The Kansan.
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
LAWRENCE, KANSAS, MARCH 31, 1910
VOLUME VI.
WILL PETITION FOR FOOTBALL
MOVEMENT STARTED MASS MEETING.
Student Committee Will Draw Up Arguments Showing Why Game Should Be Retained.
It was decided to address a petition to the Regents asking that football be retained in practically its present form, and to send along with the petition a brief setting forth the reasons why football should be retained in the list of University sports. Five men—Ralph Spotts, Earl Fischer, Carl Pleasant, Tommy Johnson, and William Caldwell,—were appointed by President Edwin Baumgartner of the Student Council to draw up the brief. O. A. Baum, Harold Armsby, and George A. Neal, jr., were appointed to secure expressions from alumni of the University, which also will be submitted to the Regents.
The mass meeting held in Fraser hall last night took measures to make the Board of Regents of the University acquainted with what the students are thinking on the football question.
The meeting lacked the effervescent qualities of the usual football rally. The three hundred men present were there to talk seriously about football. The speeches made were to inform, not to arouse enthusiasm. Coach Kennedy and Dr. James Naismith were the two speakers who were not students.
Coach Kennedy gave a talk on the changes that have been made to improve the game in recent years. The coach is in favor of the old-fashioned closed game but he believed recent change have all been made with a view to the betterment of the game.
"It was different under the old rules committee, which was formed by the New York Athletic club," said Coach Kennedy. "In those days revision of the rules was largely politics. A coach would invent a new play and win victories with it. The next year the coaches he had beaten would influence the rules committee to declare the play illegal.
"Nowadays the rules committee is made up of University men whose one aim is to make the game better. I believe the most exhaustive study of American Rugby ever made preceded the recommendations made by the present rules committee. They are trying their best to keep the game a good game and at the same time make it safer."
The coach said that if the present tendency toward open play keeps on, it might be wise to lessen the value of possession of the ball. In the present game, he said, accidents had resulted from combining open play with the present value of the ball, which the player will run any risk rather than lose.
"I have always believed that football is the typical college game," said Dr. James Naismith,
professor of physical education. "It seems so because it is possible for twenty or thirty thousand students to watch every movement of the ball and get individual thrills from its progress. The hold it takes of the spectators can be seen in the way the man on the bleachers tries to 'help' with straining muscles the representatives of his college when they are being forced down the field.
"The thing to be done is to make football the best possible game. That will insure its life for everybody believes in athletics. It is important that the students show the Regents that they are in favor of a good clear game, and that they believe the game has intrinsic value."
"One thing to bear in mind is the fact that the critics of the game are looking at the abuses on the game, not at the game itself as a whole," continued Dr. Naim smith. "When we look at the game as a whole and at its history we can see that great strides have been taken in making it a better sport.
"In the period from 1897 to the present, conditions have changed greatly. In 1897 we had twelve men who played football during the season. Last year 109 men were using football suits. In the early days professionalism was a common thing; now there is none. In 1897 there were no restrictions as to class standing or amount of work carried. A student could show up from no one knew where and go to playing football. He was not required to spend any time at the University before entering the game. Now a year's attendance is required, and the player's class work is under close inspection.
"The most significant thing in this change is that the student of the University are back of it. They are for eliminating the faults of football as fast as it can be done."
"Football at the University of Kansas is suffering from the bad showing football has made at other places," said Captain Carl Pleasant. "As long as I have played the game I have never seen a man seriously hurt either on the Kansas or the oposing teams. As long as we can show at the University of Kansas a record of no men injured and high class standing of the players, I think the game ought to be allowed to continue."
"The new rules will eliminate injuries," said Captain "Tommy" Johnson. "They will make the game more an individual game and ought to be satisfactory to the critics."
Ralph Spotts said, "It is up to the students to show why football should be retained at the University if they want it retained. Let every student help to compile a list of arguments against the abolition of football, to refute the article which Regent Gleed has written to kill the game."
Geo. Neal then moved the appointment of a committee for that purpose. The motion carried. The committee will finish its work in ample time to present its brief to the Board of Regents by the time the meeting to discuss the game is held in Kansas City April 19.
RECORDS FAVOR FRATERNITIES
ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT OF FICIAL.
Report Says Fraternity Standing Is Above Non-Fraternity— Meeting This Afternoon.
The average hours of delinquency of the fraternity members was 14 per cent while that of the non-fraternity students is said to be 16 per cent. These figures represent the work of the fall semester. Last year the standing of the fraternities was not so high as that of the non-fraternity students.
Although not officially announced, it became known this afternoon that the report of the scholarship standing of the University students, other than fraternity members, which was completed today by Registrar Foster shows that the latter students fell below the standard of the fraternity members. The difference in the percentages of the two classes is said to be 2 per cent of the hours carried.
The Pan-Hellenic organization of the fraternities is meeting with Cancellor Strong this afternoon. The meeting is being held for the purpose of allowing the fraternities to present their sentiments with regard to the passing of the sophomore pledging rule, which has been suggested by the Chanceller.
It is not definitely known what views will be presented by the fraternity men, since a definite outline of their arguments will not be prepared until just before the meeting with the Chancellor is called.
GIVE CONCERT TONIGHT.
