October 3, 1955
An Open Letter to the Student
Dear Student,
Have you often thought of where
the $15.00 which you pay per year
for an Activities fee goes, be
sides for the dances and other
social functions? Well, in view
of the fact that the majority of
students enrolled here are males,
and naturally are more athletically
inclined or interested in sports,
the subject of sports for the
coming year should be of paramount
importance on your Activities list.
This year, more than any other yqqp,
you, through your Student Council
are affected by a situation which
is more serious than you might
believe it to be. Student Council
must decide, in the near future,
whether or not Hazleton will be
represented in the Pennsylvania
Junior College Basketball Conference.
Since the Hucsters first entered
competition in the league back in
1946 their brand of ball has been
consistently good, and just last
year, after virtually being assured
of the title, the team was forced
to drop out because of the lack of
players. This was the first time
in the history of the League a team
dropped out of competition. Besides
the Hazleton Center, the league
includes Altoona, Mont Alto, John
stown, Temple Community College,
Keystone, Hershey, and the League
champions, York.
This same situation which caused us
to forfeit our games had been en
countered during the 1952-53 and
1953-54 seasons, however, the Huc
sters squeezed by with but seven
players. Third semester transfers
combined with a lack of reserves took
the nucleus out of the Hucsters.
HAZLETON COLLEGIAN
An Open Letter (con’t.)
But lack of players Is not the only
problem involved. Even if there
are 20 to 30 candidates, and even
if the team does carry 20 men, the
question arises, "Will there be
enough men to capably finish out
the season?" That is what Student
Council must decide.
There are other problems involved
also, problems of an economical
and scholastic nature. Last year,
Mr. James Mulligan, Junior High
Basketball coach at Hazleton,
tutored a fine, championship
bound team, only to see it collapse
at the very brink of success.
His salaryj the fees paid for
janitorial duties at the two gyms,
A. D. Thomas Gym and Hazleton High
School, where the Hucsters practiced
three times a week, and where they
played their home games, transport-r
ation fees on the road games, and
equipment all amounted to a staggering
sum of approximately $lOOO,
More than the financial Iqss, however,
the reputational status of the school
was impaired, and the amount of
cooperation and personal sacrifice
shown by Mr. Peightal, the Director
of Athletics last season, and by the
remaining players themselves was
left un-appreciated.
The scholastic problem enters the
picture also. Eligibility is
determined by scholastic grades,
grades which must be maintained.
Practice makes perfect, but a
sacrifice is placed on the student
athlete when practice sessions are
hold at night or when week-end
games are scheduled, a sacrifice
win ch threatens to lower the very
mark that determines his eligibility#
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