SPRING TRIPPING

The proposal to discontinue the annual spring trips taken by the various athletic teams is adequately justified by the facts. For recently this institution has suffered through lack of interest, and many Seniors, with some Juniors, are unable to spare the necessary time, due to the imminence of divisionals. Now with the increase in indoor facilities to accommodate early spring practice, the purpose of the trip has been in large measure invalidated.

An abolition of the spring trip however, does not necessarily imply that the University is going to discontinue its policy of maintaining training throughout all, or part, of the spring vacation, a practice at present common to the majority of spring athletics. The value of this policy has been a matter of discussion in the past, for there are many who feel that the loss of their vacation is not compensated for by the gain in experience. As a matter of fact in some cases a week's break in training is beneficial rather than harmful. In addition, with the coming of intra-mural athletics the stress on varsity activity will probably be greatly lessened and the spring trip and vacation practice at home may both succumb to lack of interest.

As the University is constantly requiring that the student spend an increasing amount of time on his work, in order to meet the higher scholastic standards, the opportunity for extra-curricular activity will inevitably be further limited. Athletics, essentially secondary in importance, must conform to the trend and the proposal to discontinue the spring trip is moving in this direction.