STUDENT SPECTATORS WILL BE ATHLETES SAYS MoCLELLAN

Enough recreation fields with athletic facilities for every student, elimination of training tables and training houses, and the holding of intercollegiate boat races within term time are some of the changes which the war will force upon the college world, in the opinion of Dean William McClellan, chairman of the University of Pennsylvania Athletic Council. In a recent interview Dr. McClellan said:

"The war has taught the college world many athletic lessons. It has also given us some hard problems to solve. In the early days of our war preparation too many fine fellows were rejected because of physical defects which could have been prevented. The draft merely accentuated this condition. It was evident enought that the American college had developed the brains of its students but had neglected their bodies. Then came the big cantonments, and with them the opportunity to show what men of vision could do to utilize athletics in the development of America's fighting machine.

"Mass athletics came overnight. It was shown that a whole camp could be organized so that every man could have his fun and make his athletics a direct contribution to his soldiery development. No man was neglected. There were no bleacherites because every man was a participant.

These former students are now coming back to complete their education, but they will not tolerate the lack of vision with which so many of our colleges endeavor to crowd all their students into one little field for their recreation. They will still want intercollegiate competition, but they will also demand that the student spectators shall likewise be athletes. I think that some of the changes they will demand may be included in the following:

"(1) Every student to choose some form of outdoor athletics in which he can compete with his fellows so that all may grow physically and morally.

"(2) Ample facilities to be provided by the colleges so that each may play his chosen game. This means a sufficient number of fields so that several football teams may play at one time if necessary, with additional space for baseball, soccer, track, tennis, rowing, golf, etc.

"(3) Every university team in some way to be picked from many teams which may still be allowed to play throughout the season. We must do away with the system which discards at the very beginning of the playing season all but the picked few who can survive. Training and competition must be continued for the entire squad.

"(4) Training houses and training tables must go. They are the clearest evidence of a professional spirit. In proportion as they are emphasized the college athlete becomes less of the student. To say that he requires a special food, better food than his fellow student gets because he is an athlete leads to an absurdity. To take him out of his daily life as a student, house him separately, force him to go to bed every night at a definite hour, develops in him no qualities of self-discipline whatever. If he won't do this as an individual out of his loyalty to his university and a sense of honor he would better fail."