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Show WBattle Ceeek Climaxed by the "standing-room only" Stake Welfare banquet and the "seat of honor" Quarterly Conference Con-ference session, the people of Pleasant Grove have outdone themselves them-selves with praise and eulogy for their Conquering Heroes. The members of the three Championship Champion-ship teams have certainly had their place in the sun; and for the most part, it was all to the good. Since pre-historic days, physical prowess has always received the lion's share of recognition and acclaim. ac-claim. The Caveman, who vanquished van-quished his rivals by bopping them over the noggin with a club, usually us-ually became the chief of the clan, and rightful heir to the warmest cave and the choicest cuts, came butchering time. The best bopper not only ate highest on the hog; but he usually dragged off the most comely and shapely of the Cave-maidens. Really, times haven't changed so much. There's little doubt that any one of the "Five Iron Men" could have his pick of the local pony-tailed pony-tailed cuties, with all seventeen petticoats thrown in. And if he had half a mind, any one of the Famous Fa-mous Five could be elected Mayor of Battle Creek tomorrow, on the first ballot. Without taking any honor away from the Champions, and with the risk of being called a kill-joy and an old meanie, this scribe would like to suggest that things other than athletics are going on in our high schools with a more or less degree of success. Young people are being trained for a richer and more useful life. Most of the girls will become housewives and mothers; and will do a better job of it because of their high school experience. The boys will either go back to the farm, work in industry, or enter college to become our future engineers, en-gineers, scientists and professional men. And so, before our enthusiasm for physical accomplishment dies down, we might pause to consider that there are two other attributes attri-butes that make for a successful individual the mental and. spiritual. spirit-ual. The physical body is merely the tabernacle which houses the mind and the soul. Nothing motivates young people more than a littje praise, encouragement, encour-agement, and the recognition of success. Of course there is little glamor to solving a tough problem in trigonometry or balancing a difficult chemical equation; but progress in our complex modern life depends more and more on the scientist and engineer. No awards go to the boys and girls who fully understand the advantages ad-vantages cf an efficient, honest democratic government; but the Communistic threat can be thwarted in no other way. Seats of honor are seldom reserved re-served for tenn-agers who live decent, moral, ethical and spiritual lives; but the foundation of civilization civili-zation rests upon these attributes. Therefore, this column proposes a toast and suggests a trophy for the Champions of the classroom and laboratory, and to their coaches coach-es the efficient and devoted teachers of the academic subjects in our American High Schools. So long 'til Thursday. |