Archbishop Mitty High School - Excalibur Yearbook (San Jose, CA)

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'X Margaret Piumarta Cleftl uses 21 free period to forge her way through a sea of hooks. The hands of Keri Feldman Cahovej A pour the contents ofone chemi- and cal experiment into a heaker. ' is -Nw ' 1 'f ' ,ggi-. - ANNA. :Fil 1 1 1 X t 1 , s 1 R , 1 it QT ax 1? il l sail V 5 si . rk..h..gL.hlJLsLh-ll! wx- Dih ,gs 7 V l K, Hymn ,- it tx x .W im, ..,. A colorful Shakesperare poster aclorns Sandra Mack's English room Qabovej. Grant Gingerich gets a surprise when he lights a chexnically-compounded substance. -M. Five new Apple II IC computers flelltl were instullccl in thc Mullin Center in SUlJlClllll0l'. Josie Manor explains the lmcllclits of tho new calm-ei' tlirt-Q-tory to llolwrt llauwnggi Qtopj. 5

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r' ' w e Calculus Advanced Placement students lean against any available furniture in Iudy James' house during their exam review session. Marty Procaccio's students blink sleepy eyes at midnight over United States A.P. texts speckled with pizza crumbs. Mittyis staff and students are constantly climbing the academic ladder. The school aims at development and improvement in areas that need it, and emphasis on satisfactory programs. Heeding the WASC Accrediting Com- mission's suggestions, five Apple Comput- ers were purchased through grants from the Stella Kester Trust Fund, Peggy Ervin was appointed the Business De- partment head, and regular department meetings were scheduled for minimum days. Teachers and students respond readily to change and growth. t takes a lot While freshman and sophomore English concentrate on structure, the electives focus on style, content, and analysis, according to Sandra Mack. Mitty offers Spanish and French because ofthe great- er demand for these foreign languages. Brother Tom Spring's Algebra II! Trigonometry class, especially, encour- ages the practical use of math, the book often applies its axioms to the real world. Advanced Placement in science is not offered because the teachers find the program too test-oriented. Fresh- men global studies provides a wide back- ground for future courses spotlighting the United States and other subjects. Anne Egan, Social Studies Department Head, frankly states that the budget does not allow for a definite sophomore pro- gram, but again, these students can take courses intended for higher grade levels. to make the grad Mitty is among the top 25'Zn of high schools in the Santa Clara County. SAT scores are at the national norms in verbal areas, and above-average in math. Near- ly 9591 of all Mitty students attend a com- munity college or four-year university. Many surpass the graduation require- ments for their class. One-half of most seniors have attained the necessary num- ber of credits by their first semester. About forty percent of every class make the honor roll and the principalis every year, and the numbers are growing. Mitty is a dynamic community, asserts Vice Principal jack Ramage. High schools must reflect colleges and career demands in today's society, and Mitty has presented a clear image. Academic classes, especially writing and math in the valley, are squeezing out once- favorite subjects such as social science or the arts. It's a sign of the times, Ram- age says. We must stand up above the pack. Course-selection see-saws be- tween the basics and personal freedom, and Mitty's big umenun gives students the choice. The growth of the Business Department illustrates the response to change, as the need for word-processing and other skills runs the gamut from sec- retaries to executives. Five new teachers were hired this year. About 3596 of the sixty teachers have an M.A. degree, and one, Phil Miller, has a degree in pharma- cology. Mitty's growing population is characterized by a successively bigger freshman class, but admissions will level off in a few years. Teachers and their methods are essen- tial ingredients in the academic formula. Brother joe Hartzler works with other religion teachers. He believes their indi- vidual personalities contribute to the faith-sharing in and outside of class. But how does the student feel about all this? The pressure from parents, society, and the job market is forcing them to adapt also. Incoming freshmen must accept the increased requirements as an indication of college trends. Ironically, these newcomers are already concerned about careers and the competition. Stu- dents may not love to learn, says Ioe Pirzynski, head of the Counseling and Guidance Department, but they know that courses are related to their future. Students are willing to sacrifice breaks for brains. 80'Za of the rooms are used during 5th period lunch. Many sopho- mores such as Molly Parks had classes 1st through 8th period last year. A large majority considered Mitty a positive in- fluence, and over 9072: were destined for college. Math, English, and science, re- spectively, won by landslides as favorite subjects. Mitty students are not only flexible but enthusiastic. Sean DeMonner is a junior with a lot of honors-course experience. The Mitty environment is an excellent place to grow because it successfully combines a challenging academic curric- ulum with numerous social activities, he says. Despite her heavy workload, junior Marilyn Reiss participates in the Academic Decathlon's different learn- ing approachf' Cindy Novak, a fresh- man, follows the footsteps of her two old- er sisters. She likes the staff, the open- campus policy, the responsibility, and the grading system. Schools and students never know how they will be tested, they can only prepare for these challenges. Mitty may not be a straight-A school yet, but, Ramage affirms, we are past our infancyf, by Li Miao

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A blindfolded student Qhelowl swings and hits an pinutu, one- ul' several activites tbutnred at the unniuil Cinco cle Mayo lbstivities which also included strolling Nlarincliis the-low rightl. Spuglietti wus Ll ibutnre oftlic- Italian Day celebration in Now-inhcr Kiln' riglitl, il An album irightil surroiindcd hy silk lruniun cloth depicts the ancient Pe-rsiuns with thvir long black hair and uttnclic-cl cyehrows, Thi- gznne cliogan iilxr rightl, siinilur to liockey. is depicted in this painting on tnslq. 23 A-ffm' :Q , t wi sit fi' lm, Af? lik. A . mx. gl