Shady Side Academy - Academian Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

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oreign Sound he language department underwent some changes this year which have pro- vided some better service, and more diversity in the school's lan- guage program. The most benefi- cial change was the tracking sys- tem. Students were placed in sec- tions according to their ability. This year this system was used with level two students, and will be used with level three language stu- dents next year. 75'76 of the stu- dents enrolled in level two courses last year enrolled in level three ones this year. Mr. McClure, the chairman of the Language Depart- ment, hopes to see this number in- crease to 1007, so that every stu- dent can enjoy the benefits of tak- ing three years of a language. This year was also the start of a Chinese program. Ms. Shao Mei- Wang was an excellent addition to the school and the program went quite well. Another new teacher was Mr. Alex Bruton, a native of Mexico City, who accomplished a great deal this year and earned the respect of his students and peers. This year the Language Depart- ment introduced the students to the world of hi-tech. The language lab gained several new tape ma- chines which allowed students to respond to questions asked on tape and then to listen to their re- plies when the tape is played back. This enables them to compare their own accents with the speak- ers on the tape. The Language Department was also involved in a joint effort with the International Affairs Depart- ment to bring other cultures to Shady Side Academy students in the hope that exposure to other cultures will help in language stud- ies. Dr. McGreevy-Morales also is in the process of trying to establish schools for Shady Side students in other countries and to also have Shady Side do the same here. Besides French, Spanish, and Chinese, next year German may be offered again. Although the Lan- guage Department supports the German program, the administra- tion has its doubts. Enrollment will have a lot of influence on the deci- sion. The department accom- plished many goals this year. lf things go as well in the future as they have this year, then the lan- guage program will do more ser- vice for years to come. .,.. ..,...,..,1.,,.h . , - vit .z-:':::.:- r .els affirm- We-1:1 , ' . A , -- - - . gg .1-3 l A 5- . X 'Q g ,Q LVTN ...t Q 'Ns - I8 Academics Paco the dog adds further excitement to a Spanish ll class by eluding the grasp of Billy Semins, while classmate Jason Adler and Paco's owner, teacher Mr. Alex Bruton, laugh at the dog's antics. l 'IX ,f XIX, ' .4-v-4' A stimulating discussion about literature holds the attention of seniors Feinstein and Dana Jarvis during an upperform English elective. The program was appreciated by students, since it gave them freedom to courses which interested them. X

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rp. , STUDENTLIFE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS and develop camaraderie, ' V members of the class of '91 Chris Barnes, Yann Jones, and Bobby Grandizio participate in ,' K Freshman Orientation T' exercises. gf THEIR INTEREST ,.fs f SPARKED during a Day of Concern session on Jan. 14, Leonard Brown and Bill McCabe are ready to pose questions to the speaker, as Mike Bolanis, Chris Costa, Peter Abernethy, and David Nothmann listen intently. hat goes on in a student's life? .fFor most Shady Side students, the answer is just about every- it thing. Academics, of course, are a necessary part of a stu- dent's day. Although most would be reluctant to admit it, almost everyone is able to find at least one class that he or she enjoys in the cur- riculum. This year changes such as the addition of Chinese language and As- cent of Man courses improved the cur- riculum even more. But perhaps mak- ing even bigger impressions on a stu- dent's life are the school-sponsored events throughout the year. For in- stance, memories of this year's stun- ning performances of The Odd Couple, and Guys and Dolls or the Shady Side Academy Awards-Prom '88 will linger in the minds of students for a long time. As well as classes and events, club or- ganizations also play a role in a stu- dent's life, whether it be a minor one, such as sponsoring a violation day or one of the year's many blow pop sales, or a major one, such as the long hours of work put in by the yearbook or newspaper staffs or choir or ensemble members. And last but certainly not least, for the students belonging to Shady Side's small but strong board- ing community, the dorm plays an ex- tremely influential role in a student's life. Clearly, a lot goes on in a Shady Side student's life. Student Life Divider 17 i 1

