Port Arthur High School - Sea Gull Yearbook (Port Arthur, TX)

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AJ-z-LUHI. U. 1.1 .Mumfk 1 23am? si 3N the English department many changes have been made which contribute to the growing capacity of the students knowl- edge. Science seems to be making many IS effective gains because students are being taught on a psychological basis, which tends to exoner- ate them from having English as a drudgery, but by presenting to them English on an elevated and easier grasping plane. When English is looked upon as it was this year, many of the students are relieved to know that in the coming years there will be only three years of English, while at present four years are required. When the work that the English department has accomplished in the past year is summarized, it is found that an abundance of choice material is always present. The types of literature have been studied in accordance with the lives of au- thors and their literary characteristics which so well portray the age in which they lived. Again, as every year rolls along, we study that book which treats English, primarily, as the art and l ' science of organizing thought, then using it to communicate with others in an effective way. As a concluding word. we may summon remembrance to things past and ex- press ourselves by coming to the decision that we can not outgrow literature as we do scientific knowledge of the past generations. Whether the literature was written one or a thousand years ago makes no difference because literature is that one essen- tial thing Which is the expression of life. ePaul Monaghan. Inlelml : xs AI;lel:l vismn of Miss Texie Smyth, has become very interesting this year, due to the new method of teaching. The number of pu- $8 or pils in the department has increased considerably. The demand for the study of economics has be- come so popular among the students, that two new classes were required. We are wondering if it was the subject or the teacher. Sociology and Civics have been in demand more than ever before. Beginning next term only two years of history will be required to graduate, American and one other. We feel certain, how- ever, that all the classes will be overflowing in the future. One of the interesting events of the past year was an election conducted by the Civics class. This was carried on in the same manner as our city and state elections. First, a primary elec- tion, which was followed in the Fall by the gen- eral election. It is interesting indeed to note, that the candidate elected by the students were the same, in most cases, as those elected by their parents. Students of Civics are taught all rules of citizenship; abiding by them has become a habit among the students. EHE History Department, under the super- I I I I IeI I I It. I IfIiE III A H- mum. Jli b eMinnie Ruth Edge.

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1 mp 5V3 aulkmulmm S OME one has said that we do not actu- ally know anything, unless we can put it down in numbers. This is a broad statement, it is true, but at the same time we do not know much of anything, that is, if we can not express it in numbers. Numbers, however, are only a small part of the work of the Mathematics Department. We study other kinds besides. The freshmen have the four fundamental operations parenthesis, special rules for multiplication, factoring, frac- tions, and fractional equations. When they get through with this they are well prepared to study more Algebra. The sophomores have different problems in a1gebra.Plane geometry for the juniors and Solid geometry for the seniors. iWentworth- Smith's text books are used in advanced arith- metic, trigonometry, geometry and algebraJ All of these courses offer affiliated units in mathe- matics. t t l Regardless of whether a student passes of fails in mathematics they are better citizens for having been exposed to it. For, as some one said, I am a part of all that I have met, and what is more honest and truthful than mathematics? 1:1 5 Hill Johanna Ruysenaars. n CIENCE is nothing but trained and or- ganized common sense, says Huxley. Science has played a great part in 0111 city Science built our refineries, dug ou1' canal, built our city, and last but not least im- portant our scientific educators put a science department in the school system. We have over n ne hundred pupils taking science and it is a very active subject. The science department has two fundamental aims, and if anything has been accomplished along these lines, then our year's work has not been in vain. First, to teach science in such a way as to help someone lead a better life in a better way; and second, to help one appreciate the things that one sees around himi There are seven courses of science offered at Port Arthur High School. Physiology and home nursing, open to freshmen and sophomores include to care for the body when sick and when well. General science and physical geography, open to freshmen and sophomores treat of such sub- jects as rainfall, contnu1 maps, weather reports and soil. Biology is a sophomore subject, dealing with the life of plants and animals. Chemistry is a junior or seniox subject, dealing with chemical reactions and man s efforts t9 control them. -----l-lumllh Ijelirl I I E 'm- 1 5 3 st ysws is a junior or senior subject dealing with electricity, magnitism, heat, light, ' L5 and work. - in -eJohanna Ruysenaars. .1 DI . 4' I - 1- A; 1-17 m 'l w r :l iWijj : 1-17- In, El Eta

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L1 WIIIW I I I rIIIMI I.. I I sIg AT; ingf Th? $vaGullF-d. mm, help the pupils attain better understand- ing of their own language, training in memory and accuracy, knowledge in word formation and grammar, and some knowledge concerning Roman history and life. Since many students avoid Latin because of its reputation of being difficult, those who under- take that study are usually successful because they are prepared to work hard. The first year of Latin is the hardest because it is so different and strange, but Latin students soon overcome their timidity and become deeply interested in their new lives as Roman children. During the second year of work, the pupils fight their word- battles with Caesar. Many vic- tories are won, and many strange incidents are experienced; but those who fight bravely and faithfully return to Rome victorious Political experience is obtained in Rome during WM MW the third year. The students hear Cicero' s fam- ous and fearless speeches against crime, and learn something about Roman government and business life. The fourth year is the most wonderful of all. The pupils become acquainted with the Latin gods, and many favors are granted them for their faithfulness. e organization of ttRomani Hodierni adds much to the interest of Latin. The members consist of those who wish to learn more about Roman life and history. -Ruth Neeb. CHE aim of the Latin Department is to of great interest to all connected with the Port Arthur High School, for in those years a course of the Spanish language was first offered here. A two years' training was then begun. Miss Nell R. Freeman was the first instructor in this department, and at this memorable time only about sixty pupils were profiting by the new branch. The Spanish De- partment was granted two affiliated units in the year 1919-1920. With such immediate success to the first venture stimulating the school, the third year of Spanish was taught here in 1923 and 1924. The desire for fourth year work is very pronounced among the students taking this foreign language, and we are confident that it will be added as soon as the third year is affil- iated. The Spanish Department has grown from a molecule of fifty students to approximately three hundred and fifty pupils, and four instruc- tors have replaced the one teacher. The pro- gression of this phase of instruction we contribute largely to the efforts of the head instructor Miss Baldwin. In fact Spanish can hard- ly be mentioned without involving her, and it is everyone 5 desire that she remain with us. We predict a glorious future for this course of instruction in this institution. -Aubrey Moyer. EH12 years 1926 and 1927 should be and are -; .1 '1 H i '1 I F I i -? i I I I .3, 3 , iIim I - Ii: IIIhmi