Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1916-02-11
ROCKVILLE MARYLAND. FRIDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY H. 1916
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Billy AtWOOd's
!; Degree
: II Was at Least
! HOnOrabIy Earned
. By DWIGHT NORWOOD
By DWIGHT NORWOOD


Billy" said John Atwood to his son,
Il have something of great Importance
to say to you before your departure for
college. You are going to receive what
| have always regretted not having re-
ceived myself-a university education.
1t depends upon you whether you take
advantage of this great benefit l am
going to give you or throw It away.
If were In your place | would study
hard In order that | might take an In
fuential stand In the world, l would
eschew everything but my books, try
to take all the prizes
Father" the boy broke In, I'm go
ing to college to please you. I'd rather
go into machine shop and amuse
myself with tools than worry over
books. never could learn anything
by studying hard to do 1t; | must do
1t. And when I've done II once can
do 1t again and the second time better
than the first and 20 on improving on
what | have done However, | doubt
II a college education will hurt me,
and If l can get through honorably I'll
do 50, but ! won't go through by doing
what | hear 80 many do-passlng ex-
aminations by illegitimate means"
you needn't resort to illegltlmate
means II you'n give your time and at
tention to your studies
"Well, goodby, father I'll do the
best can"
William Atwood while freshman
strove to please his father by attend
ing to his studies. But when he came
to the examinations at the end Of tho
first year he ran up against certain
subjects upon which he must DO exam.
ined that he had no taste for and upon
which he was as stupid as any Ounce
There was small chance of his passing
an examination in any Of them. He
had been picked out for one OF tho
mainstays of the college in its athletic
contests, and the college did not wish
to lose him. Some OF the best students
in his class offered surrepdtiously to
help him with his examination papers,
but since he was obliged to sign
statement that he had not received
such help he declined the offer They
argued that receiving such help was
common practice among the students,
but they did not move Billy. How
ever, he was such favorite with the
professors that those passing on his
examination papers gave him the bene-
At Of sundry doubts and cleared him
nv n ANAL fraction
When the spring opened Billy was
called upon for twirler OF the univer-
sity baseball team and won largely by
his own efforts the championship for
hts college for that season. Again the
faculty treated his examination papers
elastically and scraped him through the
final examination for the year
Billy was AZ successful Mt football
as at twirling. He was husky fell
low and as spry as husky. When In
November the game between his col
lege and Its principal rival was play
cd a run he celebrated mt tho
time-won the championship for his
team. and he was carried Off the field
with the usual eclat Again he was
tided over his exams by the professors,
for he resOlutely refused to be helped
by his classmates.
After this It became an axlom-a self
evident truth-nmong both faculty and
students that Billy Atwood must, by
hook or by crook, be boosted through
college. II didn't make any difference
10 Billy how II was done provided no
was not called upon to sign false
statement The faculty were interest
cd In keeping n man who by winning
champion athletic games was attraet-
ing attention to the college, and tho
students were interested In tho glory
attending the winning Of the games.
And 10 II WIS that In one way or an
other Billy. like n waterogged scow
In shallow stream, replete with OBJ
structions. was 1oated on TIL he ap-
preached the final examinations for his
degree. His fnther went on to see him
graduate. arriving the day after tho
exams had been finished. Crossing the
campus. he met the president, who the
moment he saw him rushed forward,
seized his hand ana exclaimed:
We've got MIN through
Whor
-FOUR son Inc examiners III mseH
physics declared they couiuht POSSIBLY
pass MN On that SUBJECT cniied Ior
tno pnperS' lounu an ahnplsuous uh-