OUTSIDE THE GATES

If a man likes to eat, he also likes to exercise in considering the great work done for the development of intramural sports by the Houses, the fact is startling that over 250 students living around the Houses, are deprived of organized athletic benefits. One reason for maltreatment is that years ago such students were permitted to use P.B.H. as a center and to compete on an equal athletic basis; but the crew turned out by P.B.H. proved so far superior to any House crew that after it had twice won the Agassiz Cup from Yale, its competitive right was withdrawn. Since then idleness on the issue has been backed by the argument that these outsiders have no desire to be included in the House athletic program.

Although Apley, Claverly, the residential part of Dudley, Little and the various "rat houses" harbor many who intentionally dodge the House Plan, these dormitories are admittedly reserved for the House overflow each year. For the Plan to be athletically complete, therefore, some provision must be made for their residents.

Last week a group in Claverly with difficulty organized a basketball team, reputedly obtaining the support of thirty men. With more difficulty they wormed a way into the intramural system, although their success was qualified by the refusal to place them as the ninth team in the league. Mr. Samborski pointed out that his tight, House athletic budget could not care for an additional manager, so that Claverly's team would be able to practice only.

And there the barking dog is muzzled; for without a center or paid manager to organize teams, practices, and games the dormitories are helpless. Yet now that their right to belong in the intra-mural system has been recognized, it should be possible to go the whole hog and give them a center--(a bulletin board in the Athletic Building would suffice)--manager, and permission to participate in other House sports. And governed by the existing rules, which forbid men on probation to play on winning House teams against Yale, there would not exist the disparity of strength manifested in the case of the P.B.H. group, since the so-called "Ramblers" used men kept off the varsities by bad marks. Thus, for the abortive attempt of Claverly to obtain lasting status, the H.A.A. ought to provide professional assistance to the athletically-starved "outhousers" sometime before spring.