The bad effects of too much organized cheering are obvious. During recent years both in Cambridge and away the home team has repeatedly been entirely rattled by the well meant and strenuous endeavors of its own partisans. The bad effect is due to two factors: the first, to the feeling of the players that their partisans are over anxious and dubious of the ability of the players to do what is expected of them; and second, to the incessant noise, which has much the same confusing effect as a boiler shop, or a train in a tunnel, so that at the time when a man should be devoting all of his attention to the task before him, he may be prevented from concentrating his mind. The popular idea that a man may be made timid by the shouts of opponents I believe to be much overrated.

Athletic supremacy is supposed to be decided by the prowess of the chosen teams. A deliberate attempt to win games by making so much noise as to confuse the players seems to me discreditable, and organized cheering of that sort should be suppressed.

E. N. Wrightington '97.

I have your favor of the 23rd inst. asking for an expression of opinion on the effect and purpose of organized cheering in connection with university teams.

I think that as an expression of the support of the college, cheering has a decidedly beneficial effect upon the players. Cheering itself is not noticed perhaps, so very much in a game, but under present conditions the lack of it, on the part of either team's supporters, would be decidedly depressing to that team. In fact it would be a distinct handicap to a Harvard team to abandon cheering, unless the opposing team could also be convinced to give it up. Moreover, it does not seem to me to matter much, if there is some artificiality in the present method of cheering. After all, the spirit is there and the manner of expression is of slight importance. The meetings in the Union may seem to be a studied effort to awaken enthusiasm, but if they serve the purpose only of bringing the students together they are accomplishing something. I certainly hope to see them continued.

J. W. Farley '99.

There must necessarily be two points of view from which the value of organized cheering at public games is to be judged, from the players' point of view and from that of the audience. As to the point of view of the audience it is, perhaps, not worth while to offer an opinion. To them the organized cheering is inspiring to hear but often a nuisance when they feel obliged to participate. Probably, on the whole, however, for the spectators the organized cheering has a distinct element of enjoyment and greatly stimulates their enthusiasm.

But from the players' and coaches' point of view I have never much believed in the value of organized cheering. In the first place, any player knows that he never hears any cheering except when it interferes with his hearing something else that he wants to hear. Whether or not it has a subconscious inspiring effect is perhaps difficult to say, but I do not think that any team with the proper spirit and properly trained would ever care as to how the spectators were treating them while they were on the field. Before the contest begins and during the time of preparation it is perhaps another question. Then any manifestation of enthusiasm can be appreciated and will help to inspire the men. As to the regular cheering at the actual final contest I am of the opinion it is of little value; because in the first place, practically it is not heard and in the second because the enthusiasm of the contest should be so great as to make any additional stimulation unimportant.

C. B. Marshall '04.

There is no doubt in my mind about the benents of cheering to an athletic team, no matter in what branch or sport it may be. There always come times in college competition of all sorts when a team or an individual does more than it was believed possible; and, although this may be said to have been due to any number of causes, the real one was that the individual or the members of the team had, for perhaps but an instant, had one ear open to the grandstand and had received the outside encouragement.

I have yet to hear a college cheer more impressive or more inspiring than a well organized Harvard cheer, and it merely requires co-operation among the undergraduates and the spirit that you can cheer louder than the man next to you, to make it go.

J. A. Burgess '04.

Organized cheering serves several purposes. At Harvard cheers are given to welcome an opposing team, to applaud a good play, and to encourage our own team, but never to rattle an opposing pitcher or to drown out the signals of an opposing quarterback. These first three uses of cheering are perfectly proper, but when cheering is used for no other purpose than to disconcert an opposing team, the game, whatever it may be, ceases to be a test of skill of the two teams, and becomes a general contest, in which cheering plays much too important a part. While Harvard cheers are not used to disconcert other teams, it is hard to see sometimes how they could help but disconcert our own team, for no welcome falls flatter than a fainthearted cheer, and applause and encouragement do not amount to much when only twenty or thirty respond out of several hundred. If we are to have cheering (at all) at our games let it be given a fair test by having certain sections of seats reserved for undergraduates, and undergraduates, only.

R. H. Oveson '05.

In determining the value of organized cheering at games we ought to consider:

1. Its value to the team.

2. Its effect upon the rest of the University.

1. The very fact that the cheering is organized, has a most salutary effect upon the team about to take part in a great contest. The fact that classmates and collegemates are willing to spend time and energy in rehearsing cheers and songs, fills each member of the team with an indomitable spirit, inspired by the feeling that the University is backing him with its interest, its confidence, and its enthusiasm. When the game begins, the player, if he is playing as he should, is entirely unconscious of even the loudest cheers, except at intervals, perhaps, as between the halves or between the innings. Therefore the principal value of the cheering lies in the fact that the team knows beforehand that the support of cheers and songs are forthcoming, and coming just at the right time, or, in short, the value to the team of the cheering lies in the fact that it is organized cheering.

2. The effect upon the University of organized cheering is of even greater moment than its effect upon the team. From the familiar natural law of atrophy, we know that enthusiasm unexpressed, soon ceases to exist. On the other hand, rational and intelligent expression of deep feelings of enthusiasm stimulates our loyalty to class and to college. It fosters that intangible something, known as college spirit,--an element of student life which is absolutely essential to the well being of the University