Morton High School - Top Hat Yearbook (Hammond, IN)

Page 29 text:

“Ye Olde Language” Through Recitation, Composition Speech and journalism are “extra” courses offered to Governors by the. English department; not required for graduation, they are electives taken by students interested in these fields as vocations or hobbies. First and second semester speech students study the various types of orations — such as extemporaneous speaking, “heckle” speeches, and after-dinner talks. A unit on parliament¬ ary procedure is also included in the course. Journalism students soon became familiar with the many sections of the daily news¬ paper. They leam to recognize feature stories and “yellow journalism.” “Datelines,” “mast¬ heads,” and “by-lines” quickly become com¬ monplace terms. Students taking journalism likewise try their hand at writing news stories and editorials. Most journalism students even¬ tually take positions on either publication. SPEECH STUDENTS, often called upon to give demonstra¬ tions, use varied props to help carry their points across. Ellen Hawking displays a top hat for emphasis. “PEEK-A-BOO,” Carla Frye seems to be saying as she clips a newspaper article for journalism class. Journalism students, required to cut out and study newspaper stories, at times must search through mountains of newsprint to find just the right article for class. 25

Page 28 text:

Governors Explore Mysteries ENGLISH LITERATURE students Eugene Misner, Judy Reeves, and Sherman Waring act out a scene from “A Man for All Seasons,” a play studied in Mrs. Moylan’s class. English, “ye olde language,” is studied for at least seven semesters by all Morton stu¬ dents before they graduate. Through the ex¬ ploration of our intricate language, Governors increase their ability to comprehend and ab¬ sorb the knowledge made available to them. Freshmen study basic grammar and com¬ position skills. They usually read, as a class, one novel per semester along with individual book reports each six weeks. Since this pro¬ gram of study is continued into the sophomore year, books such as David Copperfield, Ivan- hoe, and A Tale of Two Cities add to the store of literary knowledge of underclassmen. Semester courses in composition and American literature are taken by juniors at Morton. Comp. V teaches juniors to express themselves in clear, concise English. American Literature VI provides students with a work¬ able knowledge of the great American authors and their works. Some seniors take another full year of composition while others elect to divide their last year between composition and English literature. In this last semester of composition, “The Atlantic Monthly’ is a teaching aid. RESEARCH PAPERS present a great scholastic obstacle for junors in Composition V. George Bewley uses the library’s sources to begin work on a term paper for his class. HISTORY AND ADVENTURE come alive for freshmen English students through the pages of books. Dave Mustoe and Diane Burke discuss their latest literary “venture.”

Page 30 text:

SCHNELWITCHEN, better known as Snow White, is translated by Mr. Jordan’s third year German class while second year students work on class assignme nts. Governors Become Familiar With Other Countries Language study is an integral part of the curriculum at Morton. Through development of the linguistic arts, Governors gain a better understanding of the world around them. A detailed study of grammar and vo¬ cabulary enables German students to “de¬ cipher” stories, novels and fairy tales in Ger¬ man. In third year Geman, offered for the first time this year, students exercise their know¬ ledge of the language through translation and conversation, dictation and memorization. “Magister Ruff” (alias Mr. Ruff, Latin teacher) assigns daily drills in vocabulary and grammar. The “dead language” takes second year students back to ancient Rome, where they follow the adventures of two young boys, and also to the great battle fields where Caesar fought the Gallic Wars. “X” marks the spot where a Latin student must stand if his recitation cannot be heard. In the front of the room the soft-spoken stu¬ dent finishes his translation. A trip to “Si¬ beria”, the corner of the room, is the fate of the student who talks too much. MR. RUFF’S FAMOUS GRIN and “violin” sign confront Jerry Bogner as he receives the results of his Latin exam.