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Freshmen Have Chance to 'Ballot For P.T. Credit

By Robert P. Marshall jr.

The inevitable Harvard freshmen who find a bugaboo in a requirement called P.T. face a definitely less personal, supposedly more flexible, and probably more evadable monster this fall.

The rules and philosophy behind the freshmen physical training program have not changed, but a new system of checking-in has been installed. Its key is a book of thirty coupons, which each freshman received at registration.

Eevery time he participates in an athletic activity, the freshman deposits a coupon in a designated box. Every day the coupons are colected and credit is registered on the student's record at 60 Boylston Street.

No More Signups

In the past years, freshmen signed up for specific activities, and monitors took attendance. Both monitors and activity preferences, have been dispensed with. Freshman are requested to write their activity on the coupon they hand in, but this is merely to enable the Athletic Department to gauge the relative use of its facilities.

Yarding Grumbles

The new system came in response to freshmen's complaints that it was difficult to get credit for activities other than the one they were registered in, according to Eric Cutler '40. Assistant Director of Athletics. While in theory no problem should have existed, grumblings from the Yard reached the Faculty Committee on Athletics and the change was made.

Cutler admits that there are still minor problems to be ironed out, but he believes the new setup will relieve the compulsory aspect of P.T. that freshmen find odious. In fact, success of the coupons rests heavily on an honor system, which seems to be the only obstacle to ballot-stuffing on behalf of one's friends.

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