KANSAS UNIVERSITY WEEKLY.
VOL. Ix
LAWRENCE, KANSAS, NOVEMBER 10, 1900.
NO.10.
YALE LETTER
Mr. Hall, an Old K. U. Man, Writes Entertainingly of Eastern Athletics.
Editor K. U. WEEKY:
DEAR SIR:I noticed in the editorial columns of the WEEKLY that a good deal is said about college spirit. A'so that the lack of spirit which is supposed to exist at K.U. is due mainly to the poor showing that was made by the foot ball team in one or two recent games.
Now the spirit shown not only by Yale, but all of the eastern colleges is something that each college is proud of. I mean not only the college spirit that is shown by the individual student, but by all as one body.
Here in Yale a person cannot help noticing the interest that is taken by the students in the foot ball team. You can go out to Yale field any afternoon and you will find a large body of students there as spectators. Some of them go out every afternoon and others take regular days in the week to go out, but there is always a large number even on a bad day
They criticise and encourage each individual player. They watch the team develop from the raw material into a body of finished players. It seems that the interest that is taken by the attendants to the daily practice is felt throughout the whole college. hey are always ready to discuss the team with other students and thereby awaken a great deal of enthusiasm.
It is true that Yale has a fine team this year, and one that can be relied upon in any
of the coming games.
But it is said there is as much, if not more interest shown by the students when the team is an uncertainty than when the college has a good team. They not only appreciate the hard work done by a poor team, but do all in their power to stand by and help support it.
I have now spoken about the enthusiasm displayed when a team is at practice. I have not as yet had an opportunity to see a large game of foot ball, but between smaller colleges which have played here bi-weekly, there has been a large attendance and every good play has received immense applause.
You will always find the Glee club and the band occupying one certain grand stand, and acting alternately, fill the air with plenty of music. The songs which are sung are generally composed about some individual players, and the appropriate one is sung when that player makes a good play. Amidst all there is plenty of cheering and the college yell (which I will not go into detail about,) is given. A person cannot help being kept in good spirits all during the game.
Last June I saw the Yale-Harvard base ball game that was played there in New Haven, and although Yale was beaten, the Yale team was cheered until the last man was out; even then some of the Alumni men left the field singing. Of course, what Harvard students that were here almost went wild. The cheering they did was simply fierce.
But now take some of the other eastern colleges, for instance Columbia, and see whether there is any lack of enthusiasm there. Their team has been defeated by Harvard,