TUESDAY. 6 . 1954 "Collegiate" Sam's Song By SAM PROCOPIO Collegian Sports Editor One of the biggest sports controversies at Penn State in recent years, probably in many years, has reached its peak since the University has had its prestige lifted during the 1952-53 and 1953-54 campaigns. The issue: school spirit. Critics say that Penn Staters lack loyalty and enthusi •asm. When there are pep rallies for the Lions' athletic achievements, students are said to have little interest, if any. We can't officially say that school spirit at Penn State is the best. But for an athletic program as large as the one scheduled at the University, we can say the spirit is better than average. Colleges and universities which do get backing as far as pep rallies and student attendance at games are concerned usually get this so-called support in one sport. At Penn State there are only two sports which fail to draw reasonable crowds. They are soccer and lacrosse. In order for a sport to attract spectators it doesn't necessarily need to reign as a champion—although it helps. It must be under stood and enjoyed to become popular. When it becomes as popular as football, pep rallies are a tradition—win or lose. The winning team, of course, has more support and school spirit. The Lion basketball team came home from its triumphant NCAA tourney, but there wasn't a pep rally. The wrestlers did an exception ally well-done job in their tournament endeavor, but there wasn't a pep rally. But does a pep rally show whether or not there is school spirit? We doubt it. It is only one part of school spirit. Coach Charlie Speidel's matmen had a winning streak of 34 dual meets stopped at Annapolis. The next match; scheduled for Rec Hall, found the Lions as the underdog. Still, 6267 spectators second or third largest in Penn State's history—ittended the'dual meet with Pitt. Isn't that school spirit? Just a month before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, one of Penn State's few sports, soccer, which has had difficulty in attracting fans, dropped its first contest after 65 straight wins. Penn Staters didn't have school spirit; only thousands of students and townspeople lined the streets from one end of the community to the other, while still other students used staunch rope to pull the bus to the center of the campus. Soccer coach, Bill Jeffrey, said at the impromptu rally that it was "the "finest tribute that could' be paid to a Penn State soccer team" and "the nicest ° thing that has ever happened to me in my life." • • Sunday night a pep rally was in the making for Gene Wettstone's National gymnastic squad. Although it was 2 a.m. and many did not know of the rally at the time, there were still some 100 brave fans who turned out to greet Wettstone's sensational crew. But to many critics that is not school spirit. To them school spirit is boom or bust. We, believe the following letter from Roger E. Lindenmuth of California who enclosed a clipping from the Los Angeles Times news paper may show that school spirit is far from gone or lacking at Penn State: "To the sports editor: Thought you might be interested in the `tail end' of an article appearing in the Los Angeles Times describing "'The ears of the Penn Staters are still deaf from the cheers of the 4000 students and townspeople who greeted them at 1:30 a.m.Monday on their triumphant return from lowa City. "The ears of the Trojans are still ringing from the silence which met them Sunday afternoon upon their equally triumphant return from Corvallis,' the Times said. "The sportswriters out here appreciate the spirit of Penn State and wish that Southern California had just a little bit of it. "Makes you glad to be a Penn Stater," Lindenmuth added. In concluding we would like to point out one more fact. Wherever you have an institution of learning, you will always have people who don't follow sports and people who just sit back and read about the achievements that prevent 100 per cent co operation. We can't overlook another group which takes a cut in preventing 100 per cent cooperation. These people are better known as students. Ike to Throw First Ball in Season Opener WASHINGTON, April 5 VP)— President Dwight D. Eisenhower will throw out the first pitch of the baseball season April 13 and this year he is determined not to hit any umpires. A right-handed delivery from the President dusted an umpire on the back at the Griffith Stad ium opener last season. Jut tot You Twet- THE PERFECT HONEYMOON Enjoy the perfect privacy of a secluded cottage all your own, at a friendly guest hOuse just for newlyweds. Won derful meals (breakfast until 11:00). Lois to-do when you wish, or utter re laxing. For Company, you'll find light hearted young college folk starting life together, like yourselves. Mention dates „And we'll include our helpful THREE HONEYMOON PLANS, other folders. 