The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-07-10
THE NORMAL WILL PROMOTE THE
OLYHPHESTE
a New Feature in Education.

LAAC
embodies everything that is meant by
the American fair, the American festi-
val, the American field meet, and the
tournament.
The vision which President W. A.
Lewis of the Fort Hays Kansas Normal
School has for the development of citi-
zenship in Western Kansas includes
three-fold progression. In this plan
community music is the first step, and
community pageantry is the second.
1t is the community Olympheste that
gives a purpose to the two proceeding
steps.
In the community Olympheste the
people of the community shall come to-
gether for series of days to be in
spired by the cooperation of their fell
low men and to enjoy competition with
their fellow men, This community
Olympheste shall be the great express
sion of developing community. 1t is
the concrete representation of the def
mite aim of the Fort Hays Kansas Nor
NAL School. In the community Olym-
pheste the series of days will be de-
voted to competition, exhibition, coop
Grafton and expression. 1t will present
oratorios and operas; it will produce
dramas and pageants; it will schedule
! baseball games and Marathon races; 1t
will exhibit live stock and farm crops;
it will have tugs of war and chess
/ tournaments; it will have oratorical
contests and discussion of civic and So
cial questions. 1t will be a combina-
ton of the music festival, the agricul-
! tural and live stock fairs, athletic ex-
hibitions and contests, and dramatic
and rhetorical productions. To engen-
der a satisfaction in the home life of
the community and to suggest POSSIBLE
tiles for the development of the COM
munity are the missions of the Olym-
pheste. 1t is the fusion of American
ideals and activities and this fusion
melts around the social relationships of
the people of the community. The
Olympheste aims to produce a truly
well rounded, vigorous, typical happy
American.
1t is the belief of President Lewis
that the basis and beginning of real
education in Western Kansas is com
munity music. 1t reaches out into the
community and gets hold of the vital
life interests of the community. Music,
according to President Lewis, is the
best present vehicle for the get to-
gether spirit. People can associate
music with nothing except enjoyment
and this association gives them a chance
to talk over" all their many activities.
Nothing is more fruitful in the upbuild-
ing of civic righteousness than the con-
tribution and sharing of ideas. Music
gets people to doing things unconscious
ly which they would never allow them
selves to be argued into doing. Com
munity music can compass and dethrone
the antagonistic forces which destroy
community unity. Music takes less
friction to produce results than any
force outside of governmental author
ity. Through choruses, bands. and
orchestras, which have been established
by students who have been trained in
the Fort Hays Kansas Normal School,
President Lewis intends to help each
community in this western half Of Kan
sas to ''get together
The second step which is part OF
the definite purpose of President Lewis
and which comes after community
music and which looks toward fuller
citizenship for Western Kansas is com
munity pageantry. The pageant Wis
ualizes the part each has contributed II
bringing the development of the com
munity to the present. 1t enhances
, local patriotism; it gives true inter
probation of values. It gives dramatic
form to the self expression of the com
munity. 1t does more than get the
people together, it gives them an in
strument of expression.
E = The Fort Hays Kansas Normal Schoo
has through its development of musi,
: demonstrated within the past ffteel
, months what community music can do
, The department of English through tn,
d instructor in pageantry viii begin it
$ contribution September 1st. The in
f structor has been employed for over
e year and in preparation for the worl
: here has helped produce the famou
s Belleville, Illinois pageant and thi
e summer is helping present the summe
q pageant of the University of Wiscon
: sin.
f The step with the community Olym
d pheste viii come from the momentum
: given by the first two steps and tn
e activities of community music and com
d rnunity pageantry are directed towar
e community Olympheste. In workinl
n out so ambitious a scheme Presiden
h Lewis has impressed his personalit
e into the whole scheme and this pla.
e gives purpose to every department O
q the Normal School.
r. President Lewis believes that the OF
II ganization OF the curriculum is tn
means whereby the young people O
Western Kansas going to school at th
Normal can be made TO see the Yisio
: which he has for Western Kansas. In
d stead of each department and each de