PETITION TO THE FACULTY

In order to preserve our intercollegiate athletics a petition has been drawn up to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, in an effort to point out to that body that partial abolition or curtailment of intercollegiate athletics is not a remedy for athletic distraction, and offering a substitute remedy which promises to be far more effective.

To be of any use the petition must be signed by all the undergraduates. It will be posted in the CRIMSON office this morning at 9 o'clock, and will also be presented at class meetings this evening.

In order to give the undergraduates a chance to present their case, the Athletic Committee voted last night to postpone action on the pending vote until a later meeting.

Following is the petition:

"To the Faculty of Arts and Sciences:

"We, the undersigned members of the undergraduate departments of Harvard University, desire respectfully to express our opinion upon the proposed legislation with regard to the abolition of intercollegiate sports during the winter, and the extensive curtailment of intercollegiate schedules in general.

"We appreciate the fact which has of late been a matter of concern to the Faculty that the standard of scholarship in the University has not improved in recent years, and we are in entire sympathy with any measures that will have the effect of permanently bettering the standard of scholarship. We also realize that in intercollegiate athletics as conducted at present there are certain elements detrimental to scholastic interests. The most important of these is the feeling among the undergraduates that athletics take precedence over studies; which manifests itself in cutting lectures on the days of important contests, in the distraction from studies previous to these, and in wholesale vacations after them.

"We are, however, convinced that the present proposal does not meet the situation, because without some form of intercollegiate athletics to interest the undergraduates, the latter would look for other outside interests, which, we believe, would be far worse than the evils caused by intercollegiate contests. But we believe that any permanent remedy lies rather in the direction of a development of a public opinion among the undergraduates which will discountenance the evils and make them impossible.

"Hitherto, the proposals for the elimination of the objectionable elements in athletics have been in the shape of regulations by the supervising bodies of the University, and little real effort has been made to apply a remedy from the inside. The realization that the conduct of athletics can and ought to be improved has, we think, been lately brought home to the College as a whole, and we believe that the time has come when the undergraduates are ready to deal with the problem alone, and solve it in a more permanent way than can be done by the enforcement of regulations from without.

"This sentiment has been already strongly developed and will, we believe, grow in strength in the future. The extensive curtailment of athletics by regulation we believe to be unwise, and request that before the enactment of any radical regulations the undergraduates be given opportunity to attempt the solution of the problem themselves. We are confident that this is possible and give our assurance that we will do what we can in this direction."

Necessity of United Action.

Above is printed a request to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences that the undergraduates be allowed to co-operate in the eradication of the existing evils caused by intercollegiate athletics. We believe, as we have stated in the above request, that this is the best possible solution of the problem, and therefore that it is the duty of every undergraduate who wishes to preserve intercollegiate athletics in this University to sign the request, and in the future to do his utmost to live up to the assurance which he has given. G. G. BALL.   J. RICHARDSON, JR.   G. G. GLASS.   C. R. LEONARD.   L. P. DODGE.   F. H. BURR.

Senior Class Meeting.

A meeting of the class will be held this evening in Lower Massachusetts at 7 P. M. to take action with regard to the undergraduate petition to the Faculty.   G. G. BALL.

Junior Class Meeting.

A meeting of the class will be held this evening in Lower Massachusetts at 8 P. M. to discuss and sign the undergraduate petition to the Faculty.   A. G. CABLE.

Sophomore Class Meeting.

There will be a meeting of the Sophomore class this evening at 7 P. M. in Upper Massachusetts to consider the athletic situation, and to further the cause of the undergraduate petition to the Faculty.   E. C. BACON.

Freshman Class Meeting.

An important meeting of the class will be held in Upper Massachusetts at 8 o'clock this evening.   E. HARDING.