Murphy High School - Mohian Yearbook (Mobile, AL)

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19-TH E M O H I A N-33 i Duffee; Hcustis; Jones. B. A.: Manning. B. A.: Kichards. B. A. Rcthneb; B. S.: Shepard. B. A.: Spradlin. B. S.: Tail. B. A.; Venman. B. A. The Language Department The Latin department has three full time teachers: Misses Duffee, Heustis, and Tait, with Miss Richards assisting with two classes. The Latin work is intended to cooperate with English, by enlarging its vocabulary, by tracing the relationship be- tween Latin and English words, and by stressing technical English grammar; with History, by furnishing a background of Roman life, literature, and military achieve- ments; with the Art department by its architecture, sculptures, road and bridge building. But perhaps the greatest claim that Latin has for recognition in the modern curriculm is its cultural motive to add to the practical and commercial side of edu- cation and a subject which may lead to a purely intellectual pleasure or satisfaction— “Art for art’s sake.” Four years of Spanish are offered. The first two years are devoted to the study of Spanish and Spanish-American customs and to practice in understanding and expressing thought in the language. In the third and fourth years Spanish literature is studied. Interest in the language is maintained by the reading ol Spanish newspapers and magazines by correspondence with students in Spanish- speaking countries and by participation in the programs of “El Club Hispanoameri- cano.” Three years of instruction are offered here in French. In the first year grammar is stressed along with the reading of simple stories. In the second year grammar is continued but more emphasis is placed on the reading of a four act play and an historical novel. The third year offers principally reading of books and plays together with French conversation and composition based on the texts. PAGE 23

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19-TH E MOHIAN-33 Ward. M. A.: Hotair; Gresham: Houser; Hubbard. B. S.; Moratrue» Nixon. H. S.; Kandlette. Ph. H.; Smith, B. S; Snyder. B. S.: Sowell. B. S.; Stookey. It. S., B. M. Industrial and Fine Arts Department Industrial Arts Education includes Woodworking, Metalworking, Machine Shop, Auto Mechanics, Printing, Mechanical Drawing, Machine Drawing, and Architectural Drawing. The purpose of these courses are: To give experiences and information which will contribute to the general education of the individual; to give an outlet for creative impulses and to add an interest and incentive for attending school; to develop an appreciation of work and workmanship from both the viewpoint of the worker and the consumer; to develop some degree of skill in using tools; to give incidental vocational guidance. For the most part, these aims are taught through the making of useful projects which may be taken home by the pupil. Vocational education in Murphy High School is represented by only one course, that of Auto Mechanics. The purpose of this course is to teach a trade to those boys who have definitely decided to abandon the regular high school subjects and to prepare them- selves to earn a living at a trade. The boys spend one-half their time in actual Auto- mobile work and one-half their time in work related to the subject. When the boys complete the two year course they are given a certificate enabling them to enter the trade as an advanced apprentice. Art education in Murphy High School has as its aims and general objectives the following: To engender a love of beauty; to de- velop good taste; to enrich life and train for leisure; to gratify the desire to create; to encourage talent. These aims are taught through actual experiences and observa- tions given in the following courses: Freehand Drawing, Advanced Freehand Draw- ing, Commercial Art, and Applied Art. PAGE 22

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19-THE MOHIAN-33 Sc later: Brown. B. A.: Cox. B. A.: DoukIah, B. Ed.. B. S.; Moon. B. A. Murphy. B. A.; d’Ornella . B. A.: Pillanii. U. S. M. A.; Vautthan. B. A. The Mathematics Department The Mathematics department of Murphy high school consists of fourteen teach- ers and about five-hundred pupils in arithmetic and 1000 in the other branches of mathematics. These branches include two years of algebra, one and one-half years of geometry, one-half year of trigonometry and one year of arithmetic. Although mathematics is not required for graduation it is taken by nearly every student for at least one year while the ones that are going to college take two years or more. This course is as extensive as given in any high school in the country, except technical high schools and a student who takes four years of mathematics can enter any school without an examination in mathematics except, the highest technical schools such as Annapolis, West Point, and Massachusetts School of Technology. The aim of the department is well described in the Report on the Reorganization of Mathematics in Secondary Education: “The primary purpose of the teaching of mathematics should be to develop those powers of understanding and of analyizing relations of quantity and of space which are necessary to an appreciation of the progress of civilization in its various aspects, and to develop those habits of thought and of action which will make these powers effective in the life of the individual. PAGE 24