St Catherine High School - Mentor Yearbook (DuBois, PA)

Page 17 text:

! .E ,:. .,....ni.j,,f..,,,,1.,,.:...,L.,.,.,...i:,,.,,.,,1.,,,...,:,:.,L.:j.:1,,:.11,,l:T,,11.:t.,...,..,...,.,..,.........1..q,.Z..,,, ,:,........i.,....,...........2.,..,,,......Y,.,,,,,,,,, . ,B 'iw ' gee' Qinn1me1'rializeh Qtthlrfirs OMMERCIALIZED Athletics shall ruin the sports in colleges and schools, if something is not done to correct abuses. Carried on by deceit and trickery, supported by money-mad men, and shielded by heads of prominent colleges, Commercialized Athletics has become a menace to the welfare of American educational institutions. lt shall certainly cause the down- fall of some of our most prominent Colleges and Universities, for it has come to a place, where authorities, no longer secure large enrollments by their staff of efficient teachers, but rather through the enrollment of the best athletic stars. These they have secured by placing in chrage of the athletics, some prominent coach who was, as it goes, an All-American figure in sport. ls this being done for the de- velopment of the physical education of the youth? No, it is merely to enrich the treasury of the college fund, by means of the gate receipts of athletic contests, which are made a success only through these youthful stars, who in spite of great risk to life and limb, seek only recognition on the field of sport, and care nothing for the college education-which they are supposed to be acquiring. Athletics are no longer looked upon as a secondary matter, but are placed first in college affairs, as is proven by the fact that coaches in some universities are paidl a larger sum than the highest paid teachers on the faculty staff, and why? Only that these coaches may develop the athletic ability of the youths, and build up teams representing their school which will in turn bring nation-wide publicity to their school, and thus weave a clever scheme to entice athletes to their institution. Years ago, it was the aim of colleges to en- roll students of the highest standing, that as a graduate of the institution he might add glory to its name. Now it seems that the majority of colleges seek-first, athletic heroes, who by their prowess on the athletic fields, add prestige to the college and money to its coffers. It is frequently stated, that a student of athletic ability need not play on the college teams, but if he refuses, he is branded as disloyal to the school, and his school career is a hard one. l-lowever, such is not very often the case, for here is where commercialism comes into play. Wheri a prominent athletic star is discovered in a prep-school, he is taken in hand by an Old Grady' of some famous college, who wishes in his kind way to help some one through school . And if the boy be a really great player, he need not spend one cent for his education, and sometimes, is furnished with his clothing and spend- ing money, not by the Kind Old Grad , as he thinks, but by the College authorilties themselves, who in return through his prowess on the athletic field are doubly, yes, trebly, repaid for the small sum spent on him. fThis is the demoralizing condition in our Amer- ican Colleges., I6

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,J Q.. ............ ,, Y,1,TY..:...........,..Y .T,.Y ,...Y...,Y,Y,,,Y ,. Y......A.,Y,..,.,,.,. . .... .,.,,A.A.A.....,,A,, AA...., A......, ,..A.....,, ,.A......A ..........,,,.,..,.,.. . Y h U u X., -qu , , . . . l himself, or over-values himself-and we have the lnferiority or Superiority Complex, respectively ! How seldom do we find a person with either social, literary, or scientific aspirations, the victim of a complex! And the explanation of this is that a complex is only a subter- fuge of the truth-an excuse for indifference. A complex tendency is the residue which is evident when the waves of modern the- ories roll by an unsuspecting and guileless public. In this residue, the law-breakers and immoralist try to find justification before the eyes of the world, and salve for the prick- ings of conscience. Even the realms of sacred thoughts are penetrated, and pious per- sons find themselves branded with a religious complex . Being true to oneis ideals, and especially to one's Faith, one rests secure and baffles such blasphemous conclusions as those advanced by popular current periodicals. ' BLANCHE A. AUGHENBAUGH, '26 DOO The jliullg of jftxntrges 'JK ORRECTION is often a blessing in disguise. ln receiving a reprimand one should never attempt to shield himself by vain excuses. However good the ex- cuse may be, he should keep it within. We have a verification of this in the case of Adam and Eve. After they had committed the sin, and God called upon them to answer, immediately Adam transferred the blame to Eve, and Eve in turn blamed the serpent. From this example it follows, that excuses are vain after the wrong is done. An excuse makes one appear small in the eyes of others. There is only one conclusion,fhe is trying to shift the blame. If a person repeats the same excuseg he at length weaves a habitg it becomes second nature to him. On the contrary, if he refrains from making any excuses, he will benefit by the reprimand and eventually strengthen his character. A good explanation is better than a number of alibis. If a small child gives an excuse, it is quite different. He will do it no longer, once he becomes convinced that it is unmanly. lt is, after all, a cowardly proceedure, for its sole purpose is to avoid conviction. One who cannot face a fact squarely is a coward. What would happen if excuses were always accepted? Why, many criminals would be released upon unreasonable defense, upon vain excuse. The strong mind bears reproach silently and bravely. -GEORGE BADER, '26 I5 I i

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M r l' M . , ., N ,,Y,.,,. ,,.,A,... ......., ,,N ,,,,.. Q...A.Q,., .. . ,,, ..,.,.4..4.4.., .A s .c .............. ..,..4,,Ai.,,4A....,,.,.1.,...,...,.,,,.. ,,,1.,,1..,,.,.,,,.,.... X his X' '7 W' , , , , , , And these are not really students, they are but boarders at our colleges, holding down those places which some deserving boy should have. 2 And yet that sad condition continues, for the authorities of the school deny that they have any part in commercializing the sports, and thus no reflection can be cast upon them. At the present time, when college athletic stars are turning to professional sports, we hear many criticisms from college professors. Why should they complain? They are often the very ones who teach the young man to earn his living on an athletic field., when they offer him free scholarship, free entrance into their institution. ln former years, athletics were regarded as amateur teams, always secondary to other school activities. Now, however, the term athletics means a business carried out on a large scale, mas- querading under the name, amateurism . To show the commercial phase of these ath- letics, take, for instance. football, the chief college sport. To accommodate the multi- tudes who wish to attend the games, large stadia have been built, and extensive pub- licity schemes carried on: all this being financed through the questionable methods men-f tioned before. To real lovers of the American sport the situation is appalling. Will there be a remedy? - THOMAS F. PRICE, '26 OOO Interesting 152111112 HE quality which makes a person interesting is not easily defined or analyzed. That wonderfully subtle thing, which we call charm eludes the dictionary: it is not the same in one person as in another, and is not in the least dependent on beauty or dress. The man or woman who is truly interesting will constantly add something to the charms he already possesses. It is well worth while to consider the constituent parts of this heaven-born gift, and to endeavor to inquire whether or not it is within our grasp or beyond it. lnitiatively, the interesting person does not crystallize at a given point in his career. Frequently people cease to make fresh additions to their mental faculties, and therefore, cease to assimilate knowledge. Their minds become, in a sense, atrophied at an early period of life. Those who do not permit their minds to absorb the good and the practi- cal, force them to remain immune from the receptive ideas and influences around them: I7 11-1