Central High School - Booster Yearbook (La Crosse, WI)

Page 19 text:

HE course in English at Central was first introduced into the curriculum in l894. It consisted of composition the first year, grammar the second, rhetoric, which is al- most synomous with our Public Speaking course today, the third year, and English Literature the fourth, with classes reciting only three times a week. The course was extended in l895, due to a sizable increase in the student body, and the classes recited four times weekly. A year or two later, English became recog- nized as an important subject, and after a further expansion of the course, the classes recited five times weekly. During this time American Literature was added to the fourth year course, and rhetoric was re- stricted to the first half of the junior year. ln l9l 5, the English department was E Molchow, C. Thomas, C. Anderson, H. Stillman entirely rearranged. More classes in ad- vanced, practical English for the upper classmen were inaugurated, and a wider scope of activities were also introduced into the course. Since that time, many changes have been made in our English department. As edu- cational methods have changed, so have the various units of our English course. The time spent on the studying of rhetoric, for example, has been discontinued as an English unit, and in place of it other activi- ties have been added. In all four years of high school English, these changes have been made, in favor of new, advanced methods of study, that have changed our English course from four years of limited study, to four years of full-time variety. C. Hume, C. Siepert, A. Perschbocher, A. Sherer

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E Smith, C. Evans, C. Hayes, G. Hetherington, N. Fodness Social Studies ISTORY was not an important part of the curriculum in the l89O's. Though classes in Greek and Latin were taught every school day for four years, the only history course in l894 was General History. This was given four days a week in the junior year and covered Greek, Roman, mediaeval and modern fields. No history of the United States was offered but civics was taught in the senior year. Though English history was taught, it was not until after l9l O that United States history appeared on the school record cards. lt was given as a one semester elective. History was, nevertheless, assuming more importance, for four semesters of history were now offered. Still the records show Page I4 C. Stokke, D. Cott, H. Josten, D. Kinney that many students took little or no work in it. Not until after the World War were United States history and civics made re- quired courses. Gradually the emphasis in social studies courses shifted from the re- mote past. Two semesters given to United States history, rr-ore time devoted to mod- ern history, the addition of geography, so- cial living and economics to the curricu- lum as well as the regular study of current affairs are an indication of the change that has taken place in fifty years. ln l894 the history classes supplemented the classical course, in l942 social studies are planned to make the present more understandable.

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DCISHCG -l-HE Science Department began about l88O, when lvlr. Hardy came to the La Crosse High School. He taught chem- istry and physics only from a text book and finally started a laboratory by re- pairing some broken apparatus. Later, an appropriation of fifty dollars was secured to fit out laboratories. Botany, physiology, and physiography were taught for a period of about five years, before World War l. The department has grown and at the present time, chemistry, applied chemistry, and physics are taught. The school now has plenty of individual equipment, and expects to get more during the summer. By next Septem- ber, our laboratory should be one of the best equipped in the State. I C. Brody, T. Toms, E. Shields Manual Arts T HE Hixon Annex has provided ample room and facilities for a complete man- ual training department for Central High School students. The first courses were offered in bench work, cabinet making, pattern making, turning, molding, and forging. The subjects are much the same today, except that machine shop, garage, and drafting have been added, while turning, mold- ing and forging have been completely dropped. However, there are still one or two forges used for incidental work in the machine shop. The department does work for the school, and for other schools, but each student is allowed to work out some- thing for himself. W. Honson, M. Scherich, R. Nelson Language -l-HE Language Department traces its origin to the founding of the La Crosse High School. At that time Latin and Greek were the studies of this curricu- lum. The students taking those sub- jects met every day in the school week, and were enrolled in the course for four years. German was introduced about the beginning of the twentieth century, French was added a few years later, while Greek was dropped in 1914. For a short period during World War l, German was completely dropped from the program. ln l94O, Spanish was added to the Language Course, and there are now 29 students taking this new subject. There are a total of l82 students taking language at the pres- ent time. C. Stohl, E. Peort, L. Pittman