Editorial Comment

For opinions which appear in these columns the Editors alone are responsible

THE FOOTBALL SEASON

DARTMOUTH has seen many greater and more versatile football teams than this 1931 aggregation. Plenty of seasons have produced more great nationally known stars, high point scorers, and ail-American selections. But probably Dartmouth has never seen a team of which we have been more proud.

One of the most frequently quoted and cogent justifications of the game is that "it dramatizes the college." A survey of Dartmouth teams of the last forty years will reveal no team which satisfied this definition quite so completely as this year's squad.

The fulfilment of the season of 1931 has had every element needed to create stirring drama. The course of Dartmouth's football story all the way between Columbia and Stanford has been colorful in the extreme. First of all there has been real conflict. There have been few set-ups. Each succeeding week has seen Dartmouth facing a team nearer the peak of its season than the previous opponent. In the last month of the season, Dartmouth has faced trial by fire with the going getting rougher all the time.

And with each new and tougher opponent the team's unity has solidified more and more. Many teams have chalked up more victories—but no team has ever taken increasingly high hurdles with more stamina or coolheadedness.

The Yale Game will be a classic chapter of the REFUSAL TO LOSE creed forever. The Harvard game marked a phase of determined resistance which had its fullfilment in a victory over a stronger and more favored opponent the next week.

At this writing the outcome of the Stanford game is still in the future. It is certain that Dartmouth is as worthy as any team in the east to be a representative in an intersectional game.

The sensible and thorough teachings of Coach Canneli are completely justified this year; the inspiring leadership of the injured Capt. Yudicky, for whom everyone has worked doubly hard; the fiery leadership, intelligent guidance, and masterful playing of Bill Morton; and the unconquerable fighting spirit of the entire team—all make this year's chapter a notable and pleasant one in Dartmouth football history.

The football tournament to be held at the Yale Bowl December 5 between Brown, Holy Cross, Yale, and Dartmouth merits every consideration. Owen D. Young states: "We must have spectators as well as players at these games. . . . Through Dartmouth I call upon the present and former students of Dartmouth College to make her contribution worthy of her tradition." The proceeds go to unemployment relief. The price of tickets has been placed at $2. And the three 20-minute games promise much spectacular football. We hope the Dartmouth section of the Bowl will be filled to capacity.

POWWOWS EAST AND WEST

THE success of the Powwow idea on two past occasions in Chicago, drawing together unusual numbers of alumni of the East and West on the excuse of a football game of major interest, has inspired a species of emulation this year in the more immediate environs of the College in the form of the Boston Powwow, held November 27, with what success may be judged from other accounts. Beyond doubt the usefulness of such an event depends on the moderation with which it is used; that is to say, it could easily be done too often, with a consequent derogation from its effect and its power to arouse and hold interest. In Chicago's case the events have been spaced at something like five years; and as time goes on, if the custom of holding regional powwows continues, the formulation of appropriate programs, not too long but just long enough, may be reduced to a science. A certain amount of spontaneity is essential to the maximum of effectiveness.

With the increase of the scope of our alumni lists, due to the broadening of the same to cover the country as a whole, such events seem likely to increase in number and more especially in remoter areas, where large bodies of alumni do not assemble with so much frequency as they do in Boston, New York and Chicago. Boston has for many years been traditional Dartmouth territory, and gatherings of our fellowship there require no elaborate preparation. However it is no doubt well now and then to have recourse to something out of the ordinary, as in this instance, to observe special events of unusual import, with a prudent eye always on the possibility that too frequent repetition would render such conclaves hackneyed and of lessened power to attract the desired numbers. The Powwow idea, properly safeguarded against the charge of monotony, should be what a true Indian would call heap big medicine.

ENTER CLASS OF 1935

DEAN BILL'S summary of the newly matriculated class, due to graduate in 1935, is interesting as usual, and is made this year with perhaps a greater perspective than in the past because the members were enrolled by Dean Bill's locum tenens, Professor Lingley, during the regular director's absence on sabbatical holiday. It is almost but not quite the record-breaking class for numbers, being exceeded in that respect only by 1923, which mustered but two men short of 700 when it entered. The present 1935 counts 696 duly admitted members—more than are usually considered, because of the anticipation that casualties due to the industrial depression might somewhat more than usually decrease the size of the older classes now in College.

