Princeton University - Bric A Brac Yearbook (Princeton, NJ)

Page 31 text:

limfs (squash twice: swimming, sailing, anti crew): iiiid achieved a collective record of 95-23-1. Yet. such accom- plishments really don ' t surprise Merrily Dean, under whose direction the wt)men s athletic program began. ' Tve always believed th.il thi-re is a close correlation be- tween athletic excellence and excellence in otht-r areas . The girls were successful in the beginning and have tried to continue that success. The desire to win is purely self-imposed. They don ' t have the outside pressures caused by recruiting and alumni expectations. Ms. Dean was hired in Ult !l lo develop an athlirlii; pro- gram for the entering women as the University prepared for coeducation. The first step was physical education, followed closely by intramurals. The effort was made lo provide an opportunity for the handful of interesteii girls to continue their involvement in sports. Some tennis players got together, entered and won the Eastern Inler- coliegiate Championships to become the first official var- sity team. The next year everything blossomed as teams were added in field hockey, squash, swimming, basketball, and crew. Princeton now has eight varsity, three junior varsity, and five club sports for women, in- cluding lacrosse, sailing, fencing, gymnastics, volleyball. ice hockey, and badminton. It would be appropriate to ask, Is Princeton reolly coed in the area of athletics? Some would argue that such is not the case. Their view is based on the fact that the women ' s teams still do not have all that they need in the way of facilities, equipment, and operating expenses. A frequently cited need is for a women ' s dressing area in the boafhouse. It ' s unhealthy not to be able to change from our practice clothes until we get back lo our rooms, especially in bad weather, said a member of the women ' s crew team, and it ' s embarassing not to have any place for visiting teams to change. Plans for the locker room have apparently been made, but the Athletic Department is awaiting an opportunity to fit the project into the budget. Although the deficiencies that exist are annoying, most of the women feel that the University, with help from pri- vate donors, has managed quite satisfactorily. There is a tremendous expense involved in starting an athletic pro- gram where none existed, and a realistic limit as to how much money is available each year. In the past four years the Dillon locker room has been renovated, a dance stu- dio and another locker room in |adwin built, expensive equipment for crew and gymnastics purchased, and uni- forms obtained for each team. The basketball team re- ceived shoes this year and a set of warm-ups which is shared with the field hockey team. Dillon library is presently being renovated for use in social gatherings af- ter contests, a tradition which has developed with some of the teams. In addition, there are plans to obtain a sec- ond Universal Gym and sauna baths at Dillon through the women ' s program, which would be available to both male and female athletes. Financial criteria are not the only standards that can be used in judging the degree of coeducation in this area. Less easily measured emotional factors are also impor- tant. Although some hard-core opponents of coeducation facetiously blame women for the slump experienced by certain of the men ' s teams in recent years, no true corre- lation has been found to support their opinion. In fact, most of the sports that have both male and female partici- pants-squash, tennis, and swimming especially-have done very well. , - 1 v« 1 i HI . In general, the attitudes toward female athletes have been changing in a positive direction. Growing atten- dance at women ' s athletic events is concrete evidence of that fact. On some days the hill behind the tennis courts fills up: there is standing room only at the Princeton-Yale basketball game. Off the courts and playing fields, the girls are completely accepted socially. Their visibility to the Princeton community may give them an advantage over other coeds-although some of the men say it also leads to swelled heads As women ' s athletics develop and the general outlook becomes more favorable, the views of spectators are also growing milder. Female ath- letes are considered less a rarity than they were a year ago. The surprised comment, Yuu ' nt a girl jock?! is heard less frequently. It may elicit any response from a proud retort to the slight correction. Well, actually a Iddy jock. With tradition so pervasive in all areas of Princeton life, it has not failed to encompass the women ' s athletic teams. They take pride in the fad that no varsity team has ever lost to Yale. With additions and modifications, the women are guided by the same traditions that have permeated men ' s athletics. As .Sports l uslroled noted in an article about the Women ' s Rowing Championships last |une, When the Princeton women stand in a circle and sing Dhl Nossau, the resemblance to other Tigers is eerie. calhv brown

Page 30 text:

inspirino (itblctic victories ( is Saturday, Yale weekend. 1973. In the afternoon a ( (i i (. ' st h(!fween (wo teams of hulkinfi, football players uill comme ' morate one hundred years of Tiger-Buildo liviihy. Ihit it is morning now. and the activity is taking i dic (111 le fields behind New-New Quad. People drift down to watch muscular ruggers and agile soccer play- ers defend the honor of Old Nassau. On the center field, others are carrying on the same tradition: the women ' s field hockey team. They win, 5-3; and will go on to cap- ture the HYP Championship for the second time in their three-year history. Someone fokes, Now we can make a pair of earrings with the medals. The success of the field hockey team reflects the over- whelming success of Princeton ' s women ' s teams in gen- eral. In three years they have won a half-dozen HYP Championships and fourteen regional championships (mainly in tennis); placed in national championships five

Page 32 text:

breeding, u fcmuUi imci ' c There seem to be two distinct currents of opinion among Princeton men concerning Princeton women. The first is well-stated by the observation of a short, rather homely freshman: They ' re a bunch of stuck-up snobs. Most of them are dogs. And the few good-looking ones won ' t even talk to you. The other perspective is summa- rized by the comment of a tall, good-natured senior: They ' re pretty much like normal girls. Some of them are really good people. Some aren ' t. Some are beautiful. Some aren ' t. The latter statement is probably closer to the senti- ments of the majority. It is echoed by most up- perclassmen— except some hard-core eating-club men- as well as by a good number of freshmen and soph- omores, particularly the ones who appear to have ad- justed well to college life. The freshman ' s view of Princeton women is shared by many of his classmates. His thoughts are understandable. Social life can be pretty rough for the less resourceful fn!shman males. There is a consequent tendency to put the blame on the Princeton girls and to compare them un- favorably to high school girls, who are remembered as universally charming, beautiful, and promiscuous. The relationships between Princeton men and women are further characterized by many Princeton men in the following way: Most relationships are more of a friend- ship type. The girls are close friends, people you can rely on. You look elsewhere for sex. Thus, those Princeton men who seek something more than a platonic relation- ship with the girl-next-door often meet with frustration. As one junior put it, There are a hell of a lot of teasers. In general, the majority of Princetonian males would agree that this statement, made by a perceptive soph- omore, summarizes their own feelings pretty well, The average girl here isn ' t that much different than the aver- age girl on the street. Of course, the Princeton girls are a lot more intelligent, but that ' s no big deal. Princeton girls have too much of a tendency to play games with boys, but what can you expect with a three-to-one ratio? andy oser