Jym Gam

I felt something like General Patton this Saturday. Standing in a small military hospital on the island of Sicily, just off the coast of Italy. As he made rounds through the hospital, giving moral support to the injured soldiers there, he came across two men who claimed to suffer from shell shock, "A nerves problem." Patton's response was a much more colorful and violent feeling than I had Saturday, but I felt a kin to his disgust for this cowardice on the field.

Entering into the gym, myself being late due to school conferences, the lack of bodies I saw was disheartening. The lack of people might very well be described as my visual of "shell-shocked" patients, hiding from the "war," that we were to call Gym Jam.

Now, let me say that, as Patton was made to make a public apology on behalf of his violent actions and on the behalf that shell-shock can be a legitimate "injury," I to would publicly say that many of the students had legitimate reasons for not being there. In this document, I speak only to the men, or to the lack of men, the bodies ready to become men but as to this point have shown little dedication and resolve.

I would publicly uphold all those who did show at the Gym Jam, their awesome support and hard work again made for a successful campaign on the forces of filth encamped within our beloved gymnasium. But at the same time, I was greatly discouraged on the behalf of those who did not show, those without a legitimate reason for missing out; a scenario I fear to be more common than uncommon.

To coat-tail on this idea and to make my point succinct; I have seen a growing number of one28 guys ducking out early on the tear down, or sitting around idly. This is a sad show on what it is to be men, to work together and to serve others. We are all in a training camp for manhood, but I feel it is necessary to point out the flaws in our regular exercise and training so that we may become complete soldiers, firm in our common bond, that is -our uncommon goal.

(Again, thank you to those who came; a hall pass to those who had reasons to miss; and a hearty exhortation to those who skipped. Learn and grow, that is the process of manhood.)