Memorial High School - Talon Yearbook (Joplin, MO)

Page 58 text:

wsu W x ,E gi? xx 'R 5

Page 57 text:

M uni ROTC, driver's education . . . Cadets were asked: what is gained in ROTC? Our program teaches a person self-discipline, and gives that person a sense of leadership and certain responsibility fsenior boyl. ROTC is very beneficial to the person wanting to learn about military operations because it has vari- ous courses within itself fjunior boyl. The self-satisfaction of being promoted for doing a good job in a nine weeks period fjunior boyl. lf ROTC were required, would the corps benefit? No, we realize not everybody would strive for the betterment of the corps tsophomore boyl. No, because not everyone makes a good cadet. A poor cadet equals a poor corps fsenior boyl. Subject material of ROTC classes included first aid, map reading, leadership, drill, tactics and new developments. An innovation this year was installation of assistant instructors to work with freshman cadets. Patience, caution and a quick foot were necessary to a driving instructor who stated, The greatest problem lies with the attitude of each student, his driving experience and his reac+ tion to any possible critical situation. When confronted with this nation's tremendous traffic problems, students gave varied opinions. The only safe place on the roads of today is where there are safe drivers tsophomore girll. Its a lot more dangerous and confusing than in- dicated onthe road maps fjunior boyl. Too many cars, not enough roads lsophomore girll. Some voiced solutions: Problems could be re- duced by more public transportation, city buses and subways tjunior girllg License requirements should be stiffened and drinking drivers should be punished more severly more often tsenior girll. What about on-the-road time? I think 20 minutes of driving in a week doesn't give us sufficient experience lsophomore boyl. It scares me to death fjunior girll. So many kids learn to drive-carelessly-cub side of classes like this. Driver's education should be required. The instructor helped me improve in ways l would never have thought of tjunior girll. Equipment used included 1970 automobiles tFord, Chevrolet, Pontiacl, brake reactor and an eye testing unit. Regular classes emphasized attitude develop- ment in relationship to use of an automobile through- out a lifetime of driving.

Page 59 text:

. 532' :QQ la-I-.4 Physical fitness . . . Two coaches and three women physical education teachers instructed five gym classes of boys and girls, plus a six weeks course of health for each grade. Students held varying views on health class ranging from Helps you understand the workings of the body ljunior girly, lt teaches you first aid lfreshman boyj to Noah lived 300 years and he didn't take health lfresh- man girll. A coach stated, It gives basic facts concern- ing personal hygiene. However, a girls' gym teacher said, Health tries the patience of students, teachers, and God!! t Teachers stated their ideas on improvements they would like to see in Memorial's gym facilities. A class- room somewhere in the gym for health . . . I think we have excellent facilities and equipment, but no place to use them . . . Enlarge our outside area . . . With a girls' gym we could really build a great athletic departmentg men aren't the only athletes in the world, although they'd like to be. Hallelujah , Great were the most common ex- pressions of students when they found out there would be no physical fitness tests this year. Instructors explained why the test was not administered: Main reason is that students don't really try-therefore making the physical fitness test invalid . . . Lack of interest of the students . . . In all the years I have given the tests I have never known how my students compared to other classes in town or the national average. lt takes many weeks out of the year which could be used for activities that would be more interesting to students and teachers alike. We discussed this with our athletic director before school started and decided not to give them. There was no consensus concerning the most en- joyable part of gym class. Boys voted for bombardment and basketball, with one vote going to showers . Girls favored volleyball, basketball, and the last five minutes of gym class. WHILE GIRLS enjoyed kickball ltop rightj, boys worked strenuously to build their muscles llop leftl. Shelly Oliver lbotlom Ieftj tum- bled down the mat, Gerri Miller Ibottom rightl ran the hurdles.