Strong Vincent High School - Spokesman Yearbook (Erie, PA)

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uziinedd raining Many students secure positions immediately upon graduation because those who have success- fully completed the commercial courses offered at Strong Vincent are able to go directly into business. Those who plan to continue their education will find that the training they have received, will be useful to them in their college work. The com- mercial course is definite vocational preparation, and the commercial field includes preparation for a variety of occupations. When Strong Vincent was first established, the commercial studies were few, but during the past ten years they have increased greatly. The Typing and Shorthand classes, under the direction of Miss Esler, Miss Forsberg, Miss Lange, and Miss Warfel, are always filled to capacity. The courses in Typing and Shorthand consist of two years. The typing classes are under the capable direction of Miss Ester, Miss Forsberg, Mrs. Donahue, and Miss Warfel. Mathematics is of vital importance in the com- mercial field as well as in the academic field. Two years of Bookkeeping furnish some knowledge of accounting, and are taught under the guidance of Miss Schade, Mrs. Donahue, Mr. Wick, and Mr. Schenck. Semester courses are taught in Busi- ness English and Commercial Law. Graduates in commercial work should have acquired the training which will enable them to work successfully for other people, as well as to manage their own affairs more efficiently and wisely. Business training provides the student with the knowledge of the business world, and also trains them to save money and invest wisely. In addition, the students in commercial fields learn to cooperate with others. In bookkeeping class, students check their figures on an adding machine. The office practice group turning out a school stencil . . . cooperation provides extra experience An advanced typing class transcribes their shorthand notes. Twenty- three .41 l

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Mr. Hughes' trig class watches a surveying demonstration put on by four of the members of the class. In Miss Bryce's advanced algebra class, a student demonstrates graphing. A student in Miss Turner's geometry class proves that a straight line is still the shortest distance between two points. goof of cc!! oaarning Mathematics may not qualify as everyone's idea of an interesting course, but some, taking it either through necessity or natural inclination, have come to enjoy it. They understand that mathematics has always been the important factor in the foundation of our civilization. Without it we could not possibly have our present day sciences as we know them. Furthermore there is hardly an occupation today which does not deal with mathematics in some form. For this group of pupils the teachers of the mathematics department have provided excellent opportunities for enlight- enment and advancement. They have planned the courses in the order of student ability to master them and have attempted to satisfy everyone. Our own school, Strong Vincent, presents all this in a very efficient way. Qur junior high students are fortunate in having Miss Vanatta as their instructor in general mathematics. This course has recently been changed so that it now consists of plain arithmetic in the 7th and 8th grades and an introduction to algebra and geometry in the 9th, with some com- mercial arithmetic. Mr. Hughes is now teaching the last class in Algebra 2. Beginning next semester there will be no classes known as Algebra l and 2 taught in the school. ln beginning senior high work, the lOth graders have an opportunity to study plane geometry with Miss Turner, Miss Cantlon, or Mr. Hughes. Having successfully completed this course, advanced algebra is open to them as luniors. All of these classes are under the super- vision of Miss Bryce. ln their senior year, a choice of solid geometry or trigonometry is given. The decision between the two depends upon their future occupational needs. Solid geometry is taught by Miss Turner and trigonometry by Mr. Hughes. lnasmuch as people seem to work harder when a definite goal is in sight, the winning of the Rensselaer Medal is the goal of the students of mathematics and science. This medal is awarded each year to the most proficient student in mathe- matics and science. Twenty- two

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There were hypnotic chord spins, chords of radiant beauty and dynamics in fine control. These phrases were only a few of many used by Wesley E. Woodruff, a severe music critic, to describe the Strong Vincent A Cappella Choir. We can Well be proud of such a fine group as this. Still other confirmations of their ability lie in the fact that the National Broadcasting Company listed the Choir as one of their ten best programs of 1939, and that due to the huge success of their singing at the World's Fair last May they were asked to return the following October to sing in the Temple of Religion, a request which they were unable to fulfill. The Choir practices for one hour every day and learns not only to sing notes but also become more adept at sight reading, at interpreting the words, at pitch and guality. The A Cappella Choir was organized in the Fall of l932 with Mr. O. L. Grender as the director and Mr. Anderson as the business manager. Each year since then it has mounted one more round of the ladder of success. This year it made its fourth annual trip to New York City where the group again sang at the World's Fair and over a nation- wide radio hook-up. En route to the great city the Choir presented several concerts at various cities and towns through-out the central and eastern part of Pennsylvania. ln addition, the Choir sang many times at home in Erie and the neighboring vicinity. The Choir has its own constitution, issues its own paper, and elects its own officers and advisers. The officers this year were Evans Davis, udic id fAe present. The following week the Academy A Cappella visited here. The concert was a great success and one of the factors was the guest artist, Andrew Lindstrom. Andy was a member of the Choir last year and is now studying at St. Olaf College. l-lis amazing tenor voice and remarkable stage personality thrilled the audience and sent them away singing his praises. The two choirs appeared together again in the Spring Concert. The Strong Vincent A Cappella Choir has established a reputation for the school from coast to coast. The voices of these seventy young people have gladdened the hearts of many people, and A CAPPELLA CHOIR-Row 1: Sprickman, Lavery, Blood, Ennis, LaKari, Dytche, Swanson, lenkins, Turner, lane Feist, lean Feist, Costa, Offner, Kalagian. Row 2: Reuschling, Bacon, Pundt, Berg, Steiner, Shreve, Cleveland, Smith, Zielsdorf, Washlohn, Tiffany, Skinner, Slater, Miller, Little. president, William Smith, vice president, lane Schaoht, treasurer, Violet Mae Karaisz, secretary, Rigmor Berg, corresponding secretary, Richard Pimley, historian, Dora Blood, librarian. Mr. Gustavson is Faculty Manager. The advisers are Miss Wilson and Miss Connell. The Strong Vincent A Cappella Choir was the guest of the corresponding Academy group for the first Christmas Concert at which Noble Cain was Finton, Kovalchek, Myers lones, Rocco, Heidt, M. Myers Blakeslee, McKee, Shufflin Gardner, Dwelle, Leone Seelar, Seachrist, Dahlstrand Marabito. Row 3: Brown Larsen, l-luster, English, Boyd Kirkland, Christensen, Eaton Saint, Rubner. Row 4 Comer, Allison, McGee Atkinson, Curtze, Babbitt Morey, Reed, Landi, Schon bein, Reeder, Holden. Twenty-four GIRLS' CHORUS--Row 1 : Pell, Phillips. Row 2: