Northwest High School - Vanguard Yearbook (Indianapolis, IN)

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E sci-I. O f ' swiss -- zfffsfsgesmgi: I fm, s,gs11.- PHONE 921-13 3 DATE fi-hun X 'His -4 , 2 2 2 J RENT'S com' qovazep B15 U Alll l55LlE? fr dents' abilities. The marking system consisting of the let- ters: A-honor standing, B-High, C-average, D-low, F-fail- ing, I-incomplete, E-conditional and W-withdrawl, and a series of code numbers indicating insufficiency in such areas as I-attendance, 2-daily preparation, 3-class re- sponse, 4-interest, 5-tests, and 6-citizenship was created to fulfill this need. The Carnegie Unit, a meas- urement of the amount of time required to attain one credit, was devised as an additional means of eval- uation. There existed, however a variety of contrasting ideas regarding the actual purpose and validity of the letter grade system. Some believed that grades served as a kind of outlet for students' natural competitiveness, others felt that grades helped students to establish personal identities since they provided the opportunity for comparison of academic achievements. This is a competitive world and if students don't learn to compete now, they will as Mr. Harold Hines, biology teacher, shows John Teskey, sophomore, the outcome of his six weeks work. never be able to make it later in life, commented Mrs. Arwilda Burton, guidance counselor. Of those who opposed the present grading system, most offered the passffail system as a replacement. This would hypothetically de-emphasize the sometimes heated competition many students dislike, and shift im- portance to the amount of learning gained from a class. Dr. Gilbert Shuck, guidance counselor, disagreed, be- lieving that dispensing with grades would prove to be unjust because students who work to maintain high aca- demic standards would receive equal recognition as those who put forth no effort at all. In addition, col- leges, universities and future employers would have little or no criterion on which to base their evaluations of students' individual qualifications. Dissatisfaction with the grading system did not reach a high enough level to warrant a serious revamping, it seems unlikely that it will within the near future. lbi Mrs. Sondra Hayes, Span- ish teacher, laughs as Pat Johnson, sophomore, and Rodney Jackson, freshman, try to weasle out a better grade for the six weeks. e moment of truth comes 21

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While most students were anxious for school tp end, others faced the prospect of summer school which be- gan the Monday after the regular school year ended. Of the I 100 students expected, 737 students made it through the hot summer months. This was one of the smallest numbers of students ever enrolled in summer school. Summer school principal George Gale said, The reason for the drop in attendance in summer school was the fact that many students were unsure as to whether they would attend Northwest or Attucks in the fall. g Driver education was the most popular subject with 262 students enrolled, 70 per cent of the students in driver education took health, a required subject. Many af the students taking summer school did so to gain enough credits to graduate a semester early. llillll OFF second best of the 94 high school yearbooks repre- sented. Seniors Scott Daniels, Fred Miller, and Charles Van Sant, Telstar staft members, attended the Indiana University Newspaper workshop July l l-23 where they improved their writing and design skills. Charles re- ceived awards for good citizenship and newspaper editing. Making uniforms and practicing every day from 8 a.m. to IO p.m. for two weeks this summer paid off for the Northwest Varsity Cheerleading Squad. Entering cheerleading competition at the Indiana State Fair for the first time, they were judged best in the state. Varsity and reserve cheerleaders also attended a IO-day in- stitute at Vincennes University. Susan Pearson, varsity cheerleader, was named one of the top ten girls in the Miss Cheerleader contest at Vincennes. The girls par- ticipated in nightly competition and were awarded sec- ond and third place medals. Boys State and Girls State, sponsored by the Ameri- can Legion for high school juniors, was at Indiana State University June l3-20. Stacy Loncar, Sandy Smith, and Kathy Leamon, seniors, attended Girls State while Chris Galloway and Richard Schenck attended Boys State. These students were given the opportunity to learn the principles of government and to participate in mock elections. Sponsored by the Indiana University Honors Abroad Program for high school students, Sharon Switzer, sen- ior, spent eight weeks this summer in France. She spent one week of her stay in Paris enjoying the food, movies, and local places of interest. After a brief stay with a French family, where she acquainted herself with Eu- ropean customs, Sharon attended Lycee Technique d' Etat, a French high school where she furthered her stud- ies of the language. j 23