Joliet Junior College - Shield Yearbook (Joliet, IL)

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Home Economics In the Department of Home Economics a four year course is offered for those who wish it. The aim of those instructing in this department is to lead the girls toward certain ideals which center about the fact than an ideal home is not an accident, but is created from the co-operation of the different members of the family, each taking his division of labor and responsibility and doing efficiently those things which fall to his lot to do — and the fact that for most girls home-making is at some time or other some part of her work if not the main part. With this in view, the hope of those concerned is that the girls may be brought to see that home-mak- ing includes much more than proficiency in only two phases of the work in a home, that of garment construction and meal preparation, each for its own sake. The girls begin to appreciate that be- sides learning to cook they must know much about food stuffs, their source, how 1 to buy them, how to prepare them and why, not merely for pleasing the family tastes, but for the sake of maintaining the family health. From an interest in clothing themselves the girls become interested in clothing the family. To do this efficiently they must know something of the various textiles and how to buy them wisely. They must also know when to make their own clothes, when to buy them ready-made and when to have them made. Attached to the question of economy in clothing are the problems of artistic choice, good taste and personal hygiene. Eventually the girls are led to understand that one needs not only to know how to feed and clothe the family, but how to plan, equip, and decorate a house that it may become a comfortable and beauti- ful home and how to plan the distribution of the income that the family may attain its greatest possi- ble development under the existing circumstances. The girls learn to know that they do not need wealth to make a home, but they must look upon home-making as a business to which they must go with enthusiasm and for which they must prepare if they would be successful. Mathematics In the department of mathematics three and one- half years of work are offered in the High School with an additional two years ' work in the Junior College. The high school courses include one year of com- mercial arithmetic, one year of elementary algebra, a year of plane geometry, a half year of advanced algebra, a half year of solid geometry, and a half year of trigonometry. The Junior College offers courses in algebra, trigonometry, analytic geometry, and a full year of calculus. In the Junior College department of engineering a semester each of general engineer- ing, di wing and descriptive geometry, a year of surveying, one semester of theoretical and applied mechanics and a one-hour course in the theory and use of the slide-rule are offered. It is thus possible for U:e student to secure six years of training in mathematics and engineering in the High School Mid Junior College enabling him to enter the larger universities as a Junior in these subjects. This means that many students who are unable to spend four years away from home are now able to secure university degrees with only two additional years beyond their graduation from the Joliet Junior Col- lege. Social Studies The Social Studies department is composed of the subjects that formerly were given under the heading of History, Economics, Civics, and So- ciology. This department was re-organized in 1914, and today the following subjects are required of all students ; in the Freshman year, Tuesday and Thursday Occupations ; in the Sophomore year, Monday, Wednesday and Friday Civics ; in the Junior year, five times a week a course in World Survey of History, and in the Senior year five times a week, the first semester Ameri- can History and in the second semester, either Economics or Sociology. Beginning in Septem- ber, 1922, the course given the last semester of the Senior year will be changed to a course called Social Economics, which is a combination of both Economics and Sociology. This outline of the Social Studies curriculum takes the student as a Freshman, gives him in- struction in the various vocations in order to help him to a clearer understanding in the choice of his future occupation. Then in his So phomore year he studies American government beginning with local government of his own community, culminating in the study of the State and Nation- al government. As a Junior the student receives a year ' s survey of the development of civilization and the problems that face the world today. As a Senior he devotes his time to the history of our own nation and to understanding the economic and social problems that face us as a nation. The aims of the Social Studies department are three fold ; first, To teach a liking for the sub- ject; second, To teach a skeleton knowledge of the subject ; third, To impart the knowledge of where to find information on any subject. The department feels that when a student has com- pleted these courses, he has a strong foundation in the field of Social Studies. Physical Education for Boys The field of physical education is to assist in improving human nature. The department should be concerned with phy- sical training from the stand point of hygiene, correction of defects, recreation and education. If emphasis is placed upon the last named value and the right methods of training are used, then the hygienic, corrective and recreative benefits arc obtained at the same time. In other words the purpose of physical training should be to de- velop the inborn trait of cooperation ; to con- Page Ten

