The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-02-02

EDITORIAL
/ Oes The School Expect Too Much
Of the Student I'm Extra Curri.
cuIar Activities

"aa
The old-fashioned school is no more.
The school has ceased to be a ms
clGnical institution; It is forever UNI
dergoing a change-as the times
change so the school should progress
The ~"up-to-date" school tends toward
Progress by turning out citizens in
which physical, moral and intellectual
f'culties are developed. We pupils
s.andpoints are these:
"All work and no play makes Jack
a dull boy; and in the same way
would ii make us students dull" un-
lass we had some recreation or diver
sion of some kind. At the same time
we must have the right kind of recre-
alton. and as we spend the best part
Of our lives in school it is up t o this
Institution to supply the needs and
wants of each pupil.
Our schooling prepares us for the
world, but the course that provides
only a general routine of school work
is not preparing us for all sides of life.
Iesides, a course of this nature be-
comes mOnotonous, and a pupils in
tarest in school is lessened.
During recent years Miller High has
presented the best line of c~urricular
ectivity it has ever had. This is put
in for the benefit of the. pupil and
only him. In what other place than
the school does the pupil have so great
an opportunity for self-expression?
Then, again, no student derives pleas
TIRE nor even satisfaction from school
life unless he participates in the COM
rlete course of the school.
At no other time has the world made
srch a demand for people with a large
degree of versatility. If this is the
demand, then the school is expected
to supply the material. Past expert
ence has shown us that these versatile
PEOPLE are expelled to take up the
work where their elders have left off.
It is this same rlass Of people that
enrich the life of the community, be-
cause they enjoy the higher things Of
life if not by actual participation, by
appreciation.
Not all pupils are versatile enough
so that they can. participate in every
thing and for this reason a wide var
iety of activities such as athletics,
oratory and physical training is offer
ed. The student, through these acti-
vities obtains something that will
benefit him all through life. In addi-
ton to the benefit and pleasure that
they derive from these extra credit
is given for the work.
1t is not compulsory that we par
take Of all these activities: therefore,
there is no immediate danger of ex-
peCting too much from an average
pupil. If, however, such a case does
occur is there a better method Of
teaching one to make more efficient
use Of his time than by giving him a
complete program to be carried out
each day? The extra curricular ac-
tivities present just such a advantage.
What does the pupil do with his lei
sure time? Does he always use it to
the best advantage? Unfortunately
there is much wasted. Here the school
must assume the role of guardian and
take care of this leisure time. Does
rot the school deserve credit if it has
succeeded in supplying a program
WI ich avoids idleness?
n many cases the town does not
eff r many diversions in which stu
cents NAV or should participate in.
therefore the efforts of the school and
it's supervisors to make the school a
plac e where leisure hours can be spent
and made of unreasonable value,
should be appreciated.
Parents: Do you want your chill
dren to have the same advantages and
opportunities that children of other
schools have, and do you want to i'm
prove the school?
The knockers" will never build up
this community-they only scatter
seeds of discomfort. and break down
the spirit, while they offer nothing in
place of what they tear down.
AS a student body we wish to ex-
press our thanks to the community.
school board and faculty for giving
us the opportunities offered in this
line of c%urricular activity, for by this
means we are made an important fac
tor in the progress of the school.