Somerville High School - Radiator Yearbook (Somerville, MA)

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SOMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL RADIATOR 14 flfotb Clark on fllMUtar? Craintng To the Editor of the Radiator:— You have asked me to write an article for tlie “Letter Box” and have suggested that I say something about the value of military training in the high school. You say that many pupils complain that only those selected for the vari- ous teams get any physical training and that they are few in number in comparison with the whole student body. You think that mili- tary training would be a means for providing development and discipline for every boy and apparently hope that such training will be es- tablished in our high school. I am glad to comply with your request if by so doing I can assist the Radiator or give to the pupils any help or encouragement upon any of the af- fairs which relate to their well-being or claim their interest. And among such concerns there are few indeed more important than the matter of physical health and development. So I will take your subject for my letter and will write about what we have, and what we may have even under present conditions. The first thing which will occur to the minds of all of us is that we have no physical instruc- tion in the school; the next that we have no gymnasium. To many the thought will seem inevitable that there is nothing which can be done to improve matters until we have one or the other, or both, of these conditions. That this thought is not fully justified by the facts is what I shall seek to show. It is a curious fact that we get comfort in adverse conditions by the reflection that others are no better off than ourselves. We seem to enjoy isolation more in our high than in our low estate. Applying this common feeling to the present case we can draw satisfaction from the fact that very many other high schools are 110 more fortunate in these respects than our- selves. While it is doubtless true that no com- munity of considerable size would think of building to-day a high school without suitable accommodations for physical instruction and exercise, it is equally true that few communi- ties outside the large cities thought it neces- sary to make such provision even in so recent times as one or two decades ago. Then the feeling was that the youth could get adequate physical training outside of school in the play- field and in the occupations of the home. Rapid changes in city life and a growth in interest in hygiene, health and physical culture have wrought a reversal of public sentiment concern- ing this matter, and now the school is looked upon as the place where exists the best chance to train the youth so that they shall become well developed in body as well as in mind. Physical as well as intellectual and moral edu- cation is needed. What then can we do? Forgetting the girls for a moment let us see about military drill. The exact status of that matter is this: 'I he Standing Committee on High School', of the Board of School Committee has before it an order introduced in the January meeting which reads as follows:— “Ordered: That military drill be introduced in the Somerville High School as a part of the curriculum for boys.” It also has under consideration a resolution passed by the Board of Aldermen on July 2-i, and read in the School Committee meeting on September ??. and referred to the High School Committee. This resolution is as follows:— “Resolved: It is the sense of this Board that Military Training for boys be added to the cur- riculum of the High School as soon as there are sufficient funds to provide for the expense incurred.” Under the practice of the School Committee the usual procedure to be followed is for the Committee on High Schools to report to the School Committee its recommendation concern- ing this matter. Then the School Committee will act upon this report in : u:h way as in its judgment is proper. While the sub-committee is considering this question it would not be appropriate for me to discuss here the merits of the question. There arc some things, however, which I may say about it. without impropriety, which will be worth the attention of all pupils. Of these, the first to mention is that it is well to distinguish in this matter facts from opinions. Here are some facts. Military drill is not an accepted high school institution. The practice of schools differs; some have it. others do not. There are persons who for one reason or an- other advocate the introduction of military drill

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SOMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL RADIATOR White, who is to be head of the Science Depart- ment. Manchester High School, Manchester, N. H.; and Marjorie L. Henry, who leaves us for the French department of Brookline High School. Miss Anna Pushee has resigned on account of illness; Miss Nancy B. Kimball has resigned to be married, while Miss Mabel G. Curtis has been granted a leave of absence for one year, to do special work in the Women’s Educational and Industrial Union. To these teachers we extend our heartiest wishes and friendship. They have left a warm spot in our hearts, and will not soon be for- gotten. Mr. Fred W. Carrier, recently principal of the high school in Wilmington. Mass., will suc- ceed Roy W. Hatch in the History and Civics department. Irving P. Colman. a graduate of Somerville High School and Tufts College, will take the place of Howard W. Poor; Mrs. Blood, formerly a teacher in the English High School, will teach French, while Miss Mae G. Smith, who has had several years’ experience as a teacher of commercial work, will teach con- mercial subjects. 'I o these new teachers we hold forth our warmest welcome. We earnestly hope that the years spent in the Somerville High School will be pleasant and profitable. If in any way we can be of aid through the Radiator col- umns. without hesitation we place them at their disposal. v. K Among the many colloquialisms of to-day the expression, “It cannot be done,” is prob- ably the most familiar to the average high school student. Throughout the school year, and especially at the beginning of school when studies are new to us, we hear this disgraceful assertion used when we are too lazy to put the necessary tune and energy required to work out a problem in mathematics, translate a sen- tence in Latin, or perform an experiment in chemistry. Such a statement is not only abominable and foolish, but also without sense and truth. It may take us a week to work out a problem, master a translation or complete any portion of study. Nevertheless, the in- disputable fact remains, it can be done. More- over, we should know that we would not be n given anything to do that could not be done. The boy or girl who looks into the future with fear, dreading that they can’t do the thing they set out to do, may rest assured that they will never do it. So wipe out this senseless say- ing from your vocabulary, and remember the words of Mr. Edgar A. Guest:— “Just buckle in with a bit of a grin. Then take off your coat and go to it; lust start in to sing as you tackle the thing I hat cannot be done, and you’ll do it.” We are glad to announce that the Boys’ De- bating Society has started on another season. At the first meeting Mr. Mahoney had a heart to heart talk with the boys about the necessity of the club having good support, with the ex- cellent result that many pupils have handed in their names for membership. During the year debates will be held with the Girls’ Debating Club, the civics classes, and possibly some history classes. It is President Smith’s earnest desire to have as many pu- pils as possible join the club in order that sev- eral interclub debates may be held relative to a question for the Triangular League debate. To be able to speak well is one of the great- est assets in life. Professor Palmer says, “He who can explain himself may command what he wants. He who cannot is left to the pov- erty of individual resource; for men do what we desire only when persuaded. The per- suasive tongue is, therefore, one of the chief levers of life.” This power of speech is within your reach in the debating clubs of our school. Don’t let the opportunity slip by, but join at once. All can- not make the various teams of course, but both boys and girls can give the encouragement of their presence at the meetings, and profit from hearing others speak. r . During the first few months of the school year many of us arc anxious to drop a subject or to change to another, because we do not like it or it is too hard. This is exactly why we should keep such a subject. It is precisely what we need. We require such a subject to conquer ourselves. If we study the subject tCojtmu ad uii page 0 )

