Abilene weekly reflector., 1916-02-03

y
sorb" knowledge But, again, 1t Is
recognized that the school should
not only teach facts, but that 1t
should train the student all around
mentally and physically. We don't
want a gymnasium simply that the
boys may have a good time, but
because they need badly some kind
of physical training and exercise.
We have a few sports-football,
track, baseball and tennis, but all
these are limited by the seasons, and
to the few who are able to play.
The ones who need physical training
the worst are just the ones who do
not get it. If we had a gymnasium,
be established, directed by a man
competent to do it. A class like
this would mean work, not all fun.
In most colleges and academies that
have gymnasiums, certain amount
of work in them is required. More
over, a gymnasium would solve the
basketball problem. 1t would also
provide a place for class socials, or
for meetings and functions of other
kinds.
V. We are reaching a crisis in
he growth of our school.
The Abilene high school has a
great reputation, because of the big
range of studies it offers, the quail
ity of the work done, its strong
faculty, and the fine school spirit it
has developed. The best proof Of
two country students one-sixth
of our total enrolment, have chosen
to come to Abilene, in spite of the
fact that they have to pay tuition.
This is fifteen more than we had
last year. Again, eight or ten years
ago, the yearly loss from a class
averaged about 80 per cent. Now it
is rarely over 10 per cent. The
chief reason for this is, that the
school work, with all the new
courses, has broadened so as to ap-
peal to a greater number of stu
dents, especially among the boys.
The next big asset of our school is
the fine faculty we have. All the
teachers are college graduates, spe-
cialists in their departments, and
they are teachers who know how to
teach. This years faculty, especially,
is the best we have ever had-at
least during the four years that
have been in the high school. l also
believe there has never been as
fine a school spirit as we have this
year-due to the fine leadership
and direction of supt. Stacey.
Thus it may be seen that the
Abilene high school has all the
requisites that go to make a good
school-except good building. 1t
we do not get a larger building, we
are in danger of losing all that we
have gained. This is why l say we
have reached a crisis. This year the
school is bigger, and finer, and has
a greater prestige than ever before.
Next year, if we do not get more
room, we will probably have to re-
trench and drop some courses, or
else refuse to admit the country
students Either course would in
jure our prestige seriously. 1t will
be mighty hard to keep up any en-
thusiasm if we go backward instead
of forward, and If there Is no hope
of more room and better conditions
to work in. The country students will
go elsewhere. It's up to the city.
Here's the whole thing in nut
shell: Our high school work has
been made so attractive that
great many more boys and girls are
asking to be educated. Are the peo-
pie of Abilene going to refuse themN
VI. 1t will pay this town, as
business proposition, to have bet
ter and larger high school.
Look at these figures for a mo-
ment. We have now fifty-two coun-
try students, who pay $31.5O year
for tuition. This contributes about
$165O.0O a year for the running ex-
penses of the school. But that isn't
all. Each of these students spends
between two and three hundred dol
lars year in this town for cloth
ing. board, etc This makes about
$4,000 more trade for the mer-
chants of the town
If our school is provided with
proper building, and its reputation
keeps growing as it has in the past,
there is no reason why we shouldn't
have 100 or more country students,
spending $4,000 or 100000 a year
in this town which otherwise would