Tiedustelujuoksu

STUDENTS CANNOT PRONOUNCE IT BUT ADOPT NEW DEFENSE SPORT

TIEDUSTELUJUOKSU" IS A new word in the vocabulary of the Dartmouth undergraduate this fall, and if Lieutenant Piltti Heiskanen, in charge of Dartmouth's military ski program, has his way it will be a word that means something to alumni and the sporting public as well.

Tiedustelujuoksu is a sort of topographical treasure hunt widely practiced in Finland, and its American version, as introduced at Dartmouth this fall, has aroused quite a bit of interest because of its pos

sibilities for national defense. Mr. Heiskanen, a former Finnish army officer who has applied for American citizenship, first introduced this cross-country scouting as a preliminary to the military ski classes which will be deploying among Hanover's hills when the snow falls. Other groups within the College have taken it up, however, and some publicity about the Dartmouth program has resulted in inquiries from clubs and outdoor groups beyond Hanover.

Mr. Heiskanen is certain that the United States can profit by having both its soldiers and its civilians proficient in Tiedustelujuoksu, which literally means "orientation running." He claims that the Finns' skill in cross-country scouting was a big factor in their rugged defense against Russia last year, and he sees no reason why students, alumni, and all others looking for an active share in military preparations should not follow the example of the Finns. As a rugged outdoor pastime, Tiedustelujuoksu is an excellent physical conditioner, and the skill gained in the use of terrain maps and compasses is highly valuable in the civilian defender as well as in the soldier.

Cross-country scouting as the Finns practice it also has the makings of a popular American sport, Mr. Heiskanen believes. The contest consists of marking a series of points on a topographical map of a given region and sending contestants, at intervals, to find the actual places. The contestant records his correct discovery with the checker at each spot, and upon completing the series returns to the starting point. The winner is the person who completes the course in the shortest time. Numerous competitive embellishments are possible, so that keen observation and mental alertness are as much required for winning as are map-reading skill and good physical condition.

Dartmouth students who have been introduced to the sport in the hilly countryside of Hanover have taken to it at once, and the Physical Education Department feels that perhaps it has found the popular, competitive conditioner for which it has been looking. The fact that Tiedustelujuoksu has important national defense implications has increased Dartmouth's interest in spreading knowledge of it, and besides spurring its development within the College, physical education leaders have offered to help initiate it in army camps, colleges and other places where group contests might flourish.

There is some consideration at Dartmouth of adding it to the intramural program, and meanwhile the Dartmouth Outing Club and a geology defense class in map interpretation have had a try at crosscountry scouting along with the ninety men taking preliminary training for Mr. Heiskanen's military ski classes. When the winter season arrives, the sport will be carried on with skis.

"Many Americans are wondering what they can contribute to national defense," Mr. Heiskanen declares, "and here in Tiedustelujuoksu they have an opportunity to develop skills which the Army has found to be extremely valuable. Any age group can enjoy this contest, women as well as men, for the distances and conditions can be varied at will.

"The ability to judge distance, for example, might be of tremendous value in home defense, and yet few of us are good at it. The other day to test my students I placed a flag 125 yards away, and their estimates ranged all the way from 50 to 800 yards. Judgment of direction is equally valuable and can also be developed. Hundreds of thousands of Finns have had Tiedustelujuoksu training and it has been a tremendous national asset."

TYPICAL HANOVER RUN This Tiedustelujuok.su course, devised byMr. Heiskanen, took students from thecampus starting point (S) to the Bema (A),and then to points B, C, and D in andaround the Girl Brook valley.