South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-11-13
| REGRETTABLE SITUATION.

n KftskEIIABllE SIlIAIlON.
The high school situation which
brought about the drastic action by
the board OF control and Principal
Sims Wednesday is specially regret
table in that the students have just
moved into the magnificent new build
ing which their fathers and mothers
had paid for, and will continue TO pay
for until the last bond is retired
II is unfortunate that with the
splendid increase in the physical facil-
tiles brought about by the desire of
the people Of South Bend that their
children should have the very best in
the way OF educational training. should
not have been met on the part OF the
student body bY a splendid school
spirit.
1t is a serious question at this time
whether any interference or much adj
vice from outsiders is necessary or Will
be advantageous. Mr. Sims and his
associates have been vested with the
administration of school affairs, and
even those who do not agree with the
step just taken should let him work
out the problem, as long as that re-
spgnsibility is his.
As TO the matter of dropping the
Interlude. the high school paper. the
grounds given by Mr.. Sims seem suf-
ficient. II is not so well considered
by the pupils as 10 be "A success either
financially or in a literary way j,
should be dropped. Probably there
is some fault in the management OF
IT, 1t does not seem reasonable that
among 1000 odd pupils there is not
ability TO produce a rafting good
school paper, or that If this were done.
it would not be Loyalty supported by
the student body.
Lovers OF amateur sports who nave
been following the course of the SPLEEN
did football team viii regret TO see
their activities cut of in mid season.
School athletics usually furnish the
rallying ground for all that is best in
school spirit and school loyalty. Il
any single student or any group of
them broke the sclrooI rules. this
would seem to be a matter that could
be corrected through the individuals
at fault. If athletics were taking up
so much of the attention of the stu
dents as a whole that the serious work
of the schools was affected. we would
have a situation that would demand
action. But this. il seems. is not the
case.
Rather the school seems TO lack CO.
hesiveness, and a pull-together spirit
perhaps, II is true. because of it's
size ard the fact that sufficient time
has not been allowed for adjustment
TO new conditions. Big schools are
necessarily less possible of close or
ganization and close community spirit.
yet this has been worked out at most
large high schools throughout the
country IN admirable fashion.
As TO the matter of the alleged
fragrant violation of school discipline,
the alleged defiance of teachers, the
wanton defacing of the new building.
this would seem on the face Of il to be
a serious situation demanding the best
thought Of the high school authorities.
1t might also seem that these things
might have been checked earlier and
not allowed 10 go 50 Tar tndt only a
revolutionary change such as has been
announced would be the only way out
Mr.. Sims and his STAFF have a life
sized problem before them Every
parent will doubtless agree to cutting
of every outside activity Of the pupils
if they interfere with what is the
main purpose of the school-namely,
10 train young men and women for
citizenship and for their life work.
And yet these activities properly reg
ulated are generally regarded as
themselves being good training for
future life
There must be something quite Sc
riously wrong with the high school
And South Bend is deeply interested
in being told what and in seeing it