Orchestra to Introduce Some New Features.
The annual spring concert of the University orchestra, which will take place in the chapel this evening, promises to be the best for several years. One feature of the program will be minuet which has been composed by Dean C. S. Skilton especially for the occasion and dedicated to the orchestra. Other features will be a solo by Prof. Edward Hubach and the introduction for the first time here of oboe and bassoon sooists.
Following is the complete program :
“Rosamunde” Overture...
...Schubert
Fifth Symphony ...Beethoven
Air de ballet...Hille
Intermezzo ...Mackbeth
Gavotte ...Laurendeau
Minuet ...Skilton
Two Norwegian Dances...Grieg
Aria from “Aida”...Verdi
Baldassari..Hildebrandt
Cantilene Pastorale... Guilmant
(Arranged by C. S. Skilton.)
Oboe—Mr. Young.
Flute—Mr. Robinson.
“Aida” March...Verdi
Prof. R.R.Price of the department of University extension went to Hutchinson today to address the Central Kansas Teachers' association.
NUMBER 73
THE WEATHER.
Fair tonight and Friday; warmer tonight.
LOVING CUP OFFERED.
Athletic Manager to Give It to the Best Punter.
The athletic management announced this morning that a loving cup would be given to the football player who, at the end of the spring practice, had shown the greatest skill in punting, drop kicking and in the forward pass. Last year this cup was offered by the Kansan and was won by Captain-Elect Tommy Johnson. The cup this year will be similar to the one given last spring and will be awarded in May.
The first spring practice work was done yesterday afternoon on McCook field when twelve mem met and went through preliminary work under the direction of Captain Pleasant and Captain elect Johnson. The squad is handicapped this year on account of the unsettled conditions of the game at the University. Very little practice work can be done until after the football conference of the delegates from the Missouri Valley schools is held in Kansas City on April 19.If radical changes are made in the rules at that time it will affect the work greatly and consequently practices are being held back.
Already the outlook for a team of the usual Kansas class next fall is good. An abundance of material is to be found in the school. Besides the freshmen of last fall and others who will be candidates for next year's 'Varsity there are year's eleven. They are Johnson, a number of eligibles from last Heil, Brownlee, Ammons, Ford Dahlene, Randall, Maxwell, Davidson, Lynch, V. Smith and R. Smith.
ANNOUNCED SCHEDULE.
Kansas to Play Seventeen Games This - Season.
Manager Lansdon today announced the complete schedule of the baseball team for this spring. It is as follows:
April 15 and 16—Nebraska a McCook.
April 22 and 23—Nebraska a Lincoln.
April 29 and 30—Missouri a MeCook.
May 2—Baker at Baldwin.
May 7—Baker at McCook.
May 10—St. Marys at McCook.
May 10—St. Marys at McCook.
May 13 and 14—Washington at
McCook.
May 19 and 20—Missouri at Columbia.
June 6, 7 and 8—Arkansas at Fayetteville.
May 28——St. Marys at St Marvs.
FOR A TENNIS CLUB.
A meeting of the women of the University will be held tomorrow at 4:30 in room 118, Fraser hall, to adopt a constitution and to elect officers for a tennis club. All of the women of the University who are interested in tennis are asked to attend the meeting.
ATHLETIC BOARD TO INVESTIGATE
WILL COMPILE DATA FOR FOOTBALL REPORT.
Committee of Three Will Prepare Arguments to Present to the Regents.
It became know for the first time today that a committee has been appointed by the athletic board for the purpose of inquiring into the arguments for and against football at the University of Kansas and is now working on those arguments. The committee consists of Dr. C. E. MeClung, Dr. Naismith and Tommy Johnson.
These men were appointed at the last meting of the board and were instructed to prepare data with especial reference to the article by Regent J. W. Gleed, that has been referred to so much in the present football controversy. Each phase of that article will be considered and all possible data gathered to either help prove or disprove the statements which Mr. Gleed has made. The material which this committee gathers will be used at the time of the meeting of the delegates of the Missouri Valley schools at the football conference in Kansas City April 19.
The work has been divided into three divisions. One is the compiling of data which opposes the present game and is being worked upon by Dr. McClung. Another favors the game as it is played at this time at the University and the arguments in this division are being prepared by Captain-elect Johnson. Dr. Naismith in the meantime is compiling data on the physical effect upon players.
As to what will be the result of the work now under headway cannot be said. The report will not be made public until it is presented to the Board of Regents as the statement of the attitude of the athletic authorities of the University of Kansas.
When asked if the question of adopting Rugby would be taken up one member of the committee said, "We have not decided upon what our final report will embody. We may recommend changes in the rules if we find they will be of advantage."
The work of this committee will not interfere in any way with the work which will be done along the same line by the committee of students which has been appointed by the Student Council.
PRESIDENT WATERS HERE
Will Speak at Chapel Tomorrow Mornig.
President Henry J. Waters of the Kansas State Agricultural School at Manhattan, will be the guest of the University tomorrow. He is coming to Lawrence to speak at the chapel exercises tomorrow morning. Chancellor Strong will give a luncheon in his honor.
A tryout for the tennis team which is to meet Baker April 30, will be held in two weeks.