Mendota High School - Atodnem Yearbook (Mendota, IL)

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0 THESE sights and sounds are familiar to every student at MHS . . . . the mowing of grass . . . . the clicking ot silverware and dishes in the kitchen .... the long and short bells .... the cooks tilling plates for hungry students .... the sweeping ot floors Call the mess that pop corn madel Every day, students tail to do their assignments. What a turmoil MHS would be in it the cooks, custodians, and bus drivers tailed to do their assignments. COOKS L. Kehm, M. Truckenbrod CUSTODIANS C. Cross, G. Miller, S. Miller BUS DRIVERS I. Rollins, E. Iecmguenut, M. Skaggs, E. Brown. R. Robeson, I. Boisdorf, C. L. Davis. Nat pictured: C. Wills, E. Sondgeroth, I. Schmidt Hgh JJMJ WIA, Q,-A

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f' 173-f Ji T could take this subject because no projects were needed. 9 MR. GEHLER showed the boys how to make good use of a hammer and some nails. ln the shop classes they learned to build all sorts of things, and they also built the scenery for the junior and senior class plays. They always helped in making the decorations for activities held at the school. 9 MR. WEDEMEYER assists the artistic stu- dents in mechanical drawing and art. Mechan- ical drawing is more technical and is a step towards the field of drafting while art is more fun and helps to bring out one's ability. Mr. Wedemeyer's classes also helped to paint the scenery for the class plays. 9 A NEVV CLASS in the music department this year was the general music class instructed by Mr. Schlick. ln this class they learned the history, and all the details that have to do with the reading and writing of music. This may be the beginning for some of our great composers of the future. 9 DO YOU KNOW why none of the cars have dented fenders lately? The credit belongs to the drivers' training class. Mr. Rollins teaches the students the background for becoming a good driver. Then he lets them put their knowledge to good use by driving the special car furnished by the Ford dealer in Mendota. Mr. Rollins also has charge of the diversified occupations course. 9 COACH LEWIS was the instructor of the boys rough and tumble gym classes. The classes consisted of varied activities such as basketball, football, baseball, volleyball, tum- bling, wrestling, and a few laps around the gym if you get in trouble. One of the boys' classes was held with the girls and they played against them until the girls started beating them too much. Now it is considered two different classes. The girls' physical education classes led by Mrs. Brent survived another year by start- ing with hockey and baseball in the fall and then continuing on through the winter and spring with basketball, volleyball, dancing, baseball and a few calisthenics sprinkled here and there. Hockey left the girls with bruises and swollen shins, but they were soon forgotten when the floor burns from basketball took their place. One day a week the junior and senior girls were taught the fundamentals of home nursing by Miss Pope in Red Cross. jane, the patient, was poked, shoved, jerked, and pulled from one side of the bed to the other while the girls learned how to handle a patient in bed. The girls and the patient lived through it though, and Miss Pope revived to teach an- other year.

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FRESHMAN CLASS OFFICERS L. Schcxller, Vice-pres. G. Gillette, Sec.-Trecxs. - P. Booth, Pres. Ot I9 4 l H. e czmgifioufi 0 THE GAlLY painted halls this year were simply crammed with the new faces of freshmen-not bad look- ing either! But they didn't have the usual bewildered look on their faces, as we had expected. There was some- thing strangely peculiar about their behavior. They seemed to know where they were going .... and they wentl The reason .... Freshman Orientation Day, the day previous to the beginning of school when the student council introduced them to their teachers and showed them around the building Cwith the aid of maps, natur- allyl. There were so many freshmen that it seemed to take just ages to count to lll, the grand total. Then, in the middle of the year, two ,new students were added to this list: Mary Lou Collins, DeKalb High School, DeKalb, Illinois, and lohn Rhea, Alpena High School, Alpena, Michigan. These freshies were quick to become a part of high school life. As soon as they were well acquainted with each other, they elected class officers. Peggy Booth was elected president, Leonard Schaller, vice-presidentg and Gale Gillette, secretary-treasurer. Madra Montagnoli, Elaine Larson, Walter Klinge, and Lynn Truckenbrod took their places in student council along with the more experienced members from the other classes. lt didn't take long, however, for these leaders to demonstrate that they were definitely not the bashful type. The entrance of the Class of '54 into the social atmos- phere of the school came on October 27, the date of the homecoming. They chose Madra Montagnoli and Walter Klinge as their attendants to the senior king and queen. They also experienced, for the first time, the making of a float to represent their class in the homecoming parade. The freshmen had their own football and basketball teams. 'The Trojettes had very successful seasons in both sports. Several freshmen played on the lay-Tees, which won the conference title in football for the third straight year. Their basketball team stacked up a high percentage of wins also. lohn McKenzie, their very able team manager, always seemed. to be on hand when needed. Sharon Biers was chosen a Frosh-Soph cheerleader, and did an outstanding job of cheering the teams on. Her flips and graceful cartwheels added a lively touch to the cheers.