Minnechaug Regional High School - Falcon Yearbook (Wilbraham, MA)

Page 9 text:

One more time everybody, Columbus sailed the ocean blue in fourteen hundred and ninety- two. class, making sure they don ' t take more than one major during the same block. For freshmen and new students espe- cially, arena can be a confusing and frightening experience. The locator cards are hard enough. In the end, Min- nechaug students may or may not get their first choice for a schedule. The student who is unhappy must remember that next year, things will be better. Minnechaug offers a wide variety of classes. Proposition 2Vz hasn ' t really di- minished this variety but only increased class size. Strong programs can be ob- tained in the Math and Science depart- ments as well as English, Social Studies and Foreign Language. The advanced classed in these areas involve indepen- dent reading in Engligh and Foreign Languages, college-level mathematics, long-term Science experiments and ac- tive student participation in history. Minnechaug graduates have scored well on standardized tests and a large Rush hour traffic in K-Hall will ease up when the next class starts. Lunch time gives students the opportunity to spend time with fri Mmm, that guy sure is good looking Were the pictures in the math book really that funny? New paperbacks provide easy free reading for students. percentage attend college immediately after high school. Minnechaug has an excellent reputation as a college-pre- paratory school and hopes to maintain their high standards. So much for the academic part of Minnechaug. The real fun comes with the extracurriculars. Athletics are a major part of after-school activities at our school. Minnechaug was lucky to have the space and the money to build tennis courts, a swimming pool, a track, two large gymnasiums and fields upon fields upon fields. The physical educa- tion classes emphasize lifetime sports like tennis, raquetball and fitness as well as the team sports like field hockey or soccer. (continued on page 6) Time, May 1983.

Page 8 text:

Minnechaug Scene Time For The Minnechaug Muffins We see this place almost every day. Each morning we stumble into home- room, sometimes late, more often asleep. We study here (supposedly) — we learn. One thing is for sure, the Wil- braham-Hampden Regional High School, Minnechaug, will have a lasting impression on our lives. Not many people know what Minne- chaug means. Most know that it ' s some Indian name. Minnechaug, berryland refers to the region ' s berry bushes which thrived despite devasting fires that swept through the area. The only organization, to my knowledge that uti- lizes this unique heritage is Project Blueberry, Blueberry referring to the definition of Minnechaug itself. I think that it could have been used more cleverly, perhaps as the school mascot. Could you imagine if Minnechaug teams were known as the Minnechaug Muffins. The possibilities are endless. Today ' s major portions of the school were not even included in Minne- chaug ' s original construction. H-Hall is Using a variety of laboratory equipment, Min- nechaug ' s science department is one of the best in the school. an addition, as well J, K, and M-Halls, the Media Center and the New Gym. Nowadays, with over a thousand stu- dents attending Minnechaug, it ' s hard to imagine fitting everyone in the school without those popular additions. Minnechaug has probably one of the best academic systems in Massachu- setts. Students can plan their own cur- riculum over the four-year span of high school. That is similar to the more ad- vanced college system of scheduling. What we call Arena is foreign to stu- dents from other schools not to mention the foreign students. What they know of scheduling is nothing more than a com- puter and an operator who punches in the correct sequence to make the sched- ule work. Here, students first select the courses that they hopefully will be taking start- ing the next fall. Faculty members must recommend prospective students for the proper level. This prevents many problems that could result in students overstepping their bounds in harder courses and understepping their bounds in easier ones. The next phrase of Arena involves the actual organization and composi- tion of the student ' s schedule. Everyone is sent a booklet that lists all the courses to be offered, the teachers and the blocks during the day. From this the student is expected to compile alternate schedules, if possible, using the course sign-ups as a guideline. Finally, students are required to come to school, before classes start, and decide upon the one schedule they will follow for the year. Cafeterias two and three are filled with tables representing each department of the school. Stu- dents obtain computer cards for each warn The eighty-member combined groups of the Minnechaug Wind Ensemble and Concert Band rehearse daily for their scheduled concerts. Most of the musicians have been playing for five to eight years, the majority starting lessons in grade school. The Media Center provides a healthy environ- ment for students to study, read, or relax. The typical Minnechaug student — hungry ; all times. Time, May 1983.

Page 10 text:

Minnechaug Scene (continued from page 5) Most Minnechaug students are aware of healthy types of exercise. It is mainly through the varsity and junior varsity sports that athletic goals are met. It is natural that some people are bet- ter athletes than others. At Minne- chaug true athletes are allowed to ex- pand to their fullest while the more average players learn and develop style and precision. Our reputation for athletes is well known in Western Massachusetts. We have had many winning seasons. Tro- phies fill our cases and jackets fill our halls. After the final bell rings at the end of the day, there is always some kind of athletic activity going on wheth- er it be running stairs with the ski team, swimming laps, lifting weights, having a Smile, school isn ' t that bad. football scrimmage or running the loop. The twin sister to athletics at Minne- chaug are the non-athletic extracurri- cular activities. You name it, we ' ve got it. All Minnechaug students have the opportunity to participate in the Model Congress, As Schools Match Wits team, Mathletes team, and Chess team. These are the athletes who compete with their minds instead of their mus- cles. Minnechaug ' s fine scholastic repu- These long halls can get pretty lonely sometimes. 1 -a. This looks like an interesting problem if I do say so myself. Ooo! Look at that little guy swimming around. I hope the bell rings before I fall asleep. tation is reflected through these. The Mathletes have monopolized the Math- ematics League while the Model Con- gress has been cited publically for their accomplishments. These teams require much of the same dedication and prac- tice that the athletic teams do. The par- ticipants are very enthusiastic and con- cerned about their seasons. Minnechaug also has active social or- ganizations. The Junior Classical League (JCL) is based on the study of Latin. JCL members study ancient times and mythology. They participate in the annual catapult contest and the Massachusetts Junior Classical League state convention. The International Club is focused about the foreign stu- dents who attend Minnechaug during the school year. Club members get to know the foreigners through activities planned to be educational as well as fun. If time were to stop today, how would Time, May 1983.