Round Rock High School - Dragon Yearbook (Round Rock, TX)

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Club depicts process in simulation Local Model United Nations members participated in a statewide General Assembly and Security Council simulation at Southwestern University in March. Over 100 area schools were in- volved in simulating the delegations of many nations. The purpose of the simulation was to solve international problems and to allow opportunities for acquiring insight into global problems, according to Jeff Townsend, local Model UN sponsor. The club's 30 members were led by senior President Jeff Ivy, junior Vice President Heather McDevitt and senior Secretary-Treasurer Mike Guentzel. The club made an early start with a fund-raising project which allowed them to prepare for the March simula- tion. Among honors won by individuals was the Best Delegate Award which went to Jeff Ivy, chief delegate for Nigeria. Two freshmen, Andrew Gregor and Sean Dunham, took a trophy for Best Delegation Award in their role as Turkish delegates. Jeff Ivy, senior, and Jeff Townsend, sponsor, discuss resolutions during the simulation at Southwestern University. s, J .M I , . . 1. aw 5 V .ff f f-,.f. W QQ . xi P' .,,f,,,2v 1 -.-., 5 , -'12, Sean Dunham, freshmang Jeff Ivy, senior, and Andrew Gregor, freshman, show off the Best Delegate award won at the Southwestern University simulation. Heather McDevitt, junior, and Carolyn Carey, senior, look over proposed resolutions. McDevitt served as vice president of the local Model UN organization. 36 Model UN

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Adv! .xK, . N xkxy, Renee Ballehr, senior, casts her secret ballot dur- ing the junior-senior mock election held in the stu- dent center. Government classes teach students politics Presidential elections held the atten- tion of nearly all the social studies classes as the new year kicked off only two months before election day. The newly organized Government Seminar involved all Round Rock High School juniors and seniors in a mock election at the end of October, which resulted in a victory for the Reagan- Bush ticket. Students in this year's government and history classes found that because of the new grading standards, high grades were a lot harder to achieve than before. The teachers also faced a heavier workload, especially because of much extra paperwork required. According to department chairman Jeff Townsend, This year was the turning point for teachers and education. Congressional and foreign simula- tions in the government class provided hands on experience for the students to actually serve as congressmen and politicians. For the congressional simulations, each student was required to propose a bill for committee review. Then, all the bills were debated and voted on during house sessions. The main issues concerning the student politicians included provisions for pro- tective airbags in all new cars, asking the school district to pay for all meals while the students are in school, and the question of whether or not cigarette taxes should be raised or be done away with. These congressional simulations were designed to be just like the real thing. Just as the official legislature elects its leaders, the classes involved each elected chairmen, president protems, and party whips to carry on the simula- tions. Paige Prosise, senior and chair- man for Rich Cromwell is class, com- mented about her congressional simula- tion experience, It's been real helpful and it gets you more familiar with the government. A Rhonda Hanna, senior, leads seniors Natalie the government simulations. Committee discuss- whether or not a bill would pass and be voted on Hesse, Joe Teiber, Craig Zschiesche, Carmel Gib- sion played an important role in the simulations by the legislature. son, and James Christensen in adiscussion during because it was the committees that determined Social Studies 35

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W. T il 3 Oral practices enhance Spanish, French and Ger- man were the foreign language classes offered to students this year. For those students planning to go to college, a foreign language was not required, but most colleges preferred that students have some foreign language classes. Mrs. Sue Cotter, French teacher, said that there were several purposes for teaching students a foreign language, and the primary one was to get them into college. Cotter feels students should take at least two years of a language in school because one year does not prove that the stu- dent knows anything. Two years gives students the skills to organize and make logical deductions. Another purpose earning for learning a foreign language was that students got the feel of another language and culture. Ac- cording to Cotter, it also helps students to better understand the views of peo- ple in foreign countries. A big difference in the classes this year was oral communication. When the teachers spoke to the students or asked them a question, they were expected to answer in the foreign language. This enabled the teacher to judge how well the student was grasping the idea of learning another language. One new teacher was added to the teaching staff, James Frasier who taught French and Spanish. James Frasier, French and Spanish teacher, discusses an assignment with one of his classes. Frasier is one of several new teachers added to the foreign language department. , x..,,.li.-Ria' 1 it I in A wmwgsg R I 4 4 4 1 -. f ii ti, , II. .., 2- ,nee Dana Briggs, senior, Brian Burk, juniorg Sonia Shelton, juniorg and Tasha Smith, senior, work on their German Il assignment in Mrs. Mary Fox's se- cond period class. Susan Baggs, sophomore, and Billy Carey, junior, model their attire in Mrs. Sue Cotter's French I class. Students put on fashion shows in their French classes. Foreign Languages 37