Zeeland High School - Stepping Stone Yearbook (Zeeland, MI)

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THE STEPPING STONE I 9 3 -2 Co urses of Study Zeeland High School offers two courses to its studentsg namely, the College Entrance and Vocational courses. The College Entrance Course includes subjects of a general and cultural nature. It gives the student a background for further study rather than preparing him for imme- diate entry into the world of affairs. In this course the student must take the subjects which colleges require for entrance, that is, one unit of science, two units of mathema- tics, three units of English, one unit of U. S. History and two units of foreign language. The second course, as the name implies, deals with vocations. It is taken by stu- dents not planning to study further after graduation from high school. It gives them a general knowledge of the practical subjects and helps them in choosing their life's work. In both courses, sixteen units are required for graduation. ENGLISH AND LITERATURE DEPARTMENT The ability to write and speak good English is essential in all walks of life. This is the reason why three years of English are required and a fourth is elective. In the first year rhetoric is stressed. The Freshmen also make a study of some clas- sics, such as Scott's lvanhoe. In the Sophomore year, besides studying rhetoric, several books and dramas are studied. English Literature is taught to juniors. A study is made of'all the prominent English poets and authors, giving the student a good idea of each author, the times in which he lived, and his works. All juniors are given a rhetoric ICSI. Those failing the test are required to take rhetoric during the fourth year, and the others may study American Literature, in which all prominent writers, their lives, and their works are studied. The study includes poems, dramas, short 'stories and essays. Our school is one of the very few schools which offer a course in Biblical Literature. The aim of the course is to study Biblical history, literature and composition. This course does not seek to teach doctrine or interpretation. The aim of the English courses is to give the student a command of the art of com- munication in speech and writing, to teach him to read thoughtfully and with apprecia- tion, to form a taste for good reading and to stir his imagination. MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT The purpose of mathematics in high school is to broaden the reasoning powers of the student. It is one of the complicated studies which is taught to keep pace with the growing mind. Besides being useful as a mental discipline, mathematics is very essential in many professions. The engineer, machinist, carpenter, physicist, chemist, aviator, astronomer, and navigator have each found mathematics necessary in his work. The artist and designer use geometric principles constantly. Zeeland offers three years of mathematics, the first two of which are required while a third is elective. The underlying purpose of a course in elementary algebra is to develop the power to represent quantitative relationships by formulas and equationsg the power to interpret such expressions of relationshipg and also to develop the skill needed in the computation which is required in using formulas and equations. Plane geometry is a study of figures and areas and is taught to Sophomores. The third year of mathematics may be taken by either juniors or Seniors, the first semester being de- voted to advanced algebra and the second semester to solid geometry. FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT Although Latin as a spoken language is now dead, it lives in and through many other languages. More than two-thirds of our words are Latin or of Latin derivation. Many phrases and words have been carried directly into English and are still preserved in their original forms, such as habeas corpus, ex post facto, post mortem, exit, stadium, radio, data, and quorum. Page Twenty-one

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THE STEPPING STONE I 9 3 2 lfred P. Kieft 1'l'i'usieel : .lohn A. Donia 1Seeretaryh 3 William D. Va.n Loo 4Presidentu 3 William Van Eenenaarn 1Trustt-el 3 A. Van Koevering iYFl E2Slll'9I'l, Board of Educafion A thorough knowledge of present-tiny business policies ns well as considerable execu- tive ability are the requisites fulhlled by our Board of Education. We wish to extend to them our sincere appreciation ns a student body, not only for all they have done for our welfare, but also for their cooperation with us in publishing this volume of the STI-1vPiNcQ STONE. , . The S+uclen+s Council For the Welfiire of the Student Body. W'ith this as in goal, the Students' Council for the hrst time in the history of the school took over the proieet of sponsoring the STBPPING Sioiwie. The Council was responsible for the High School operetta, Miss Cherry Blossom. They also pushed other proiects, such as furnishing ti reception room and sponsoring Clean-up Week. First Row: L. Faber: L. Kaslander: L. De Koster lTreasui'ei'b 1 M. Baehr lPi'esidentl 3 B.Bou wvns: H. Weersing. Second Row: T. Dewey lSponsoi'I g J. Van Peursem : L. Wolterinkg M. Houma D. Van lriere: E. De Bruyn lViee-lwesidenti 3 Third Row: L. Post: J. Wiersma : L. Berghorst. Page Twenty

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THE STEPPING STONE I 9 3 2 Latin is regarded as essential for students of law and medicine. Many of the terms used in these professions are in original Latin form. Students of science and business will find it equally helpful. Modern trade names are Latin or Latin derivation, as illus- trated when speaking of Aqua Velva shaving lotion, Duco paint, or a Duofold fountain pen. Our school offers two years of Latin. It is taught to Freshmen and Sophomores. Although Latin is not spoken, the students learn to read with understanding. Besides studying the grammatical structures of Latin they study Roman life and culture. Two years of French are offered. This may be taken in the Junior and Senior years. The aim of French is to develop a reading knowledge and to be able to understand it when it is spoken. Special emphasis is laid on grammar, with a special study of French culture. HISTORY DEPARTMENT Our school offers two courses in history, namely, World History, which is taught to Sophomores, and American History, which is required of all Seniors. The purpose of the history course is to interpret the present by understanding the past, to become bet- ter citizens and for cultural value. In both courses the work is divided into units, thus allowing the student to know the assignments in advance and also laying out a definite plan for the minimum essen- tials of the course. Each unit includes terms, biographies and maps which were found to be useful throughout the study. The students in both classes are required to do some collateral reading and to make reports. All American History students are required to write an essay each semester. This year, as an option, the students were allowed to write plays on George Washington. Some of the best essays were published in the school section of the local newspaper, The Zeeland Record, and the best plays were presented at a Washington program. World History is a survey course studying the history of mankind beginning with the earliest man and taking in turn the study of Egyptian civilization, the golden age of Greece and Rome, the Renaissance and Reformation, and down to modern times. Economics and civics will be offered next year as a part of our regular curriculum. Economics is a study of the principles regulating production, consumption and distribu- tion, retailing, wholesaling, advantages of chains and independent storesg communism, labor and wage problems and their influence upon the world at large, depression, pros- perity and normal conditions. Civics is a study of our government organization and operation with discussions of problems involved. SCIENCE DEPARTMENT Three science courses are offered in Zeeland High School, namely, biology, chemistry and physics. They are taught the first, third and fourth years, respectively. At least one of the science courses is necessary for graduation from the regular academic course. Biology is a science of life. In general it is a study of the two most important classes of life - plant and animal. The habitat, bodily structure, reproduction, and their im- portance to man are studied, and prove very interesting. The Biology classes have aroused much interest among the townspeople as well as the students by means of the numerous field trips and excellent exhibits. Chemistry is a fundamental science that deals with the composition of substances and the transformations they undergo. It explains many things about which we are naturally curious. Of special interest to the girls is the part chemistry plays in baking, washing, dyeing and the removal of stains. To the boys, the reduction of iron ore, mak- ing of cement, brick, electroplating and burning are very interesting. In physics a study is made of the closely related phenomena of mechanics, heat, electricity, sound and light, and deals only with inanimate matter involving no chemi- cal changes of composition. First a reason, based on actual fact if possible, or theoreti- cal, is looked for, and force in numerical values is found for comparison. Page Twenty-two