The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-06-16
OWEN MILLER HAS
BEST H. S. PAPER
Fairmont High Boy Awarded
SIS by KiWanians for
Excellent Theme.
BY owen Miller.

#.a[LF%F2GF -.Tu--r
EDITORS note: Owen Miller
of Fairmont High School was
winner Of the first prize of SIS
in the high school essay contest
held recently by the Kiwanis
Club. The subject of his essay
is what a Program of. Physi-
cal ard Recreationai Training
In Our High School Would
MeanEto Our Boys and Girls.'D K
A program Of physical and recre-
ational training in our high school
would be of untold value and would.
mean a great deal to our students.
Not a program carried on in the
school room. That is not the place
for it; that is the place to practice
it. A good program includes a
gymnasium, a competent director,
suitable apparatus and regulai
periods each day for each student.
In the gymnasium YOU are taught
how to carry yourself, how to stand,
how to sitIcorrectly. In the school
room you should practice what you
learn in the gymnasium.
This program of physical and
recreational training would de.
velop the students bodies: it would
help them to do better work in Shei,
studies, it would develop stamina
and backbone, also, teach and en-
courage team play, and develop
fair play and moral character.
Many Found Unfit
The figures gathered during the
was wrong with our young men
physically. About one-third of our
young men who tried to get into
the army We're turned down.
Those who did succeed in getting
into the ranks learned rapidly,
showing that our men are intelli-
gent, but remember all those who
were physically unfit.
A sound mind in a sound body
is a fine combination; no one dis
putes that. But think how little
attention the American people
have paid to physical education-in
the past.
Nations live through physical
power, while mind development is
all-important. OF what value is
all the knowledge of the world to
a sickly-weakly nation? If our
nation is to progress in the future,
we must give posterity a good
start physically. Every child has
the right to be well born. Then
how can we expect to advance if
we do not pay proper attention to
physical education? A program
of physical and recreational train
ing in our school would develop
the strong and would make strong
and correct the defects of the
weak.
Program Would Help
This program would help them
to study better and do better
school work. The old Greeks be-
lieved in a sound mind in a sound
body. A Greek who was not a
good physical specimen was
ashamed to- strip. The Greeks
practiced their belief and their
culture, education, and %civiliza-
tion was the most advanced of the
day.
Stamina and backbone would be
developed. In athletics a fellow
must keep on playing even if he
doesn't feel like it. He learns to
keep plugging because he knows
he has to Or receive the scorn OF
his teammates.
This ability to stick and go on
even in the face Of defeat will
serve him well in later life. He
knows that the success of the
team will depend toEa certain en-
tent on him and he sticks and
fights on. He becomes dependable
and self-reliant.
Develops Team Play
This program of training de-
velops team play, the greatest
force in the world. The student
forgets himself in the side he is
on and finds a better self as n of
a group working for a common
cause. If a broad system OF ply
steal and recreationa1 training is
practiced instead of Just having
just a football and basketball
team and so on the grandstand
player can be eliminated because
there are others who can take his
place but if a narrow system is
practiced the undesirable player
like the grandstand player will