Valparaiso High School - Valenian Yearbook (Valparaiso, IN)

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this term in our English VIII. Each member of the class selected some good magazine and reported on it each month. Do you have a course in public speaking? asked the guest. No, we don ' t, answered the Senior, But a few steps have been taken in that direction. Every member of the High School is required to make one public appearance a year. The class of 1915 has greatly distinguished itself in this work. Some members of the class prefer to remain in the background by taking minor ])arts and are content with one api earance a year, but there are others who would })erform every Friday if given the opportunity. These irrepressible ones, how- ever, are held firmly in hand by Miss Benney and cause no serious dis- turbance. We have a number of born orators who acquitted them- selves nobly at our Oratorical Contest in February. There goes two of those ' irrei)ressible ' ones now, observed the guest, looking out of the window. Let ' s join them, cried the Senior, I believe they are going to the picture show. The two girls laughingly departed and the conversation was ended. GAIL FEHKMAN. 13

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MISS MABEL BENNEY A SENIOR ' S VIEW OF THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT. ES, said the tlioughtful Senior, a few days before gradu- ation, I consider that my four years ' work in the English Department has done me perhaps more good than any other. ' ' I think you are right, ' ' observed the out-of-town guest. English is one of the most practical, and at the same time, interesting subjects in the high school course. I was greatly enter- tained in your English VIII last week. You have an original class. Do you think so? laughed the Senior. The class of 1915 has always been a trial and tribulation to Miss Benney ever since we wrote with trembling fingers our first business letter for the stern inspection of the ' powers that l)e. ' The first two years we were drilled in the art of prose composi- tion and during that time we entertained everyone with our interesting l)roductions. We studied Irving, Scott, Shakespeare, and George Eliot with ecpial enthusiasm and, with the boldness of youtli, even dared to criticize. To the delight of certain lovers of history English V, VI, and VII found us deep in the History of English Literature and in our last term we turned to the study of American Literature. Miss Ben- ney gave us up as hopeless when she discovered that we failed to appre- ciate the humor in Burke ' s Conciliation. You had book reviews of course? inquired the guest. Oh, yes, ' ' answered the Senior. ' ' Two book reviews are required each term. An interesting feature in that connection was taken up 12

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MISS MINMK C. McI.XTYKE HISTORY DEPARTMENT. INGS and Queens may die, nations may rise and fall, wars rage and cease, but History continues. For culture and mental discipline there is no more important subject than History and knowledge of it, both ])ast and present should be the possession of every individual. The important place given it in the Valparaiso High School course of study is in recognition of its great value. One term of English History is otfered as an elective; the rest, consisting of two tenns of Ancient one each of Medieval and Modern and one of Civics is required. Altlio emphasis is placed upon live topics of the day, which relate most to life and upon History in the making, yet knowledge of the Ancients — even of the i)reliistoric milleniums — is necessary and required. It has taken thousands of years for man to develop from his early stage of savagery and helplessness to the conditions in which we now live, and in order to understand our present life it is necessary to study the slow growth of mankind through these past ages. Although Ancient History covers over four thousand years, from the time when we first know man, from reliable records, to about eight hundred years after the birth of C irist, only those nations are studied, that have done most in developing those ideas which have given us the present civilized life— the life of Europe and America. Those nations which made the greatest contributions to civilization were the Egj- tians, the Babylonians, the Assyrians, the Hebrews, the 14