Illinois State Normal University - Index Yearbook (Normal, IL)

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Che 'IIIICIQX The basement ofthe training school has been equipped with cement walls, cement iloors, and the best sanitary Iixtures. The wooden sidewalk about this building has been replaced by some 6,000 square feet of cement walk. In the main building the corridors have been brightened by a handsome tile floor and a new tinish upon walls and ceilings. The otlice and reception rooms have been re- iitted with new carpets, desks, furniture and wall iinish. Pictures and statuary have been placed in the reception room and assembly rooml Other additions to our equipment have been incidental to the development of cer- tain departments The worlr in art has been placed on a more substantial basis with longer and better organized courses. Music has become a required study on the same basis as arithmetic or pedagogy. with the qualitication that no other branch may be sub' stituted for it. Besides the regular class instruction for lirst-year students and the vol- unteer musical organizations maintained by the students, about twenty minutes per day are devoted to chorus practice by the entire school. With the addition of a new teacher of geography has come an expansion of the work in geography and history. Elective courses have been provided in English His- tory, in the History of Modern Europe. in the constitutional development ofthe United States and in the history of Illinois. Physiography is receiving a larger emphasis and extensive additions have been made to our stocks of charts and maps. To meet the growing demand for systematic nature study as related to agricul- ture, the Board of Education has set apart three acres of ground to be used as a school garden. Some beginnings in flower culture have been made. Individual beds have been planted by 100 normal students and 270 children in the training school. The next step. the erection ofa green house and the employment ofa competent gardner, we hope to ac- complish this summer. Some attempt has been made by systematic tree-planting to add I2

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Q not 2 'T 5 e U-1 'U W O 4 2 F3 rJ 6 0 m HE annual chapter for the Index, setting' forth the vear's g'rowth ofthe Normal school. must deal somewhat with the material development of the institution. The Forty-second General Assembly dealt liberally with the State educational institutions. It gave us an increase ot' 3s,ouu in annual appropriation and a Special fund of over SEJJPOH for miscellaneous improvements. The largest single expenditure was for titting' up the laboratory. An Auzoux Manilrin costing' SELTG has been added to the equipment in physiology, The new worli- K he ing' tables of the best material and most substantial construction: are supplied with hot and cold water and fuel gas. The apparatus cases are models of beauty and con' 'HIIGQX venience Under such conditions our girls may be expected to fall in love with physics and chemistry. The library has been provided with electric tixtures, additional shelving' and va- rious conveniences for the use of the librarian About one thousand volumes have been added during' the year. e Besides lavatories and other minor improvements in the gymnasium. 224 lockers with dressing' closets have been provided for the dressing' rooms. Fourteen drinking fountains-four in the gymnasium, six in the main building. four in the training' schoolshave been installed and supplied with water from the city wells. l I

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to the educational value of our beautiful canipus, Ut' the original planting' ol' 2.51111 trees in 1sllT. about 600 of forty-two varieties are standing. We have planted this year sixty- seren trees of eighteen species and Varieties not heretofore represented. The union of the training' school with the public schools of Normal has proved eminently satisfactory. It has made possible larger classes. better grading. and con- ditions more like those prevailing' in ordinary schools. llecause ofthe large attendance in the summer terzn, 4533 in lHEll. the lioard of liducation has established a twelve-week summer session as a permanent feature ol' the school calendar. It is probable that in a len' years the summer attendance at the State Normal Schools will be larger than in the regular terms. , ge tt', l V ew-A l A-,, lhl Zlihe ilndex