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

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

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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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? 31 YEAR BOOK Page Twenty-five The Debating Society The Debating Society was formed in November mainly for the purpose of entering a team in the Calgary Debating League contests. Up till March the Society concentrated on this object con¬ fining its activities to choosing and giving practice to teams for these contests. The speakers chosen were Mat ion Robb, Mark McClung, Maurice Western and Harry Tobin. In the preliminary round the Normal School was opposed to The Board of Trade. Miss Robb and Mr. Western won a brilliant victory in the home debate, taking the affirmative of the subject, “Resolved that Great Britain is justified in buying dumped Soviet products.” Messrs. McClung and Tobin did like¬ wise in the second match, having the negative of the subject “Re¬ solved that compulsory military training in the Public Schools or Colleges of Canada is desirable.” The Spokes Club defeated Miss Robb and Mr. McClung in the semi-final by one of the narrowest margins on record. The subject was, “Resolved that the farmers of Western Canada should adopt a compulsory pool as their method of marketing wheat,” the Normal team supporting the resolution. This debate took place on March 6th, at the Normal School, and although our speakers lost the verdict, the debate was a personal triumph for both of them. The Society now arranged a program for the rest of the year. A series of class debates was decided upon. A lively interest in this programme was shown and nine classes entered teams. So far only one of the debates has taken place. In it IIG defeated IIA on the subject, “Resolved that Chinese and Japanese immigrants should be excluded from the Dominion.” The girls took the negative. If the coming debates should be as well at¬ tended as this one, then the Debating Society will claim the posi¬ tion of being the most successful society in the school this year. The meetings took place on Fridays at 4:15 in room 314, the officers being: President, Mr. R. Turner; vice-president, Mr. M. Western; secretary, Miss A. Litchfield; business manager, Mr. W. Harper. Mr. M. Davidson was vice-president for the first term but was unable owing to other activities to continue in that position during the second term. Alumni News HARRIET STEWART, B.A., honor student of the First Class, ’27-’28, is now teaching in Macleod. MARGERY BOULTER, of the same class and year, is enrich¬ ing young lives in a Calgary school. MARGARET WATSON, another honor student of this year, is also teaching in Calgary, in Rideau Park School. EUGENIE BUTLER, B.A., honor student, and her sister EILEEN, both of the First Class ’27-’28, having taught for two years, are this winter enjoying a holiday in California. TILLIE HOFFMAN, Second Class honor student of ’28, is teaching in the Peace River country. BETH CARSCALLEN, of the Class ’29, is at U. of A. MARGARET HUTTON, honor student of ’29, is now teaching in Calgary. NELLIE HOOPER, now teaching in the oil town, Turner Valley. Last Summer she visited Flurope on a teachers’ tour. ELEANOR GALBRAITH has been at University for the past two years. MARION DOLL, honor student ol class ’28, is now teaching Grade I in McDougall School. MARGUERITE McLELLAN, U. of A. graduate, is teaching in Midnapore High School. MARGARET HOWARTH, class ’30. Another honor student who is teaching in McDougall School. JOHN EWING, of the same year, is teaching in Upper Hill- hurst School. DORIS BINGHAM, B.A., last year honor student, is teaching in the windy city of Lethbridge (so Mr. Kennedy tells us). LOUISE McCALLA, is teaching in the Far Noith at Green- court. R. T.