Monmouth College - Ravelings Yearbook (Monmouth, IL)

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BASE-BALL TEAM ' 93 ' 94.

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ties of mind and character not provided for in the college curriculum, but yet just as essential to success in life as the instruction of the class-room. It calls into action the faculty of organization, it brings out your executive power, the power you have to control men. and in return to give faithful obedience to those placed over you. But aside from ' the advantages the system offers to students.it gives an opportxmity to professors to become better acquainted with these placed in their charge. There is no better place than on the ball field or in the gymasium for professors to mingle with their students and show them that they are in sympathy with them, that they are together interested in a common g ' ood. these places offer an opportunity to overcome the chilling reserve of the class-room. We believe if professors would go out. not only to witness the g-ames and contests, but to take part occasionally, they would find their time well spent, their students would become more cordial, they would have more interest in the welfare of the college, and when they had completed their course they would go out into the world with warmer interests for their Alma Mater. To turn now from the more g ' eneral subjects of athletics, to athletics as we find them in Jlonmouth CoUcg-e. we are at a loss to know just what ought to be said. There surely is wisdom as well as policj ' in the old saying-, that the truth is not to be told at all times. but we believe it our duty as well as privilege to give to those who shall read these lines as correct a knowledge of athletics in our college as possible. We are glad to be able to saj ' that the outlook is encouragirg. There is a general awakeiiing among both students and faculty, and why should there not be ? Monmouth College is now the possessor of a fine athletic field. It is situated on East Broadway, four blocks east of the Colleg ' e. and comprises ten acres. The grounds are exceedingly level, and with a little more work can be made as good as any athletic field in the country. We. as students, cannot be too grateful to those who have been instrumental in securing the grounds. It gives us something that we can take aninterest in. a starting point to build up an organization which will accomplish something. Heretofore we have excused our pour success on our meagre advantag ' es. and such was indeed the fact. We had to rent our own grounds, we had to level off our liall diamonds every year: the work and money ex- pended to be of use for only the one season. Under s ich circumstances there was nothing to encourage athletic spirit. There was no incentive to work. Our athletics were spasmodic in every sense of the word. We would take courage and work hard for a time until some great difficulty would rise p before us which would be too great for our feeble efforts and pocket-books, and we would find ourselves back just where we were at first. But we can no longer have these difliculties to excuse our poor work. If we do not play winning ball or make speedy time in our races, it is to a great degree our own fault. We have the material among our students which, when developed, will compete with that of any western school. It is amazing the degree of success that has attended the efforts made in the past history of the College. Our ball team used to be able to shut out the Kno.x team, who in their own minds will soon be champions of the world, and to play a close game with a score of seven to eight witli the State university. Again, last fall, at the inter- ollegiate contests at Galesburg. our boys caused the professional team of Knox, with their ten men, to tremble, until the tenth man had plaj ' cd an excel- lent game and made several scores. Now. boys, with the necessary work on oxir part and the proper spirit mani- fested on the part of all. we can do so again. What we need now is practice. Let every one go out to the 65