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

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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

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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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F. Wondrey, E. Murley, H. Kline Commercial N September, l904, a Commercial Department was organized in La Crosse High School. From the beginning it proved to be popular, and has grown from a modest enrollment of about 30 students to 475. At the outset the subjects taught were bookkeeping, penmanship, shorthand, typing, com- mercial law, and arithmetic. The course has been revised to keep step with business demands, and now offers shorthand, typing, bookkeeping, business principles, retail selling, and secretarial practice. Modern office machines and equipment help train students for office work. Thousands of mimeograph and ditto copies of out- lines and tests are made annually for the school. A. VVollin, O Cook Mathematics N the early days of Central, mathe- matics was the most important course in the school's curriculum, next to Latin. At that time the course ran through the entire four years of high school, and it included algebra, arith- metic, geometry and trigonometry. For many years, mathematics held its im- portant place in the courses offered at Central, and it continued along the same lines for many years. Today, high school mathematics is required for only the first two years of all B courses, which includes algebra and geometry, but algebra lll, geo- metry ll, and trigonometry are offered as elective subjects. One year of Ap- plied Mathematics is required for those students taking an A course. 'inn nun inn A. Roche, S. Andrews, L. Seielstod Home Economics Arts HE opening of Central also marked the beginning of our Home Economic Course. The classes have grown yearly from eight to ten students to the pres- ent average of twenty-five or more in all Home Economics classes. Millinery, formerly an important subject, was dropped some years ago, and Foods, Clothing, and Homecraft are the classes now offered. To improve the facilities for foods classes, a new kitchen was completed in l94l. The art course attracts many Central students. lt has been in the school curriculum for many years, and the classes extend four semesters. Work in all phases of art is offered, and a class in art metal is now included.