Freshman Measurements. The figures which have been oktained from physical measurements of the en- tire Freshmen class, furnish many in- teresting comparisons. The average age of the Class at the time of measure- ment (October) was found to be 19 years, I month and 19 days. The average weight was 1343 pounds, while the lightest man weighed 97 pounds and the heaviest only 185. The average height was 5 feet 8'/10 inches, with the tallest man 6 feet 334 inches, and the shortest 5 feet 1% inches. The average chest was 36% inches, the larg- est measuring 41% inches, with the smallest 32 inches. It is a very re- markable fact that there are none under 32 inches, as the anthropometric table gives as many as 7 under that average. The average lung capacity is 265 cubic inches, the largest being 420 cubic inches, and the smallest 178 cubic inches. This outclasses last year’s aver- age by 25 cubic inches. The machine used in making these averages was the same in both cases. In looking over these statistics it will be noticed that the high average is due not to a few very good measurements, but to the fact that there are very few poorly developed men, For the sake of comparison, ‘the average measurements of the Class of Eighty-Seven, the present Sophomore class and the present Freshman class are given: Class Class Class AVERAGE. of fe) of 1902. 1901. 87. $e ...- 2. ee Fate. SY, eM Ig Yo mM. Weight... 134. 134.2 133 neh 4 5:08.1 5:07.5 5:07.8 Chest (nor.)____. 36.2 34.4 33-4 Capacityoflungs 265 240 225 Perhaps the best way to account for this increase of average is the fact that 67 per cent. of the Class of 1902 engaged in some athletic sport while at their preparatory school. This would ap- pear to be the reason why ‘the average of the present Freshman class is so much above that of Eighty-Seven. —_——__+»—__—_ Intercollegiate Debating. (Cecil Frederick Bacon in the Forum. ] For many persons, nothing has a greater attraction than the various forms of intercollegiate contests. In the Fall term, football is in vogue; dur- ing the Winter, there are track athletics; and the College year is closed with base- ball and rowing. Among the conflicts, the great debates between rival colleges occlipy a unique position; for they are virtually the only contests in which are exhibited to the public not physical power and endurance, but intellectual kil and gtasp.- =i Investigation shows that not a few of our great men acquired in this way their incentive to effort, and _ their earliest training for later achievements. Among the records of the debating societies of Williams College are found many accounts of the debates between the late President Garfield and ex-Sena- tor Ingalls. The occasions when these two were pitted against each other— occasions when even standing room was at a premium,—are well remembered. It is interesting to note how plainly the characteristics of these distinguished men were already visible in this college work. A spectator at one of their bat- tles described Garfield as a “slow de- bater,” but cool, reliable, showing excel- lent judgment, and descending with un- erring accuracy and force on _ his opponent’s weak points; while Ingalls was quick, brilliant, sarcastic, and light- ning-like in thought and expression. In the early 60s debating began gradually to decline in interest. This may have been due to a general depres- sion in educational work; for nearly every institution suffered a diminution in numbers and, consequently, a reduc- tion of activity in all departments. About I5 years ago, when matters col- legiate were reviving, the great athletic contests came into being, absorbing the attention of the students. Debating, however, continued dormant. It is only within the last few years that the great intercollegiate debating leagues have been formed, giving to this work the stimulus of public notice. But, once revived, probablv nothing in the world of education has made more rapid progress. VALE ALUMNI WEEKLY Ninety-Six Dinner. The Ninety-Six dinner at the Yale Club in New York on January 28th was very much the largest and alto- gether the jolliest class meeting ever held on the premises. The total attend- ance was sixty men, including several from out of town, such as Vaill and Strong from West Winsted, Conn.; Bond from New London; Shoemaker from Saratoga; Kneeland Ball from Buffalo and Judge Yeaman from Den- ver. Practically all of the New York City alumni were present. There being no one room in the Club sufficiently large for the gathering, two connecting rooms were used. This gave rise to a great deal of rivalry in the singing, which was kept up con- tinuously from the oysters to the coffee, now in one room, now in the other. After the cigars had been passed around, the men went down stairs to the piano and had a great deal of close harmony led by Eagle, Stalter, King- man, Hoeninghaus and others. After several ineffectual attempts, Maitland Griggs succeeded in calling the meeting to order long enough to announce that the Triennial Committee had lost a member through Hunt Taylor’s ‘emigration to Minnesota. Walter Haven Clark was unanimously elected to fill the vacancy. The meeting ended at a very late hour amid—not sad farewells—but a jolly chorus of “See you next June, old man.” The whole evening was a typi- cally Ninety-Six one in the hearty and universal good-fellowship that pre- vailed. It was a real old-fashioned re- union and a most pleasant foretaste of the larger gathering which will meet in New Haven at the Triennial. 4 > Alumni Representation. In a speech to Amherst alumni in 1898, Mr. Talcott Williams of Phila- delphia gave some statistics in regard to alumni representation, which is an - ever-interesting subject to Yale men: “The grouping of alumni, as well as the increase of their numbers, led 30 years ago to the effort to use their in- fluence in the government of our col- leges to the election of trustees. In this, as in so much else, Harvard led the way in 1865, when its overseers were first elected by the alumni. Yale placed the election of one-third of its trustees in the hands of its alumni seven years later, and Amherst in 1874. By 1883 every New England college except Tufts and Clark Uni- versity had in some way given its alumni a share in its government. At Harvard all the overseers are thus elected. At Bowdoin one-half of 43; at Brown the trustees elect on the nom- ination of the alumni—in the group of colleges to which Amherst belongs; Wesleyan 10 out of 45 and Yale six out of 19, and in Amherst and Williams five out of 17. Those of us who shared in the agitation to secure this change 25 years ago will, I think, agree with me that it has never met the apprehen- sion of those who opposed it or filled the expectations of those who urged it.” pian ey cena mead Yale In No Danger. James E. Lormer of Lloyd street, New Haven, has introduced a bill into the Connecticut Legislature providing for a tax on real property belonging to collegiate and ecclesiastical cor- porations. The bill reads that: “All real property of collegiate corpora- tions yielding an income to said cor- porations, with an exemption of $7,500 in said property of said corporations, shall be taxed the same as all other property under the General Statutes of said State.” The bill was tabled. City Attorney Jacob Goodhart, when seen by a representative of the WEEKLY, stated that Yale had nothing to fear through this measure. Clear the voice, BROWNS “ B RONCHIA aed ‘ucomt, TROGHES. cna cics, 1850—In boxes only—1898 The University’s Guests EE Go to the NEW HAVEN HOUSE... Ws a. matter -of course with them. They have. been doing it for over thirty years. They ltke tt. POINTS ON POLICIES. “History is Philosophy teaching by Ex- amples.” So if one doesn’t know already about the PHOENIX MUTUAL a fact like this that follows may be a good teacher. Policy 44,597, On the life of H. H., of Benson, Vt. Ordinary Life, - Age 41. Annual premium, $31.46. Original amount, - - - — $4,000.00 Dividend additions credited to the policy on payment of 1897 premium, - - $465.00 Total amount of Insurance, - $1,465.00 So that the face value of the contract is now over 146% of its original amount. PHOENIX MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE CO., HARTFORD, CONN. J. B. BUNCE, President. JOHN M. HOLCOMBE, Vice-Pres’t. 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