O Gorman High School - Knight Legend Yearbook (Sioux Falls, SD)

Page 57 text:

-A4 'Wu t.- 'C RN.. fix. A Common Denominator Although each student at O'Gorman was allowed to choose from a variety of classes this year, one common factor, a religion class, could be found in everyone's schedule. The religion classes united students in many ways. At Christmas O'Gorman shared their happiness with poor families of Sioux Falls. Among other things, the freshmen carefully studied the Reverence for Life and Family program. The sophomores reached new heights in their knowledge of the Bible. Juniors and Seniors chose from several electives, including studies of other religions and examination of today's society. Despite the fact that the religion classes are not required for college, O'Gorman students have benefited from learning and sharing ideas about their faith. PAGE 52: Fr. Cimpl instructs Marie Spencer and Jeff Meert on the procedure of holding a wedding ceremony. PAGE 53: TOP: Mrs. Ericson distributes Communion to Ken Theroux at a large group liturgy. MIDDLE: Freshmen wrap the gifts that they distributed to the poor families of Sioux Falls. BOTTOM LEFT: Craig Smith, Kathy McGuire, and Fr. Ftiedman prepare to participate in the Christmas mass. BOTTOM RIGHT: Pat Obele considers his woeful fate as Fr. Riedman condemns 53

Page 56 text:

Love and Marriage Made Cimpl Christian Commitment, the required religion class taught by Fr. Cimpl, explored grey areas of the Catholic Church. One section of the class, love and marriage, delv- ed into topics such as dating, relationships, and sexuality. The class had an informal atmosphere, Fr. Cimpl related experiences and thoughts of his own while students shared their ideas and opinions. Subjects such as voca- tions, divorce, death, homosexuality, and cohabitation were explored. The students were exposed to the Catholic Church's teachings on these difficult matters. Guest speakers entered the class to speak about things such as natural family planning. Through role-playing situations and compatibility tests, practical applications of religious policies were presented. Fr. Cimpl offered his sage advice on making a Catholic marriage succeed. The class provid- ed a relaxed combination of social justice, human psychology, and modern religion. A I4 Xf' 52

Page 58 text:

He Dunn Taught English Q: What is the common denominator between Mary Lou Flet- ton, Carl Lewis and Mr. Dunn? A: They were all in the Olympics. Mr. Dunn a member of the 7th Army track team in Europe, was chosen to run in the Olympics where he par- ticipated inthe 440 yard dash. His in- terest in track continued with his duties of assistant track coach and work with the O'Gorman Sprinters. Beginning his teaching in 1964, Mr. Dunn said his students have always been respectable, and they are constantly progressing, The students seem more open in class and seem to question the why's behind my teaching instead of keep- ing quiet, he explained. Another dif- ference between his English students today than years past is that, they are more disciplined. Expanding on this, he said that Students are more PAGE 54: TOP: Mr. Dunn uses personal ex- periences to get his point across. BOTTOM LEFT: The actor search for the tinder box in the drama play. BOTTOM MIDDLE: Mark Thorson poses for the camera. BOTTOM RIGHT: Lars Nilsson tickles the ivories. 54 aware of the importance of grammar and participate in a better balance of courses, which include electives. Mr. Dunn commented on today's youth saying, Everything is visual, for example, television: therefore, most don't have the time or make the time to read. Mr. Dunn's elective courses, geared towards stimulating the mind, included effective reading, speed reading, and mass media. The re- quirement in those involved reading 18 books with an evaluation at the end of the semester. Reading, a valuable cog in the English Department, which included everything from the Survival English to World Literature provides prac- tical know how, which instills necessary skills needed in todays ever changing world.