COMMUNICATION

Hanover, N. H. September 21, 1920.

To the Editor of the Alumni Magazine:

Dear Sir:

I venture to submit to the alumni

of the College a proposition with regard to the distribution of seats at the important football games. The proposition is that the Alumni be seated by classes and in order of classes.

An objection to the present system of distribution, which is by lot, is that the Dartmouth man finds himself at the games a stranger among his own. For instance, the graduate of 1900 sits besides a man of 1910. Under the proposed system of seating, all classmates would be together.

No one can object to the fairness of such distribution of seats because under it preference is determined by seniority of graduation just as it is at commencement functions.

The plan offers obvious advantages. It would make of the football game an occasion for the annual reunion not only of classmates but of college mates. A reunion of the latter is a very rare occurence while that of classmates comes for most of the alumni at intervals of five years. The game is the psychological occasion for reunions and is surpassed, in this respect, only by the commencement at Hanover. It should be remembered that until very recently a Dartmouth man could know every man in his class and

the time is not so remote when a man's acquaintance included almost every one in College. It is proposed to put such College contemporaries together and foster College spirit just as at Commencement.

Some alumni may prefer to sit with their friends of different classes. They can hardly be in the majority and probably every alumnus who attends a reunion at Hanover would be glad to attend one of the games. The suggestion has been made that the secretary of a class submit in bulk the applications of such of his classmates as wish to sit together. This seems impracticable. It is simpler to have one center for the distributing of seats which, under the plan proposed, could be effected in somewhat the following way: Applications would be sorted according to class, so soon as received, and the class list checked, if necessary. At the expiration of the time limit for applications, those of the oldest class would be filled first with seats in the lowest rows of a section adjoining the cheering section The next oldest class would follow them immediately, and so on until the section had been filled. There would thus be no vacant seats between class groups. The continuity of classes could be kept unbroken into the second section by beginning the assignment of seats in it at the top. When the better sections on one side of the cheering stand had been filled the remaining classes could be accommodated on the other side and in the same way.

By some such scheme as this, the distribution of seats would cease to be a lottery and become a matter of reasonable regulation, besides making of the games an occasion of reunion.

No particular harm can be done by experimenting for a couple of years with such a plan in an effort to make the football game foster, to the greatest degree possible, enthusiasm for the College.

This letter has been written in the hope that it may bring on a discussion as to how the hit-or-miss distribution of seats, at present in vogue, may be terminated.

Will you please place this letter at the disposition of any member of the Athletic Council who may wish to print simultaneously with it a. statement of his views upon the proposition?