J Sterling Morton East High School - Mortonian Yearbook (Cicero, IL)

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the typical American Revolutionary village in Drums, the modern industrial city in The Turmoil. I have actually possessed but one dog for a pet, and not many more cats, but Smoky, the horse, made a Hne friend, and Dawgs made grand pals, IOO. Of course, not everyone can know the world's prominent people personally, but one can always meet them in books. Modern Biographies introduced me to a number of prominent personsg and I met Abraham Lincoln in a biography. There are many, many similar experiences that I could enumerate, but whatls the need? You have had the same things happen to you, too. We could not have had all this experience had not someone been able to use the English language to convey his experiences and imaginings so vividly that others can have those same feelings them- selves. We shall always be indebted to 'the writer who fills out our thin range of experience with these thrilling reports of life in other times and places. Expressing oneself accurately in writing is also a phase of English and an obviously important one. Literature depends upon the knowledge of language and the ability to command words, just as a know- ledge of the language and the ability to use words properly depends upon literature. It is a reversible proccssgv one result is as important as the other. As a freshman studying Adventures Wise ana' Otherwise, I learned many new things about our language and of course reviewed other things I al- ready more or less knew. So it was each year. I learned much about capitalization in the sophomore class that I know I shall never forget. Our junior book made punctuation of compound sentences clear- er and taught me to outline. Higher Levels has been a rather fitting climax with its guidance in broader New hooks: more interesting reading Using the lihrary's collection of fine pictures A picture display of Shaleespearek Hamlet Canvas-sing the shelves for home reading hooks

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frwffiir ' fi ' f F UUI' Alsgrr Ntic ...gs-gg-5 ,I HB QRS ' Q , Nerf-l FEL ltllll 11.151, The hest senior themes Checking out home reading hooks just before the Weekly delivery 1:xi1--.....'-:f:,.fw:fDnwll W fr- Av' . as was W l distinct parts instead of being simply an assortment of books and themes. Literature is one part. By literature we mean all good reading. Composition has two parts: written composition-the art of writ- ing and oral composition-the art of speech. At Morton we are trained in all three phases of English. The first division is probably the largest. English is the study of our language and its literatureg one can get but little idea of either without reading. For four years, now, I have been reading some of the best books in the English language. Through them I have travelled over most of the world and lived in most every century since books have been written. I saw Troy with The Iliad and Rome with Julius Caesar. Sohrab and Rustum took me to Per- siag and there, along the Oxus River, I watched the combat which decided the fate of the Persians and the Tartars. Although I have never actually crossed the ocean and gone to England, I have been there often in the company of books. My earliest visit was with the Idylls of the King to King Arthur and his court. Many interesting things happened on that trip. The next time I visited the court of Cedric with Ivanhoe. Twice I was in Londong one time with David Cop- perfield and again, about the time of the French Revolution, with Dr. Manette and his daughter Lu cy. They took me to Paris, too, and from them I learned The Tale of Two Cities. Later I stayed for awhile at the cottage of Silas Marner, and he almost taught me to weave while I was there. Perhaps I should have seen America Hrst, but by seeing it last I have learned that it is best after all. I discovered some of the secrets of the old colonial mansions in The House of Seven Gables. I saw the Western frontier unfold as I travelled over the Oregon Trail. The Virginian, too, told me much about the West when I visited his ranch. The Civil War era was described by Booker T. Wash- ington in his autobiography, Up from Slavery. I saw The Weelzlyls editors at Work

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,.,.4a The drill lwoles save time in mastering essentials Ifnglisla students must know lvow to use tlve library Pictures tluzt illustrate one of the classics fields and with restrictive and non-restrictive clauses put in to show that there was still something I didn't know. Nor was I the only one who was shown. Such are the mechanics of writing-the theories or rules if you choose to call them that. Themes supply a means of putting into practice these rules that must be learned. I can see rather plainly how much help they have been when occasionally I find and read one of my freshman, sophomore, or even junior themes. The climax to theme writing is, of course, the famous senior theme. References, cards, pencils, words, and ideas are the ingredientsg the final product is what the individual makes it. Almost everyone, by the time the theme is well started, has come to enjoy his subject so much that he takes real pride in what he finally produces. There is one phase of English that is indispensible for everyone, that is the phase called speaking. One is continually judged by his speech. A poor com- mand of English and hazily expressed thoughts are a fearful handicap. Someone once truly said that the mark of an educated person was the proper use of English. Moreover the ability to speak easily and to convey thoughts well gives one great possibilities of leadership. The primary purpose of English is to teach express- ion in the English language. Not all choose to ex- press themselves in the same way. That is the reason why the last semester of senior English is divided into so many parts. Some enjoy writing, there is a creat- ive writing class for their beneht. Others prefer dramatic expression and there are drama classes for them. Similarly there are classes in debate, oratory, speech fundamentals, and in contemporary literature. When I was confronted by these several electives, it was hard to choose among them, they all are vitally interesting. Now that my choice is made, I am dis- Mr. Bunnell's special class in delmting