Altus Senior High School - Bulldog Yearbook (Altus, OK)

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Altus High School has long been noted as a leader in physical education. It is mandatory for those who are not engaged in other activi- ties, such as band or athletics, to take one year of Physical Education. This applies to both boys and girls. The girls course is somewhat differ- ent from the boys. It includes swimming, bowl- ing, tumbling, Red Cross training, dancing. Boys also have Red Cross first aid courses, some tumbling, but work more on calisthentics, touch football, basketball and indoor track. Red Cross training is taught by a certified instructor. Locker rooms in the Physical Education build- ing are large, and there are plenty of showers. When all practice baskets are in use, six basket- ball teams can practice on the gymnasium floor. When volleyball is in season, four nine- man teams can play simultaneously. FITNESS TRAINING Physical Ed Structure Has Multiple Uses MANY PEP assemblies are held in the large gymnasium. Three thousand spectators can be seated when a capacity crowd is in the gym bleachers. Assem- bly shown was one of the first of the year when the Bulldog football varsity team was intro- duced to the students. Cheer- leaders Toy Easley and Patty Mollison help create enthusiasm with school songs, and new yells introduced for the season. Soph- omore Cheerleader Judy Will- iams is out of camera range. Pep Band provides sound effects for all assemblies such as this and leads students back to classes on game days. PHYSICAL EDU- CATION building was completed in 1956 after the framework had been carried away by a windstorm. With its long dressing rooms, and plentiful lockers, the gymnasium is a favorite with South- western Oklahoma teams for both school and city recreation groups. During the basketball season the gymnasium is schedul- ed at al m o s t every hour for practice ses- sions or for play. 7

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TWELVE BUSSES bring Altus High stu- dents from rural areas, and from the Capehart housing section of Altus Air Force Base. They also are used for field trips in nearby places as evidenced by Nicky Bagley, Glenda Everett, Sheryl Black- stone, Diane Cline and Thalia Anderson. Wes Booker and Bill Ran- dall, student bus dri- vers, give a radiator a final check before be- ginning their route. Transportation has changed greatly during the 70 years since Altus schools were founded. Grandfather did walk three to ten miles, or he rode horseback. On rare occasions a buggy made the trip a little more comfortable. After World War I “truck busses” were an innovation, with open trucks covered with a canvas canopy, and benches along the sides for seats. There was no heat, but it was better than walking through the long cold morn- ings and evenings. Today a well-heated bus comes by the home for the school student, and even from the most distant points of the 100-square mile district the drive is only a few minutes duration. Altus graduates find that an easy way to work their way through college is by driving a school bus and attending Altus Junior college during the first two years. Other students arrive in private cars, with many sharing rides on a car pool basis. Some come on motor scooters, and bicycles, and some walk. However they arrive, one thing is certain, during the day they will get their share of exercise as they go from class to class on the 35-acre campus. WINDSWEPT N. Park at Bulldog Lane offers little protection during a “northener” but the sunny new east en- trance is a welcome noon spot. Hurrying students from parking lot clearly defines dropping temperature. Overcast sky reflects deserted lot minutes after school day.

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Altus High School campus continues to expand but the Administration building remains the hub of all activities. Its tranquil front, unchanged through three decades, 'does not reveal the space age transformations within, nor the new math and language wings at the rear. In addition special purpose buildings flank it on three sides of the 35-acre campus.