West High School - Hesperian Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

Page 25 text:

Physical Kducation T DI CATIOX in its true sense means the normal development of the whole individual, the physical, mental, moral and spiritual. This needs no argument to convince any person who knows what a symmetrical training means to the individual, the home, and the state. Physical education is of primary importance. It is a sad comment on our modern educational methods that so many pupils are striving for mental growth when the body is weak and puny. The moral and spiritual natures attain greatest heights when the body is strong and vigorous. 'l'he public schools are doing by far the largest part in preparing boys and girls for their life’s work. The state wants the finished product. Our schools should keep pace with the demands made upon them by the state. It is unfortunate that school athletics should meet with the disapproval of so large a number of patrons. It is unfortunate, also, that so small a percent of our student body get any real benefit from athletics through active participation. These conditions can be attributed to a poorly organized system and lack of proper facilities. In every school there should be adequate playgrounds equipped for all legitimate outdoor games, such as baseball, football, track work, etc., for such have a place in our educational scheme. There should he a gymnasium in every school so that systematic courses of physical training could be offered to the students. A trained director should he provided: an all-around man; a man who knows educational values; who can assign each phase of athletics its true place in the normal development of the individual. All pupils should be required to take some part in the prescribed course; that part which is best suited to his or her needs and tastes. It is imperative upon the school authorities to take an advanced step in the department of athletics to the end that better equipment he furnished. It behooves educators to take an advanced stand in the matter of organizing athletics to the end that all pupils may get benefit from it. Such a course of action is rational, essential to the full development of our pupils, and furthermore, would popularize this important branch of education. All objections would be eradicated as they now exist. Is this not what West High School wants? Let us be alert as to our own interests and push hard toward that end. Cari.kton Birrif.r. 71venty-one

Page 24 text:

Carleton Burrier, Coach Ben Paris, Mgr. R. Capron C. Webster N. Bright C. Lauritzen P. Ash C. Coppage F. Langdon P. Lewis, Capt. C. Pollock E. Tumy J. Mattern R Stair St. M. Clark

Page 26 text:

The Foot Ball Season of 1908, ri IIE football season we have just passed through, though we were badly defeated by five out of the six teams we met, on the whole was not altogether unsuccessful for a new team, when you stop to consider that no two men on the team had ever I played together before, and that only two had ever played in high school games before. We started the season on the 19th of September and the rest of the week was spent in passing and punting the ball and trotting around the field. In the week following we tried two different practice fields and finally decided on the first. During the next week the squad grew larger every day until on Friday it numbered fortv men answering to roll call, all of whom were duly equipped by the school. The next two weeks were spent in signal practice and learning the fundamental parts of football. T After this we started on Philip Lewis, Captain . . ,. , 1 scrimmage work, which daily grew longer and harder. The first team was rounded into shape for the first game of the season, which was played with East High on the 9th of October. It was here that we first met defeat by the score of 26 to 11. The next week was a hard one for all of us. Monday we spent in light signal practice and in getting limbered up, and the remainder of the week was devoted to hard, rough scrimmage work, preparing for the South Siders. Bright, one of the promising “backs,” had, 7'wenty-two