PE reassessed

by Tom Arenberg

it is 2:15 pm. on a Tuesday. A
fencing class for/which 14 people
registered is scheduled in the
island Gym at the Physical
Education Complex, but only {our
people are there. it is to am. on a
Wednesday, A tennis class for
which eight people registered is
scheduled in the north and south
gyms, but only two people are
present.

These are examples of the low
level of student participation in the
instructional activity classes of-
fered by the Physical Education
Department. Associate Professor
of Physical Education Anna Wack,
who, along with Assistant
Professor Ron Mitchell, has been
appointed by Athletic Director
John Pfitsch to examine the
situation, said that the par-
ticipation level is satisfactory, but
attempts will be made to increase
the level.

In recent semesters, registration
for instructional activity classes,
which fall under the course
heading of Physical Education 100.
have increased The number of
people registered zoomed from 169
three semesters ago to over 300 the
next semester. The level remained
about the same last semester and
then dropped to 235 for the 33
classes offered this semesterr

The number of people who
register for these classes differs
drastically from the number who
complete the classes. Many people
quit. For example, of the 22 people
who started in Mitchell's four
instructional activity classes this
semester, 12 are left. The drop—out
rate has remained at about 40 per
cent for the past several
semesters.

Wack and Mitchell are not sure
what the department can do to
increase participation in the in-
structional activity program. A
survey will soon be distributed to
students to find out “what the kids
want that we aren’t offering now,”
as Wack put it. The survey will try
mainly to identify student opinions
of present program selection.
However, this factor may not be
the key to increasing participation.
Department members have
mentioned many possible
variables, such as the instructional
activity program schedule.

Possibly, the obvious low priority
now given to instructional activity
classes by most students is im»
mutable, regardless of anything
the department can do.

Wack said, “Because of the
pressure put on, at certain times.
by academic areas, unless a
student is interested or decides
that physical education is ime
portant. the student will do things
that get him into grad school
rather than go to gym class.”

Mitchell said that part of the
problem may lie in the registration
process. “Students don’t know
what we have to offer and how to

sign up,” he said. So, the depart- -

ment is planning to move
registration for these classes to the
PEG, either in place of the
registration in Darby Gym or in
addition to it, A new registration
will occur every half-semester,
which Wack and Mitchell say will
allow the classes to change more
easily in accordance wim the new
preferences of the students.

Mitchell said he thinks some
students avoid instructional ac-
tivity classes because of bad ex-
periences they had in high school
gym programs. He said he hopes to
show students that the college
classes “are not like a military
camp."

Assistant Professor of Physical
Education Sandra Hoth noted the
lack of motivators as a possible
difficulty, “A half credit per
semester? That’s no great in-
centive, And there’s no grade,” she
said. Indeed. most of the students
who attend instructional activity
classes regularly do so for en-
joyment. But, of course, there are
other reasons. One student who
participated regularly in two of
these classes for most of their
durations mentioned several
motives for attending: “i used one
of them to get me up early, to get
me going for that day .. .And when
I start something I like to stick
with it . . . I've also really learned
the fundamentals and basics of the
sports.”

Hath may have best summed up
the problem facing the department
as it attempts to make the in-
structional activity classes more
attractive. “We keep looking, keep
searching, but there is probably no
single better way,”

Cinder fellas halted

by Tim DeCoster

The Grinnell track team got a
day off thanks to the rain which fell
earlier this week. The Pioneers
were scheduled to participate in
the Central Invitational at Pella on
Wednesday, but Central’s cinder
track became too muddy, The
meet was postponed until either
Thursday, April 21, or this Wed-
nesday, April 28, depending on the
weather.

Coach M0 Hunt has seen a weeks
to-week improvement in his team,
although they are still weak from
the same problem that has
bothered them from the start—a
lack of depth “We've just got to
work together and try to build

it '

SHO

ale COMMERClAL sTREET

some depth.” commented Hunt.
“Our rield events get us up there
(in the scoring) but the good
sprinters take awhile to develop,“
he added.

Part of the reason the field
events are supporting the team is
junior Lincoln Marshall. Marshall
scores for Grinnell in the triple
jump and the long jump. His
winning leaps of 21’10’l2" in the
longjump and 45'11Vz" in the triple
jump atWilliam Penn are just 11/2”
and 7V2” short of qualifying for
Nationals in the respective events.

Part oi the reason the sprinters
are taking awhile to develop, ac
cording to Hunt, is an early-season
injury to freshman Tim Caver.
Caver pulled a leg muscle before
the first meet and may be out of
action until the Midwest Con-
ference meet to be held at Grinnell
on May 15,

Coach Hunt again expressed
confidence in another of his freshe
man sprinters, Glenton Davis. This
is Davis‘ first experience with
track, and he is running one oi the
most grueling events according to
Hunt, the JAUeyurd dash Davis ran
a 54»sccond quarteomile at his
first meet, and ran well again at
William Penn.

