Bronx High School of Science - Observatory Yearbook (Bronx, NY)

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SIENHCPR IHLIEQ II TIMES ANN SARNEY When in the course of the school year it becomes necessary for programs to be arranged, the Science Junior is faced with a weighty problem: that of choosing his elective subjects. This choice is made especially diliicult by a conHict between two emotions. One of these concerns the need to take courses suitable as college prepara- tion. The other is related to another need: that of satisfying the ever-present urge to get away with the least possible work. An interested Junior might appeal to the Guidance Department for help and find his first alternative supportedg he might ask a Senior and be promptly advised to base his choice on the second. Let us suppose that this year one such Junior, whom we shall call Zacherly fto avoid resemblance to Scienceites living or deadj, was at this point confused enough to want to see the elective classes for him- self, he might have attempted to make a tour of the building for that purpose. As a typically confused Scienceite, our student started his inspection in a far corner of the third Hoor. He first observed what he found to be a class in Blood anal Urine Analysis. Amid the clash of test tubes and the clatter of pipettes fat 351.00 apiecel, he noticed a brave student ana- lyzing his own blood under a microscope, only to discover he was so anemic he could not possibly be alive. Our Junior, less hardy than most, .retreated to a corner of f A the room where he was greeted by other squeamish souls waiting for the tea to come to a boil. fTea, did you say? - An editorial attempt at discretionj Next, in the Home Technology laboratory, Zacherly saw several girls surveying their latest creations-popoversl He was told that they also engaged in such mundane activities as the study of textiles and nutrition, but after a taste of one popover, he did not care. On his way to the laboratory, Zack met two dozen or so noisy characters armed with butterfly nets, cigar boxes, and the like. These lucky few, members of a Field Biology class, often escaped at midday for field trips to the wide and fertile fields of Van Cortlandt Park. There they observed the various species of Hora and fauna in their natural habitats. In the course of the year the class also visited such places as the Bronx Zoo and a genetics laboratory at the Museum of Natural History. The College Biology class was next on our student's itinerary. While the specially-selected students munched birthday cake and potato sticks, they took part 27

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Carol Jacobs and Terry Krulwich, speaking for the Bio Experimental Society, told me that those Seniors who were engaged in project work during the school year often discussed their work with interested sophomores. In this way, the seniors were not only furthering the study of science for themselves, but also were enabling their successors to meet the challenge of scientific invention and discovery. The Chemistry Club, whose activities were organized by the President, Richard Shavitz, boasted an increased membership. Guest speakers, as well as student speakers and graduates, spoke to this group. Many of the students including Bruce Cutler, Joe Hashmall, Ann Sarney, and Bill Sharp fwho were also members of Mr. Cherryis project classi, discussed the work in which they were engaged. Many Science Seniors devoted their leisure hours to activities in Math. The various Math Clubs of the school enabled these students to compare their findings in the Held of mathematics. In addition, guest speakers addressed the groups on various topics of interest. Seniors active in the functioning of the Math Experi- mental Society were Norman Levitt, '.r Geoffrey Heyworth, Arthur Priver, and I ' Stephen Stein. 4 ' T The Bio Club, which had over two hundred members, was extremely active. Besides having guest speakers, the club visited Brookhaven National Laboratories, and the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Research LAB' lnstitute, as well as other places of interest. This year, the Trinity Club gained 69, popularity. Students in charge of this club include Ral h Schmidt, President, fy Joan Abrams, Vide-President, Peter Hoff- man, Secretary, and Florence Patterson, ,D Treasurer. The planning committee was . Q, po. headed by Maria Rivera and Audrey RU Campbell. M The Modern Dance Club was estab- lished for the first time this year. Marcy Denman and Helaine Weinstein, along with sophomore and junior girls, practiced basic modern dance steps. The facilities of our new building will make it possible to have a really active Amateur Radio Club and Astronomy Club. Plans for future activities of these clubs were carefully planned by this yearis oflicers, Jeffrey Czeisler and Norman Levitt of the Astronomy Club, and Larry Dworsky of the Radio Club. These plans include the use of two telescopes left by former Scienceites Steve Strom and ,lay Pasachoff. The members of the Orchestra fthat fighting organization led by Mr. Rensinj were so great that to mention only a small fraction would be meaningless. The Mixed and Girls' Choruses were also mob scenes, so we shall just quietly mention that they were bravely conducted by Mrs. Lawner. Some seniors also participated in the Chess Club, Checkers Club, Bridge Club, Record Club, and Volleyball Club. Yes, we were a club-joining group. 26

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in one of the finest classes of its kind in the country. Included in the yearis work were original research projects inspired by the teacher, Dr. Edward Frankel, and three and one-half lunchless weeks, inspired by a well-used, formaldehyded frog. Junior descended to the second floor to explore the chemistry department, which this year offered three elective subjects. The first one he saw was Mr. Cherryis course in Advanced General Chemistry. His students were busily sweeping up ill-fated pieces of glass tubing with which they had been attempting to construct wash bottles. Once they overcame this hurdle, the students studied various aspects of physical, colloidal, organic, and food chemistry on an advanced level. Walking into an adjacent laboratory, our explorer was greeted by several worried- looking students holding reagent bottles. Some seemed quite discouraged, their solutions apparently contained nonexistent chemicals! Their course in Analytical Chemistry, taught by Dr. Joseph Harwell, consisted of the study of theory and labora- tory practice of qualitative analysis. Junior crossed over to the College Chemistry room, where Mr. Richard Siegel was teaching a group of twenty students, selected for their high scholastic averages and abilities in chemistry, the rudiments of spoken English. Their course was remark- ably complete, covering the Hrst-year college course and a course in qualitative analysis. On the first floor Zacherly entered what appeared to be a glorified garage, in which a few boys were engaged in the exploration of the inside of an automobile. This, of course, was Automotive Physics, from which the boys finally emerged experts on every phase of auto mechanics. Next door was the Radio Physics laboratory, Junior did not linger there since he was oppressed by the silence accompanying two dozen boys making elaborate slide-rule calculations. Fifteen brave individuals, carefully chosen by the department, were observed in the College Physics class taught by Mr. Herman Gewirtz. This was an advanced general physics course, for which many of the boys received placement in college. Do you know what effect Newton7s laws had on civilization? Or donlt you care? Well, our Junior next witnessed a class in the History and Development of Science, in which this and similar topics were discussed. Our explorer next moved to the math department, which this year offered a va.riety of elective subjects. Une of these was Math 87, covering advanced algebra and solid geometry, and including as one of its less popular features a Regents examina- tion. Math 81, called a umodernw course in Twelfth Year Mathematics, included funda- mentals of symbolic logic fsome snoggles are lukesl, group and set theory, function theory, and an introduction to calculus and analytic geometry. Math 9, a course for selected stu- dents, covered first-year calculus and analytic geometry. College Math, taught by Mrs. Henrietta Mazen, was an advanced placement course for the best qualified students. These godlike creatures appeared unconcerned with lower MIS if : ' - '