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

Page 109 text:

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

Page 108 text:

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.

Page 110 text:

t i ttii. iitLic:; tmmt 0) o 0) £L CO You can have a lot of great ideas, but if you can ' t communicate, the ideas aren ' t of any use, explained Doug Bryant on why students should become involved in Debate. It teaches you logical thinking; you learn how to make decisions while you ' re thinking and talking at the same time. These fast decisions helped the Debate team win honors in nine of the 10 competi- tions they attended. In their first meet, an area competition at Johnston High School, Linda Lindholm won third place in extemporaneous speak- ing. Next, in state-wide competition at LBJ H.S., Bryant advanced to semi-finals in ex- temp, speaking. Then, in another state-wide meet at San Antonio Churchill H.S., James Wright ad- vanced to finals, also in extemp. speaking. At still another state-wide meet at Austin H.S., Phil Manning won sixth overall in oration. Bryant won all four of his preliminaries and advanced to quarter- finals in Lincoln Douglas debates, and Carlos Contreras advanced to semi-finals in extemp. speaking. In an area meet at Belton H.S., Bryant won second overall in extemp. speaking and fifth overall in oratory. Yevette Clark advanced to semi-finals in extemp. speaking. At a meet at San Antonio Lee H.S., Bryant advanced to quarter-finals in Lin- coln Douglas debates and to semi-finals in oration. In district UIL competition, Bryant took first and Wright, second in persuasive speaking; Carol Cave won third, and Tanya Slayton, Jodie Rosell and Jimmy Penrod advanced to finals in informative speaking. We were the only school to have all six students make it to finals, boasted Bryant. In regional UIL competition, Bryant placed fifth in the region in persuasive speaking. The last competition of the year was a city-wide debate. Bryant was named Best Speaker of Austin in second year in a row. (Contrary to the 1981 Spur, Bryant, not Mark Board, was named Best Speaker last year as well.) We are probably the most active (academic) club at Reagan, commented Debate sponsor Ms. Gretchen Polnac, referring to the meets. But Ms. Polnac wanted it made clear that Debate was not all work: Students have the illusion that Debate is stuffy and high-brow. But we have lots of humor, she revealed. Jonathan Langham added, We take some cheap shots sometimes, but we let you have a couple of days here first. The difference between Speech and Debate was explained by Ms. Polnac: Speech is a basic speaking course; students learn to talk in front of groups. And, it ' s informative speech instead of competitive. Debate is persuasion: Students learn competitive speaking. They are usually more vocal than Speech students and are recognized as having analytical skills. You don ' t have as motivated students in Speech as in Debate. How does Ms. Polnac teach these classes? With Speech, she starts by mak ing people feel good about themselves. Then I teach them to branch outside themselves, and get up and talk for a little bit. As the semester passes, they stand up and talk for longer periods of time, ex- plained Ms. Polnac. With Debate, we spend two to three days preparing for an in-class debate, then two to three days debating, said Bryant. Why should students take Speech or Debate? Simple — according to humorist Carlos Contreras — It teaches you to talk goodly. Jotiit Roiell and Carol Cave prepare co debate the benefits of sex education at a meet at Austin High. (Left) Sup tng m Pon Ar mai after UIL speech com- petition in Corpus Chrisii in April, Ms. Gretchen Polna c lets Carol Cave convince her to take a splash in the waves. % Vr M Kith the style that beat his San An- tonio Lee opponent, Doug Bryant argues the benefits of genetic engineering research in Lin- coln Douglas debates at Austin H.S. (Below right): Ms. Gretchen Polnac, Speech teacher, helps San- dra Quintero with a speech in class. Regional Speech competitors James Wright. Phillip Manning flows ' Doug Bryant and Carol Cave take a ferry (takes notes on) his op- ride to Port Aransas. Paul Martinez came on the trip to Corpus Christi to compete in journalism. ponent ' s debate at Ausiir H.S.