Fairfax High School - Colonial Yearbook (Los Angeles, CA)

Page 17 text:

 THE COLONIAL 19 3 2 COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT Bookkeeping and accounting may lie Mid to Ik the backbone of the Commercial Department,” stated Mr. Herman C. )ov. Com- mercial Department head. Other subjects in this department arc typewriting, economic geography, shorthand, merchandising, sales- manship. advertising, business law, business organization, and tran- scription. Business law, merchandising, business organization, and economic geography are courses which the regular commercial stu- dent must take in order to round out his training. One of the most popular courses is the stenographic, which trains the individual pupil to take a message in shorthand and to transcribe it on a typewriter. The Commercial department's aim is to prepare the student to take his place in a busy world. Many graduates of this depart- ment go directly into business with firms such as the Etna Life Insurance Company, numerous banks, and various types of in- dustry. The fine records which have been attained by numerous students from this department indicate that high standards of achievement arc reached in the classrooms. ENGLISH DEPARTMENT With two thousand students enrolled, the English department is one of the largest departments at Fairfax High School. More students are enrolled in A10 semester English than in any other semester. The B9 semester, with its seventy-eight students, is the smallest section in the department. Mr. Homer Goddard is the head of the most active department in school activities. The English teachers sponsor the Promethean Society, Literary Lions, Press Club, Colonial Gazette, School His- torian, and School Oratory and Debating. During the summer term this department published its sec- ond edition of the Creative Writ- ing hook which contains the best original writings of the English students. In this way the teachers of English continue to foster inter- est in the artistic values of Eng- lish as well as its more practical requirements as a tool subject. c [ n 1

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THE COLONIAL 1 9 3 2 0 4 ez ART DEPARTMENT Art History is the only full solid in the Art department s pro- gram, the others being hall-solids. The half-solids include general art, design, poster art, stage design, commercial art, costume design, arts and crafts, and art appreciation. Seven hundred students are enrolled in these classes. Mr. William Paxton, head of the depart- ment, plans a class in sculpturing. The advertisements seen in the rotunda, and the artistic posters advertising the Senior color days and other events arc the work of the Art students. Other accomplishments of this department were shown at various times in the rotunda and library cases. The Art Department is di- vided into two groups. Crafts and Fine Arts. Arts and Crafts under Miss Odgard, and stage design and painting under Mr. Kurvers, represent the first of the two groups, while the latter is exemplified by costume design and pose classes. BOYS’ PHYSICAL EDUCATION Corrective and regular gym classes are the divisions of the Boys’ Gym department which has an enrollment of 1125 boys. During the spring term the gym classes engaged in a track meet. First, the classes during the same period met, and the first three places in each event were taken. Then these boys met the winners of the other periods in a final meet held after school. This department sponsors the competitive athletics. It was cal- culated that 30 per cent of the Fairfax boys are in athletic competi- tion. The boys can try for basketball, baseball, football, track, or tennis teams. All of these sports, except tennis, are divided into classes according to weight, age. grade, and so forth. Fairfax should be proud of her athletes of former years. Many of these boys have attained high honor in collegiate and pro- fessional athletic fields. I «0 1

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THE COLONIAL 1 9 3 2 FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT It was announced by Miss Henrietta Way, head of the Foreign Language department, that of the 1100 pupils enrolled in foreign language classes, fifty per cent of the students are taking Spanish. Next in line comes Latin, followed closely by French and German. These four languages will fill the requirement of any university. All of the languages, except German, can he taken lor four years. Portfolios, made by the students, were displayed at the National 3Lv'itu'u5T Educational Association meeting. Later, these portfolios were dis- played in the library. During the school year there have been other exhibits, including the showing of the bronze medal for excellence in Spanish. This medal is given by the Spanish Club for excel- lence in third and fourth year Spanish. Contestants for this prize must be “A” Spanish stu- dents, and must take an oral and written test judged by three lan- guage teachers. nj j» « ' ■Mi GIRLS’ PHYSICAL EDUCATION Corrective nutrition, archery, tap dancing, natural dancing, gym- nastic apparatus, folk dancing, and sport classes (major and minor) are the sections of the Girls’ Gym department. Mrs. Betsy Frickc heads this department of approximately 1155 girls. The sports which the girls can participate in are tennis, speedball, basketball, volleyball, baseball, soccer, field hall, archery, and hockey. The Girls' Gym department sponsors the Girls’ Tennis Club, Athletic Association, and the Play Days which were held at John Marshall, University, Roosevelt, and Fairfax High Schools. Dancing numbers in the Summer ’32 Color Day program, student tal- ent assemblies, and in the pro- gram for National Educational Week were worked out by this department. The dancing classes enables girls, who might not otherwise be afforded the time and oppor- tunity, to enjoy and acquire skill in this art. [ 12 ]