La Junta tribune., 1915-12-18


and universities. Our accredited
standing entities us to all that the
North Central Association has to Of
fer. \ year ago conservative old
Dartmouth College opened her doors
and admitted our graduates to full
I Freshman standing without entrance
examination; the United States Mill
tary Academy at West Point recent
ly admitted one OF our graduates
without eNaminatiou-a rare favor
among high schools. In 1919 we
/ graduated from the preparatory de-
partment alone twenty-five; in 1914
twenty-four; in 1915 thIrty-three OF
of the class OF 1918 eleven entered
colleges or universities; of the class
[ of 1914 seventeen; OF the class of
1915 thirteen. This total of forty
one students from a total graduating
/ list of seveuty-nine Is distributed
among tweuty-one representative
colleges and universities extending
| from the University of Washington
at Seattle and the California State
Normal school at Los Angeles on the
west, to Dartmouth College at Han
over. y. II, on the east. Several of
these representatives of the La Jun
Ia high school are doing notable
work in the institutions OF their
choice
SO much for this side of the case.
We have accomplished some things OF
which We are justly proud. But 1t is
not for us TO rest upon what has al
ready been accomplished, however
good some OF these things may have
been. There is abundant room for
Improvement and improve we must
or fall out OF sight entirely. An OBJ
server has said that our high school
seems to he in metamorphic condi-
tion-a state OF unstable equil-
ibrium. AS IL We're. To a certain ex-
tent. this thing is true. These con-
stant changes. however. are OCCASION
ed by an effort to adjust ourselves to
the demands of an ever changing
situation. The chances are that we
viii have to go on making changes
until we reach the place where We
are reasonably certain that we are
doing the greatest good for all con-
cerned
IL seems to US that somewhere
along the line We lost 10, of old
fashioned ideas that were really fine
processes OF education. Too often our
graduates are obliged to sacrifice
their own dignity and the honor OF
the old school when they are called
upon To display a reasonable knowi-
edge of legiblc handwriting. funda-
mental arithmetic. correct spelling
aud proper Us. of the English Lam
guage IN conversation and writing. Is
II possible that ". have sacrificed the
emphasis that properly belongs to
these things In our efforts to incor-
poratc In our curriculum large num-
ber OF so-called higher studies Why
not emphasize the old spelling book
until IL makes itself an influence for
better spclling9 Why not require as
a condition OF graduation that some
where along th. line OF his four
years IN high school every student
shall hav" manifested sufficient skin
In handling pen 10 obtain ccrtIfi-
cat" Of efficiency IN pcnmnnship?
som" Of our more advanced hobbies
might haS" to go or wait for NOR.
iaSorabl" time, but would not the loss
be- we'll worth whlie9
Let Il De- Understood that We hay.
no quarrel with higher opportunities
FOR education In the high school. W.
need strong course In agficuI,ur.
To assist our boys aud girls ia d.y.I-
oping tn" resources of this great
vest. We need Increased trad. IA
eilities Ia meet IN. demands o, a
steadily Increasing variety OF wants.
bu, " Ne ar. limited in xha, ~. have
To off.r,N. b.li"p. IN. SAT. aud sound
polio, To follow II NOR. INTENSIVE.
Offering of those things ,ha, ar. COM
mon to ih. whole population aud tho
marks that distinguish IN. educated
from the uneducated individual.