Cheers, Organization Differ In H-Y, Army-Navy Games

Nothing means quite so much to anyone as the Harvard-Yale football game means to the Harvard alumnus, unless it happens to be what the annual Army-Navy game means to a graduate of one of the service academies. Despite this devotion of alumni to The Games, student reaction to the two contests is another matter.

Organization plays a key role in every service clash. Cheering and half-time ceremonies are planned long before the two student bodies leave for the game. All the planning reaches a climax as the future officers march onto the field shortly before the game begins. And after they run to their seats for the kickoff the roars that follow every play throughout the game literally explode from the stands.

The Harvard attitude was not entirely lacking at this year's service classic, however. Early in the game, Cadets unfurled a banner with the familiar "Fight fiercely, fellows" emblazoned on it.

Pre-game activity among the fans at both contests is much the same. The stadium fills long before game time. Many fans bring large quantities of blankets, warm clothes, and warming liquids. But the roars that follow the first appearance of the Middy and Cadet squads are much louder and more fervent than those produced by the first view of the Crimson and Eli elevens.

Tension nears the breaking point when the two service squads line up for the kickoff. Led by the student cheering sections, fans roar at every play. After the game the winning student body swarms onto the field an masse to congratulate their team, while the losers utter a cheer as a token tribute to the victors.

The game is the only opportunity during the fall for many of the Middles to see their families and friends. It is also an escape from the rigidity of academic life