South Side High School - Totem Yearbook (Fort Wayne, IN)

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RVQ: I like RVQ a lot. It's fun and I know a lot more than before. The teachers really know what they are talking about. — Sieve Beam At first, RVQ didn't seem to be what I wanted. Then, after I gave it a chance, I found out that everything I needed to know was there. — Heidi Skelton The people are nice, and RVQ is really a lot of fun. It gives my day variety. I'm studying child care, and I get to work with little kids. It's great. — Amanda Golden Qtudents Take Oppori unity To Learn a Working Trade RVS offers a challenge while it gives experience. ne way to learn a trade is through a two-year program called RVS. Par- ticipation in RVS takes up to three hours a day and five days a week and is open to all juniors and seniors. The Regional Vocational School, where the instruction is given is located in the former Central High School building. RVS offers such programs as child care, data programing, beauty culture, automotive, health, and many others. The director of RVS at South is Miss Jennifer Manth. It was reported that at the beginning of the year there were about 100 people involved in RVS. Manth often says, RVS is an opportunity for a student to develop a skill that many may use after graduation. Theresa Summers, junior, said: It's really a good learning experience. It also helps you understand more about the field you're going into. RVS gives students the opportunity for variety in their schedules. During their junior year they attend classes at Central for a half day, and during their senior year they are introduced to the coop program. This program enables them to get on-the- job training while earning wages. Gerald Pennington, junior, explains the intricacies of computer keyboarding to Fred Perry, junior. Philaphonh Symongkhon, senior, uses the skills he has acquired in industrial arts class to operate the metal lathe. 18

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Science: Adjusting to a Complex World, the Science Department Fills the Gap and Leaves No Student Behind With such a qualified staff, students often find themselves 'blinded' with the excitement. ith times constantly changing, knowledge in the area of science is becoming increasingly important. Science is no longer a subject for merely the elite student. Recently it has become a necessity in dealing with many aspects of modern life, whether one is planning on entering a science-related career or not. South Side recognized this fact; and, therefore, the Science Department offers a variety of courses from freshman biology to advanced chemistry and physics. The qualified staff of Mr. Mustapha, Mr. Griggs, and Mr. Weber in biology in- troduces freshmen to the fundamental aspects of living things. Mustapha, who joined South Side's faculty this year, had the following to say about the importance of freshmen biology: Biology is the study of living things. Studying biology provides the chance for each student to learn about himself as a human being. I'm very pleased with the enthusiastic attitude that students at South have towards science. Mr. Davis teaches all chemistry classes, including the advanced chemistry. Davis's experience and skill in presenting his material in such a way that even the most difficult is understandable has made him popular among his students. Physics, a class designed for the most serious of science students, is taught by Mr. Bussard. This class introduces the concepts of velocity, acceleration, and other physical properties. All in all, the Science Department at South has something to offer for anyone. The combined experience and knowledge of the teachers make gaining a scientific understanding an enjoyable experience for all students. A pensive student, after reading her class assignment, looks up questioningly at her teacher. Mr. Weber explains the procedures of leaf collections to Scott Simon, senior, and classmate Vickie Sprague, junior. 17

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Lau Program: Bilingual Education Proves Successful; Ten Students Made Graduation Plans Underclassmen are given initiative as the work pays off. n its fourth year at South Side, the Lau Program continues to be suc- cessful. There are 43 students enrolled in the program. Ten will graduate this year, Mrs. Janet Perez, the head of the Lau Program states. This will be the first group to have completed all four years of high school at South Side. The program is mostly made up of students from Laos. However, there are also students from Vietnam, China, Mex- ico, Ethiopia, Poland, and Cambodia. They enter the program speaking little or no English. When the students are ready, they are mainstreamed into a regular classroom set- ting. There are Lau students enrolled in 52 different classes. Some are involved in the RVS program, studying such courses as health occupations, beauty culture, and metal trades. Even though the Lau students are from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds than the majority of South's students, they are just like everyone else, states Perez. They worry about SAT scores, college, careers, and future plans just as American students do. Everything is explained easily by our teacher. I am happy to be at Qouth Gide. I don 't speak English very well, but the people here really care and teach us. ' ' — Chanh Viengkhone I like Algebra. It's fun to work with numbers. My teachers make things easy to understand. — Emebet Solomon I've been at Qouth Side for two years now. I take accounting, which is my favorite class. South Side is all right! — Phan Luong Chanthavone Thammavongsa, freshman, plows her way through an English reading assignment. Yasothala Mahasena, sophomore, a member of the Lau Program, learns the secrets for mastering the computer. The program offers a variety of courses. 19