Shields High School - Patriot Yearbook (Seymour, IN)

Page 16 text:

Through The Year LATIN CONTEST ‘‘The endowment of the mind form the only illustrious and lasting possession.”—Sallust. Believing that education should lead forth the mind of the seeker for knowledge to contemplation of, and participation in the world’s culture, the Extension Division of Indiana University this year sponsored the seventeenth annual state Latin contest. Elimination contests in local, county, and district meets were held in each of the four divisions con sitting of beginning Latin, Caesar, Cicero, and Vergil. Shields High School was represented in Division I of the local, county, and district contests respectively by Dorothy Heideman and Harold Kamman, in Division II by Helen Vchslagc in the local, county, district, and state contests and also by Evelyn Schroer in local and county, in Division III, Cicero, by Jessie Ruth Bobb in local, district, and state contests. Jessie Ruth tied for third place in the state contest and received a gold medal. Shields High School has had an enviable record of participating in the state contest for the twelfth year after placing in each of the preceding contests and during that time has received a number of state honors. MATHEMATICS CONTEST The local mathematics contest was held in Rooms 207 and 208 on March 18th during the first two periods. From the forty contestants in freshman algebra the following people were awarded the winners of the first three places: Marjorie Lind, Ralph Holtman, and Harold Kamman. The geometry winners were Betty Greene, Esther Drocgc, and Edward Speckncr. On April 6, the two winners in each local contest represented Shields High School in the Southern Indiana District Contest held at Hanover College. At the state finals held at Indiana University on April 26, Richard Wcssel represented Shields High School in the Comprehensive Mathematics Contest. VALLEY CHORAL FESTIVAL The third annual Valley Choral Festival was held at Shields High School on April 19, 1940. This year was the first time Seymour has had the opportunity of entertaining the participants in the festival. Ten schools with a total of six hundred voices participated in the festival. The schools participating were Columbus, North Vernon, Madison, New Albany, Jeffersonville, Rising Sun, Vevay, I.awrcnccburg, and Seymour. Guest artists at the festival were the Boys Glee Club of Louisville Male High School. The purpose of the Valley Choral Festival is to promote good will among the various high schools by a non-competitive event and to acquaint the students and the public with good choral music. A program by the massed chorus was broadcast over station WHAS in the afternoon, and a concert was given at night. Both the broadcast and the concert were open to the public. The following Seymour civic organizations cooperated in sponsoring the festival: the Junior Chamber of Commerce, Seymour Business Men’s Association, Lions Club, Rotary Club, American Legion, Legion Auxiliary, the Parent-Teacher Associations of Washington. Emerson, Lincoln, Riley, Shields, and St. Ambrose Schools, Business and Professional Women’s Club, Tri Kappa, Psi Iota Xi, Tuesday Club, and the Indiana Study Club. FUTURE FARMERS The Future Farmers have enjoyed a busy and interesting year of various activities. In December the F. F. A. Club sponsored a County 4-H Corn Show at the Farmers’ Club in Seymour. There were about thirty exhibits. In March the club entered into a contract with the State Conservation Department to raise pheasants. The boys built a standard game brooder costing about seventy-five dollars and in May received two hundred baby chick pheasants from the State Conservation Department. On March 19, the club held a district essay and public speaking contest. Foster Swcngcl was the club representative. The contest was won by Paoli. On April 4, Lester Swengcl, Louis Vchslage, George Harlow, Merrill Burbrink, and Francis Baughman attended the State F. F. A. Convention at Purdue. On April 15, three members of the F. F. A. Club, Hubert Hazard, Ralph Holtman, and Roland Hackman, represented Seymour in the District Crops Contest at Bedford. They placed second and as a result were allowed to compete in the State Contest at Purdue in June. Other members of the club who took part were George Harlow and Jerry Hall in a demonstration, and Erwin Surenkamp, Ervin Hocvcncr, and Robert Wcssel in poultry and egg judging. George Harlow was selected by the club as the candidate for State Farmer. EDUCATIONAL GUIDANCE The second Jackson County Educational Guidance was held at Shields High School on February 3, 1940. All high schools in Jackson County were invited to participate, but only Mr. John E. Marshall and his ten seniors from Cortland responded. Seventy Shields seniors and twenty juniors participated in the conference. The senior census taken in January furnished the basis for the colleges and universities invited. The following schools sent representatives: Indiana, Purdue, Butler, DcPauw, Franklin, Earlham, Wabash, Hanover, Ball State, Indiana State Teachers, Central Normal, Indiana Central, Rose Poly Technic Institute, Arthur Jordon Conservatory of Music, University of Louisville, and MacMurray. Shields Junior and Senior High School Faculty entertained the representatives at luncheon in Room 104. At 1:50 P. M. an Employment Forum was held for those students not attending the college confer- ences. Mr. Thomas Warring, Manager of the Bloomington Field Office of the Indiana Unemployment Compensation Division, spoke on “Problems of F'mploymcnt—How To Get a Job.” A large crowd of juniors and seniors attended this meeting. FRESHMAN INTRODUCTORY DAY Balieving that eighth grade students, especially those coming from smaller rural schools, experience great difficulty in adjusting themselves to a larger school when they come to high school in the fall,

Page 15 text:

“What better or greater gift can we offer the republic than to teach and instruct our youth?”

