West Lafayette High School - Scarlet and Gray Yearbook (West Lafayette, IN)

Page 11 text:

NGW WE KNOW WHY SCIENCE lt is safe to say that the two most discussed school subjects are physics and chemistry. As underclass- men we peered into the labs and said reverently, Gosh, it smells awful , or, What are they doing with those little pulleys? but now we're in the labs, and it's How do you correct for vapor pressure? and, What, no hydrogen to pop? At any time you can hear heated discussions over the relation of Far- raday's third law of electrolysis to the electro-chem- ical equivalent of silver, or, as we put it, How do you get the fifth problem? The chemistry laboratory contains equipment enough for 36 students, and the physics laboratory has twelve complete sets of materials for experi- ments in heat and magnetism. The most expensive piece of apparatus in the science department is the rotary vacuum pump which cost between seventy- five and eighty dollars. This machine is able to pro- duce a vacuum up to one thousandth millimeters of mercury or more. Also included in the laboratory equipment are fifteen scales, costing about eleven dollars each. The chemistry laboratory does not con- tain all of the ninety-two elements, because some of them are too rare and too expensive. ln one of the three rooms that make up his own private realm, you may always find that venerable gentleman who is the science department - Mr. Troy Smith.

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THE ARTISTIC TOUCH ART AND DRAMA Besides making sketches of each other, the art students study color, design, crafts, interior decoration, and history of art. They have at- tended state conventions of Feder- ated Art Clubs, exhibits of winning Scholastic contest material, art mu- seums, and the Purdue puttering shop as a part of their activities. The art room is equipped with a gaily be- spattered sink, an ironing board for textiles, a press for printing linoleum blocks, and a potter's wheel. Mrs. l-lammer, art supervisor, is also di- recting the work of the long contem- plated mural on the west wall of the cafeteria. Phil Demaree, the artist, in warm rich colors is completing a panorama of school life, past and present. Symbolical in meaning, we are awaiting with interest the final interpretation. Nearly everyone in our school has at one time or another felt the gentle touch of grease paint. lf he has escaped this, he has no doubt built flats, painted scenery, or tracked down a skunk or a pair of handcuffs for props. ln addition to the dramatics classes taught by Mrs. Mueller, there are opportunities to be in the cast of publicly performed plays. This year the season opened in December with the junior Play, Youth Takes Over, a drama of high school life, directed by Miss Brown. ln March came The Hoos- ier Schoolmaster, the Speech Arts Play, under the direction of Mrs. Mueller. The Seniors finished the year with two performances of Skid- ding, featuring Andy Hardy, and directed by Miss Sinks. .1- '

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SCHOLARSHIP Proud wearers of the little gold honor pins the last half of our junior year were Betty King, lean Burnham, ludy Reed, and lim Gildersleeve. ln the seven years since a charter from the National Honor Society was granted to West Lafayette High School, eighty- one members have been added. Members are selected by the faculty on a basis of scholarship, leadership, service, and char- acter. Students honored this year are: Lor- raine Stigers, Marion Donham, Barbara Sanders, Eleanor Slopsema, Mack Thomas, Katherine Burnham, Betty Freeland, David Todd, Beth Schaupp, Dorothy Heckard, lanice Warren, jean Leer, Mary Ann Roberts, and Harvey McComb. STUDENT COUNCIL Three years ago there was a great buzz around school. People were forever popping off to Steering Committee Meetings or Constitution Meetings, where they spent hours in heated argument. Soon everyone knew that we were to have a Student Council, which would discuss matters of importance to the students and voice an opinion when there were decisions of school policy to be made. The council was first organized in january, l939. Because of the transfer of Miss Schaaf, the sponsor for the first two years of the Council's existence, Mr. Hopkins assumed this duty for '42 and you. Each home room is permitted to choose two students to act as representatives in the bi-weekly meetings. The president, vice-president, and secretary are elected by a general school vote after three students have been nominated for each posi- tion by a group designated for that purpose. The standing committees take care of convocations, tea-dances, and pep-sessions. The Student Council functioned this year in duties pertaining to the opening of school, it cooperated with the P. T. A. in U 1def5'fa WCll 1Q and W0 k Q OUT Sfudenl problems, it promoted the buying of defense bonds and stamps, it approved the abolishment of finals and the lengthening of school periods for the sec- ond semester. On the whole it has tried to be a go-between for faculty, students, and parents, at- tempting to study the problems of each and to reach satisfactory solu- tions for the best interests of the school.