Valparaiso High School - Valenian Yearbook (Valparaiso, IN)

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year may be had by those who wish to take it. The first year ' s work is a preparation for the interesting study to follow. Vocabularies, con- jugations, and declensions are learned, a thorough knowledge of the grammar is acquired, and short stories are translated. The two y ' ai-s of study which follow is merely a utilization of the foundation built during the first year. During the second year the accounts of the wars with the Helvetians, the Belgians, the warlike tribes who threat- ened the passage of the Alps, and with the Germans are translated from Caesar ' s own Commentaries. Cicero ' s Orations are taken up dur- ing the third year. There are four Orations against Catiline and his fellow conspirators, one concerning the Manilian Law, and the Archais. At the end of the third year the compulsory study of Latin has been com] ileted, but the most enjoyable and interesting part remains for those who read Virgil ' s Aeneid, the story of the nine years wanderings, trials and marvelous escapades of the Trojan Aeneas in his attempt to found a city. The Latin course gives the student a new interest in his own language, broadens his vocabulary and gives him an understanding of the foundations of our civilization that is necessary before he can appreciate that civilization. LEONORA WISE. 17

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MISS OLIE WELTY THE LATIN DEPARTMENT. HREE or four years of High School life is concerned with the study of Latin and the important place given to it in the High School naturally leads to an observance of the reasons for the amount of time consumed. There is no more effective means of strengthening the mind than by the earnest pursuit of this branch of study. Latin has both a cultural and an educational value. Our civilization rests upon that of Rome, and we owe much of our knowledge of ancient times to the Roman writers whose products we learn to read. Latin words con- stitute about sixty per cent of our English vocabulary and by increas- ing that vocabulary through Latin, English is made more intelligible and interesting. For one who has chosen Law or Medicine as his pro- fession Latin is required, and in almost any line of intellectual work whether it be Mathematics, Chemistry, Physiology, Botany, Physics, History, Mythology or Literature, a knowledge of it is necessary, as Latin words and phrases continually occur. To know Latin is to under- stand English better, and to use it more intelligently and effectively. Besides being so large a part of our own language Latin is the founda- tion of five European languages, French, Roumanian, Italian, Portu- guese and Spanish. For all these reasons Latin is given a very important place among the subjects taught in the Valparaiso High School. A complete course of Latin consisting of three years works is offered, although another 16

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MISS DEMA TIMMONS MR. AUDREY SKOMP SCIENTIFIC DEPARTMENT. |HE Scientific Department has this year played its most suc- cessful role in High School liistory. To give to the work in Physics more dignity and unity, the old recitation room was made into a combination labora- tory and recitation room, and has had a physical atmos- phere heretofore missing. Owing to the new arrangement, it has been possible at any time to turn from a formal recitation to an experi- ment illustrating the point under discussion and there has been no dis- tracting influence caused by passing from the top story to a cheerless room in the basement for laboratory work. Suitable cases for the apparatus have been added so that everything can be kept shipshape. Much apparatus has been added to the equipment with very little expenditure, through the kind assistance of the ever gracious teacher of the Manual Training department and the work of interested students. The revised edition of the old Millikin and Gale text book and their laboratory manual, i)ublished last August, have been regularly fol- lowed, nothing being omitted because of seeming difficulty. In getting things right and keeping manuals neat and up-to-date, much more than mere points in Physics has been learned. On days of recitation, aside from the regular work, numerous experiments suggested by the author have been performed by the students, each one being held responsible for the success of his work. The outline of work in Chemistrv has been much the same as in 18