Memphis University School - Owl Yearbook (Memphis, TN)

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90CIAL 9CIENCE OFFERS DIVERSITY The Department of History and the Social Sciences continued this year to educate students at all levels in fields ranging from world geography to international politics. Directing this department was Mr. Leigh AAacQueen, Academic Dean. AAr. MacQueen received his B.A. degree from Southwestern at Memphis, and his M.A. from Memphis State University. Other members of the department were Mr. Jerry Peters, B.A., Southwest- ern at Memphis; Mr. Robert Pettit, B.S., Memphis State University; Mr. L. Daniel, Jr., B.B.A., Uni- versity of Mississippi; and Mr. Thomas Powell, B.S., Memphis State University. Geography, taught by Mr. Daniel and Mr. Powell, was a required course for seventh graders. The pur- pose of the course was to show the relationship be- tween people and place, emphasizing how and to what extent man has adapted to or modified his environment. Mr. Peters taught American Government and His- tory, a required course for eighth graders. Students studied the concepts and structure of government at all levels, how it operates, and how its powers are distributed. Geo-Politics, taught by Mr. Pettit was offered to ninth graders. The students made a survey study of the nations of the world, excluding Europe and the United States, attempting to understand the govern- ment, politics, and ways of life in each nation studied. Two elective courses offered to upper form students were Economics, taught by Mr. Daniel, and Modern European History, taught by Mr. Pettit. The Economics course was highlighted by talks by numerous guest speakers, including a labor union leader, a broker, a mortgage banker, and a mutual fund representative. European History students studied history from the seventeenth century on, considering the political, so- cial, and economic aspects of that history. Mr. Pettit also conducted two elective courses- international Politics and Russian History. International Politics students discussed international relations and how they are affected by world events. The Russian History course emphasized history since 1900, espe- cially since the Bolshevik Revolution. Students studied the Soviet society under Communism, the principles of .Marx and of Lenin, and the position of the Soviet man in the world today. One of the most interesting and demanding courses in school was American History, taught by Mr. Mac- Queen to juniors and seniors. In addition to hearing class lectures, students drew maps, read several books, and often discussed national issues relating both to past and current events. The course involved study not only of historical events but also of the philosophies of various leaders from the War of the Revolution up through the New Deal. Advanced Placement American History was basi- cally the same course as the regular course, but there was much more reading required. The students often held informal and formal discussions and debates, and they wrote an intensive research paper, all di- rected toward preparing them for the AP exam in May. Mr. MacQueen also conducted an Independent Study course in recent American History. Students in this seminar-type course met once a week for several hours at Mr. MacQueen ' s home, where they discussed the Crash of 1929, the Depression, World War II, and the administrations from Truman through Kennedy, including current events. Students led the discussion, forming and expressing their opinions in order to reach some conclusion.

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Mr. Love— Lewis and Clark did not sail through the Florida Everglades. LZU A student ' s report captures the attention of Mr. Daniel. 20

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SCIENCES TAUGHT IN CLASSROOM AND LABS Science courses at AAUS this year, as in the past, emphasized extensive laboratory experimentation to stimulate stud ent interest and learning through in- dividual discovery. The Chairman of the Science Department was Mr. Robert F. Smith, v ho holds a B.A. degree from Michigan State University. Other teachers v ere: Mr. Rene Alberto Fuste, Mr. Charles L. Shurlds, and Mr. Thomas P. Powell. Mr. Fuste holds a B.S. degree from Baldor College, Havana, Cuba, and an A.E. de- gree from Havana University. Graduates of Mem- phis State University, Mr. Shurlds and Mr. Powell have B.S. degrees. Earth Science, taught by Mr. Powell, and General Science, taught by Mr. Shurlds, provided lower form students with a broad introduction to the sciences. Students in these courses gained a basic knowledge and understanding of the natural and man-made wonders of science. Physics-Chemistry, a required course for sopho- mores, presented a well-integrated survey of both physics and chemistry. The instructors, Mr. Smith, Mr. Fuste, and Mr. Shurlds, often performed experi- ments in front of the class, thus making sessions both interesting and enlightening. Physics-Chemistry was a valuable course to those students who intend to take further courses in the sciences as Juniors or Seniors. Chemistry and Physics offered studies in depth of both principles and concepts, their application, and their relevancy to the world of man. Taking advantage of the fine facilities at MUS, Messrs. Smith and Fuste had their students spending one-third of their weekly class time doing laboratory work, and some students spent extra time to work on indi- vidual projects. Classroom discussions and relevant films supplemented the lab work. Advanced placement courses in physics and chem- istry were offered, with students meeting in spe- cial sessions to discuss more advanced subjects and to perform more complex experiments. A. P. Chemis- try, taught by Mr. Smith, entailed around four hours of laboratory work per week. Lewis B. O ' Keiiy, a professor of Nuclear Physics and Electrodynamics at Memphis State University, was the instructor for Ad- vanced Placement Physics. Occasionally, the class used the facilities at Memphis State, once to observe radiation and polarized light phenomena. Both cours- es prepared students well for the Advanced Place- ment Exams and possible further advanced study in college. Mr. Fuste points out a student ' s error. 22