1;-; i ON THE HILL SWIFTWATER 150, PENNSYLVANIA Football Ticket Savings Penn State, without a $3 foot ball ticket since 1932, will return to that figure as an aftermath of the newly-approved Federal ex cise tax slash. Harold R. Gilbert, assistant director a n d business manager of athletics, said the savings on season football tickets "will be very substantial in 1954." An Opportunity for ENGINEERS in the Expanding Instruments and Automatic Control Field Mechanical engineers, here's an opportunity •to become a part of a vital industry with a real • INTERVIEWS future. Republic Flow Meters Company. Chicago, manufacturer of industrial automatic controls, APRIL 12 will have a representative .on campus soon to Make appointment interview senior engineers for - positions •in re- through search, design, production and sales engineering. Republic -is progressive, medium sized. All ex- Francis L. Bria ecutives are engineers. Promotion within company College Placement a policy. Liberal hospital, life and retirement Service insurance plans. Profit sharing. Automatic Control is a Field with a Future MT DAILY' c9tAxplAN. FATE COLLEGE. PENNSYLVANIA 'Solid,. Man, Solid' Three Vets to Patrol Nittany Outfield "Solid" is the word for the outfield Coach Joe Bedenk will use this season. Three of last year's .300 hitters will patrol the outer gardens for the Lions in the current campaign. Bedenk plans to use Rex Bradley in left, Ron Weidenhammer in center, and Tom Werner in right. None of the three is a real slugger, but they accounted for nine doubles, seven triples, and one home run during the 1953 campaign. Bradley, a 5' 10" 150-pound junior from Columbia Crossroads, recorded a .304 batting average last season. Only one Lion regular, Charlie Russo, posted a higher average. The Nittany second baseman led the team in batting with .342. Bradley picked up 21 hits in 69 trips to the plate, scored 11 runs, batted in 13, and received nine bases on balls. The. Nittany leftfielder led the team in triples with four and tied for fourth in doubles with two. His .935 fielding average was sec ond. among the outfielders to . Sil Cerchie's 1.000. Bedenk has decided- to switch Weidenhammer,- last year's regu lar, shortstop, to the centerfield post, filling the" vacancy left by Cerchie's graduation. This will not be a new chore for the "Weed." During his • freshman year, he served as a utility in fielder and outfielder. Francis Bowman is slated to replace Wei denhammer at shortstop. Batted .300 Last Year Weidenhammer posted an even .300 •batting average for the :• games the Lions played in 1953. His 24 hits placed him second in that department and'his 17 runs batted-in tied third baseman Hu bie Kline for second. In 80 official at-bats, Weiden hammer struck out only six times. which on a percentage basis Two Boxers Switch From Ring to Mats Two sports-loving scrappers substituted boxing shorts for wrest ling tights today as they joined the Penn State boxing team for the three-day National Collegiate championships opening at Rec Hall Thursday afternoon. Principals in the unusual switcheroo are Larry Fornicola and Joe Humphreys, who have earned Coach Eddie Sulkowski's respect by the• earnestness with which they are going about their pre parations for the forthcoming tourney. INIE Champion "I knew something about Forn icola (he's a two-time, intramural champion)," Sulkowski said, "but I had no background on Hum phreys. I've watched him closely, however, and I'm convinced he's able to take care of himself." Fornicola, winner of six of eight wrestling starts in two years, won the intramural boxing titles the last two years and is looking for ward to another year of competi tion in either or both sports. He gives the mat sport the nod over boxing only because of his back ground in schoolboy wrestling. Humphreys Boxed in Navy Humphreys, like Fornicola, com peted only in wrestling as a schoolboy 'but during four years of naval service, divided his time between the ring and the mats. The State College boy flatly at tributes his switch to a love of competition. His log in wrestling shows one win and two losses. FOrnicola will weigh in at 139 pounds, Humphreys at 156. Fornicola made his first appear ance as a collegiate boxer two weeks ago against Louisiana State. He lost, .30-27, to