Estes Park High School - Whispering Pine Yearbook (Estes Park, CO)

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Working diligently In their architectural drawing class, Brian Russell and Dean Kossuth (left) complete in-class assignments. Making sure their volume measurements are correct, juniors Joy James and Nancy Cho (above) prepare an experiment in chemistry. Changes mark lower-hall classes It wasn’t the same as the year before, or the year before that. In fact, some of the changes that were made downstairs had not been seen before in Estes Park High School. Teachers were switched around, new classes were added, others were dropped and new activities replaced plain old bookwork to make the lower-hall classes more interesting for the students. In the business department, the vocational business and office education class started a new business — Serendipity, Inc. Serendipity was an occupation simulation where students gained hands-on experience with the inner workings of business, through handling the books and paperwork of a cosmetics company. Other business students participated in the simulation by acting as customers and filling out orders for merchandise. The session was 50 hours long, with each student gaining 10 hours of work experience in each of five areas. In addition to the office simulation, other business classes were changed. Personal typing was dropped, while Typing I took up the slack. A new computer literacy class was required of all sophomores not already taking a computer class. The 7:30 a.m. typing class remained popular as students sharpened their typing skills outside of regular school hours, or just received an extra hour of needed credit. Accounting and general business classes were taught for those students wanting a stronger business background. A better drawing background was offered by Frank Faiella’s drafting department. He taught classes in drafting and architectural drawing, with the best works by students being entered in the Industrial Arts Fair. Down the hall, the school’s computer facilities came into increasingly widespread use as fast as they were expanded. The main system, a Data General minicomputer, was expanded with increased memory and three new terminals, providing easier access for computer students. It was a good thing. too, because enrollment in computer classes shot up from 35 people the previous year, to 100 students enrolled in the various computer programming classes. Classes for beginning, second-year and third-year students were taught, including one class in which the students received college as well as high school credit. For the teachers, an after-hours faculty computer course was taught in January and February and was so popular that it was offered again in the spring. As a result of the class, teachers used the computer more and more in their classes — some using it to grade tests, and others to keep track of students’ grades. Because of the computer system’s popularity, math teacher Dennis Snell was switched from teaching both math and computer science classes, to computer classes alone. This left an opening in the trigonometry and math analysis class, which physics teacher Dave Ohlde filled. Seniors in the advanced math continued Academics — lower hall 29

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Working for Serendipity, the business department’s office simulation, Debbie Campbell (above) practices her accounting. Students in the human physiology class (right) learn about parts of the body by dissecting “Morticia,” the cat. 28 Academics — lower hall

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Changes continued courses had the chance to gain credit by examination and by participation in the Hi-Tie program at Colorado State University, which allowed students to take college courses while still in high school. For those students needing a background in planes and solids, geometry was taught two hours, while trigonometry and math analysis was taught once a day. Algebra I and II, as well as survey of math and concepts of math, were taught also. The November ski swap, sponsored annually by the Math Club, netted a $370 profit for the math department. Another department activity was sponsorship of the math team. The team traveled to CSU’s math day competition in search of another first place in the team competition. EPHS teams had won the two previous years’ competitions, but 1982 saw the downfall of this monopoly, as the team lost to Regis in the semi-finals. Many changes marked the science department. Mr. Ohlde replaced physics teacher Mike Wilson after Mr. Wilson resigned in 1981. Mary Ann Varanka took over Mr. Wilson’s chemistry class and added human physiology to her previous assignment of physical science. The physiology class concentrated on structure and function of the human body. It was designed to prepare students for a medical career through exposure to lab technique, tissue cultures, research and genetic engineering. Another change in the science department occurred in the physics class. Mr. Ohlde taught the class without a textbook, in a departure from Camaraderie in physiology shows through as Shannon Henderson, Erik Ritschard and Dawn Koretko make their friend welcome In the new human physiology class. previous years. Students were exposed to the physical properties of straight-line, projectile, circular, orbital and two-body motion, as well as to the writings of Copernicus and Newton, among others, through in-class experiments and handouts. Sophomores in biology received preparation for medical studies, possibly to include human physiology. The students had numerous exercises in dissection and microscope use, all wrapped up with the spring Fish Creek study. Whatever a student’s interests, the departments in the lower hall combined to bring good things to his academic life. 30 Academics — lower hall