"AMATEUR" OR "PROFESSIONAL"

During the past week there has been expressed no little dissatisfaction with the present cheering situation. Part of the criticism has been directed at the lack of a central cheering section and part at the custom of having the captains of major sport teams act as cheer leaders. Last night it was announced that sections 32 and 33 are reserved for H. A. A. ticket holders. This means that in those sections there will be no one but Harvard supporters, unencumbered and no longer obliged to compete with outsiders interested not in seeing Indiana win but in seeing Harvard lose. Furthermore the Band will be out in full force. The question, then, to be answered today is solely whether the cheer leaders are satisfactory. The other elements of support are as near ideal as they can be.

It would be well to bear in mind, in view of this afternoon, the arguments for and against the present system. Briefly they are as follows: the fact that a man has been elected the captain of the hockey or baseball team is no indication of his ability as a cheer leader. On the other hand there is in the mere sight of the captains of the major sport teams leading the cheering of the undergraduates a palpable suggestion of the spirit of cooperation which should exist between all the activities of the College which more than offsets their inexperience.

The CRIMSON is inclined to this second view. It seems to us that a captain or even a letter man will be as capable as any leader chosen by competition. It has been our experience with such "professional" cheer leaders that while they may serve to amuse the spectators the cheering they bring out is not appreciably better than that which, in the past, has been heard at Harvard.