POSTURE TESTS REVEAL INCREASE OF "D" MARKS

An increase of 4.1 per cent over last year in the number of Freshmen receiving grades of D in their physical examinations has been shown by statistics taken by the Department of Physical Education. 25.3 per cent of the men in this year's Freshman class have received unsatisfactory grades in the examinations, and will be obliged to take the body-building exercises given under the direction of N. W. Fradd, assistant director of Physical Education.

According to this year's tabulations, 39 men received a posture grade of A, three more than last year; 251 received the grade of B, a decrease of three since last year; and 504 received C's while last year the corresponding mark was given to only 351 men. Out of the total of 1061 Freshmen who were examined this fall, 267 received grade of D, which is unsatisfactory, while last year, out of the 813 men examined, 173 received unsatisfactory grades.

This method of posture examination was developed at Harvard, and has been carried on for 12 years. Those men graded D in the fall, have their pictures retaken in the following May, and, due to the body-building exercises which they are obliged to take, a marked improvement has been shown yearly in the postures of the unsatisfactory men.

In commenting on the winter exercise classes Mr. Fradd said, yesterday: "We naturally do not expect to change a man's posture from D to A in six weeks of supervised exercise, but we do maintain that we can reeducate him in the fundamentals of balance. It is interesting to note in connection with these classes, that 40 per cent of the men taking them ask for continuance of the six weeks of compulsory attendance.