Bingham Announces New Regulations For Compulsory Conditioning Program

Geology field trips, managing, and possibly supervised bicycling as well as Military and Naval Science drills and participation in intercollegiate sports will be counted as credits under the new program of compulsory athletics, William J. Bingham '16, Director of Physical Education and Athletics revealed Saturday, announcing several important changes that have been made in the conditioning program that will go into effect immediately after vacation.

"Conditioning classes will also begin 20 minutes after the hour instead of seven minutes after the hour as had been previously planned," Bingham announced. "Under this new schedule, four instead of three afternoon programs will be offered," he went on to say. "They will be held at 2:20, 3:20, 4:20, and 5:20 at Soldiers Field with morning classes at 11:15 and 12:15 in the Indoor Athletic Building."

The exercise period is still 60 minutes long, with the first 20 minutes consisting of informal military drill under R.O.T.C., Seniors or Army men the next 20 minutes consisting of calisthenics under the instructors from the department of Physical Education, and the remainder of the period taken up by running or some sort of a mass game, according to Bingham.

Training Not Military

"We are going to make the games as interesting and as competitive as possible," he explained. "The purpose of the program is to give each student the good physical background that we feel is essential for future training in the Army and for the general health of the nation in time of war. We are using military men for the first part of the program not because we want to teach military training, but because we want to give future officers the experience in leading men that they will need in the army," Bingham emphasized.

"Participation in the program is a requirement voted by the Faculty, and discipline will be through the Dean's office and not through the B.A.A." he warned. "Consistent cutting will result in probation."

"We are only contemplating a six week program this spring, running from April 6 to May 16," Bingham revealed. "The period will start off easily, as we naturally do not expect everybody to be in shape, but as the program goes on, the exercises will become more rigorous." A similar program is planned for the summer Bingham said.