Bob Jackson, two-time Southern Conference champion. Humphreys has yet to see action in the intercollegiate ranks. Led in Triples By. HERM WEISICOPF among the regulars, rated him as the toughest Nittany batter to whiff. Weidenhammer was second in runs scored with 20. The 6' 1" 180-pounder from Kutztown collected two doubles and three triples. - A junior, Wei denhammer should fits-into the Blue and White outfield nicely, with his sped being a big asset in the efforts to fill the gap left by Cerchie. Penn State's second-best batter last year was Werner. He smashed out 22 hits in 72 times at bat for a .306 batting average. Werner was fourth in bases on balls with 16. The 5' 10" 165-pounder from Mohnton was second in doubles with five and sported one home run in the 1953 campaign. Bradley, Weidenhammer, and Werner are three of eight return ing lettermen. Pete Cherish, a 5'9" 170-pound junior from Coalsport, will be the top reserve outfielder. He saw lim ited action last season. Another , prospect for duty in the outfield iS 6' 190-pound Dick Surovchak 'of Monesson. He is a, sophomore and is the only out fielder on the roster batting left handed. Arnold Injures Shoulder in Lacrosse Practice Dayid Arnold, captain of the la crosse team, separated his shoul der last Saturday during a prac tice session. The University Hospital has an nounced that it will be between two and four weeks before Arn old will be able to play again. Arnold will be staying at the University Hospital for the next two or three nights until his shoulder has healed further, but he will be able to go to classes during the day. Football Clinic Nearly 100 schoolboy coaches have indicated their intention to attend the two-day football clinic at Penn State, April 30-May 1. Coach Rip Engle and his staff will participate in the discussions and group work preceding a full dress scrimmage between "Blue" and "White" squads on the second day. Transportation Notice EASTER VACATION Take a Tip and Make Your Trip by GREYHOUND For the convenience of PENN STATE STUDENTS, SPECIAL BUSES will be provided for the Easter Vacation and will leave from the PARKING LOT, SOUTH OF RECREATION HALL at 1:00 P.M. WED . NESDAY, APRIL the 14th, 1954. RESERVATIONS for the SPECIAL BUSES will be made with the purchase of your ticket at the GREY HOUND POST HOUSE. AL L RESERVATIONS MUST BE MADE BY 10 P.M. TUESDAY, APRIL the 13th. For additional information, call the GREYHOUND POST HOUSE, 146 N. Atherton Street Phone 4181 Rocky-Charles Sign Contracts For Title Fight NEW YORK, Apr il 5 (W)— Rocky Marciano and' Ezz a r d Charles came to town to sign con tracts for their June 17 heavy weight • title fight today and heard promoter Jim Norris pre dict a. gate of "$600,000 and up" , for the Yankee Stadium bout. Norris' estimate did not include any extra cash from television, radio or theater TV if such a deal is made. The Thursday night scrap probably will be carried on. thea ter TV instead of home TV al though nothing is definite. Marciano will receive 40 per cent for his third• title defense while Charlies, the ex-champ, will get 20 per cent.' It will be Charles' second attempt to upset 'the tra dition of the ring that .heavy weight champs never come back. He failed against Jersey Joe Wal cott in 1952. Marciano has been doing road work since he returned from Tokyo in late December. He is down to 190 pounds and insists he still has the same enthusiasm as when he knocked out Walcott to win the title. in 1952. Iron Men Capture IM V-Ball Lead The Iron Men upset the Pilgrims, 16-14, 13-15, 15-10 to take posses sion of first place in League B, as intramural volleyball continued last Thursday night at Recreation Hall. In other games . Irvin Heights went down to their first defeat at the • hands of the Wildcats, 15-11, 16-14. Jones Boys beat Dorm 21, 15-2, 11-15, 15-4, and the Cougars won by forfeit from the Squires. The Moldy . Crew upended the Four Hundred, 7-15, 15-4, 15-6, and the Hawks took a forfeit win from the Bruins. Alpha Chi Rho-B defeated Al pha Sigma Phi-B, 15-4, 15-6. Phi Delta Theta-B beat Theta Kappa Phi-B, 15-4, 15-5, and Alpha Chi Sigma stopped Lambda Chi. Al pha, 15-8, 15-13. Theta Xi beat Pi Kappa Alpha, 15-13, 15-10, and Kappa Sigma dumped Alpha Gamma Rho, 15- 8, 15-3. Phi 'Epsilon pi ended the evening by beating Phi Sigma Kappa, 15-4, 16-14. Soccer Managers. Candidates for Soccer manager ial positions are requested to sign up at• the Athletic Association in Old Main, according to Dick Gor don, head manager. PAQE SEWt4
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers