Mechanic Arts High School - Artisan Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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20 THE ARTISAN SCIENCE DEPARTMENT When you thought of coming to Mechanic Arts High School and you had read the statement of its aims, you probably noticed that the school did not promise to teach you a trade, but rather to give you the general high school subjects, with much science, shop-work, and drawing in addition. That general aim is shared by those of us who teach in the Science Department. We do not expect to make expert engineers and chemists of you, or, going to the other extreme, to entertain you with merely the more spectacular applications of the sub- ject. VVe hope to teach you the basic principles, to interest you in the application of those principles in modern life and, above all, to train you to think clearly. In connnon with all ninth grades in the city, our first year work, General Science, really completes the science work of the Junior High School. Portions of several sciences are studied in the process of helping you to understand the world in which you live, to realize the importance of science in daily life, to keep your bodily health and efficiency, and to learn something of the real meaning of science. Having taken this broad general view, you are now ready to study a special science. Physics is the one chosen, to be followed later by Chemistry, for we believe that these funda- mental sciences can be well taught with our equipment and are the ones necessary for any future progress in other sciences or in engineering. It is possible for us to devote two years to the study of Physics. The course in Photography is concerned with Light and its applications in the taking and finishing of pictures. In the automobile course, Mechanics is tl1e branch of Physics most often referred to for explanations of the operation of the car, though Heat and Electricity also play an important part. When you come to the third year, we expect you to com- plete the work in Mechanics and to take more work in Heat, Sound, and Electricity. ln the future we hope to finish the work in Physics earlier in the year and to begin a study of Chemistry in the third year. It may also be possible to strengthen our work in Electricity so that during the fourth year, boys who wish to do so may make more rapid progress in direct current

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THE ARTISAN 19 DEPARTMENTS SEQWWWWWWWWWW ENGLISH DEPARTMENT A boy who is eager to improve his English may well begin with a daily drill in sentence building. He should welcome every opportunity to write, to give talks, to take part in recita- tions, and to have a share in conversations with care.ful speakers. He will try to choose his words so skillfully that what he says will he accurate and convincing. He can attord to give as much attention to the preparation of a three-minute talk to his class- mates as the President of the United States would give to a radio talk to millions. By reading his compositions aloud and by revising them tirelessly he will go far toward making them say exactly what he wishes them to say. He will not hesitate to rewrite a letter two or three times if the rewriting will make the letter clearer or more forcible. A high school boy should consider no day complete without a few minutes in the company of an excellent book. Every stu- dent worthy of the name is willing to use the dictionary, en- cyclopedia, and other works of reference in order to understand an author wl1o has said something worth while. Every all-round hoy craves also less difficult reading, which gives him pleasure and at the same time satisfaction. One of the aims of the English teacher is to assist boys in discovering and judging books so that they may always have at hand an abundance of enjoyable reading. After all, as the years roll along, nothing will ever take the place of a real book-one in which a competent author gives his best. We all need some recreation every day, and a companion of this sort is invaluable in refreshing a hard- working man and in filling hours of leisure. CHAnLns L. TIANSON.

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THE AQRTISAN 21 and be qualified for work with alternating currents. Our new electrical laboratory makes possible much advanced experimental work which we have not been able to do in the past. In the fourth year lflngineering, we try to give you in Elec- tricity, Strength of lilaterials, and Steam, a slight acquaintance with the subject matter of these branches of knowledge. For those of you who continue your education in technical schools, this serves as a helpful introduction to advanced work. Uur new Chemical Laboratory otfers ideal working condi- tions for our present courses in college preparatory chemistry and general chemistry. In the future we hope to have a second laboratory for industrial chemistry. The more of the funda- mentals of physics and chemistry we can teach in the second and third years, the more time we shall have for special work in the fourth year. All the foregoing assumes that you will stay with us for four years. VVhat are we doing for tl1e boy who leaves school during the course? Even in this case we think we have done our best for him in giving him scienttie habits of thinking and living. To quote a recent publication: The industries and arts are not particularly anxious to employ great numbers of ready- made experts. They prefer to take people who have learned to think clearly along basic principles and to give them the limited technical training needed while they are on the pro- bationary period of their employment. Jnins W. DYSON. -.., . 1. , MODERN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT The foreign languages that are taught in this school are French and German. The courses are organized largely with the objective in view of preparing young men to pass the exam- inations of the College Entrance Examination Board. Some time is also given to oral work in foreign languages. French may be taken three times a weekh during the second, third. and fourth years, by the pupils of Course B. The members of Course H may take German four times a week in the third year, and five times a week during the fourth year. ARTHVR R. Rfxclxn.