North High School - Polaris Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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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

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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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Till RiotlREMi xrs of a good driver ami what he should understand about the mechanics of the automobile are the fundamentals taught in the auto shop classes. Studs NT in the office training classes are taught how to use dictaphones. ediphones, and mimeographing machines in addition to regular secretarial work. This Pictvri of the art class shows the seniors working on still life poses, in preparation for the composition of action jxiscs. 10 • Classrooms