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Engrosscd in llurrir-l Arnowk llir- Dull lllclltt'l, sr-nlor Alex Kam slurlit-s Arm-iirfiri itlc--als Ili Mr. Harold llc-nd:--rsliol s lf-rm II rift!- Q class, Visions of Ame-rica: Thr- 'T wvnlir-ili Rfwlf lrirrri lm lu-r 7.pfzm'.li l ivxllmrilf nal mil Century, Ayfilfi flllllllll fi ntiirly lrfill in M lIIYllIrll Ilfill Famous Sonnets and Saga A reaytivity is defined by it fWebster as an artistic or intellectual inventive- ness.l'iiStudents have a need to ex- press tigemselves through writing. Pifter receiving a solid writing base in Ill and lV form literature courses, they alterable to express their cre- ativity and individualism through eiective courses which they choose themselves. . f Mosistudents first come in con- tact with the English Department throught thethird form English course, which emphasizes descrip- tive, riarratjve, and expository writing skills as well as the devel- opment off literary vocabulary in the first term. ln the second and third terms, development of writ- ing skills is achieved through the discussion of literature such as The Odyssey, Grendel, and The Oncerand Future King. in the fourth form English coursei. students continue to devel- op their reading, writing, and speaking skills as they chronologi- cally survey English and Ameri- can literature from the Renais- sance to the Modern era. Among the literature covered in the course are The Ancient Mariner by Samuel Coleridge, Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw, and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitz- gerald. When asked about the course, most sophomores re- sponded positively. Alan Parfitt felt it was a pretty good courseg it was more challenging than the freshman course. After two years of developing solid reading and writing skills, ju- niors and seniors enter the elective program, restricted only by corn- position and distribution require- ments of courses in genres of com' munication, prose, drama, and po- etry. Llpperformers are free to choose among varied courses to make their experience as interest- ing as possible. For example, students who took Mr. l-lendershot's American Stud- ies in Literature, not only were able to read authors such as Whitman, but also went to Poe Night with Mr. Hendershot. They sat in a candlelit room which created an eerie and spooky Poe-like atmosphere ac- companied by the somber music of the Alan Parsonls Project along with some Pink Floyd. As Peter Ackerman put it, it was IN- TENSEY Buddy Hendershot is the most passionate, volatile, sensu- ous man that exists. Darah Him- melhoch also took American Lit- erature, but Darah disagreed. This clearly demonstrates the variety of student interests and the need for freedom of choice. Another elective course, Cre' ative Writing with Mr, Murphy, ex- plored the use of imagination through exercises and discussion with visiting writers about their work. Craig Czury, a poet, read some of his works and tried to give constructive criticism to the stu- dents. Jill Weaver inot affiliated with chickeni, another visiting writer, was viewed by some as someone who couldn't write. Ai- though her efforts for constructive criticism were appreciated, Nancy Kim summed, up the situation with, lf she dropped off the face of the Earth, l really ,wouldnt care . . . sad, but true. Hopefully next year the visiting writers will have some better luck. One of the more innovative elec- tive courses is Advanced Composi- tion with Mrs. Eldridge. The course approaches writing through discussion and analysis of student papers by peers. The ex- perience gained by the students in the application of constructive criticism is then used in an off- shoot program of the English De- partment, fthe Writing Center. There the students known as scribes use the same methods learned in Advance Composition to draw out the writing potential of each student who asks for help. The Writing Center was headed by co-directors Linda Wei and Owen Rescher in 1987-88. The co-direo tors for 1988-89 are Todd Green and Jason Adler. The elective program is not only effective because it allows the stu- dent to choose his or her course, but also because. it incorporates the teacher in the decision making process by allowing him or her to design the course according to his or her interests. Overall, the Eng- lish Department has been effective in offering support, diversity, and interesting choices for students of all forms. Languages!English 19