Calgary Normal School - Chinook Yearbook (Calgary, Alberta Canada)

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’31 YEAR BOOK Page Twenty-three On Practice Teaching Of all the gratifications of this year ' s entertainment, practice teaching stands highest (or lowest). Music classes are heaven compared with it, Physical Training is soothing, and Psychology becomes a dream within the pale of that hovering nightmare. There is about it that which makes you tremble, grow pale and have more than faint misgivings as to your place among the chosen few. You sigh for the placidity of the Oriental. Just at that moment when you arc least able to control your feelings, in walks an Instructor. For the first three or four seconds you are over¬ whelmed with envy of the cool, quiet countenance. Then, fiercely tearing yourself away from it, you are confronted with something far worse—the curious, mocking stare of fifty small individuals. You suffer the peculiar sensations feit by a cheese mite when the gaze of fifty-one professors with one hundred-two microscopes begin their operations. It is the frightful sensation of being dissected mentally and physically. You get started. Your voice, like a high, disconnected note, floats quavering above your head. Frantically, you cough it down once or twice, but it is so buoyant that it will not stay there. You grope around for the chalk to demonstrate from a sentence, already neatly written on the blackboard. Your confidence is just returning when a small voice says, “Please, you’ve written shinning for shining in the second sentence.” Without turning to erase it, you force yourself to smile blandly and say, “Ha, ha! I was wondering how long you would be before you noticed it.” You stumble on, arousing in yourself an unnatural enthusiasm in order to seem full of your subject, although you have not the remotest idea of what you are saying. Hazily, through all this turmoil, you see an arm madly waving in the air. “Yes, Johnny, what is it? you ask in your most perky, teacherish tone. “Please, why can’t an adverb modify a noun?” Everything goes blank. You cannot think, see or feel! Why cannot an adverb modify a noun? There seems to be no reason. “I am sure nobody heard your question. Repeat it in a louder voice.” Your tone is quite severe. The question is repeated two or three times but still you cannot think why an adverb should not modify a noun. You feel as though your brain is turning Catherine wheels and somersaults—a very sickening sensation. Marshalling yourself as sternly as a general marshalls his army, you state in a sweet patient voice, “Really, Johnny, that’s what I’ve been talking about all morning. I am afraid you have not been listening.” Here you give the rest of the class a few exercises to do, and sit down beside Johnny and whisper the explanation to him. (You do not wish to disturb the rest of the class). At last you hear a clear, cold voice say, “That will do, thank you.” With shaking knees and a thankful heart you put away the chalk and sink into your chair. —M. C. The Wind Wind, thou haggard siren Scented with soothing rain; Blinding our eyes with veils of dust, Drawn from hills where clouds have lain. Thickening the veil so we may not see Thy twisted form and matted hair, But only hear thy voice. Thy ' sinuous form is twined With love and hate around Our bodies, and languidly moves on; Trailing dusty finger tips across the mound Where lie our buried hopes and joys, And skillfully from hardened hearts Woo subtle harmonies. —LOLITA WILSON.

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Page Twenty-two ’31 YEAR BOOK BIOGRAPHIES Glass IA CLARENCE PACY—Orion.—What ' s in a name? It ' s hard to say, hut you can tell Clarence by his “Clarenceness.” This cannot be defined but it includes his grin, his nervous wriggle, and his “Well, I ...” He may be found at the Debating Society meetings on Fridays. DWIGHT POWELL—Calgary.—May be distinguished from his fellows by his rather short figure, deep voice and dark straying hair. If seen alone he is fulfilling one of his obli¬ gations as secretary-treasurer for the class, viz, collecting money. RAYMOND PURKIS—Calgary.—He has a rather peculiarly pitched voice which suggests a disdainfulness which actually is not one of his faults. His elevated black hair is prom¬ inent at the Glee Club meetings, otherwise he is very quiet and agreeable. COLIN B. ROSS—Pincher Creek.—Another who has exceeded his allotted span of inches. He appears to be quiet and re¬ ticent but he is really almost as bad as McLeod for scrap¬ ping in class. He is the man who takes the “two bits” from visitors to the basketball games. HAROLD RUSSELL—Lethbridge.—A well-built, almost hand¬ some lad with blue eyes and close cropped, fair, waving hair. He was Vice-President of the Students’ Association during the first term and is one of the star players of the basketball team. He has other attributes among them being his even temper and good nature; his one possible fault is that he knows these things. KENNETH RUSSELL—Lethbridge.—His interests tend to¬ wards volley ball and basketball, both boys’ and girls’. Came to Normal in search of the elixir of youth but has since become disillusioned and is now a social service worker in embryo. Chief ambition—to be censor of biographies. AYLMER RYAN—Calgary.—We shall remember him as the charming heroine in the 1A play. He is socially popular and conscientiously studious. His characteristic tendency is toward cynical humor which generally takes the form of caricatures of instructors or other students. CARL SCHMALTZ—Beiseker.—His name of course stamps him as one of the blue eyed, fair haired race. A full face and rather awkward manner complete his physical characteris¬ tics. He does not push himself forward in class but he will answer intelligently when asked a question. He is well- known in sport circles by his absence. FRANK SMITH—Calgary.—High cheekbones are his dis¬ tinguish ing features. His habit of pursing his lips might prove to be his vulnerable spot to some manhunting female. His special interest is Drama; he was the producer and chief character in the 1A play. CHARLIE THOMSON—Calgary.—Also known as “Blondie.” He is of average height, sturdy huild and possesses a man ' s voice. His activities are practically confined to the schol¬ astic side, his particular interest being Manual Arts and Nature Study. His swagger may be due to the fact that he rides a bicycle (cf. cowboy). REGINALD I. TURNER, B.Sc., U. of Wales—Cardiff, Wales. —“He hath a lean and hungry look,” perhaps because his insatiable appetite for knowledge will never be satisfied. A naive youth, he believes that if one is British he can’t he wrong. His slightly apologetic air vanishes when Mr. Gor¬ don appears. As President of the Debating Society, Reg is ever ready to support any side of any argument, especially with anti-British folk. MAURICE WESTERN—Medicine Hat.— “And then arose Nestor, the clear-voiced orator.”—Homer. Light auhurn hair, medium height, and slight huild. While being an excellent student and a keen volley ball player he is widely and chiefly known for his debating ability. His success as a debater is largely due to his convincing, em¬ phatic style, and his clear bass voice.

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Page Twenty-four 31 YEAR BOOK .Western DA ' M c Kerricher DEBATING CLUB Litchj d R-Turner