Pennell Institute - Whirlpool Yearbook (Gray, ME)

Page 8 text:

8 THE WHIRLPOOL WANTED: COÓPERATION A few years ago, Pennell had winning teams in cross-country: this year we did not have а good season. This was not due to the boys on the team. for I am sure they tried their best. This comment is not to try to get our boys on the team to run апу harder, for they probably could not, but to wake up those who could have been members of the team and would have helped the team to have a better season. There are plenty of fellows in Pennell who could try out for cross-country and make ours a winning team. Unfortunately, these boys did not have the fighting spirit to get out and show what they could do. Some went out for cross-countrv but dropped it after a few days. They were beaten : they did not have the will power to go out and fight. Our teachers tell us when we are failing in our studies that if we do not get busy we are likely to go through life being failures. This applies to cross-country. Let us hope that the Pennell fellows will wake up, so that they will not lose the game of life ahead of them as they did the game of cross-country last season. E. D., '34. DEBATING Debating is ล valuable source of information. It is an actual aid to the high school. Its value may not be seen immediately: however, if the debater is earnest and faithful in his work. the resulting benefits. will without doubt gradually become known. Debating is valuable in that it gives one practice in speaking in public, an ability which many of us lack: it develops honesty in arguments and enables one to see fallacies in unsound reasoning: it develops poise and confidence in one's self. Debat- ing increases one's knowledge on vital problems and enables one to have a better control of the English language. Moreover, debating stands above public speaking in that it requires thought and not memory. When debat- ing a question the nerves must be alert and the mind active. The debater must possess the ability to speak forcibly, think clearly and readily, and present his argument in a logical and understanding manner. These quali- ties will be cultivated only by practice and experience. Debating is recog- nized as a requirement of all Grade A” high schools in the State and is encouraged by all colleges because of the above mentioned qualities. Some years ago our school had debating as one of its activities. This was man- aged successfully until two years ago, when lack of coóperation on the part ณุ Rn

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THE WHIRLPOOL 7 Sir Walter Raleigh. It is not a question of being distinguished, for today men, women and children have adopted this “habit.” It has spread over the country as has the cross-word and jig-saw puzzle craze, Newspaper advertisements and highway billboards have attracted our attention to an even greater degree, and what has been the result? This questi on may be answered by simply using our eyes, any- where. any time, any day in the усаг. But why talk about this? After all, it is a matter which will be decided by us, ourselves, individually. The majority of us probably know its effects: however, despite this, believe that it is too late to “reform.” Мау I make this proposition to those in our school and to everyone of high school age or under who smokes? Try this test: Stop smoking for three or four weeks and see how much better you feel physically and economically. If you are not able to work better. think more clearly and feel better, give yourself a longer test. Remember. that where there's a will there's a way. W. S. C., '84. WHY STUDY LATIN? The arguments for Latin are its help in the use and understanding of English, the culture from close acauaintance with fine literature, and the relatively good results from indifferent teaching. The arguments against Latin are that equal time spent on English would bring more results for English: that the real appreciation of Latin literature comes only after so many years of study that the results are not worth the expenditure: and that it is the duty of school authorities to provide teachers who can handle well the subjects we really need to know and use. The first two years of Latin are especially useful in English. 1f English grammar has been badly taught, Latin grammar will insure an idea of sentence structure. Time on the first two years of Latin is undoubtedly well spent. Beyond these vears there is a period of rather neutral value in the study of Latin before the real mastery of the language begins to bring delight. Therefore, I recommend two years of Latin for everyhody who hopes to make some- thing of himself mentally, and then either no more or at least four years more. Cab. aay

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THE WHIRLPOOL 9 of the less active members of the school forced us to withdraw from the Dates Debating League. .Mthough we knew at that time that if this activity were dropped, it would be difficult to build it up again, neverthe- less, to withdraw was the only alternative. What is the outlook for debat- ing as a school activity at Pennell in the future? One thing is evident, until there is more coóperation shown, we shall continue to exist only as an ordinary student body, not making the most of the benefits of a high school education. W. S. C., '34. BACK UP YOUR TEAMS! School spirit is the thing that makes a school. It is true that a school can exist without school spirit for some time; but for how long? A few years ago the student body of this school stood like a wall behind their school teams. livery pupil was out cheering for the team, and did they carry оп? Well! you bet they did. There was no coach for the teams, but the boys got out, went to work and won games. Things have changed since then and there has been a marked decline in school spirit. This decline started at approximately the time when the present Senior class came into the school. Now, this year's Senior class did nothing to cause such a decline; in fact, it had representatives in every sport and did much in backing the teams. The above mentioned decline has grown strongly upon us, and at the present time the spirit of old has died on our hands. This may be readily shown by reading the records of cross- country, the drum corps and baseball, which have been written up in the WHIRLPOOL each year. It is indeed true that last year at the baseball games the team had to look twice to see if the school was represented. From now on let's make everything A-1. We have not lost hope in the school, and we do hope that our school body will wake up and bring back that Old School Spirit.” LE,