Page 17 text:

J. R. Mitchell, then Principal, originated the idea eight years ago of establishing in the spring a day on which prospective students visit our school, enroll for the coming term, and in general, become acquainted with the various phases of high school life. This day was designated as “Freshman Introductory Day.’ Since its establishment, more than seventeen hundred prospective students have responded to the ins'itation. This year two hundred and nineteen visited our school on the afternoon of April the twenty-fifth. Transportation was, as usual, furnished by the school. After the registration, which was conducted by members of the typing class, the guests were conducted through the building by student sponsors, visiting classrooms and observing especially the exhibitions in the Home Fconomics and the Agriculture Depart- ments. The eighth grade from Shields Junior High School then joined the group at the convocation program where speeches of welcome, music, reading, and talks from representative students were given. We do feel that this day moans much to the incoming freshman, since it helps to bridge the gap between the small rural school and the school of larger dimensions. ROTARY DISCUSSION CONTEST Each year Rotary International sponsors a discussion contest based upon some topic of general interest. This year the subject was “Rotary Serves in the Realm of Youth.” The contest is for boys only and the following boys participated in the local contest: Waldron Berry, Ed Eisner, James Laupus, and James Yockcy. Each of these boys made an excellent presentation before the club on February 2. They were judged on content, organization, and delivery. Waldron Berry was declared by a vote of the club to be the winner and represented the local club and our school acceptably at the District Contest at French Lick on February 22. We are glad that local clubs are taking an interest in promoting discussion and speech contests. Part of the equipment of youth in modern times is the ability to speak acceptably before public audiences. We thank the Rotary Club for promoting this discussion contest. PSI IOTA XI SHORT STORY CONTEST In 19)2 the Southern Province, of which the local Psi Iota Xi Sorority is one of the seventeen chap- ters, began sponsoring the Short Story Contest. In 19)4 the sorority conducted the first state contest. In the local contest all girls of the senior class arc invited to submit original stories, not exceeding 5,000 words nor less than 2,500. The manuscripts must be typewritten, and not bear the writer’s name, or any distinguishing marks. The title of the story and writer’s name arc sealed in an envelope and accompany the story. In the local contest, the first prize is five dollars; second, three dollars; and third, two dollars. The winner of the province contest receives twenty-five dollars and the state winner gets fifty dollars. This year EJoise Kasting won first in the local and province and second in the state. Erna Pollert won second in the local, and Elizabeth Schmitt won third. Each year the winners are announced and prizes awarded on Honor Day. INDIANA STUDY CLUB The Indiana Study Club has sponsored a local short story contest since 19)0. This contest is open to all juniors and -seniors. The stories must be original, not to exceed 5,000 words, nor less than 2,500. The manuscripts must be typewritten and not bear the writer’s name, or any distinguishing marks. The title of the story and writer’s name arc sealed in an envelope and accompany the story. The first local prize is five dollars, second, three dollars, and third, two dollars. The winners arc announced and prizes arc awarded on Honor Day. This year Barbara Ann Sargeant won first; Thomas Conner, second; Alvin Terkhorn, third. AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY Shields High School cooperated with the American Legion Auxiliary who sponsored the National Defense Essay Contest. The subject for the senior civics and junior American History classes was “Why Increased National Defense Is the Best Insurance Against War.” Winners in this division were Elvira Preuss, first, and Eloisc Kasting, second. Freshman and sophomore English classes wrote on “Why I Value American Citizenship.” The winners here were Ed Eisner, first, and Elizabeth Hitch, second. The subject chosen for junior high school was Our Present National Defense.” Polly Montgomery was first in the junior division, and Inez Richardson of St. Ambrose School was second. GREATER INDIANA CONTEST Shields High School participated in the Greater Indiana Contest” sponsored by the State of Indiana, through the Division of Publicity. The purpose of the contest was to arouse interest in and promote greater knowledge of the outstanding features of the counties that make up the State of Indiana. This is a part of the program to promote the agricultural, recreational, industrial, residential, and educational advantages of Indiana. The subject for this contest was selected from the following list: 1. The advantages of my county which should attract industry. 2. The agricultural advantages of my county. ). Points of Historical interest in my county which should attract visitors. 4. Recreational points in my county which should attract tourists. The winner in each county received an all-expense tour of the state from Indianapolis in company with winners from all other counties. The bus trip lasted six days and covered more than 1,000 miles. In scoring the papers the judges gave 40% for accuracy, 40% for completeness, and 20% for effectiveness of style. YOUTH FORUM Each year the American magazine conducts a Youth Forum’’ for high school students throughout the nation. Prizes for winning essays or drawings arc awarded in the fall after the manuscripts have been judged. Last year’s winner of the first prize of $1,000 was a Louisville boy. Thirty manuscripts were submitted for the contest this year by freshmen English students and mem- bers of the Journalism class. The topic for the Forum this year was “Today’s Challenge to America’s Youth.” Essays submitted contained 1,000 to 1,500 words. The essays were typed by members of the typing class.