sent itself as it has to us. What is to be done to
get. things back on their old footing ?
So much of our students’ time and money are
involved in athletics that it may not be feasible to
look to them for support of their college paper
outside of their.yearly subscription, which'is even
neglected by a few.
The entire matter resolves itself into two vital
questions? Shall the only paper of the college be
maintained? and if so, By what means? It would
be a lamentable pity if after so successful anorgani
zation and management for a number of years it
should have to succumb to this misfortune.
* * *
THE base ball season has gone and the foot
ball season is here. The record of the base
ball team might have been better, though
we had difficulties with which to contend. If
there were any faults connected with the base-ball
management, they were laziness and a dependence
upon a past record. Now the fact is that we
could name other colleges that expect to defeat
our foot-ball team. They are practicing for it,
are confident and look forward to the game only
as an opportunity for their triumph.
Whether we defeated them last season, or not, is
a question which concerns the past. We know
what our eleven can be brought to do, for they
have shown us; but we also know what remains to
be done this fall. Success lies before us just as
sure as it did last season, but we cannot afford to
neglect vigorous practicing.
ANOTHER foot-ball season has come around
with the opening of the present session
which, as far as having a good team is
concerned, promises now to be a successful one.
Though, at first the out-look for'placing a good
team in the field was rather discouraging, from
the fact that some of our old and best players
whom we expected to have with us this fall, did not
return, yet after looking the ground over, and a
good and experienced captain having been chosen,
THE FREE LANCE.
it was found that a team as good if not better
than last year’s could be selected from the old
players and the new men among whom are a few
players of some experience. The thing most need
ed now is support from the members of the Athle
tic Association without which the team cannot and
could not be expected to do good work.
Support is needed from the students by showing
a willingness to comejmt and play on the second
team and thus give the first eleven that practice
and training which is altogether in dispensible and
then the management must have financial support,
more especially so on account of our location with
respect to other colleges, larger guarantees being
demanded by visiting teams than is the case with
most any other college, and for the same reason
it costs us so much more to send our team away.
Of course the State League, as is generally known,
is a thing of the past though through no fault of
ours, andall games must be scheduled independent
ly which, being situated as we are, is a rather hard
matter to do.
Just in the line it might be said that too much
is expected by some students from the team and of
ficers and a good bit of undersqrved criticism is
indulged in by these few, and some, do not
seem at all to appreciate the efforts that are made
by those who have in charge the training of the
team and show their non-appreciation by continu
ally hooting and making remarks that are by no
means to their credit.
THE enthusiasm with which our students wit
ness a victory and utter mouthfallenness
with which they take in a defeat is some
thing excelled only by lads of far less mature years.
So long as crowned with success they mourn for
worlds to conquer, but once encountered by de
feat they throw up their hands and cry for uncon
ditional surrender. This spirit has been de
monstrated most emphatically of late, but is a
quality which comes far short of any of the char
acterizing elements , of men of determined success.
* * *