St Ignatius High School - Ignatian Yearbook (Cleveland, OH)

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••As a teacher I strived to be open, honest, and tair to my students. I have strived to function in a similar vein as the assistant principal. Ignatian: In what ways was the transformation you had to make from a teacher to the A.P. a difficult one? Pen nock: I don't readily discern for myself any great or difficult transformation from being a teacher to becoming the assistant principal. As a teacher I strived to be open, honest, and fair to my students. I have strived to function in a similar vein as the assistant principal. If 1 were hard pressed to state at least one single transformation I guess I'd have to say I had to develop a greater degree of patience than I had before. Instead of working with 150 to 200 students a day. I now must deal with approximately 1140 students plus their parents on occasion, as well as 58 to 60 staff and faculty members. Ignatian: Does the role of being school disciplinarian conflict with your personality? Pennock: Not really. I feel that I'm a person and a person who tries to exhibit an amount of fair play; a person who for the most part has his feet on the ground, and a person who strives to he tolerant, patient, and understanding of the shortcomings in human beings. As a result. I don't see too much difference in any change of my personality with me being the school disciplinarian or with me being a classroom teacher or husband or simply an individual. As a person who sometimes errs himself I prefer to be reprimanded fairly and directly and treated as a thinking human being who sometimes forgets to think. I would say this preference of mine is part of my personality and as such is demonstrated in my role as assistant principal. Ignatian: Does your job set up harriers in getting to know students on a more personal basis? Pennock: I don’t think so. If anything. I've come to know more students on a personal basis than ever before. 1 think that I've been hired to deter violations of school order, to help a student solve any problems that he might be having with school guidelines or school rules. Solutions generally come by discussing such things as courteousy, respect, or common sense. Ignatian: Why are the students having such a difficult time in getting the hair code changed? Pennock: I think if there is to be change, a revision, or a modification the hair code it won't be because ■ unilateral effort or a faculty effort, think that the voices of the student parents, teachers, and administrate will have to be heard for any chanj or modification. All parties concern! will have to sit down honestly at openly and logically present their ca to one another. Up to this point personally feel tiiat there's been tc much emoting and not enough rati nalizing. Ignatian: How do you think this com about? It seems tin only ones doii anything about getting it changed a the students. A good number of facul may be in favor of the change, but i-hard to have them come together talk it out. Is it soluble and are all tl parties willing to do this? Pennock: Up to this point it seems If anything. I've come to kno more students on a person basis than ever before. me to be tin desires and tin wishes a minority of the students. The on that have come to me inquiring ai asking about revisions in the hair co might think it is a unilateral effort. I it's not. at least not yet. 1 certainly i courage the students to continue th efforts in this area, although there i certainly other areas to consider possible modification or revision. Ignatian: Are you in favor of tl change? TOP SECRET . . .1 think ot things lik c leaning up after themselves in the studer c enter or senior lounge. THE PENNOCK PAPERS 6 IGNATIAN 1Y72

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I I t IGNATIAN 1972 VOLUME XXXVII Editors' Note The realization that we had to produce a yearbook for the whole school did not hit us until several weeks after we had begun the actual planning. We wondered if our ideas for changing the yearbook were creative, or just plain absurd. We were trying to look at the school year in a new perspective. Change had to be our theme. Since yearbooks toll the story of a year, we began to piece together our tale. How different was 1971-72 from the previous one. two. or three years? As the year progressed it was obvious Ignatius had not been standing still. The process of change, both good and bad. was evident. The idea for the cover and transition pages came along with our intention of making the yearbook similar to a special issue of a magazine. This is the reason for the price and the magazine-styled design on the cover, Each editor constructed his own style. They were free to put pictures and copy anywhere on a page for effective design. No one had ever done a yearbook like a magazine before. While the layout design makes a book appealing to look at. the copy makes it informative and interesting to read. Main-different writers contributed to the book, including teachers and administrators. Various styles emerged, from formal verse to personal conversations. Finally, the advertisements appear scattered over the 208 pages as in a magazine. We did not tell the story of the year through our eyes or the seniors' or the faculty's eyes. This is the year as seen by the students. Neil |. Green and John A. Kerr Editors-in-chief ION A11 AS ! » ’ S

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 . . . I guess I'd have lo say I had to develop a greater degree of patience than I had before. Pennock: If you mean do I favor a change or revision, then yes I do. However, I am reluctant as a one man committee lo initiate the mechanism for such a change until I'm relatively assured that students can give evidence that they an? responsible and mature enough to conduct themselves in a controlled manner. For example. I think of things like cleaning up after themselves in the Student Center or Senior Lounge, not destroying school property, not pushing or shoving other students down the stairs and so on. I think students have to exercise responsibility and control in these areas. If they cxiuld give evidence of this their battle cry or banner for change in the personal appearance code might have a better chance of succeeding. Ignatian: What are some of the I think tuture changes will be more student and more parent related. biggest discipline problems that you face concerning students in outside school acitivites — for example in sports activities, mixers, and plays? Pennock: Probably the biggest trouble that I experience is the lack of carrying through what the student is doing at school. What I mean is that five days a week and six or seven hours a day the student is exposed to certain positive and Christian values. Then when the student leaves school there are often times when he simple forgets about everything that he has been exposed to. I see selfishness involved and certainly a breakdown in self-control and self-discipline. If I were to cite some specific examples it would have to be in If I were to site some specific examples it would have to be in the area of drug abuse or the rampant alcohol consumption of some students here at school. the area of drug abuse or the rampant alcoholic consumption of some Students' here at school. They simply don't know how to control their use of alcoholic beverages and many students arc simply ignorant of the use of drugs. Ignatian: What was the single most challenging case of discipline you’ve encountered in your two years as assistant principal? Pennock: Most of the more serious cases involving breakdowns in discipline or violations against the school rules have been easily dispensed with or have been easily handled by myself. This is mainly because I find that ninety-five percent of the students involved with these serious offenses have been honest with me and told me the truth. As a result, not too much investigation or exploration on my behalf has resulted. I simply ask questions and the students have given me honest, direct, truthful answers. And certainly in any disciplinary sanction that might incur, this truthfulness and honesty goes a long, long way in lessening any punishment. To answer your question, yes. there was one case that I thought was quite challenging and it dealt with the sale, pushing, and use of drugs on campus. It also involved the two parties lying to me. As a result I was getting half truth, partial stories, and IC.NMlAN 1‘ 72 7