Berrien Springs High School - Canoe Yearbook (Berrien Springs, MI)

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Commercial Department t the lieginning of this our ninth year, many students were enrolled in this department. It offers as a commercial course, typewriting, bookkeeping, and shorthand alternately, commercial arithmetic and business training. Miss I-mce was head of this department in ’26, and Mrs M. Neidlinger has lieen the head of the dc|«rtment in ’27, ’28. and ’29. In typing the Underwood machines are used and many awards from that company have l ccn presented to the students earning them. All four years we have sent representatives t » the Annual District Shorthand and Tyjiewriting Contest, which, in ’26. ’27. and ’28 was held in Benton Harbor, and in ’29 was held in Dowagi.u. In ‘29 the contestants who represented Berrien Springs were Helen Dulwrt. Kozann Rockstein. Helen Nightlinger. Hazel Wetzel, and Thcora Warsco. This team brought home 14 jxiints. which placed Berrien Springs third from the top in the contest among schools. The typing team came fifth place in Kvcnt No. 4. Thcora Warsco came third in I cginning event, and Hazel Wetzel came first in the advanced event. Six represented Berrien Springs at Kalamazoo in tlx State Contest May 18th. Two gold pieces were awarded to typing students in 1928. A five dollar gold piece went to Kvelvn Ludy for excellency in typing, and a two and a half dollar gold piece went to Hazel Wetzel for the first student to write sixty words a minute Tlx Iteokkccping class this year is exceptionally good, nearly all of the class lx ing A students and will get pins at tlx- close of this year. The Berrien Springs State Bank annually awards tlx Senior averaging the highest in commercial work, a ten dollar gold piece, which will lie presented the night of the commencement exercises. Hazbl Wktzkj. (Page Twenty-Two) Gym A great educator has said: Kducation should aim to provide an ojqiortunity for the individual to act in situations tliat are physically wholesome. mentally stimulating and satisfying, and socially sound.” ith this ideal as a guide it is no longer possible to consider play as a necessary evil, for with organization, it immediately comes to the front and takes its place at the center from which all education radiates. There is no department ii the educational program that tills the requirements for sullying an all around physical, mental and moral development as does the athletic and physical education department. Through the rapid growth that lias taken place in our school system, no department has profited more than the athletic and physical education department. Starting with the old town hall and a handful of Ivisketlmll players, we have grown to the place where we have a full physical education program for girls and lioys alike. We have a nice size gymnasium as well equipped for tin- needs of our well-rounded program as any in the country. During this time our athletic taints have not Itccn idle although we have lieen liain| crcd a great deal by sickness and ineligibility. This year we sent a crosscountry team, a hasketlmll team, and track team to the rcgionals at Kalamazoo. It is especially noteworthy to mention tliat our Imsketliall team was runners up at the Niles tournament and lost at Kalamazoo to the regional winners by a closer margin than the final game. )ur track team apj earing for its first year placed second in the animal class (' and I) track and field meet, winning six firsts out of eleven events. After this our track team was sent both to Kalamazoo to the regional and to Ionising to the state where in each case our stellar 440 man. Weaver, broke a record.

