COUNCIL REPORT President Fife presided at the regular meeting of council. The secretary called the roll and presented the following excuses: Emerson Thatcher, James Neil (proxy), Jay Glen, Franklin Richards (proxy), Daniel Taggart (no proxy), Dan Johnston (no proxy, Paul Skeen, Katharine Greenwell (proxy). Miss Weeks reported on the senior dance, and the report was accepted on motion of Miss McConnell. The meeting was adjourned on motion of Miss Leonard.—Eleanor Weeks, secretary. FIFTEENTH: PAGE OF LOST DIARY Ye gods, Diary, but I am full. I have eaten so much that I feel like a tick. The turkey keeps reminding me that it is still there, and oh, the plum pudding sure did not do me much good because I didn't keep it long enough. The darn stuff sure paid me a short visit. I have so many pains I can't locate them all, some are in the region of my lunch basket, and some in the feet (broken arches from carrying the turkey around). But most of my pains are caused from regret—that l can't eat any more than I did. I think I have an attack of the gout coming on—but I hope not. Last Wednesday in assembly we had the Rev. Mr. Mayo as our speaker—he sure i3 good. He is about the funniest wise man I have ever heard, and I know that everyone enjoys a speaker like that. And if 1 knew Mr. Mayor I sure would thank him for the talk. That day the cooking girls had a candy sale. It was about the best candy I over ate. There was only one thing wrong with it-there wasn't enough—or, at least. I couldn't buy all I wanted. 1 think I will pay the cooking room a visit one of these days and see if I can't get something good. P. S. —Miss Corless found her ring. Ask her, Diary, if - you want to, where it was. —Girls' association. OGDEN The first question asked by some students when they returned to school yesterday was, "When does the Christmas vacation begin?" Doesn't that beat you making good. Instructor E. S. Smith received Monday a very interesting letter from Edgar Culder, an ex-student of the high school, who is employed by the Security Trust bank of Los Angeles. Edgar says he has a very fine position with this company and is very happy. He says, "I am happy because I am busy; maybe that explains why I was not always happy at high school." INTERESTING COMMUNICATION. The high school received Monday from C. Oren Wilson, executive secretary of the Utah High School Athletic association, the following statement of "athletic award" situation. This represents, we believe, the consensus of opinion of the boards of education and the superintendents in Utah, hence we publish it in full: awards in athletics. As I understand it, athletic contests in football, baseball, etc., are conducted as a branch of our program of physical education, which is a subject or course in our school curriculum, and athletics are taught in our public high schools just as is any other part of our work in physical education or in any other department, for the educational benefit of every pupil who receives instruction. I admit that athletic contests, just as any other extra curriculum activities, are, or should be a direct and lasting benefit to the school as an institution, but if they exist for any other primary reason than the physical, mental and moral development of the individual taking part, then I claim, they have no place in any public school. The sooner and more completely we bring our pupils and the general public to realize that athletics are taught by the teachers of athletics, just as any other subject is taught by any other teacher, for the benefit of the pupil receiving instruction and not to advertise the school and a supernormal athletic institution or "to put the town on the map" or even to develop a school spirit alone the more normal and wholesome will become the entire athletic situation. PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBLE. I believe the high school principal is the party responsible for whatever situation exists in his school and in his community relative to the part played by athletics. He must do the definite constructive thinking and have the guiding hand. His biggest job in connection with athletics is to form a wholesome school attitude and an intelligent public opinion. If he fails to do this the sports of the town or city with the assistance of the sporting editors of the local newspapers may exert an influence detrimental to the best interests of the school. These people know but little or nothing about educational objectives and care less. It is not their business to know; it is our business to know. The "sports" in too many cases are simply looking to the school as another agent for providing them a betting or gambling opportunity. The sport editors in many places see in every interscholastic contest only another possibility to assist them in filling the athletic column. The public and the press are easily and naturally interested in that branch of school work known as athletics. They know more about this subject than they know about all the others combined. They are more eager to give advice and suggestions as to how this subject shall be taught, by whom it shall be taught, and to whom it shall be taught than they are concerning any other subject in our schools today. WANT DECORATIONS. It is perfectly natural that these outsiders should consider athletics and athletes as the thing for which the school exists, and everything else connected with the school of secondary consequence or of no consequence at all. They know that the teacher of athletic—the coach —should be fired if he does not produce for them a winning team, and they, believe and advocate in many places that the selection of the competitors should not rest in the hands of the principal. Is it any wonder that such educationally incompetent individuals should desire to see the boys of the winning team decorated with sweaters of some particular school color or with some kind of jewelry? They say "it puts the town on the map." They know that it does not but that it helps their business. The National Association of Secondary School Principals, at their annual meeting in Cincinnati a year ago last February, declared itself as absolutely and emphatically opposed to the donating of any award to the competitors in athletic contests. The National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations has made the same declaration and furthermore adds the following: Any member of the association violating this rule shall be suspended for one year. Our own state association has for a number of years recommended that no gifts be presented to the boys. Nearly every school principal in this state is opposed to the idea and yet in many schools j sweaters or gold footballs or both are presented in rightful place. I have tried to point out that football, baseball, basketball, etc., are nothing more or less than regular subjects in our scheme of physical education taught by teachers hired by the school