Brackenridge High School - La Retama Yearbook (San Antonio, TX)

Page 31 text:

English, Journalism, Public Speaking SINCE journalism has become a college credit subject, its enrollment has increased noticeably. Tin first year’s work consists of news writing and news editing. The second year is feature writing and editorial writing with much work in The Times office for practical experience. This year The Times won the highest honor possible, the Medalist award, at the Columbia Scholastic Press Conference. After this year public speaking will be a prerequisite for debate and dramatics. It aims to give the students experience in the organization and delivery of original speeches. The department participates in many inter-school competitions which prepare the students for Interscholastic League events. Last year Frank Kosson was victorious throughout the season and won for Bracken ridge the state cup in extemporaneous speaking. Debate is a favorite subject in this school, due to the successful record of our debate teams and because a number of debaters trained in Brackenridge have made the University of Texas debate teams. This year Brackenridge was declared city champion in debate when the other city high schools, for the first time in history, failed to compete. This makes Brackenridge the city champion in debate for the ninth consecutive year. In the district meet both teams were victorious. The Dramatic Department aims to give each member a polish in diction, to overcome all self-consciousness, and to offer a new field for enjoyment. In the Interscholastic League Contest last year, Brackenridge won first place in the stale with its one-act play, “The Hour Glass” Kocii Ch. Lawrence Ce. Lawrence Lehmberg Miller Barksdale Dickey Roselle Librarian and student assistants at their daily tasks in the stack room.

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Stratton Bennett I)i Pree 11 ENDERSON Beasley Burg Dirrktt A. James This Sophomore English class refuses to be disturbed by the photographer. The English Department THE teachers of English have been experimenting with a new course of study, which suggests several changes. English III and V are now courses in language—composition; English IV and VI, courses in reading—literature. During the term an exhibit was held, showing original literary maps, poetry, anthologies, and illustrated booklets of colonial life, Anglo-Saxon customs, and other interesting subjects. An effort is made in English III to enable the student to write good English, to speak fluently and clearly, to produce creative work, and to use correct English. In English V drill on functional grammar is given. The student is trained to present material that he has collected and organized and is encouraged to do original work. In English IV the emphasis is placed upon improving the student's reading skill and guiding him in the acquisition of 4'a rich and varied literary experience” by opening to him new and attractive fields of reading. In English VI, during the study of the representative work of great American Writers, the student is given some conception of the vastness and variety of literature and encouraged to “venture and explore.” Original essays, lyrics, and short stories are written. In English VII especially attractive booklets have been made, consisting of the best original work of the student, including one-act plays, ballads, cinquains, lyrics, and essays. English VIII stresses discrimination in reading, to enable the student to establish the habit of reading as a means of pleasure and development after he leaves high school.

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Alsup Andrews Davis Jonas Anderson Barron 11 ARWELL Rust Busy, happy and most profitable hours are spent in our sewing classes. Practical Arts Til E Practical Arts in Brackenridge include home economics in its several branches, manual training. mechanical drawing, architectural drawing, and free-hand lettering. The latter has been added as a separate course this year. All of these subjects train the hands as well as the mind. As practice is essential in any art, the students learn to do by doing. The broad aim of these courses is to help prepare the students for useful pursuits, constructive thinking, and home making. Our home economics courses do more than teach the girls to cook and sew. In fact, only about two-fifths of the time is spent on cooking and sewing; the other three-fifths is devoted to the study of worthy home membership, character training, citizenship, the financial problems of feeding and clothing a family, designing and selecting clothing, textile study, and leisure time problems. Interior decoration teaches the girls to plan and furnish a home. The increased enrollment in this department is evidence of the worthwhile work it is doing. This year the wood-working classes made the new score boards for athletics and constructed additional stage properties. For the first time, the school system provides the instruments for mechanical drawing, which makes this training available for more students. At the chapter exhibit of the American Institute of Architects, held at Witte Museum, an exhibit of work by senior school architectural students was included. Lettering students have done pen lettering for the library and English Department, and have also made numerous posters for school affairs.