Great Neck North High School - Arista Yearbook (Great Neck, NY)

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mm Drivers Education: Crusade for Caution Supposedly the purpose of drivers ed is to teach juniors and seniors the art of safe driv- ing. The only prerequisite for this course is never to have been behind the wheel. Just how many people fulfill this requirement is dubious. When the driver completes a perfect parallel park on his first day on the road, one begins to question just how novice this novice is. How- ever, interspersed throughout this mass of motor maniacs are the few who rightfully qualify for the course. These are the students whose hands shake every time it is their turn to drive. These are the culprits of tangled seatbelts and lost seat adjuster knobs. These are the unfortunates who just can’t remember which pedal is the brake and which is the accelerator. No matter how little his confidence or unsure his skills, the drivers ed student is in good hands. Some- how, through the efforts of either Mr. Griffin. Mr. Pierzga, Mr. Ring, or Mr. Fisher and with a little perseverencc, the student acquires his blue card and becomes a licensed driver. T. Pierzga 29

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Business Education Provides Link to World of Finance J. Balassone L. Stack Few departments at North can boast such a wide variety of courses as business education. With courses of vocational, academic and elec- tive natures, this department encompasses such subjects as accounting, business law, manage- ment, typing and shorthand. This large range of courses, with a possible future addition in advanced placement accounting, necessitates that each of the department’s four teachers be able to handle several different courses. Most of the classes are enriched by guest speakers, trips and films. The availability of electric typewriters, dictating machines, calcu- lators and duplicating machines has enabled the department to provide realistic office conditions.

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English Department Pass — Fail Electives . . . Only the Beginning The understood prerequisite to every course at Great Neck North is English. It is the founda- tion upon which all other fields of learning are built, for no matter what the subject, effective communication is essential. Accordingly, a pri- mary goal of the English Department is to bring about awareness and appreciation of media and enable each student to improve his capacity for self-expression. In this process the student realizes that the ability to be concise and exact is not innate, but must be developed with prac- tice. Grammar, once the nemesis of each high school student, is now taught functionally: that is, according to students’ needs, and in such a way that their language skills expand steadily during the course of study. New to Great Neck North was a program of pass-fail electives ranging from courses in mod- ern fiction and modern drama to Shakespeare. This innovation was intended to create an at- mosphere of learning for learning’s sake. By ridding the student of the pressure of grades, the English department strives for freer class- room environment and a more imaginative treat- ment of subject matter. head of department 30