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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1900)
THE BATTALION. 61 at the end of the race; “such a graceful stroke;” “such a long dive;” “such a mag nificent put;” or “such a high and beauti ful vault; why he just seemed to have wings and to have flown over the bar. " The sight alone of such feats of skill, strength, and agility of individuals in spires vast crowds of spectators; each in dividual feels a certain thrill of pleasure run through him; all the beauties of the English language can not describe this strange, felicitous sensation; it is impos sible to give proper expression to such feelings, and so the multitude just bursts forth in shouts of applause, to give vent to their pent up emotions. It seems to me that the interest taken fly the general public in the South in athletic contests and games has not been what it should he. The pleasure of seeing a good game of some kind or other is not considered. Why, only a few years ago a game of baseball attracted attention far and wide of both young and old, but now every one is too busy “chasing dollars” to pay attention to such occurrences. One says, “Why should I go? The papers will have a write-up of the event, and all the particulars. Why should I spend my time and money to see suoh a common, everyday affair? Why, if those fellows want to jump around here and break re cords, or their necks (they'd be better off if they did), what do I care? Let them go ahead; they don’t have to have my time and money for such foolish doings.” With such poor encouragement the standard of our athletics can not be raised much higher. So it is, and there seems to be much of this backward spirit around us here. If I am not mistaken the Athletic Association is short of funds. I am cer tain that their treasury is not overflow ing. The next field day should be made an important day in the session of the pres ent college classes. Each class, from the highest to the lowest, should pick out and put forward the best material in the classes, and when the time comes, to cheer them on, so that their representatives may carry their colors on to victory. Nothing inspires a man or encourages him more than the knowledge that his fellows are interested in his attempt, and that he has their best wishes. If he wins they will rejoice, and there is glory in store for him, for his triumph is the triumph of his fellow classmen; if he fails, he must not be condemned, for we know he did the test he could, and no man could do more; his defeat should be our regret, and we should encourage him to try again. His sorrows are enough, so don’t increase the burden by the slightest remark or abuse, for, to him, “Of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these, Tt might have been.’ ” As yet there seems to be a great lack of college spirit and class spirit. The sophomore and freshmen classes did not meet until very late in the year. Even then there was lack of harmony and unity of action; a rowdy element seemed to be in control and to hold the reins, and for a time there was hardly the slightest resemblance of order, and un til some capable leader of men is at the head of these class organizations there can be no harmony of thought or action. There also seems to be a lack of leaders; those who have enough deter mination and energy of purpose to ac complish the desired end are the fellows who should be at the head of affairs. We are the future men of Texas, and the more experience in the workings of or ganizations we have the better shall we be prepared 1 to meet the duties which will face us later. Our government, as most others, is nothing more than the will