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HIGH SCHOOL 1922 Like a sturdy youth who grows so fast that his clothes are unable to keep up with him, the English Department overflows into all nooks and corners of the building, but like the same youth it wastes no tisne lamenting its lack of frills, for it is chiefly concerned with a healthy and substantial develop- ment. Foreign Languages Foreign language study aims might be said to be two-fold, pleasurable and practical, were it not that what is worthily pleasurable is, in the high- est sense, practical. In Joliet schools foreign language study opens gates into pleasant pastures of joyous compre- hension of some of the world ' s best literature. It assists in giving proper historical perspective necessary for present day problems. For this a working knowledge of the particular language studied is necessary. The first year work is therefore devoted largely to the devel- opment of power. The tools of language such as vocabulary and a minimum amount of gram- mar are given. The student is taught how to find his way in this, to him hitherto uncharted . field of expression, oral and written. In the muJern languages oral work is emphasized through direct method class room work. Later more attention is paid to the thought con- tent. The student becomes more aware of the author ' s message as expressed on the printed page. He gained in ability to use the power ac- quired in the previous classes. It is not always the amount of foreign language possessed at the close of a course that measures its value. It is not easy to determine progress by content. There must be content, but the power gained may be so great as to overshadow this in value to the stud- ent. The power may be an interest paying in- vestment in which the interest is frequently com- pound. The student who has by patient exacting work acquired the use of a foreign language, has at the same time learned more of his own language and literature. He has done this by the neces- sary comparisons and contrasts drawn in the class room. Over five hundred students in the Joliet Schools are now taking advantage of the opportunity to broaden their thought by means of foreign lan- guage study. I ' aare Nine

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trol the spirit of rivalry and the instincts of fear and anger; to overcome shyness, display, envy, jealousy and greed ; to supplant bullying by kindness, submissiveness by aggressiveness; to train boys to perform simple physical activi- ties, to be mentally alert to carry on in spite of punishment. With this viewpoint in mind it is the intention of the department of physical education for boys, in the Joliet Township High School, first : — to carry on a system of physical measurements for the discovery of defects and to give opportunity for correction by proper exercise ; second : — to provide exercise for the fundamental muscle groups in order that the bodies may be kept at a high level of efficiency and that good posture may be maintained; third: — to provide athletic activities, (a) in the form of highly developed teams representing the school in interschool com- petition thereby creating a spirit of cooperation, developing school spirit and loyalty, and creating a wholesome interest in physical activities ; (b) in the form of activities which will, so far as possible, give every boy a chance to take part, so that each will learn to enjoy some physical activity which he will desire to keep up after school and college period is past ; fourth : — to provide physical efficiency tests, which will give definite data as to progress. Handicapped by lack of space and facilities, the program has not been carried out to the satis- faction of the department, but with the comple- tion of the new building unit it will be possible to more nearly achieve our purpose in the future. Physical Education for Girls The department of Physical Education for Girls is one of the largest and one of the least known departments of the school. From the simple beginning of Freshmen, only twice a week and a part time teacher, the department has rapidly expanded until all the girls in school have two fifty minute periods each week and two teachers are required. But this large expansion in numbers has not been paralleled by increased gymnasium space, so now the work is seriously handicapped by lack of room. Eventually, each girl, when entering school, will be given a physical examination to deter- mine her fitness for work and to enable the de- partment of Physical Education to properly di- rect her activities. The class work will consist of formal gymnastics, simple aesthetic and folk dances and games. At present, the emphasis is laid on games out of doors during gym periods be- cause the gymnasium space is so limited that ef- fective inside work is out of the question. In addition to the work generally known as gymnastics, the girls receive instruction in general hygiene, rules of right living, proper eating, care of the feet and related subjects. Athletics also, receive its share of attention. There are trained teams in soccer, basket ball and base ball and exciting interclass tournaments in these activities. We are members of the Illinois State League of High School Girls ' Athletic Associations. This league awards honors — pins and emblems — to girls who have earned sufficient points through par- ticipation in athletics to entitle them to receive these honors. Each summer, there are League camps for the districts in the state and the girls may attend the camp in their district for a week, for a very reasonable expenditure. Last year, the Northern district held its camp at Pistakee Lake. A number of girls and two teach- ers from the Physical Education department at- tended and found it so much worth while, the plans are already being made to attend again this year. Manual Arts It seems fitting in so large a school as this that a course in manual arts is provided. Here a student with mechanical ability has an op- portunity to exercise his talents and find great pleasure in doing his work. In cabinet making and wood turning the student has an opportunity to familiarize himself with the ordinary woodworking tools as applied to construc- tion of useful articles for the home and school. The course in pattern making aims to give the student a working knowledge of correct construc- tion of patterns of various types. All the work in this department correlates with mechanical drawing which puts into precise language the mathematics and the theory of a problem in construction so that it may be produced rapidly, economically, and without mistake or haphazard cut- ting, fitting and trying. With the completion of the new annex to our high school the student will gain a much broader vision by the introduction of metal working courses. Science In 1900 when the Joliet High School of about six hundred students was organized in its present building, the faculty included three teachers of science. Seventeen teachers are now employed in its department of science. It has been the policy of this department from the first to contribute as concretely and as directly as possible, with the facilities within its reach, to the industrial as well as to the educational welfare of this community. With this object in view, special advanced courses, particularly in physics and chem- istry, established soon after 1900 and still maintained, have furnished to many of our young people the op- portunity to enter at once after leaving high school into responsible and remunerative positions in indus- try, both in our own and adjoining cities. These same advanced courses in the sciences formed the nucleus that developed later into our present Junior College. The recent introduction of industrial courses into the high school curriculum gives to this department Page Eleven