THE TWO-PERIOD RULE.

With the growth in importance of the minor sports, the injustice of the two-period rule has become more and more apparent. In October, 1904, the Athletic Committee, believing that the undergraduates were devoting too much time and thought to athletics to the detriment of their college work, decided that no man should represent the University in more than two of the three periods of athletics in any one year. They were unwilling, as was stated by Professor White two years ago, "to countenance the continuous devotion to athletics and the amount of absenteeism involved in membership on some University athletic team during the whole University year." As a result of the regulation, a football player who takes one dive on the swimming team is unable to play baseball, row, or be on the track team.

We are forced to admit that we cannot see the wisdom of such a ruling. If a man is so fortunately equipped that he can play on some team throughout the year and still keep up his college standing, he should be allowed to do so. As soon as it appears that he is neglecting his studies, he can immediately be prevented from taking part in athletics. We do not believe that a man's enforced abstinence from University sport during a season will increase his desire to work, but rather that an athlete constantly training will make sure that his record at the office is satisfactory. His absences from Cambridge are undoubtedly undesirable from a Faculty standpoint, but as is shown by the establishment of the Dean's List a man who is doing good work should be given a certain amount of discretion in the matter of "cuts."

Opinions differ as to the extent of physical injury involved in too much training, but the weight of authority appears to be that if a man is enough of an athlete to play on a number of teams, it is a good thing for him to be in training all year. Even if he were not physically able to do this, no harm would be done, for the captains of the major teams to which he belonged would see to it that he did not hurt himself by participation in any of the winter sports.

The two-period rule only applies to a very few men, but to such men and the teams to which they rightfully belong, it works great injustice.