ural adornment 1 The entire sum could be wise
ly and economically used in providing for imme
diate and present needs. When that is accom
plished the State College will offer in these de
partments, as it now offers in several others, all
the appliances that any earnest student needs in
order to give the most thorough preparation for
his professional work.
3. A separate building for the gymnasium.
The growth of interest in and attention to athletic
exercises in the College has fully kept pace with
its growth in other directions. This interest has
been maintained in spite of many drawbacks, and
while the work of the Military Department fur
nishes a regular and invigorating physical exer
cise, it is not sufficient to give the special and ex
tended training required by those who wish to
give more attention to athletics. lam heartily
and'earnestly in favor of whatever can be done
by the trustees to promote this important branch
of voluntary training. So far as I have been able
to observe, few, if any, of our men have suffered
in intellectual work or standing by reason of de
votion to athletic exercises. On the contrary
their influence has been, almost without exception
stimulating and beneficial.
The enterprise of two of the college fraternities
is worthy of special mention. They have, within
the last six months, taken possession of new and
handsome cottages specially erected for their use,
thus furnishing an important relief to the pres
sure upon the College rooms and at the same
time creating a change in the habit of social and
domestic life among the members of those fra
ternities and, indirectly, among other students,
which is, in every way, as far as I can judge,
beneficial and healthful.
COMMUNICA TION.
Mr, Editor :—Since in these modern days
when educational institutions have at last awak
ened to the fact that a sound and healthy body is
tin important adjunct to a strong Snd vigorous
THE FREE LANCE.
mind, there is a tendency in the public mind to
criticise the course of many of our colleges for
apparently giving to much prominence to sports.
Those engaged. in the busy pursuits of everyday
life are inclined to look upon the sports of college
life as a mere pasttime or simply child’s play
engaged in only to gratify the desire for pleasure.
They hear only the boisterous exhibition induced
by engaging iri health giving sports. They for
get the many long hours of hard and laborious
study spent in the quiet of the student’s room.
They hear nothing of the quiet and often brill
iant progress made by the true seeker after knowl
edge. True students do not herald their learning
to the world with shouting voices and the assist
ance of a brass band. The public hears the
noise of the playgrounds and is too prone to judge
that because here being where the most noise
comes from, here must be where the most atten
tion goes.
The whole fault lies in the superficial judgment
of what those out of college call play. They
forget the healthful and exhilerating impetus
given to the blood made sluggish by weary hours
of study. The building up of strong and healthy
muscle. The fresh and invigorating influence of
the air upon the lungs while engaged in active
sports. In fact they forget all that goes to give
sports the dignity they deserve in college life.
However this is digressing from my original in
tention. I would speak of our sports at P. S. C.
and of our immediate wants for the successful and
profitable participation in the same.
With the Fall Term close all outdoor sports.
No more stirring scenes on the Foot Ball field for
one year. Base Ball is out of the question until
spring—i. e. real games. The practice for the
coming season of base ball should begin with
Winter Term. The armory may be used and
there is good material to be developed. But thfe
practice includes comparatively few of the many
who need exercise. Winter sports is what we'
want to turn our attention to. Ask the proper
authorities td get the hfccesSfiry appliances—such