West High School - Chieftain Yearbook (Torrance, CA)

Page 101 text:

I I ,DIY ' up Ls 6666116 m actually nervous! My first timed writing l have to do well. But how can l when my fingers feel so rubbery? C1o? the teacher yells. My heart skips a beat and I hit the wrong key. Typing One and Two, Accounting One and Two, Short- hand One and Two, and Business Machines were the choices offered to students searching for their required ten credits or serious about developing skills to benefit their future. At first l thought taking one ofthe business classes would be useless, but l was totally wrong. lt has helped me a lot already and will continue to help me in the future, commented senior Jenny Lin. i'The most basic business class, Typing One, became the most popular filler class for students ofall grades, but there were some who realized its importance, replied Darel Kelley. Accounting Three and Clerical Productions were offered to those who wanted to specialize in particular areas. As more advanced classes, they required lots of responsibility and therefore consisted of six hand-picked students. The students involved in Clerical Productions did work for some of the faculty, duplicating necessary materials. lt's unfortunate that the UC system places a great em- phasis on academic classes than business. High schools just aren't dealing with reality. We are ceasing to be a comprehensive high school. Students do not seem to be aware of how important the business classes are, Corina Dennis strongly stated. Due to decreased funds there were only two teachers teaching in the Business Department. There was enough enrollment but not enough teachers, There was also plenty of equipment but, unfortunately, not all of it was utilized. Copy and Layout by Susan Rosta Photos by Li-Chen Lin and Billy Hardy X ' 9 X. Pointing out an error in senior Mike Williamson 's journal, senior David Karner helps him balance his account. Typing a daily assignment, freshman John Wu keeps his eyes glued to the book. Looking over for help, sophomore Raymond Romero gets assis- tance from sophomore Adriana De Jesus.

Page 100 text:

' - N A i Q ti X ' s 5 Uv 0 ' 0 - . -.,, g Q. , Q K A , .X 41, we a i, 0 Qmlwv Amazed that the calculator is functioning, senior Mike Donato andjunior Stephanie Scharfmanjump at the chance to check their figures. Discussing typing errors, junior Kim Schettier talks with teacher Darel Kelley. -D Stroking the keys, freshman Stephanie Gray concen- trates on a timed writing. ll llXll'l'l' 96 IHIHNLJJ

Page 102 text:

LINI ING 'ezefzt wozlda s a loud sigh is heard from the German students re- ceiving their tests, a frantic look clouds over a Spanish student about to make a speech two doors domm. Up on the second floor, the French students listen intently to the lecture on the difference between passe compose and imparfait. Next period Latin students mutilate the language as they conjugate verbs. ln every room, colorful decora- tions such as pihatas, foreign language Christmas cards, and posters portray the countries and cultures represented by the different languages. These are some of the scenes observed in our Foreign Language Department. Each language -- German, Latin, French, and Spanish - was offered in various levels start- ing from beginning to advanced. Although the number of students enrolled at West is declining each year, more and more students are taking foreign languages. i'This is due to the realization of the importance of communication, ex- plained department chairperson Joan Buck, i'Many univer- sities are now more into foreign languages. Despite the overall positive comments about the department, actions were not taken to support it financially. lt would be so nice if we could get video tapes and films in addition to books in order to expose students to more than one person speak- ing, says Buck, 'ibut generally, the communication skills have greatly improved over several years. With a student's point of view, junior Aimee Wang reflects on the advantages of taking a foreign language. You don't have to speak English all day, but seriously, foreign lan- guage is not only language but culture. Junior Cindy Sato summed it up with Foreign language creates a link be- tween us and a country that was foreign and distant. Copy and Layout by Masayo Omori Photos by Jim Tatosian, Li-Chen Lin Reviewing the complex passe simple, Joan Buck emphasizes certain irregular verbs. 9 Assisting senior Alina Slamar, George liopecky looks over the Ger- man text. 98 HBH!-ll-.ixl li'HXlI-.!li'iI-.I- ll, X sill' r X as xx WW X ss XF Nssm is X is ci - ' V fx' ,,,Q5Q, N,.a..., Ah,.MLzi13?: 3311? x. 1 i