The rea] news is that the univer-
sity now sees the obligation upon
the state’s. first institution of learn-
ing, growing out of that determi-
nation, and is taking steps to pro-
vide a university trained leadership
in community recreation—trained
under modern methods not only in
the things to be taught but in the
art of teaching them.

The announcement is that the
university is to offer a four-year
course in physical education, avail-
able in the freshman year. Dr; F.
C. (Phog) Allen will head the school.
The course is to be under the de-
partment of education and a bach-
elor’s degree will be awarded to
those completing it.

‘Decided Upon Last Fall.

Now that the information has be-
come public as a routine news item,

with the approval of the university |

may have aroused within some
hearts “on the hill,” it ends the
period in which the university was
hampered and its service restricted
by the two-year course. In the fu-
ture it will be able to educate stu-
dents who desire to be coaches, as
it has not been possible to do. in
the past. Among many friends of
the school the shift is regarded as
one which will strengthen K. U. by

rounding out its athletic department,
‘in which something admittedly has

been wrong.

 

 

senate, it is reported with a calm-|. |

ness typical of education that. the
board of regents decided upon the
change last fall. Early in’ the spring,
it is explained with equal calmness,

the board recommended Dr, Allen to}

be head of the school. He already
is head of the physical education
division in the teaching end of the
course and is expected to teach
‘basketball.

Those who follow the fortunes of
the university in athletics and many
others know that all has not been
calm around the university since
last fall. So the change certainly
is news and not the routine matter
the announcement of a new course
at the university ordinarily might
be. Educators of the university at-
tainments seldom are agreed as to
movements which move education
into closer contacts with the masses,
where it might soil its hands and
tear its pants.

Tt is true the Kansas State Col-
lege of Science and Applied Arts—
the snooty name by which the old
Kansas Agricultural college now
goes—but in some circles around the
university the Manhattan institu-
tion is regarded as a “cow college”
for all its new name. The fact that
Manhattan had such a course failed