Quadrangle in Rotudily

A Recreation

By Betty Coulson

From monkey-maze to archery, all
the recreational facilities of Univer-
sity quadrangle are managed by Phog
Allen’s class in community recrea-
tion.

“Out there on the grass is the lab-
oratory,’ said Dr. Allen. “Here on
the second floor of Robinson gymn is
the lecture room.”

But Dr. Allen has an informal
idea of how a lecture room should be
conducted. The whole atmosphere
is friendly and the nine men and four
women can and do speak up when-
ever they wish.

Dr. Allen and his class are proud
of the attendance they mark up every
night at their manufactured play-
ground. They will tell anyone hon-
estly that they entertain between 100
and 200 men, women, and children
between 7 and 9 p.m. each day. Dr.
Allen says firmly that the area be-
tween Robinson and Fowler shops
is “the. coolest spot in the state of
Kansas.”

Members of the class manage and
supervise the different parts of the
Hill’s “little Olympics”. According to
capability and with frequent
changes—they are assigned one each
to monkey-maze, sand pile, teeter-
totter, swings, trapeze, turning pole,
and hopscotch for children; to loop-
tennis, shuffle-board, badminton,

Goal-Hi, archery, croquet, and dart
game for older youngsters.
Dr. Allen laughs when he tells of

 

Laboratory

three young married couples who
were found playing on the tiny tots’
monkey-maze after lights were.
turned off the other night. “We’re
actually building one for the older
folks”, he said.

Twice a week the group spon-
sors a co-recreational splash party in
the gymnasium pool. Three times a
week the group’s efforts are turned
to folk dancing and community sing-
ing.

Looking toward the future, Dr. Al-
len tells his class that next equip-
ment in the line will be lawn-bowls
“bowling on the green’, and a
lighted driving range. Archerer
Davis, member of the class, has
gained the supervisor’s approval for
a miniature Sherwood forest with
painted card-board or wooden an-
imals for targets. These innovations
may be made next year.

Sooner or later everyone in the
class will be chairman of one com-
mittee. A committee plans and su-
pervises, down to the smallest detail,
each street dance, variety show, steak
fry or picnic. The committee chair-
man can go the limit, Dr. Allen says.

The class, for practical experience
in recreation guidance, does all the
real work, both on the playground
and on the committees. Making a lot
of its own paraphernalia from sec-
ond hand, bought-in-the-rough, or
discarded material, the group has
learned its first lesson in economy,
says Dr. Allen.

 

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