Increasing Alarm Over Vicious Attacks

To the Sports Editor:

Several persons have inquired as to why a portion of Section 18 at Watson Riik was roped off at the Dartmouth game December 5.

I ordered this done because I have viewed with increasing alarm the negative activities of spectators in this area over the past two years. Both teams must be allowed to play the game without facing the prospect of serious injury or interruption of the contest due to items being thrown on the ice. A visiting team should not have to play a game while being subjected to a continuous barrage of obscenities.

There is a growing trend in college hockey today to support the home team with a vicious negative attack on the visitors. I am determined that Harvard will not support its hockey team in this manner. Nor will I tolerate Harvard teams being subjected to that type of treatment while playing on the road.

I urge Harvard followers to refrain from these excesses, in the hope that we can establish a standard of positive support for our team and courtesy for the visitors which will be followed at every college.

Should the current trend continue, however, I will be forced to remove all students from Section 18. Robert B. Watson   Director of Athletics