Weehawken High School - Zenith Yearbook (Weehawken, NJ)

Page 12 text:

Academics Are In Intensity paints the face of Maria Lopez as she listens closely during history class. Learning can be fun. as shown in the expressions of Dorothy DePalma. Bertha Garcia. Vito Tattoli. Pat Haugh. and Keith Krieger. In a classroom a blend of thoughts, theories, and fact is served on a blackboard, and digested with great expecta- tions in mind. Teachers and students working together, planning interesting and in- novative curricular make all the difference in this en- deavor. Independent research by students produced projects such as attempting to clone organisms with the chemical cytochalasin-B. The major con- cern of this project was to see if cloning could be taken from the realm of lower organisms and applied to tissue and eventually organ replacement in humans. This was one of several projects considered for entry in the Hudson County Science Fair. Spurred on by their teachers, acceler- ated biology students accept- ed a challenge presented by the regular biology classes. Pitting their skills against each other both sections attempted a difficult test prepared by instructors Michael Krause and Thomas Russo. American and European literature were explored in the English classes. Accordingly, student attendance could often be found by plays, such as Death Trap, West Side Story, and Macbeth. Branching off, the department offered interesting electives. One such elective. Mass Media, inves- tigated the different aspects of media and communication. In this class students worked with video- tapes, wrote their own television scripts, and even contributed to the Indian Ink newspaper. In order to gain an appreciation and develop an awareness of books a course called Modern Novel allowed students to choose the novels they wished to read, and then discussed them, expressing their opinions. Learning to perform and per- forming, drama classes had the advantage of two teachers this year, with classes scheduled at the same

Page 11 text:

. . . and Out Even after hours, students congregate around WHS. Despite the weather, the students keep coming back for more good cooking from Nick's hot dog stand. ing lunch. Most often they can be found in either lunch room, or at Nick’s hot dog stand or at Angelo’s Pizza Parlor, unless of course, they were attending one of the many club meetings held during the new one hour lunch period. Racing against the clock as they make their way through the mob is a constant challenge during the transition from recess back to work. The rowdiness of the students is still present as they reluctantly enter sixth period class. The remaining afternoon classes seem to zip by until the ringing of the final bell announces the dawn of a new dimension in each student’s life, the unique life of each as an individual. Quick hands and concentration are Jesus Lopez' secret in outwitting the Moon Cresta video game. Something is always happening at Angelo's Pizzeria.

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Hard at work. Miguel Silva. Lois Dow. and Nora Vitulano complete their perspective drawings. Shaping a shop project. Eugene Moore pours on the elbow grease. Continuous stirring helped to perfect Eileen McLaughlin's jam. After several collapses. Hala Liddawi and Beth Valentino finally erected a scrumptious ginger bread house. time. This ideal situation meant Advanced Drama classes could help Drama I classes. While drama students were on stage, behind the scenes, Technical Theatre classes were at work preparing sets, props, and learning about stage makeup and lighting. Active participation of young adults in government was encouraged by the history department. With material on the presidential inauguration published by the State Department in Washington. D.C.. the election process was examined. Speakers were invited from several federal departments to exchange feelings with students on the Iranian hostages, United States and Soviet relations, events in Poland and eastern Europe, and other world happenings. The language department involved much more than written and verbal aspects; it also put a strong emphasis on culture. Each instructor strived to help students examine the ways and beliefs of a people. Students, in this way. gained a background to the foreign language they were learning. Arts of all kinds had diversified activities over the months. Ray Everett, art teacher, took several aspiring young artists to an open house at Montclair State College. They took part in many discussions with professors, visited classes in progress, and even participated in a face design painting session involving color and design. The resulting works of art were hilarious! Amateur chefs in home economics prepared an old fashioned Thanksgiving luncheon for faculty members. For donation to community organizations, holiday goodies like gingerbread houses were created. Industry was brought to the classroom through the shop classes. The opportunity to work with their hands inspired students to exercise their creativity. The practical experiences gained this year will act as a basis for more advanced learning. Involvement is the key to learning. Experimenting, trying, achieving, failing, discussing, listening, analyzing . . . the academic aspect of WHS involves all of these things and more, composing a well-rounded education.