The new class is 70 men larger than the recent nineyear average of classes, and its roster indicates a steady growth of the national scope which Dartmouth has been seeking to extend. There appears from the statistical tables of distribution to be a distinct falling off only in the attendance from the group of Rocky Mountain states. The Pacific slope just about holds its own. The students hailing from each of the other sections—New England, Middle Atlantic, Southern and Central groups—greatly exceed the enrollment in the average of classes from 1926 onward. Massachusetts shows a falling off, which is more than compensated in other near-by statesnotably Connecticut and Vermont. New York, with an average of 118, jumps to 148. Ohio with an average of 33 advances to 41. Pennsylvania from 30 to 36. There are of course several states from which there is no representative at all in 1935; but it is pointed out that with the advent of a Mississippian this year it is possible to say that Dartmouth has drawn at least one student from every state in the Union since the selective process was instituted. The states wholly unrepresented this year are Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, lowa, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, the two Carolinas, the two Dakotas, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. The one serious lapse in this list is in the case of lowa, which has had an average hitherto of 5.6 and this year sends none. It may be safely charged to the depression in the wheat belt.

Sons of Dartmouth fathers constitute 7 per cent of the new class, as against 8 per cent last year. The spread of the fathers' classes is from 1892 to 1911, the average falling about 1904. The men from the favored groups—applicants whose fathers are alumni, or who themselves live in specially favored areas such as New Hampshire, west of the Mississippi, or south of the Ohio and Potomac rivers—are this year fewer than the nine-year average by a fraction.

The director still continues to give statistics as to the life work which freshmen announce they are planning or considering that they will follow, although it is rather unlikely that the majority at freshman ages have more than a vague idea of this. We note that only two of the 696 hope to enter the ministry; that 265 expect to go into "business," which is a very elastic term; that 119 are minded to become lawyers and 95 physicians; that not one aspires to become an "artisan"; that 67 would fain be engineers, and 45 educators; and a hopeful 29 would like to be either artists or authors. Not one has put himself down as looking for a civil service job. Seven would be glad to be dentists and three, editors. No one has thought of fitting himself for accountancy, but 11 would be scientists and 13 are listed as "miscellaneous." There are 37 who express no preference at all—which is, in our judgment, surprisingly few. The Dean frankly says that it is "a shame to kid the alumni with the above table." He is right. It probably has less value than any of the other tables.

Religious preferences are interesting. The most outstanding advance is the jump of those of Jewish faith from an average of 31.8 to 75. In other words considerably more than 10 per cent of the incoming class are of the Jewish faith, as against an average of about five per cent in the preceding classes. There is an eight per cent increase in the number of those who say they have no religious preference. A further interesting item is that 1935 has nearly twice as many boys having college-trained mothers and with both parents collegebred as compared with previous classes. The parents represent about 150 colleges. There are in this class also 13 grandsons of Harvard men. The new class includes men from 357 different secondary schools which is mentioned as constituting, in all probability, a record for the country. There are 233 men who are single representatives of such schools. The biggest delegation of all is the 27 from Exeter.

More than 58 per cent of the admissions came in on "honor" certificates—that is, stood in the top quarter of their classes. It remains to be seen how this will be reflected in the subsequent record; but the chances would seem to favor a further decrease in the "mortality" due to insufficient scholastic standing.

ANOTHER EFFECT

As WE approach the Christmas season, with its connotation of the universal exchange of gifts, it occurs to us to remind the reader that in present hard conditions there is almost sure to be a falling off in the number and amount of benefactions made to all colleges during the present year, in contrast with the record of two or three years ago when such gifts were coming thick and fast—especially to Dartmouth. It is a lean time, and additions of magnitude to endowments and plant through the generosity of plethoric givers can scarcely be expected to maintain the pace of more prosperous years. There will be gifts, of course—indeed several have been recorded already—but the list at the end of the year need cause no special disappointment if it falls markedly below what some recent years have shown because in such abnormal conditions a falling off is natural.

