La Salle Peru Township High School - Ell Ess Pe Yearbook (La Salle, IL)

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MATT!-IIESSEN MEMORIAL ENTRANCES ALUMNI WINDOW public speal4ing may at sometime in the Iuture be our statesmen. At that time they will be thanltful lor the opportunity that they had lor learning to pronunce each word clearly and distinctly. Besides languages, art, music, and dram- atics, La Salle-Peru I'Iigh otlers the students many technical courses. These are not only of value to them but are also a lot ol lun. Such subjects as art metal and worlc shop can be had now, and in the luture printing will also be available. Printing will probably stimulate Journalism, which may expand into various branches in this Field. Now only the problem ol writing and copy reading is studied, but in the future the malceup ol the paper, which the classes will put out, will be solved by the budding young journalist. Only a short time ago comparatively little was lcnown about science, but modern scientists have spent both time and money on experiments. Science, in all its branches, is a fascinating and interesting subject. Those who have thoughts of becoming doctors, nurses, chemists, chemical engineers, or of entering scientific research need the general background of science which can be ob- tained in school. Our laboratories are as complete as possible for a high school. Each year new improvements are made and more equipment added. Each year new and more students talce advantage ol the opportunities offered. For all subjects, reference boolcs are nec- essary. The Mccormaclc Memorial Library around which the school revolves supplies the wants ol all students and teachers. Books, periodicals, and pamphlets Fill the shelves ol this massive room. Willing librarians, and student assistants quiclcly and easily aid the the student in Finding the material desired. Interests outside ol studies are foremost in many minds-especially those with an athletic bent. Even those who do not par- ticularly care for sports look with awe and wonder on the grand, new cement stadium which furnishes seats for those who attend football games held in the bowl shaped Field. A new athletic Field is also being constructed with room for a traclc and other sports. ln addition to the athletic fields there are two gyms-the old, large one is used by the boys For baslcetball, volleyball, and other gymnastic exercises, while the smaller, new gym is used by the girls. This new gym is complete with loclcers and showers. Not only is this gym used by the girls lor their gym classes, but many high school social functions are held here. Thus as the progress of the new im- provements near completion, excitement and dreams lor the future reach the highest pealc.

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A NEW ERA Spreading before EII Pe is a new era. With the completion of the new building, the first of many dreams of those interested in the welfare of l.-P. was realized. Now the students are safe. There no longer is any need for the twelve-hundred students to cross Chartres Street every day at the end of each of the six periods. The condemned Old Main, which was a fire trap, is no longer used. The health hazard was some- what removed because now the students in going from class to class do not have to go outside in all kinds of weather. The class rooms are large, well-lighted rooms where the students may study and recite at ease. Those who dreamed of making l.-P. one of the greatest institutions in the state of lllinois can see their dream gradually unfold itself before them in reality. ln olden days a person was not considered cultured unless he knew French, German, or Latin besides his native language. The same opportunity presents itself before the modern student who has only to sign up for the language that he wishes to learn. NEW ENTRANCE-VESTIBULE NEW MAIN ENTRANCE Who is really educated unless he appre- ciates music and art? Classes at La Salle-Peru open to the students a new world of music and art which, as they learn to appreciate, will give much pleasure to them in this world. Stu- dents learn to discriminate between the valu- able pieces of art and thatwhich is cheap and tawdry. What makes a picture valuable? What makes one piece of music more pleasing to the ear than another? Few really know the answer, and yet everyone should. This doesn't mean that everyone should be an artist or a musician, because this would be an impossibility, but everyone should learn to distinguish and appreciate great works of art and music. From time immemorial people have tried to express their opinions and amuse their companions by the use of the stage. A new era of acting, public speaking, and stage make-up can now be presented to the student because of the new building. A small com- pact stage in the dramatics room makes pos- sible the dreams of many students who hope that some day their names may be in lights. Besides this smaller stage is'the Mattheissen Memorial Auditorium stage which is the pride not only of all students but also of all citizens of the tri-cities. Those who take

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Located in the center of the high school is the McCormack Memorial Library. This contains about nine thousand volumes, one hundred fifty bound volume magazines, and eighthundred unbound copies. Source books, texts, and reference books are numerous. There is a large section of fiction. The Dewey system of classification is in use here, and books are accordingly sectioned. On either side of the library itself are small conference rooms, five in all, which are set aside for special and group study. One isthe office of the librarian, next to it is the work- room. Another is the room for periodicals. The staff of librarians, headed by Miss Maysel Baker,and including Miss Helen Lenski and Miss Elizabeth Cummings, are capable and efficient. By taking advantage of the efficiency of the librarians and the value of the material to be found here, every student is given a splendid opportunity of acquiring knowledge easily, readily, and pleasantly. The East and West corridor of the new wing is lined with olive green lockers on the north side. The wall space above is hung with pictures. The kitchen and the lunchroom also occupy this side of the hall. Triple doors lead out into a brick-walled vestibule which is lined with bas-relief on either side. Doors lead into the cafeteria-study-hall. A second set of triple doors open into a vestibule in which is found the dedicatory plaque. Cross- ing the colorful hall with its bright blue ceil- ing, cream-colored walls and brown and blue floor, one reaches the library, which with its conference rooms occupies an entire side. Glass display cases in which the exhibits ill- ustrate the relationship of the library to the various departments of study, are found on either side of the library entrance.