All-Star Aid

Since the establishment of the formalized Ivy League, all-star football games have had to exist without the doubtless splendor of Ivy athletes. The motive behind this ruling is a part of the concept that lies behind the Ivy Group as a whole--"that players...be permitted to enjoy the game as participants in a form of recreational competition rather than as professional performers in public spectacles." But recently the Student Councils at Cornell, Brown, and Harvard have asked that the League relax the ban against post-season participation.

Specifically, the Councils request that football players be allowed to take part in the East-West and North-South football games, both charity affairs. This is a sound proposal, and one which the League should adopt. The participation of a few scattered football players in a game during Christmas vacation will not appreciably increase emphasis on the sport in the Ivy institutions. And since these particular games require the player's time only during vacations, they would not detract from class time.

The ban on out-of-season participation could also be dropped in regard to other all-star contests, especially those in which charity benefits, such as the East-West basketball game. Overemphasis on a sport results from a particular team being built up and heralded across the nation, but the influence of an individual star is transitory. Such Ivy athletes as earn invitations to these all-star contests have demonstrated their ability in a limited sphere of competition, and deserve the opportunity to show their skill against the nation's best. Neither the University nor the Ivy League will suffer from such a change in policy, and it ought to be made speedily.