBJ
ject is no obstacle at all, but leap
into space of something called the
springboard It's not difficult IL YOU
land properly. If you don't, travel
ing the rest of the way on one
good ankle is liable to be laborious
indeed.
From there they crawl into the
long, low wood and wire
tunnel that can be negotiated only
on all fours. It's the sort of thing
that brings fellow right down to
earth and drives home seriousness
Of this program. Next is the log
barricade and over thick logs, with
q conk on the noggin awaiting the
unfortunate chap who errs.
Must Remove Own Casuals.
After that comes 10-foot rope
climbs that stops most Of the no.
vitiates and puts a crimp in the
of even the vets. Getting
down from the platform is easier.
The trainees simply fall off into
nest of sandbags, and again success
or failue depends on the landing.
A ladder climb, rope-swing, board
run, low hurdle and 50-yard dash
follows, and If the candidates still
are breathing they arrive at Gard
ner's masterpiece. This consists OF
rows OF iron poles intensified at
levels about feet apart on steep
bank. Pulling themselves back and
forth between the two levels de-
velops biceps, calves and thighs and
also teaches alertness, because it's
. painful drop il they miss the bot
tom pole.
But all work wouldn't do, so the
Hoyas play some, too. They have a
game that seems to be a cross be-
tween rugby, football, wrestling,
basket ball, track and third degree
granddaughter. There are so on a
side, and one of the more impor-
tant of the rather vague regulations
the affair Is that each
team must lug its own casuals to
the infirmary and bury the dead.
Will Consider War Soft.
No less than 1,O25 students are
enrolled in the program, which is a
must" in the daily grind regardless
of the weather. None liked the idea
when 1t was announced and Gardner
has been a veritable top sergeant
of the old Army school in putting
them through their PAGES. They
didn't want it. but they knew it was
necessary and probably would be
beneficial. After all, colleges are
turning out soldiers as we'll as
scholars in these trying times.
From the looks OF things at
GEORGETOWN we need have no fear
of the physical capabilities Of the
men going into the armed forces
from our colleges. They'll be ready
for the devil himself--if they sur
vive the rigors OF high education.
All Ca. An-LAu TAo~