22 THE ACORN ATHLETICS NEED OF A GYM. In early times when boys and young men worked in the mountains and tilled the soil, built houses, barns, fences and all things necessary to their existence with their own hands, gymnasiums were not needed. They obtained abundant exercise from their daily toil. Times and conditions have greatly changed since those pioneer days. Boys are now penned up in cities with little opportunity for physical development. It is all right to say, "Let them take the ax to the woodpile," but where is the woodpile nowadays? We will leave it to medical men to tell us why the human body requires exercise, but any one can see its results. Pale-faced, frail-bodied boys with angular bones sticking out all over their bodies enter a gym. class with frightened expressions on their faces, as if fearing everything and everybody. In two years what a marvelous transformation takes place. The boy walks erect with a manly stride, his eyes no longer drop when questioned by a stranger, he feels himself to be a man. The sharp bones have now a covering of muscle, the flat chest is full and he feels happy, as his Maker intended he should feel. Take the question from the standpoint of the healthy boy. He has a vast amount of pent-up eneregy which must find vent in some manner. If not in some legitimate game under the guidance of an instructor, then upon the street corner, the primer school of crime. The school most certainly needs a gym. The reasons why are most too numerous to mention. Here are one or two: First, our students need and should have physical training. We are willing to spend much time and money upon educating our minds and hearts. Why neglect our bodies? A great mind loses its usefulness to the world when the machinery of the body breaks down usually through neglect. THE ACORN 23 Our opponents have such opportunities, so we are handicapped just to that extent. The school and city certainly must have a gym. BRIGHAM VS. WEBER. The Academy basket ball team opened the season by defeating the Brigham City High School team by a score of 43 to 28. The game was one of the roughest ever seen on the Academy floor. Both teams fouled repeatedly, marring to a great extent the great game. In handling the ball the Weber boys showed superiority, as they did also in throwing baskets. The score at the end of the first half was 19 to 15, in Weber's favor, but during the second half the Brigham boys were outplayed at every stage of the game. GRANITE VS. WEBER. Weber won a decisive victory over the Granite High School basket ball team, the 1909 champions of the northern division, in a finely-contested game Friday evening, January 28, the final score being 48 to 32. For Legwan, the colored star, threw seven field baskets, Hampton four, Ashton three and Hamilton one. Ashton, the big guard, was hindered by his football injuries from being at his best. Hamilton and Burton were evenly matched as centers. Southerland, as guard, was fast and heady. Clark, left forward for Weber, showed great form, getting nine field baskets and nine free throws. As an accurate basket thrower, even when carefully guarded. Clark is in a class by himself. Watsen distinguished himself by several long shots for the basket. He scored for his team 12 points. Burton, as center, showed fine form, but was inclined, at times, to lose his head. As for speed, Roberts, as guard, is hard to equal, although this speed often leads to unnecessary fouling and roughness. In Harris the Academy has a guard who is dependable. Although a trifle slow, Harris never fails to do his part. As yet Ingles has had little chance, but he gives good promise. From a spectator's standpoint, there is too much unnecessary roughness. Of course, the smaller the hall, the greater the roughness, generally speaking. The players are not to be blamed entirely. If the referee took a stand, a decided stand, at the beginning, the game, as seen from the side lines, would certainly be more interesting. Eet us hope for the elimination of roughness. The following was the line-up: GRANITE. WEBER. Hampton-Mackay, Right Forward Right Forward, Watson Fagroan, Left Forward Left Forward, Clark-Ingles Hamilton. Center Center, Burton Sutherland, Right Guard Right Guard, Harris Ashton, Left Guard Left Guard, Roberts Our basket ball boys cannot practice whenever they want because of the hall being used for some other purpose. They should have some place where they might practice baskets during their spare moments.