East Mecklenberg High School - East Wind Yearbook (Charlotte, NC)

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its fm .aiu .. i k ffl 4 we ! a 2 ,Q bv Excuse me, but I seem to have the wrong paper: Sherri Lee doesnt have a clue how here name and that grade could be on the same assignment . . . could foul play be involved? English is Qyawnlj fun: East letter jackets often came complete with a built in pillowfhiding place for those days when you wanted to remain incognito. Shakespeare is intense: Wendy Church misses the days of Little Red Riding Hood and Mother Goose. ENGLSH 29

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There is at least one thing everyone at East had in common this year. Of course! lt was the three years of English required. Each year after successfully completing the course we advanced to a different class where we learned new ideas. For example, the average English class of a sophomore focused on reading to improve comprehension, speed, and vocabulary, and SAT preparation. Soph- omores also studied short stories, myth- ology, research skills and English usage. Mrs. Strickland, a sophomore teacher, hoped her students gained more posi- tive values that made them better peo- ple through their lessons in literature. For juniors, English branched into a study of the development of American Literature from the Native Americans to the present day melting pot society. According to Ms. Smith, 'The writing juniors did in class related what they were learning to their own thinking. Not only was literature stressed in Ms. What's this doing here?: lt was a rare occasion when Ms. Grain misplaced a paper in her unique and usually flawless filing system. .., . ' . f' Evan Bernstein lt s pretty sad a classic is labeled as trash Brent Grove Lousy because Lord of the Flies is a good book Smith's class but also the idea that hard work is rewarding and to ask something of yourself is to expect results. Most of all, though, students learned that each human being has a place, a plan, and a purpose to fulfill. Finally, for seniors, English meant pre- paring for college. Learning to write clean, organized pieces with a definitive voice and demonstrating good critical thinking skills all were part of what Mrs. Rosser's students gained. Seniors studied British and World literature expanding from the Anglo-Saxon period to the modern period. Beowulf Macbeth, and Gullivers Travels are just a few examples of the works seniors read and studied. According to Mrs. Strickland, teach ing was made worthwhile when shi touched each student's life in some wa' so that he or she would be a better per son. For Ms. Rosser, teaching was madi enjoyable when she saw the pride in 4 student's face for a job well doneg the laughter of her students, and the look that showed a student 'lgot it. To Ms. Smith, the excitement of discovery and the joy of being a part of the growth and development of young people was the most enjoyable part of teaching. After completing the three years of English, all students had a great back- ground they carried with them in what- ever path of life they chose to follow. How do you feel about the banning of literature in our schools? Craig Lane l think its wrong but the books are put out by conservative adults and they dont care what the students f . 0 I i X . . . , an 1 in . -- -i'.iiT'i5ii5f5' 28 ENGLSH

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'lplw ilitsmgvv jj W Ten teachers were involved in the For- eign Languages Program this year. This included: four French teachers, five Spanish teachers, one German teacher, and one Latin teacher, Mrs. Stegmeir, who also taught Spanish. The newest members of the department were Steve Abercrombie, a French teacher who had taught in the ESC program at Sacred Heart, and Mrs. Diaz, a Spanish teacher of Cuban background who was back in the classroom after five years. Leading these teachers for the first time was the new chairperson, Mrs. Phillips. With the '86-'87 school year, a new challenge was handed over to the For- ? as N .. . ' sat' fx. SX eign Language Department. Oral Proffi- ciency Performance Testing is gaining more and more popularity in colleges and universities across the nation. These are examinations for college freshman which test a student's ability to speak a foreign language. The new college test- ing has not changed the traditional stress which is given to grammar and vocabu- lary. Mrs. Garmon reiterated these words saying that she thought llgram- mar and vocaulary are essential to a student's ability to speak a language. The staff of the recent year and many teachers involved in the Career Devel- opment Program. Two members of the staff, Mr. Abercrombie and Mrs. Diaz, were Provisional l teachers. Mrs. Garner and Mrs. Slipenczuk were Provisional ll teachers. Other teachers involved were Mrs. Bransen, Career Nominee, Mr. Da- vis, Career Level l teacher, and Mrs. Stegmeir, a Career Candidate. Students seemed to be no more or less enthusiastic about foreign languages this year. They replied to the question of why they were taking a foreign language with answers such as: for college, to broaden horizons, and more extrava- gent answers such as David Wright's, who said he 'wanted to move to Paris and be a fish-packer. Work and concentration: This class works to master Span- ish Gimme some morel: Holly Orr and Evan Bernstein pig . .W .......qal Out. ' K - -- i r P A NN ,ij-A-my-who .bv Nugnn A 4 '. I , lt, ...,,...' .N -. C What do you dream about in Foreign Language class? limmy Walther - That a new , J law will be passed eliminating ff the use of all languages other - - V, ,,.... . . ' ' Q than English in the world. 5 Cynthia King - A tall dark and ,.. . ,R it handsome translator. o . 'T . is Alir : x Kellie Moran - The bell ring- , 5 - if .5 g A Ing. Aggy .s 251551, flpglgg, Sill X i .f - ...... cccc F ' 30