Billings Senior High School - Kyote Yearbook (Billings, MT)

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mm aSS ' BTiii mm iiuiiiininiimi These six are the upper echelon of BHS. They are the ones who send out the call slips, who decide whether an absence should be excused, who tell a student whether or not he can graduate. Mr. Bills and Mrs. Peters (third from right), guidance counselors, keep records of each student ' s tests, interests, abilities. They can recommend suitable courses of study, give advice for futures. Mrs. Hutton, dean of girls, and Mr. Nash (second from right), dean of boys, watch the performances of all BHS students and try to keep them working up to but not over their capacities. Mr. Borberg, principal, makes the final decision, within the school, on matters of school policy. Mr. Collins, assistant principal, organizes schedule and effects schedule changes. Curriculum Plays Vital Part By Karen Johnson To graduate, every BHS student must meet certain requirements. He must have earned a minimum of seventeen credits in grades nine through twelve — at least thirteen credits in grades nine, ten, and eleven, and four credits in grade twelve. He must have four credits in English, one in American history, one in civics, one in physical education and health, two in math, one in science. Otherwise, his selection of subjects is left primarily to his interests and to his parents ' or counselors ' advice. He may decide to concentrate on math and science; he may take all the history courses available. Perhaps he enjoys bookkeeping or has a natural ability for woodworking or machines, Whatever he decides, he is expected to leave high school prepared for the future, whether that future is in college or in a job, and prepared to accept his responsibilities as a citizen. This could be almost any one of the approximately fifty classes of BHS in any period of the school day. ' Celie Freeman and Georgine Mavrakis check the cards of students absent from school. The school files records of each student ' s schedule, grades, past recrod, character, home, and jobs. Advisors and counselors usually consult these files when asked to recommend a student for col lege or a job.

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The Black Hole of Calcutta »» By Betty Hartung £T There is a door, an ordinary door, that few students notice as they walk the halls of BHS. Some look at it, shrug their shoulders, and then walk off. Others who are more curious take a peek inside; then they, too, walk on, laughing to one an- other as though they ' d seen something extremely humorous. Still others just stand there and say, I ' ll go in if you will. But no one will make the first move. This particular door is between the Main Office and the office of the Dean of Girls. Because the door is not very important to students, they have no rea- son for entering it. But if you would like to know what is behind the door, the Kyote will take you on an exclusive tour. The following are directions for the tour. Upon entering, turn to your right (unless you prefer climbing the ladder propped against the wall) and descend a flight of steep, narrow stairs. The room you are now in is full of generators and pipes. Most of the pipes are covered with white insulation which is turning yellow near the edges. The ceiling is a mass of pipes going in all directions. Re- flected on the floor are red lights from a hidden control panel. Flung over the pipes, dust mops hang limp and lifeless as though they will never be used again. Fol lowing the main pipe, pass through a long hall and enter the boiler room. Scattered around the tank are a number of antique chairs. Only one ash- tray can be seen. Notice the sign that reads, Ash trays are for ashes; we walk on our floors! Men teachers are loung- ing, talking with other teachers, or re- laxing and smoking a cigarette. Observe quietly and reverently. This is the men ' s faculty lounge.

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English is the only course required for four years. As ninth graders, students are supposed to learn grammar fundamen- tals and read a few short stories and well-known epics such as the ILIAD or the ODYSSEY. As tenth graders, they should concentrate on modern litera- ture — lyric poetry, plays, short stories, at least one novel — and practice writing and public speaking. When they reach their junior year, they study American literature for one semester, review and refinement of grammar and usage for the other. In their senior year, students are required to review utilitarian writing, such as business letters and news reports, write a term paper, study English litera- ture. Here, one of Mr. Nesbit ' s classes reads William Shakespeare ' s MACBETH in class. Required and . . . American history and civics are the only required history and social studies courses. Students may, however, take World history, Montana history, and Modern World history. By taking all available courses, a student should theoretically cover ancient European history through the Middle Ages through the Age of Enlightenment through Colonial American times up to present-day political and economic problems. At left, civics students work on 1040 income tax forms in conjunction with their unit on government. Gym classes go through calis- thenics and physical fitness tests be- fore regular sessions. This half-credit course is required for all sophomores, who learn health concepts and the rules and histories of such sports as basketball, baseball, badminton, and volleyball . Most students select general science to fulfill the one-credit science requirement. Many go on into biology. In biology, ama- teur scientists study the divisions of plant and animal life through books, lectures, microscopes, and dissection. Students learn about cell construction and functioning and the progression from amoeba to human body. Below, Marl in Powell studies a slide showing lung tissue .