North High School - Polaris Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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ALBERT B. SCHULTZ Social Science VELMA M. SEDER English MAZIE SHANNON English MARYC. SHERIDAN History GERTRUDE SHEPARD English LAURA I. SHERMAN English EMMA E. SIEH1. Home Economics RUTH F.. SIMS Commercial CHARI.KS h. smart Science SARA J. STAMPE Assistant Librarian EI.OYDE. STOW ELI. Industrial Arts IIORACE B. STREET Mathematics AGNES E. SWENNES Home Economics ROY T. TENNEY Music IANEG. THICKINS Art BERTHA H. THORPE English FLOYD VALLEY Physical Education MARY L. NVALKUP librarian VERA J. WATTLES Language E. W. WESTMAN Commercial FLORENCE M. WESTON Mathematics BESSIE M. W1IITTIEK History M. B. Z1TTLEMAN Polaris Annual and Weekly Clerks: MABEL S. MILLER ALICE L. PRATT MARGARET RJTTEN ETHEL L. SANDBERG M. L. SIMONSON JOSEPH A. I E MARSH Chief Engineer i; • Faculty

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arc started right at the beginning and are taught fingering, proper posture, correct placement of the mouth on the instrument, and the essentials of note reading. They also learn the principles of the technique of the baton, so they may lead the class when they are called u| on to do so. The string class takes a beginner and teaches him to play the seemingly large anil cumbersome stringed instruments, such as the bass viol and the cello. After a term in this class, the pupils go directly into the school symphony in their respective sections. In the last five years, our orchestra has won two state championships and has been runner-up three times, losing first place by one point in each case. The band has won state championship in 1930 and 1932. The instrumental department believes that because these people are desirous of learning music, they should be given the best opportunity. The instruments in these classes are the ones used in the big orchestra and the big band, and arc school property. While they are not the finest that can be had, they are good, well-kept, standard instruments. There is no cost to the student except a twenty-five cent laboratory fee which the Board of Education recommends. This fee makes it | ossible for the department to maintain its musical library and keep its instruments in good playing order, as well as to furnish many services to those who own their own instruments, which services would not be available if the laboratory fee were not required. Those who play wind instruments, such as the clarinet, own their own mouthpieces Hi is practice safeguards the health of the students, as the instruments pass through many hands during the year. The question is often raised as to the cost of some of the subjects on the curriculum which are thought of as fads and frills. At the present time, the pupils who lake music every day in the instrumental department are given about 70,000 lessons per year, making the cost about three cents-a day per pupil. Many jxroplc have turned to music as a means of passing time with both cultural and financial profit. Therefore, the instrumental department is preparing students to play well, not because it wishes to turn out professional musicians, but because it feels that nothing gives enjoyment which is not thoroughly done, and while some educators think that it is not the function of the school to teach instrumental music too thoroughly because they do not believe in turning out professional musicians, yet it must be admitted that poor preparation never prixluccd proper appreciation of any subject, much less of a thing so beautiful and ethereal as music. Commencement speech of Grace Mengelkoch. THE COMMERCIAL COURSE One of the most practical of the many courses offered in North High School is the commercial course. The commercial department was first organized in 1904. Then the total enrollment was five students. They met in one small room, which had five typewriters in the rear and desks in the front for study. In this tiny room, the five toiled for four terms to learn the principles of shorthand, typewriting, and bookkeeping. Today, this department has an enrollment of over 800 students, who use 110 typewriters. The work embraces not only the origin of shorthand, typewriting, and book keeping, but also business conip: -sition anil office training. Its purpose is to give a thorough knowledge of business methods; the commercial graduate is fitted to go out and secure a position. He has gained a I'm TiiKti Mi rm.s pi, lured were made by the .irt detriment U»t lull. This exhibit displaved ut (be Women' Exposition in the Minneapolis auditorium during the winter. • te

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certain degree of self-confidence, for he knows he has something to offer an employer, something for which an employer will he glad to pay. If he goes on to a higher school, his knowledge of efficient methods of work and typing and stenography will help him. The office training classes do work to help the office and the various departments in the school by typing anti mimeographing tests and other papers. Without their help, our high school anthology could never have been published. Excerpt from commencement speech of Lorraine Miller. CREATIVE WRITING Because many students had shown marked ability in writing but had not had sufficient time in the regular English classes to develop their gift, a creative writing class was established in 1931 as a part of the regular curriculum. During the term, the students in this class take up the analysis and writing of short stories, essays, and poems. If a member shows a special skill for a particular kind of writing, he may devote much of his time to that, although he is urged to experiment in the other forms. The creative writing director does not guarantee to turn out literary geniuses, but she docs feel that the course enables the student to know his ability. He learns to appreciate the work involved in the short stories which seem so simple, anti in the poems which run so smoothly anil appear so spontaneous. One of the most important results of this course is the toleration of other people’s ideas. When a piece of work is completed, the author reads it before the class. If it does not seem quite concise or logical, encouraging and constructive criticisms arc made and changes are suggested. As a matter of fact, the students have become so efficient in analyzing original scripts that the Minneapolis Tribune asked the creative writing class at North High school as well as the classes of the other city high schools to assist in selecting the best entries to the children’s short story contest which it conducted. I wish there were time to read Shirley Draxton’s short story, “Lena,” which won first place in a city wide contest last year, or some of the short stories and essays which have been written by members of our own class. If you are interested in similar selections, I suggest that you read “Young Voices which is a collection of the best student work produced in either the English department or the creative writing classes. The student is given an opportunity to show his power of observation, lames Scott must certainly have seen a father greeting his small daughter or he could hardly have written so tender a poem as “Girl of Five. The most satisfying result of this course is the ability to express emotional reaction to life. Have you ever felt as Audrey Hanson did when she wrote “Dream Chest. “I shall take my dreams As I outgrow them And store them safe away In a strong chest. After many years I shall take them out And hold them filmy violet and rust gold Against the light of life’s experience And smile tenderly and say ‘Are these the dreams I put away? Excerpt from commencement speech of Lorraine Grande. Uucm Wui P ui t when the creatisc writing (hurt jrave their annual program in December. Bits of (Mctry, prose, short stories, jml essays were read. • m