Corel] Training
Commando Men

Students Using an Obstacle |
Course Called Hardest -
In the Country

Special to THz NEw YorK TIMES.

ITHACA, N. Y., Oct. 10—Leap- |
ing, crawling, bending, running,
climbing, vaulting, jumping, hurd-

\ling, and falling, Cornell students |
|began this week to use the new|
550-yard obstacle course that is|
part of the compulsory physical |
|training program for all male|
| undergraduates.
| When organization of the pro-|
|gram is completed in a few days, |
lit is estimated by Robert J. Kane,
lacting director of athletics, that
‘4,000 students will be put through
the commando course every week. |
In the opinion of military and ci-
vilian officials who have seen the
layout, the Cornell course is one
of the best yet constructed in or
out of military training camps in
the country. It is longer than
the best one now in use to toughen ,
marines, they said.

Taking the obstacles as they)
come, first are three hurdles each
2% feet high and 15 feet apart, |
then a fourth hurdle, 4 feet high,
to be vaulted, then a leap-frog over
upright logs 55 inches from the}
ground, then a 15-foot ladder
climb, followed by balancing on a |
“floating” log, 25 feet long, which |
is suspended by chains, then an-|
other 4-foot vault over a log.

In quick order come side-step-|
ping exercises between more short-
length logs, running up and down |
three inverted-V platforms five!
feet high, climbing across horizon- |
tal ladders 20 feet long and eight
feet high, then up and down an-
other V platform, two more high
hurdles, and then scaling an '8142-
foot wall.

Falls Bring Dunking

The water jump, an 8-foot leap,
comes next, followed by the 15-foot
parallel bars which must be
crossed hand over hand with el-
bows stiff. Below are tanks of
water if one should slip. The stu-
dent then goes up a slanting ladder
12 feet, and down, shinny fashion,
on 20-foot long metal pipes. After
that, he crawls through a four-
section pen for 40 feet, where the
corners are sharp, and finally
takes a four-foot hurdle on the
run.

Located high on Kite Hill, back
of Schoelkopf Stadium where foot-
| ball games are played, the course
|has 27 different obstacles of vary-
ling degrees of difficulty.. It is,
‘tough on the softies, but in time |
they will be able to keep up with
their better-developed brothers,
says Georges Cointe, instructor in|
physical education and coach of
fcacing, who is in charge of the)
commando program,

He built into the course, there-
fore, obstacles that would develop’
the hands, legs, arms, and shoul-.

ders, promote balance, improve co-
o¥dination between eyes and legs
and hands, and obstacles to help
students judge distances and over-
come mental hazards.

Special safety features were in-
_corporated throughout the course.
All logs are peeled and are of cor-
rect heights for jumping or vault-
ling. Rungs of ladders are designed
|for use either by hands or arms
and can be climbed through if a
student cannot reach the top. Logs
are shaved in strategic places, so
that if the “commando” slips he
will fall, but will not ruin his
knees.

Classes range in size from thirty
or forty to as many as 220 students
at one time, and every hour, from
9 A. M. to 4 P. M., a different
group appears daily. f