The Scarlet and Black. April 23, 1916—1). 8

wouatas Nalsev The Scarlc‘nd

Because of inclement weather, Grinnell's tennis team was forced to play its matches in the PEC. Shown

here is Dan Edwards about to but back a serve from his 0
weekend and will face Coe on Wednesday.

pponent. The team won two of its matches over the

Racqueteers serve up Wins 4‘

by Dave Schechter

Grinnell evened its season tennis
record at 2-2 in dual competition
last week, with crushing wins over
Monmouth (9»0) and Knox (871).
Both matches saw sparkling play
by several members of the Pioneer
net squad, No matches are
scheduled for this weekend, the
team next being in competition at
home against Coe on Wednesday.

Carter Newton gave headaches
to his opponents this past weekend,
recording close to 20 aces in his two
singles matches. Against Mon-
mouth, winners included Dan

Wins still

by Rich Arnold

The Grinnell diamondmen were
relatively idle this past week due to
the advent of the Iowa monsoon
season. Coach John Pfitsch's
baseball squad traveled to Simp-
son for a JV—varsity doubleheader
last Friday and then ran into
cloudbursts that resulted in the
cancellation of a home JV
doubleheader with Maharishi
International University and the
postponement of an away twin bill
with Graceland.

The varsity tilt with Simpson
was a “heartbreaker” as the
pioneers lost a game they quite
clearly had Well in hand. Lorne
Robinson started on the mound for
Grinnell and completely shut-off
the Simpson attack for five innings
while the Pioneers compiled a 5—0
lead.

The Pioneers scored single runs
in the second and third innings
when Paul Crane and Tom Goetz
doubled home runners in the
respective innings, and then
“exploded" for three runs in the
fourth inning. John Halgh and
Crane led off with walks and Dan
Edwards drove in Halgh with a
single, John O'Hern then singled
home Crane and after Brian Kelly
advanced lhe runners with a
sacrifice hunt, Craig zippe doubled
home Edwards and [he Pioneers
had a comfortable 570 load,

In the Simpson half of the sixth
inning, Robinson was removed
after the first two Simpson batters
reached base, and was replaced by
zippe, Zippe proved ineffective
and aiter Walks, errors, and a few

Edwards (No. 1), Chris High (No.
2), Newton (No, 3), Aaron
Silverberg (No. 4), John Lom (No.
5), and Eric Christiansen (No. 6).
All were winners in singles com-
petition against Knox except for
Christiansen, the victim of some
apparent line~up switching by
Knox,

Lom and Christiansen were
particularly effective at third
doubles against Knox and Mon»
mouth, dropping just one game in
four sets of play. Victorious both
days in doubles were Edwards-
Newton (ll, High-Silverberg (2).

elusive

hiLs, Simpson had eight runs and
the game, as

Edwards collected two of the
Pioneers’ eight hits and Zippe,
Goetz, Paul Delaney, Crane, (7-
Hern, and Kelly each banged out
one hit apiece.

Coach Pfitsch Commented with
regard more to the season than the
Simpson game that “we have
greater depth, better hitting, and
better pitching than in the past, yet
we have not hit well in the clutch
nor have we received the good play
or strong pitching when we really
needed it. We seem to lack enough
poise to deal with the key
situations,”

The JV had played Simpson's
fuzzy cheeks earlier and had lost
loo. Todd Kucera pitched the
entire game for Grinnell and, while
he was far from dazzling, he did
not receive much offensive or
defensive help from his team»
mates. The JV made five errors
and collected but two hits in the
contest.

Tomorrow the Pioneers travel to
Cornell for a conference
doubleheader. Delaney
and Mike Cohen are slated to start
for Grinnell with Robinson Serving
as back-up for both men,

Flash

Yesterday the Pioneers dropped
bo|h ends of a doubleheader with
Graceland, 10-2 and 6-5, Grinnell
continued their pattern of late
inning collapse as they led the lirst
game until the sixth inning and lost
alcad in the final inning of the
second game,

and Lom-Christiansen (3).

Against Coe and Cornell, both
upcoming matches, coach Ron
Mitchell may vary the line-up
somewhat and play several of the
seven through 12 players on the
Grinnell squad. Remember, that’s
Wednesday afternoon against Coe
on the 10th Avenue courts.

IM report

by Tom Latimer
Several campus intramura

tournaments have been
completed and the results of
those tournaments are as
follows:

In the tennis tournament’s
women’s doubles, Pat Brenner
and Chris Stidley emerged as
winners, defeating Margaret
Mitchell and Carol Nielsen in
the finals: in the men’s doubles
championship division, John
Martinek and Jim Stickl
aced out Dave DeLong and Ron
Parmley; and in the men’s
doubles novice division, T
Latimer and Maurice Hunt
defeated Steve Kramer an _
Jerry Brown in a close match
with scores of +6, 674, 7-6 in the
three sets.

In the monopoly tournament,
Anton Treuenfels was the
winner, while John Chambers
and John Dougherty came out
ahead in the bridge tours
nament.

In the mixed doubles pool
tournament. Jon Lobatto and
Meg oodtrey were the victors
and Joe Topper and El
DiBello defeated Barry Huff
and Lobatto in the men's
doubles.

Yet to be determined are the
winners of the racquetbal
tournament, Going into the
ﬁnals in singles are Al Frey
versus Mark Williams; in
doubles Frey and Bruce
Schlesinger will compete
against Edd Bowers and Gary
Fl‘umkin; and mixed doubles
team Sandy Hoth and Bowers
will face Jean Milligan and
Gary Frumkin

 