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SOMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL RADIATOR 15 into high schools, others who oppose its intro- duction. Here are some opinions. Some persons think military drill is beneficial to high school pupils; others think it is not. Some think it is the duty of the high school to train boys in military drill so that they may be better able if called upon to help their country in times of war. Others think that pupils should not be trained at all in military drill for fear that thereby they might become inclined toward war. Some think it is beneficial as physical exercise, others that it is injurious as such. You will see from this citation of opposing facts and opinions that it is difficult to discover an authority competent to make a decision on these matters to which all must bow in deference. It is quite likely that it is the duty of the State to make this de- cision as it has done in some other matters ap- parently of less moment. So far as physical training is concerned, while the opponents of military drill in high schools concede little value to it. I do not know of any one who would say that the drill with its usual accompaniment of the setting-up exercises is not better than no organized physical training. Should the School Committee decide to es- tablish the drill as a school exercise, there would be several interesting questions to settle. When should the drill be held, in school hours or after school? Should it be compul- sory for all boys or only elective? If the lat- ter. how many boys would take it? Should it have “point” credit? And the last question we will propose, though not the last which we thought of. remembering the girls, is if the boys have military training, what shall the girls have? In one particular it is more important that the school make adequate provision for the physical development of girls than that it do so for boys. The ordinary round of a girl’s life gives fewer opportunities for physical ex- ercise than come naturally to boys. So I should want something provided for girls which would meet their needs quite as fully as would anything provided for boys do for them. This might be accomplished in part by an or- ganization somewhat on the order of military drill without the use of guns, of course. I know of one high school where such an organi- zation of girls exists, which has maintained a high place in the esteem of the community for a long time. Another and more important pro- vision which might be made would be regular physical exercises under the direction of trained instruction. I have now discussed the present situation in our school both in respect to the lack of equip- ment for physical instruction and in respect to the proposition to establish military drill as a part of the school curriculum. I come now to the consideration of certain physical activities which arc wholly commendable and which lie wholly within the range of the pupils’ power to promote. These activities include the vari- ous forms of out-door sports both for boys and tor girls. It does not appear that the boys have yet taken up all the opportunities which exist for participation in any of the major sports such as baseball, football, track teams and hockey, not to mention various other sports which arc found in many other schools. Som- erville has good public fields which are avail- able to high school pupils at all times. Why should there not be more than one squad of boys playing baseball or football during the ap- propriate season? What is baseball for? Is it a game only to be played by athletes who make of it an attraction for spectators who get only the exercise of attending the games? Or is baseball to-day the game it used to be. which furnished to every healthy, wide-awake boy the blood stirring exercise which his exuberant en- ergies craved? And so with the other major sports. My point is that it is within the power of the boys of the high school greatly to in- crease the extent, variety and spirit of their athletic activities without doing anybody any harm and without waiting for additional equip- ment. I he spirit of the faculty of the high school and the attitude of school and city offi- cials is most cordial to such undertakings. Difficulties? Of course there are difficulties. Hut whoever waits to have a field free of diffi- culties before he undertakes to do something worth while will never do much. High school pupils through their relations to the school faculty, through their class organiza- tions, through their athletic associations, through their approach to school and city offi- cials have means of creating conditions more adapted to an alert and spirited body of stu- dents than those that exist to-day. And achieving the undertaking would, in it- self. be stimulating. For after all. striving and accomplishing arc essential elements in any vigorous living, and high school pupils abound in vigor. May I suggest, in closing, that pupils make use of all the opportunities that are now of- fered for physical improvement, that they strive to increase the number of outdoor sports suit- able for group work and that they show their regard for clean, manly athletics by supporting heartily all the teams which represent the Som- erville High School in competition with other schools. In these ways can each pupil secure his share of advantage from the general lot and contribute his share to the lofty and undaunted spirit which we all want to have characterize the school. Very truly yours. Charles S. Clark, Superintendent of Schools.