Americans' national pride, or their lack of it, has been discussed far
and wide in recent times. American leaders are busily endeavoring to arouse
what they claim is merely a personal and unpretentious patriotism on the
part of the American people. Communist leaders assert that this "unpretentious
patriotism" does not exist and are using this so- called indifference
to our country and its principles in a widespread and alarmingly successful
propaganda battle against US.
But all this has been said before. The question is, what can we do about
it? Bigger voting turnouts, more active participation in government, and
the many other suggested remedies are all fine. They just do not apply to
us, the teenagers of America.
The Answer
The most important thing we can do, and it is vitally important, is to learn
about our country and the principles upon which it is based. Once we learn
these, we must act in a manner which demonstrates our approval of and adherence
to them.
One opportunity to express devotion to country is passed up and even spurned by Grady students weekly. This is the chance we have to show respect and honor for the American flag. It is not just a piece of cloth but rather a symbol of democracy, freedom, and opportunity. More than a privilege, it is our duty to rise when the flag passes and to stand at attention facing the flag when the national anthem is played. If there is no flag one should stand facing the source of the music. This is not merely ritual; it is the courteous and patriotic thing to do.
No doubt all this seems quite trivial, but every manifestation of loyalty to the United States is one step in the fight against Communism.
Students Should Show Only Good Sportsmanship
By Harvey Sachs
Mr. Derthick has often said that cheering and other tangible reminders of student support are important positive factors in the performance of the football team. And, if properly done, we are inclined to agree with him.
But we must limit our support to the type officially condoned, the organized cheers, and to those impromptu outbursts based on positive actions such as the scoring of a touchdown or the success of a crucial play.
It reflects poorly on a school to shout with glee at the penalization of the opposition. We were filled with disgust when the loudest cheer from the Roosevelt side two weeks ago came after Grady was penalized 15 yards late in the game. But the same sensation occurred on hearing the murmurs of approval filling the Grady stands that wintry night as the fourth injured Roosevelt stalwart lay limp on the field. That is a reflection of neither good spirit nor good sportsmanship on the part of Gradyites, but rather an expression of the most hideous of emotions, sadism.
Let us not forget that football is a game in which even the players generally show some degree of amiability toward their opponents, and is not a life or death matter; therefore, let us strive to keep our spirit clean and our sportsmanship pure.
This situation could be considered a good thing, since it allows the clubs to have students of highest caliber as leaders. However, it is not really fair to the clubs, for a student who is an officer of several organizations cannot devote sufficient attention to any one of his duties without neglecting the others. It is also unfair to the leaders themselves because responsibilities to their groups take away much of the time which should go to studies. There have been cases where a student's grades dropped considerably after he was elected to serve for several clubs. Also, students who are capable of leadership do not get to serve because of the monopoly of the few who are in office.
Many schools limit the number of activities in which a student may participate. As the system now stands, it is the responsibility of the student himself to decline an office if he already holds one in another group. Several questions remain. Is the present system adequate? Is it desirable? If not, what can be done about it?
The property you save may be your own. Henry Grady High School has a fine library that belongs to the student body. We are privileged to have so many books for reference and leisure reading. But it was discovered that slowly but surely the books have been disappearing.
Miss Fargason's senior English class needed a certain book, The Book of the Epic, but when Miss Respess looked for the book, it was nowhere to be found. Over a period of five years five of these books have disappeared.
Books that are not even checked out are also disappearing. This can mean only one thing, someone is deliberately confiscating the property. If this continues, Miss Respess will be forced to assign a door guard to double check books.
This property belongs to the school and is a part of each student's possessions. These books will have to be taken care of if the library is to continue to operate in the most official manner. Each student must accept his responsibility.