Petersburg High School - Missile Yearbook (Petersburg, VA)

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18 THE MISSILE THE MISSILE Chas. Edgar Gidliam, Editor in Chief Cora Rolfe, M. Francis Drewry, Associate Editors Ernest N. Townes, Editor of ' • ' ■A Few Pointers Robert G. Butcher, Athletic Editor Beatrice Coleman, Exchange Editor Virginia M. Walke, Alumni Editor. Agnes Stribling, Head Reporter Meade C. Brunet, Business Manager Ernest N. Townes, Circulation Manager Frank Buchanan, ) Russel L. PerkinsonI Business Managers Address Correspondence to Petersburg High School. iEbUnrial Athletics should be encouraged in every high school, not only because they are very beneficial to the health and char- acter of the boys and girls, but, also, because they develop in the pupils a certain personal pride in their school that studies more frequently fail to cultivate. Every child should have an individual pride in his school ; every school should be filled with “school spirit.” What is this “school spirit?” It is a certain feeling, we might say love, for one’s school that makes one think of it as a place not where they are forced to go, but where they wish to go ; that makes one swell with pride when he hears his school’s name mentioned ; and that will cause one to look fondly back in after years, when old age shall have greyed his hairs, and joyfully remembered his “alma mater.” A school should be more than a name or, if a name, it should be one of which every student is proud. Athletics do more towards building up a “school spirit” than anything else. Where is the boy or girl who is not proud of his school-mates’ conquests in baseball, football, or any other branch of athletics? Where is there a defeated team that does not arouse the

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THE MIS8ILE 17 T T « • • • IRED of waiting, she arose from her seat and threw a gun across her arm. Hurriedly she paced up and down ; then, suddenly, as if hearing someone approaching, she halted and opening the magazine of the rifle, ex- amined it. With a sigh almost inaudible, she closed it. Then, with the gun poised on her arm, she waited and listened. At last he came into full view. Silently she stood, gazing intently afar off, until he touched her slightly on the arm. Then, turning to him, she said, “Oh, John, why didn’t you come sooner? You know I’ve been waiting a long time!’’ “I just couldn’t, Mary,” he replied. “Well,” she said, her voice filled with emotion, “take the gun and do as I tell you. I am such a coward I can’t — I can’t 1” “Mary,” he pleaded, “I—.” “Take this gun and do it,” she sobbed, “there’s no use pleading now.” Like one in a trance, he took the rifle without uttering a word. Then, half opening the magazine and gazing into it, he closed it again. Finally he said, “Mary, I just can’t do it, I haven’t the heart to do it.” “John! Oh! John, you must,” she sobbed piteously, “you know I can’t.” “But think of your old father and of yourself and of me,” he pleaded. “John,” she said passionately, “do it for my sake, won’t you? Father will soon get over it.” “Well, he said in a surrendering tone and trying to con- ceal his emotion, “I’ll do it for your sake, Mary, but you don’t know how hard it is for me.” “Take the gun,” she said with much self-composure, “and end all my pain and suffering. Do it quickly, John.” He opened the chamber again and examined it carefully and then closed it with a click. Slowly he stepped back a little, still holding the gun tightly with both hands. He stood still a moment with downcast head, then, with a faltering voice said, “I hope your father will not lay this at my door. You may forgive me, Mary, but I shall never forgive myself. But I’ll do ' it for you, Mary. Then leveling the gun deliberately, he faltered, “I’ll do it. I’ll take the gun and — ' paw ' n it.”

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THE MISSILE 19 sympathy of its school? It is this pride, — this sympathy that makes a school not a number of unattached pupils, but a unit. There may be other ways of making a school a success ; but none of them are as sucessful as getting each individual pupil interested not only in his own progress at school, but in the progress of his school-mates. If the school is a unit, it will be a success. “School spirit” is essential to the unity of a school and athletics will help to develop “school spirit.” What is success? What is it to succeed? In this com- mercial age one points to the great financiers, to men who have amassed a great fortune as examples of success. They are successful in one way, that is they have attained the object that they had in view when they started in life. But should success be measured in so many little round disks of silver and gold or in so many bank notes? He whose object was to amass a fortune has succeeded if he is rich. Yet is he a suc- cess? Was Shakespeare a success because his name is im- mortal? No. His immortal name is merely the result of his success. Does one have to become famous to be a success? Are the immortal names the only ones that have succeeded? No. Many a thief has succeeded in evading the law, but still we do not consider him a success. On the other hand, many an immortal personage utterly failed to accomplish his end and yet is numbered as a success. To succeed one has but to ac- complish what he undertakes, to be a success one has to know where his talents lie and use them in that direction not alone for his own good but for the good of others. One may suc- ceed without being a success. To succeed is one thing; suc- cess is another.