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Agriculture Since agriculture is still the largest single industry in existence today, it is only natural •I .t wc a members of this great commonwealth should l c mutually interested in it. In peace or in war the iood supply of the nation i a question of fundamental imjiort--ncc. The food supply i» primarily a question of agriculture, in brief, agriculture is an idustry which is fundamental in the political economy of our Republic. The lawmakers of our nation, through their foresight, saw fit to make provision , taking it possible to trarh agriculture in our high schools. The Vocational Education Act of 1917. commonly known as the Smith-Hughe Act. made it po iblc for the introduction of a Smith-Hughes department into such school, a. come up to the requirements of the State Department of Vocational Education. Previous to 1926 the Agriculture department in the Bcrrkn Spring High School wa more or less of an experimental nature, but striving to become 4 full fledged Smith-Hughes department In 1926 through the persistent effort of the district school hoard, Superintendent K. L. Stewart and the Smith-Hughe instructor. Mr. t. F. Conrad, the department passed the state requirements and for the first time in the history of the school received the stipulated financial aid from the Federal and State Department as provided for in the Smith-Hughes Act. Since 1926 the Smith-Hughes department has been slowly growing from year to year. Beginning thi year the department has been housed in the Smith-Hughes room in the • ew $100,000 high school building The present room i one of the finest in every respect to be found in our new school building Last year we offered Animal Husbandry. Horticulture. Farm Mechanics. Zoology. Botany and Shop. This year we offered Farm Management. Farm Crops. Soils. Zoology. Botany. Farm Economics, and Shop. Zoology. Botany, and Shop are offered every year while the other courses are giver on alternate years as indicated above. Besides the regular cla room work each student is required to carry on a supervised project during the summer. The past year the Smith-Hughe department has taken part in potato, apple, and grain judging contests at N'ew Troy. Our grain judging team won first place in that field, therefore came home with a nice banner. Similar judging contests arc to be sponsored by the Smith-Hughe Schools of Berrien County each year henceforth, our school being host to the other at such time . Our school is to put on the contest next year. This year the local school has made application for a charter authorizing local organ nation of a Future Farmer of America. By becoming a member, a a club, in the above organization, the local department can do much to encourage better agriculture in the secondary schools. The school shall expect the Future Farmers Club to be of niuclV help in successful! (Hitting across such projects a the judging contest and other agricultural programs to be sponsored by the school from time to time. Manual Arts I he close of the »chool year W28. is the fifth anniversary of the Manual Art- Dc-' ■'•rtment in the Berrien Springs Public Schools. During these five years which are just closing this department ha- shown a marked increase in both popularity, and equipment. In 1024 it was started in a basement room of the Grade BtiilditiK. The following year the department was moved to the old county office building where it remained for three years Wfth the completion of the new High School building the shops were moved to the present quarters These quarters consist of three large well lighted and airy rooms on the ground floor. There is a machine room, a shop room, and a finishing room. The present shops are as well arranged and equipped as any to be found in schools of larger places. The courses start with '.hr seventh gradr and continue through the high school where it is elective for two years The work done by the boys consists primarily of wood v. ork. although presrnt plans call for a branching out along other lines as soon as time and .uiuls will permit. The aim of the Manual Arts Department is not to teach a trade. The teaching of trades belongs entirely to the vocational or trade school The Manual Ars is not a separate phase of education hut is a part of the whole scheme of a general education. There arc three basic phases of living, namely: producing, consuming, and securing contentment and satisfaction through our contacts with our environment and Icllowmcn. it is the aim of the Manual Ait- course to emphasize the»e points and develop them. In the shop the Ik s are subject to tests of accuracy, and skill developed here is easily transferred to any later trade education. They develop sufficient skill to perform the necessary duties about the home. Here a l»oy experiences the satisfaction which is obtained only by workmanship well done and intelligently carried out. As a consumer he will save in buying because he knows materials, understands construction, and is able to distinguish between good and poor work. All satisfaction of living comes through the correct interpretation of our environment and acting intelligently toward our fellow men. Manual Arts students are trained to gain satisfaction through observing a fine example of craftsmanship by another worker. They know materials and processes. Every article about them has a message Everywhere to the initiated there is a most interesting story of industry. Manual Arts forms an essential part of Education. It makes better citizens and happier workers through intelligent cooperation upon the part of all our hoys having this training. (Page Twenty-One)

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Senior Play Cast “Adam and Eva” I In- Senior play. “Adam an J Eva.” was presented at the High School audi torium February 15 and 16. It was a bright ami amusing play on the American 1 m si ness man who has a genius for making money, hut not a trace of talent for managing his own family. It proved a great success under the efficient direction of Miss Helen Judd. The cast is as follows: Mr. James King dam Smith Kva King ....... Julie IX Witt .. Clinton IX Witt Lord Andrew .... IX. lXdameter ... Aunt Abhy ...... Uncle Horace C'orinthia .. .... Elton Stover Paul Knight Mary Fletcher Rozann Rockstcin Mcr! Brown Ronald Weaver .. Roger Robinson .... Hazel Wetzel Edwin Marsh Margaret Eidson Junior Play Cast “A Pair of Sixes' llu- Junior play. “A I’air of Sixes, was presented at the High School Auditorium. April 4 and 5. It was a farcial treatment of the problems of two Itot headed business men who settled their diOieulties by a card game. The play was successfully directed by Miss Helen Judd. The cast is as follows: ieorge B. Xettleton .... John T. Boggs ........ Krome (Their Bookkeeper» Miss Sally Parker Thomas J. Vandcrholt...... Tony Toler ............... Mr Vroiegate ............. ( Mine Boy Shipping Clerk ........... Mrs. George B. Xettleton Miss Florence Cole ....... Coddles .................. ....... Eric Stewart Mark Alger Emory Bunnell Alice Stanner Orville Davis Raymond Hockstra Robert Martin Francis Clem Warren Hoopingarner Marian Harrington Candace Xightlinger Mildred Anstiss (Page Twenty-Three)