RENOVATION FOR HOME ATHLETICS

Next year intra-mural athletics will no longer pursue the accustomed free and easy course, each House swinging along in its own private orbit. The much needed thorough-going centralization has at last been provided by the adoption of the major part of the recent Student Council "Report on Harvard Athletics".

The crux of the new reform lies in the setting up of House Athletic Secretaries in each of the seven Houses and in Dudley Hall. These secretaries, together with one Master chosen by the House Masters as a body, the Director of Athletics, and the Intra-Mural Athletic Director will form an Inter-House Athletic Council. It is significant that the House Athletic Secretaries are to be Seniors in their respective Houses, that they are to be paid for their services, and that they are to have two paid assistant secretaries out of the Junior Class. The provision for a competition between the two assistants for the position of Secretary in their senior year ought to insure a well-drilled undergraduate personnel for the seats on the Inter-House Council and for the intensive organization of the teams in the individual Houses. Hitherto Director Samborski has had little or no real representative contact with the undergraduates of the Houses, a crying fault which the Council idea should completely cradicate.

The consolidation of athletic supervision in each House under a Secretary and two assistants has very great advantages over the present scattered administration of each individual team. Not only will the Secretary be able to appraise the general athletic strength of his House, and accordingly drum up prospects for particular sports, but he will serve as the fulcrum of that much-to-be-desired House spirit, since all athletics will naturally center in him, and athletics is one of the chief sources of House prestige.

Another highly important step in the general direction of intramural athletics has been made by including a member of the Athletic Council in the Committee on the Regulation of Athletic Sports. Besides enabling the House teams to keep abreast of the development in Varsity athletics, it will aid in coordinating the use of equipment.

Perhaps the most laudable aspect of this whole scheme is that, contrary to the Student Council recommendation, there will be no necessity for a compulsory athletic fee. The University has accomplished this by tripling the amount of money spent for House athletics, and has contributed the necessary extra cash to the H.A.A. With these administrative reforms to strengthen a House Plan beginning to develop definite characteristics and spirit in each House, intra-mural athletics promise to be considerably more attractive.