board and paid out of the school funds; that these teachers are or should be held in the same light as any other teacher and the sports themselves considered of the same importance as the other subjects. No principal would consider presenting a sweater or any other wearing apparel, a g61d football or any other piece of jewelry to a pupil who does unusually well in mathematics, in debating, musical organizations, or any other activity of the school. Why should we give the subject of athletics any more prominence in our school than we do mathematics, history, English or any other subject? Why should we try to advertise the school to "put the town on the map" any more ardently through success in the subject of athletics than through success of the pupils in other subjects? I have never yet been able to understand just why sweaters in preference to any other sort of wearing apparel are given by these schools who make awards to athletes, certainly the boys should not wear them in the school building nor in their homes on account of their undue warmth at any time of the year. Why should not shoes be donated or hats or some other article just as frequently as are sweaters. Furthermore, I have never been able to understand just why jewelry, most commonly in the form of a football is awarded. termed wrong. Personally, I know that there is no stimulus coming from these awards that is necessary to successful athletic competition. During the last 20 years I have had my share of winning teams but no school of which I have been principal has ever awarded any sweater or any other kind of clothing to successful athletes. Neither has my school awarded any jewelry of any sort whatever. The only gift that it has ever been my pleasure to present is the letter, of the particular school, with a certificate showing that the boy is entitled to wear that letter which he has won in some particular sport. Any boy who will play football any harder or baseball or basketball any better because he is receiving a reward of utilitarian value should never have the privilege of playing on any team. I know of some schools where in the same year, some boys receive two or three sweaters each and in rare instances four sweaters within the short period of 40 weeks. I believe that the whole scheme is wrong in every sense of the word. Boys should be given to understand and parents made to realize that boys are not to take part in any athletic contest unless they expect to receive a personal educational benefit therefrom, just as they expect to receive when they elect any other subject to excess. I believe that we have overemphasized in many cases the idea that the athlete is rendering service only to the school. In other words, we have carried to excess the "school spirit" idea. Of course, a boy would do his best in athletics as in any other school subject because by so doing he best serves his school and himself. Boys in general when properly taught by their teachers of physical training have the right school attitude through natural school methods wtihout any fake stimulus from artifical incentives. TROTTERS' PARTY. The Carpe Diem had a trotters' party on Friday last, which was enjoyed immensely by all present. The party was exceedingly original, especially in one aspect. After two and a half hours of riding, enjoying gorgeous scenery, the entire party assembled at "equestrienne inn" for a buffet supper. The party mourned the absence of the advisor. Mr. Smith, as he got lost. VELLYS WOODS, Reporter. CHRISTMAS GLIDE. Listen ye students and ye shall hear Of the merriest time in the whole school year. On the twenty-third of December in '26, Eight-thirty at night, as the town clock ticks. In ye olde Berthana hall 'twill be, In the romantic glow from the Christmas tree. There will be pine boughs and holly leaves And ye popular orchestra, Olie Reeve's. You know the rest, as dances go. The program, refreshments and mistletoe. a Dancing, laughter and blissful fun, Spicy revels till the clock strikes one. So ye students, mark this chance And be ye present at the Christmas dance. —NAOMI WILBURN. SIXTEENTH PAGE OF LOST DIARY. Well, Diary, my girl friend and I was talkin' about the clubs the other day. I've come to the conclusion that I want to belong to 'em all. For instance, that "Eata Pie Si," I don't know who Si is, my name isn't that, but I could eat a pie fast enough. (Gee, I hope they won't make me change my name to get into this club, they might think I was a country hick). Then they got one of them "Chicago clubs,' it's called Coppa Dime If I was in there I'd cop more than one dime. Some one that goes to all the bargain sales opened a club for bargainers. It is called Grappa Cappa. Darned if I know why they haf ta put all the fancy endings on words. I'd like to get into that club. I've been needing a new hat for a long time. I'm from Missouri an' I just love ham, so that "Ham" club sounds good to me. But I don't like to be a criminal, but it seems as if that is forced on you. All the girls have to belong to the Girls' Assassination. They break their necks trying to flatten the boys' pocketbooks. It seems fruitless, though, cause I guess all the boys belong to the Coppa Dime club, or if they don't they use the same morals. Well, next time I write to you I guess I'll belong to all these clubs. It won't be long now —Good night. GIRLS' ASSOCIATION. WEDNESDAY EVENING Dec 1 26 OGDEN HIGH SCHOOL NOTES The high school rest room (nee dining room) has been turned into an election booth for today. "Why Am I a Dumb-bell" was read in faculty meeting Tuesday. The article appeared in Liberty Magazine and is worthy the attention of all teachers. The gist of the article is contained in this one thought: "The great bulk of all learning passes readily after school days into the limbo of forgotten things." The point to be gained is this: Teachers must realize that mere "fact teaching" doesn't get far in real education. A few things carry over, notably "teachers' personality and good will." These survive when all else vanishes. FORUM REPORT On Monday, November 29, an interesting debate was held in the halls of the Forum. The question for discussion was: 'Resolved, that the president should have the sole power of dismissal.' The debaters were Vernal Johnson and Lee Cain, affirmative; Clifford Fretwell and Paul Skeen, negative. The decision was for the affirmative. A challenge was issued by Grant Chandler and Philip Finkelstein and was accepted by Frank Rose and Ken Skeen. The date for this debate has not yet been set. PHILIP FINKELSTEIN. Reporter. "ASSUME A VIRTUE" As we sat in a classroom Tuesday we thought of the "poor teacher" who must face daily five different groups of students. Some of these students appear to be bored, some indifferent, others listless and pre-occupied. The thought tame then, how much pleasanter, more satisfactory it would be for the teacher if such students assumed virtue, though they had it