"The point system rewards participation," explains Wentzell. "Wins are Helpful, but seconds, thirds and fourths really help too."

In reality, only a handful of houses are in the running for the Straus. While some houses can send two or three teams to a given event, others lack the numbers or house spirit to even field one team.

Wentzell maintains the goal of intramurals is participation, but every year the program has to deal with an isolated number of fights which break out during heated competitive situations.

Despite these aberrations, the intramural program provides approximately 3000 participants with a chance to get out of the dorm and exercise in what is usually a friendly and mildly competitive atmosphere.

"We play to 1000 games each year,' says Wentzell, "and 98 percent come off like they should."

In addition, Wentzell brags about the fact that bad programs can turn into good ones within just a few years.

"I think [an I.M. program] definitely can turn around," says Wentzell. "It all depends on getting excited."

The Cream of the Crop

No house better represents a strong I.M. program--for better and for worse--than Leverett.

Until its 1989 championship, the house had not won the Straus Cup since 1947. But in the late eighties a group of students worked to improve Leverett's status on the I.M. circuit, bringing the house its first cup in 26 years.

New classes of Leverettites have continued the tradition of organization and participation in the house's intramural program. And their success has continued also.

"A lot of people got very involved in the intramurals," says John Rubin, one of Leverett's House Secretaries. "In some events, we had a lot of Leverett teams."

May teams were quite competitive too.

Take, for instance, the championship of the men's volleyball B teams held this spring. The match up: Leverett B #1 versus Leverett B#2. Leverett won.

"I think it was the way we dominated the competition," says Rubin. "[Quincy and Lowell] had a lot of people, but we had a lot more first and second places."