The effect of the depression on the Alumni Fund need hardly be taken up at this juncture, beyond reminding the reader that the need will be not far from the usual one, whatever be the apparent prospect of meeting it adequately. It is not by any means too early to begin planning wisely to do whatever one may be able to do in this regard, to the end that the decrease which might naturally threaten may be minimized and hopefully forestalled. Facts may be faced without necessarily implying that one is beaten before one starts. This coming season is likely to be an even more stringently acid test of Dartmouth loyalty and determination to yield not one inch of the ground we have gained during the past decade. Dartmouth has been made one of the country's first-class colleges, and the resolution ought to be to keep it so. This topic, however, is expressly reserved for more comprehensive treatment in a forthcoming issue of the MAGAZINE. There is too much to be said of it, and the situation presents too many angles, to warrant taking it up here with this month's editorial space so nearly exhausted. Be it enough to suggest thought for the inevitable future and a just appreciation in advance of what handicaps we have got to meet.

LEARNING TO SKI

THE co-authors of "Modern Ski Technique" make their debut in this issue with their first published work describing the new and highly publicized and equally highly admired method of teaching a would be skier how to ski. Coach Otto Schniebs and his close friend and literary helper, John W. McCrillis '19, have something to write about. The popularity and success which greeted Herr Schniebs' instruction in his first snow season in Hanover is ample proof that his German method is far superior to anything hitherto seen or taught in this country.

Although not a matter of historical record it is believed that the. adoption of skiing as a pleasant Dartmouth pastime was coincident with the discovery of snow in Hanover some 18 or 20 years ago. Small groups of hardy souls ventured forth to the hills and returned pink and glowing from the exhilarating slides. The groups grew larger and the outside world began to link skiing with Dartmouth to a greater and greater degree. A news reel cameraman posed a few score students on the campus, skis underfoot and notebooks underarm, and succeeded in furthering the general conviction that Dartmouth undergraduates ski to classes. But little progress was noted in the general level of good skiing technique. As a fine art it was apparently neglected. The general theory has been that only by dint of hard practice could any mastery of mind and body over smooth hickory and ash be secured.

Now all is changed, or at least relatively changed. No longer is practice with its falls and bruises the correct method of learning to ski. It is rather to get Otto's "dope." Gliding figures on the golf course this winter will not stand stiffly erect, feet close together, ready to topple backward when the center of gravity becomes too far out of line. Rather will the figures crouch with knees springing elastically, the weight will shift from one ski to the other while graceful turns are made, rhythmically and effectively. Speed and increased pleasure are only possible when the sometimes wayward skis are under control.

The series of three articles is highly recommended as a carefully and thoroughly prepared account of Mr. Schniebs' most successful method of teaching his pupils.

Ski Heil!

THE COLLEGE DAILY

COMMENT appears to be to the general effect that the editorial character of the present Daily Dartmouth is distinctly superior to what it has been in some other years, which is agreeable news. The possibilities of a well and sanely edited college daily are great, but are not too commonly realized in practice. The tendency of the times has been for some years to seek smartness for smartness' sake, with what have often appeared to us deplorable results. It is, however, the way of the world under the inspiration and leadership of our Menckens, with their theory that what most people think is presumably wrong because most people are incapable of discerning judgment. Now and again an exception to the rule does occur, and by so much is refreshing.

There is probably no better school of journalism than that afforded by the college dailies in our more considerable institutions of learning, with their opportunities to become acquainted at first hand with the process of collecting and writing news, the work of preparing the same for publication, and that additional task—so important when well and attractively done—of commenting on the events of the moment for the information and instruction of others. The modern college daily, edited and published by students, is a veritable community newspaper; and there is no reason why it should not serve the community in which it functions precisely as do the daily newspapers in larger units of population, both as a vehicle of news and as a source of intelligent editorial comment on both events and movements affecting that community. Unfortunately the same tendency must be met in college journalism that prevails in many quarters outside—the tendency to provoke interest by resort to the unexpected or unusual view, rather than to confine editorial comment to a sane statement of what the editor really thinks. The rare instance is that of the editor who can combine cleverness with sincerity, and not sacrifice the latter to the desire to say the showy or the arresting thing. Editorial values vary; but without a basis of sincerity they never rise very high, and never exert much influence. If the conductors of the Daily Dartmouth are as fully cognizant of this fact as their outgivings thus far would indicate, the College is fortunate indeed.