John H Reagan High School - Spur Yearbook (Austin, TX)

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O ' t ' m§! WQ Q W o o 15 T3 CO O 35 How did the Physical Education depart- ment react to criticism this year that Reagan was too sports-oriented? Modestly We have many fine programs here that are rightfully emphasized: our Fine Arts, our vocational programs — let ' s not forget to include our student body, teaching staff and administration. Everybody at Reagan makes Reagan what it is, theorized Coach Jean Collard, Reagan girls PE department chairman. So why was Reagan known for its sports? I didn ' t know Reagan was known just for sports, protested Coach Collard. The girls PE department ' s average class enrollment this year was 22-28 students. Coach Collard explained why class enroll- ment w as low er than last year: Offerings that are particularly appeal- ing to girls have been cut to a minimum, due to a decrease in staff. Also, the adding of athletics for ninth-grade girls has cut out some (enrolled in regular PE classes). We would like to offer aerobic dancing again, or something similar to jazzercise or modern dance, but the limit in staffing is holding us back somewhat. The limit in spacing also held the girls PE department back somewhat this year, admitted Coach Collard. Our office area is inadequate; we are short of storage for PE equipment, as well as athletic equipment. On days when the weather is bad, some classes must use a hallway, the dressing room, or the cafeteria. The department area was built and designed for PE — not including athletics for girls, explained Coach Collard. Despite the lack of staff area and facilities, the girls PE department did manage to teach students about certain sports activities. We just try to give all our students background on the activity and the impor- tance of being active, and concentrating on keeping the body fit for all activity, said Coach Collard. Boys idetitify with PE classes Softball, basketball, baseball — ail- American sports played by all American males, or at least the majority of American males, according to Reagan PE Coach Pat Pennington. Most guys like the softball basket- ball football class. They can identify with it and it holds their interest. Plus, people tend to enjoy what they do well, he said. However, the boys PE department wasn ' t all fun and games (pardon the pun) this year. Like the girls, the boys had the problem of a lack of facilities. This has really bugged me, complained Coach Pennington. In the past five years, they have added girls varsity basketball, boys soccer, mixed soccer, wrestling, gymnastics, girls volleyball . . . yet we haven ' t been given one additional facility. And I understand why the girls gripe because they don ' t have equal facilities; but because we (boys) do have better facilities, we are the bad guys. Maybe if we gripe loud enough something will be done. It ' s just that everything added is crowding an already crowded situation. Though I do need to point out, he continued, that we have super teachers that work with the situation very well. It ' s really a give-and-take situation. All in all, we do a really good job. This year, the boys PE department had an average 30 students per class, an in- crease over past years. We have fewer (PE) teachers now, ex- plained Coach Pennington. They ' re all be- ing given two Math classes, or two Social Studies classes, or two English classes. Consequently, there are more students per teacher or per class. How did Coach Pennington react to ac- cusations that Reagan was too sports-oriented? We work mighty hard to be successful at athletics. I think it ' s great that Reagan is known for its sports. But Reagan has so much more. It has a great band, a great Double R team, a great choral section. But these aren ' t in the public eye as much. Reagan ' s sports are very successful ... I feel very proud. During the preseason. JV basketball player Carol Havard gels coaching on her dribbling from ' Coach Muddy Moxley. Hoping that the skills she learns will help her at iryouis. Volanda Jones practices in the Double R class. ■ Senior Bobby Cloud learns jusi how hard girls ' gymnastics are as he tries out the uneven bars.

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Social Studies depanment chairman Travis Greenwood goes over a Government worksheet before having it run off on the duplicator. (Left) Police officer Alvaro Hernandez frisks suspect John Zamarripa in Mrs. Wrights Street Law class. (Above left) .Mr. Frank McDonaU shows Susan Conway her grades for the six weeks in World History. (Above) In Street Law class, Mrs. Earlene Wright goes over criminal and civil rules and regula- tions with the class. CO o CO c Q. CD CO 103

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Genoveve Flores gets instructions on the proper way to hold a tennis racket in Coach Collard ' s class. CO O Q- C O 03 o