St Marys Academy - Madonna Yearbook (South Bend, IN)

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Newly-formed creative writing class members, Sheila Hannan, Margaret Quilty, Holly Hamilton, Connie Kominiarek, Sarah Mul- rey, Helen Noonan, Sharon Toth and Charlotte Voorde, meet with Mrs. Engels to discuss and compare their work. Freshmen probed the fascinating and vast world of high school English via an imposing stack of books which accompanied them to class every day. Not only was there a serviceable grammar book, a useful workbook, and a king-size collegiate dictionary, but a mysterious literature text which revealed the era of chivalry in the person of Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe. Sophomores commenced a most intensive study of literature in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, and Tenny- son's ldylls of the King. ln addition to regular class work, there were extra reading assignments which made the sophomores realize that the more there is to do, the more one can accomplish. Metaphors, commas, alliteration, periods, the dash, similes-how can we ever keep them straight? was the iuniors' anguished query as final exams neared. However, under the watchful direction of their teacher, the grammatical constructions took on a neat, orderly and easily remembered pattern. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane and Na- thaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter were foremost in the field of literature this year. England's literature was the seniors' chief concern in their course of study. Romance, hatred, love and iealousy were all discovered in a quatrain of iambic pentameter, while intrigue and galvanism lay in the immortal Shakespeare's Macbeth and Terrence Rat- tigan's prize-winning The Winslow Boy. Time was also spent reviewing grammar and learning to write in an interesting and forceful manner. The English department added a new class this year-creative writing. The class stressed learning to use words to paint a picture for the mind's eye to behold. Never employ preconceived ideas in your themes. Think up your own 'brain children', Mrs. Engels frequently reminded the informally-conducted class. Paulette Tierney observes the correct form for diagramming sentences as shown by Frances Metallo and Debbie Bennett.

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Mastery of English Perfects Communication of Ideas brary, Mary Lou Dutrieux, Elizabeth Turfler, and Cheryle Dray work on long-term assignments. Carol Booth seems skeptical as Sharon Nawrocki marks the rhythm and Beverly Emge shows the rhyme scheme of Shelley's Ode to the West Wind, one of English lV's favorite poems. Taking advantage of the school's well-stocked li-

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Speech Class Develops Able Speakers Acquisition of poise and confidence in public speaking was the aim of the speech classes Never was there a class without the warm up exercises to promote better enunciation pro nunciation and proper articulation Varying periods of attentive silence and sud den laughter from Room Five were a certain sign that a speech class was in progress Stu dents used all kinds of props from lollipops to fire hoses to instruct or entertain their class mates under the able direction of Mrs Gar wood Along with Interpretative readings essays and interviews the students conducted debates on current affairs Attendance at a Notre Dame debate and participation in radio programs over WNDU supplemented classroom work Stick um up' Pat Hanrahan robs the speech class of laughter posing as sheriff of Academy County Dorothy Straub prepares to give her speech, which won first place in the Sf. Joseph County T.B. Speech Contest, for the student body. 78