Salt Lake Telegram | 1917-02-18 | Page 4 | Hill Top Gym Disgraces Utah

HillTOP GYM elM DI DISGRACES UTAH TAH C President John A. A Widtsoe soe and Coach Norgren Indignant Over Existing Existing Existing Exist Exist- I ing Conditions at U. U By Ralph Jordan HE University of Utah I T 1 J- J gymnasium is a disgrace to o the state of Utah In the cleanest clean dean est cit age of the world our ow university university sity gymnasium which should be bo boIts Its most sanitary building offers offer about twenty showers for a stu atu- I II dent body of about 1500 no swimming pool pooi and a frightful mass man of visible and invisible filth John John A. A Widtsoe president president dent of the University of Utah The U. U of U. U is no longer the Amer Amer- I loan ioan champion The Tho proud Crimson has been humbled her colors drag the dust and where once she was waa looked upon with nothing but pride and admiration admiration ad ad- there now exists a feeling of pity I The team which last Jut year Invaded I Chicago and sent the best basketball teams America had to offer otter down to td I inglorious defeat Is la not oven In Sn the tha same sarno class claES this year with some of ot tit this high school which have been turned out in Utah To the shame sham of ot Utah her legislature and people this condition Is ia in a great measure due to the terrible condition under which the tho athletes and coaches have havo to work on tho the hilltop President John Johp A. A Widtsoe f further lS says s 's Our gymnasium in which should be laid the physical foundations for our our coming cominS' citizens is absolutely Insani Insani- tary The state board of ot health has declared it unfit for tor its purpose purpose- The health of or the tile instructors in the building building build build- ing inS is 15 giving way under the Unclean conditions that prevail there Students aro are often orten injured rather l than helped d dby by the tho work done in the gymnasium Just where the state of ot Utah should be laying tho the foundation for her fu future future fu- fu ture turo citizens in the state stats university sho she Is dally daily jeopardizing the tho good health of many Coach Nelson H. H Norgren is disgusted disgusted dis dis- gusted with the facilities he has at his hia command He Ho says he could nefer neter turn out a first class basketball team if it h he had the best hoop men In the world to work with When an athlete takes a look at the hilltop gym he ha has no desire to participate In athletics athletics ath ath- and even the work which is so necessary for tho the ph physical physical 81 cal caI development of the students be becomes becomes becomes be- be comes a a. repulsive duty under the ex exIsting existing ex- ex conditions Time TImo after time Ume this winter in the middle of oC a campaign which was to determine whether another American basketball title was to come corns to Utah or not Coach Norgren had to suspend BUS sus pond pend important practices because there was no heat in tho the gym or tho the water In the showers was turned off oU or there was no hot water Voater or vice versa Is it right and just to expect the people of Utah to have to send their children to a a. state university where the means for looking looking- after alter their physical physical physical phy phy- welfare are arc In tho condition that they are aro at th the tho U. U of ot U. U It Is not on record Just when the Utah gymnasium was built but it has been estimated that It was somewhere about the tho time Spain invaded Utah and many visitors to the state institution have havo recommended that the building buDding be set aside as a landmark of ot the early days das of ot the country It might serve that purpose well A building suitable suitable suitable suit suit- able to accommodate tho the needs of ot the school would be about twice as bi big as tho the present one ono and according to the estimate of ot President would cost about of ot which is already subscribed I