Show IIS STUDENT LIFE teur system The ancient Greek put forth his entire energy to win a laurel wreath because with it went that which riches could not secure the respect and admiration of his fellows College Athletics are if pure the highest type of amateur sports The college athlete labors for the regard of his fellow students and for the honor of his college The prize a cup a plate medal or college emblem lie treasures as a token from those for whom he did his best This is simply the following out of one of the great principles of a The standard is successful life set It is high and offers nothing to the lower trait of human character Money ease listlessness find no place here Rather the very opposite To obtain success the man trains himself All injurious habits scrupulously must be abandoned Smoking drinking and late hours are disasThe time of eating and trous drinking must be minutely regular and the food must be the best Subordination to the leader must be absolute What makes all these things of inestimable value is that they are entirely voluntary The man puts himself under strict discipline that he may gain success and for him the greatest success means winning for his college lie has a strong sense of duty to his alma mater She must not can not meet defeat and he is determined to help her cost what it may in personal sacrifices And indeed continued defeat is impossible for an institu self-indulgen- ce tion which counts a goodly number of such men among its followers When shall those who love our alma mater cease to he proud of the way our men came to her support this fall? lut to win is not the sole object of our sport It is rather only a strong stimulant when under proper conditions and a poison if these conditions become abnormal During the football season just past wc lived in the atmosphere of a nation engaged in bitter warfare where everything hangs on the result I low many of us watched the games for the pure delight of seed ing clean tackles long kicks and good plays made or checked by the almost perfect combination of brain and muscle? Did we not rather watch only the advance of the ball and find the sole reward of our efforts in seeing the ball planted across the coveted goal line? To win at all hazards tends to professionalism It moreover students to leads the inevitably place everything on the first team In contrast to this the true amateur athlete the true sportsman is one who takes up a sport for the fun of it To such a person success or defeat is in a a sccondarv matter so measure long as the play is good Rivalry especially if its fierceness and bitterness are checked by the graciousness of gentlemanly feeling is of course a vital element We must win but it is not enough to win The perfect athlete joys in his work does the thing well does it hand- well-place- so-call- ed |