George Washington High School - Post Yearbook (Indianapolis, IN)

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ICTURES of the Canterbury Pilgrims, Sir Francis Drake, Ann Hathaway's cottage, scenes from the le- gends of King Arthur, and a poster advertising atrip to Ireland-all these decorating our Walls convince us that even a required subject can be interesting. English is one that is. Three years of it are required for graduation, but this is not such a heavy sentence as it seems, for the courses are largely what the Mock Turtle called reeling and writhingf' Technical work alternates with literatureg and the necessary drills in grammar are followed by plea- sant and proiitable books. The chief purpose of studying English is to gain skill in speaking and writing, and to become acquainted with the masterpieces of literature. The historical development of the language and the correct present day usage are studied, of course, the latter includes some emphasis on parts of speech and punctuation, the structure of sentences, paragraphs, and themes. During the time devoted to literature, the classics and modern prose and poetry are studied. For the students who have completed the required three years, there are a number of inter- esting electives. These are courses which deal with specific or specialized parts of the preceding required units. The electives are advanced grammar and composition, the history of English literature, and journalistic composition. One of the most valuable courses given in high school is speech. The purpose of the course is to teach the student to express ideas, improve the quality of the voice, and develop the body as an agent of expression by gaining poise and self-control before an audience. Fundamentals taught in speech classes are phonetics, expressive reading, and speaking in groups. Speech prepares a pupil for public speaking, reading, and acting. Delightful plays are given at Christmas time and the senior plays in May. ln this way the students of speech and dramatics have a chance to try out what they have learned. On several occasions, the speaking choir, a unique group, have given programs at school and elsewhere. The Christmas play this year was The Light upon the Way, the story of Christ's return to earth. The senior play was The Cradle Song, a beautiful story of mother love, written by a modern Spanish dramatist, Martinez Sierra. Another elective course in the English department is the class in journalistic composition. Here the student becomes familiar with the technical terms used in jour- nalism, and learns to write various types of articles. The Surveyor is the product of this class. Writing for publication affords an opportunity for actual experience in apply- ing the principles studied in composition work. It is a real incentive to a student to see his own ideas in print, and he realizes the value of studying grammar and of increasing his vocabulary. l0l

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HAT big antennae you have! exclaimed a new student in the science department. It was later revealed that he was not telling the story of' Little Red Riding Hood, with variations, but was really shocked by the immensity of the feelers of a monarch butterfly lying under a micro- scope. Such fascinating things one sees in this department! Huge wasps' nests with their groups of accurately built cells, beautiful colored plates of various birds, silk worms dining on mulberry leaves, and even a palm tree shading an oasis! The science courses are among the most interesting and profitable in the whole curriculumg furthermore they seem to be very popular, for over one-third of the total number of students enrolled are taking advantage of them. The department has equipment which makes it possible to perform many interesting experiments that greatly add to the enjoyment of the courses. General science is offered for freshman only, with the idea of preparing them for the more advanced courses. In it experiments embodying the fundamentals of all the science offered in the school are given. Students of biology grow and study bacteria and moulds, as well as make insect collections. The botany classes study plant life in the laboratory and on field trips. They use microscopes to study the structure of portions of plants. The physics students, besides performing their regular experiments, are devising a public address system for use in the school. The system, which has been successfully used in other schools, makes it possible for the daily bulletin to be broad- cast by the principal instead of being printed. The Science Club is an organization which promotes interest in the science courses. Its program includes many worthwhile lectures and demonstrations by members of the department, students, officials of public utilities, and persons engaged in some type of scientific work. There is no special sponsor for the club. Each teacher in the department is given two meetings to preside over. The officers of the club are: Robert Hoff, presidentg Kent Parks, vice-presidentg Doris Meyer, secretaryg and Thomas Strouse, treasurer. NO, THOSE figures in the mathematics room aren't diagrams of the wheels of industry, the city of the future, or the nervous system, they are merely figures showing in a decorative way the fundamental facts of the science. An innovation in school room decoration which has attracted much interest is being carried out by the math- ematics department. On the walls above the blackboards are graphic descriptions of some of the higher mathemat- ical functions, representations of various trigonometric figures, and a chronological list of eminent mathematicians. These decorations were desigened by the mathematics department, drawn by the mechanical drawing classes, and painted by the art students. The courses in this department prepare a student for college and provide the foundation for engineering and the sciences. Work in math- ematics is not only valuable as preparation for advanced study, but gives training for certain vocations, broadens the mind, and develops reasoning power. The mathematics department offers ten different courses in six of which depart- mental tests are given each semester. Awards for first and second place determined by competitive examinations are given to the outstanding students in these courses. Plans are made to organize a Math club either this semester or next. E31