| Show Football Lends Competition To Colleges Claim Cambridge Mass IP L IP Foot Foot Football Football Football ball and other intercollegiate athletics athletics athletics ath ath- supply college collego students with the important stimuli of contest with each other which was lost to the students when the elective system system system tem of studies did away with competition competition competition com com- petition in the the class class room This point of view expressed last week was not that of a college football coach seeking to justify his job fob but was the opinion o of none other than Dr A. A Lawrence Lowell retiring president of Harvard Harvard Harvard Har vard University who several y years ars arsago ago sharply criticized the thc importance import import- ance given to college football The statement was ma made e by Dr Lowell in his last annual report as President of Harvard to the university's university's university's sity's overseers This report was mailed to some Harvard alumni In regard to athletics Dr Lowell sai said The old fixed curriculum the same for all partook as President H Hadley dley remarked its name implies somewhat of the nature of a race Among those in the lead there was as an an ambition to excel and they were hel held in respect by their classmates Eighty years ago everyone knew ew who was the first 0 scholar in his class and usually for several classes before and afterwards but with the inevitable adoption of the elective system the race over a common track became broken into many different and incommensurate rate parts and the impulse of contest contest contest con con- test dear to youth with the attendant attendant attendant at at- approbation of the victor was much enfeebled Moreover l the fame acquired both in the college and with the public beyond by intercollegiate intercollegiate intercollegiate in in- games and other activities activities activities ac ac- outside the range lange of studies studies studies stud stud- ies diverted ambition into other er channels Some people have thought that the condition could be improved by byr r eliminating those contests that is isby isby isby by abolishing int intercollegiate e r c colle o I 1 e g i a ate t e sports but ambition in one direction direction direction tion is not promoted by destroying ngit ng- ng it in another wl which ch- ch chis is in itself good Schol Scholarly interest must be fostered as an end in itself not be trying to remove other interests |
