Whiting High School - Reflector Yearbook (Whiting, IN)

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COURSE OF STUDY The purpose of a high school education is to provide a broad foundation of culture as well as a preliminary step in a future vocation, and certain courses are planned for that purpose. The needs of the individual student should be considered in selecting his course of study. His elective subjects should prepare him for a future objective. In order that a high school student’s program will represent a reasonable balance between concentration in, and distribution among, various fields of thought and mental training, and in order, at the same time, that his program will not be too badly broken up, the student must meet certain requirements for graduation. Requirements for graduation are designated by units and credits, and a minimum of sixteen units or thirty-two credits must be earned for graduation from Whiting High School. A unit is defin'd as one year's study (forty weeks) in any subject, while a credit is defined as one semester’s work (twenty weeks) in any subject. Therefore, two credits are equivalent to one unit. High school credits may also be considered in terms of majors and minors. A major consists of 3 units (six credits) in a subject and a minor consists of two units (four credits) in a subject. To meet the needs of high school instruction, six organized courses of study are offered: the General Preparatory, the Technical, the Commercial and two-year specialized Commercial, the Home Economics and Vocational courses. The college preparatory or general course is the most popular one and is adopted by a large portion of the students. This course includes three years of English, one or more years of mathematics, three years of history or social science, generally two years of foreign language, one or more years of science together with a choice of elective subjects. The Technical course meets all of the requirements of the general course except that the electives are selectd from the mechanical and shop subjects. The Home Economics course is similar in general requirements. but the elective work is confined to cooking, sewing and related subjects. The four-year Commercial course includes the subjects required for graduation together with such electives as may be selected from the commercial group. This course differs from the two-year Commercial course in that the two-year course disregards requirements for graduation and permits the student to choos? subjects entirely from the commercial group. It is a highly specialized curricula for students who will remain only one or two years and wish to concentrate on this group. Only students who br.’ng special requests from their parents and convince the school authorities that they have a definite purpose are permitted to enroll in the two-year course. The vocational work is generally looked upon as either a one or two-year course. It is planned to provide fundamental instruction which will assist the student in preparing for some trade or special type of work. The training received at school whether technical or general will furnish a foundation with which the student may start his apprentice training with view of becoming a skilled special tradesman. Many special subjects such as vocational civics, vocational English and mathematics, machine shop, printing, woodwork and mechanical drawing furnish a Iarg variety of selection in this field. By special permission of the State Board of Education, specialized curricula in industrial arts, vocal and instrumental music, home economics, art and commercial subjects have been organized which permit the acceptance of six elective units towards graduation. sixteen

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ADMINISTRA TION Our high school administration may also be compared with departmental control in the Standard Oil Company. Just as the foremen, the heads of the various departments, are responsible to a higher executive, our teachers who instruct in the various departments, are subject to the principal, who has great responsibility as superintendent of the high school department. Principal L. C. (irubb, our department superintendent, is a man who is interested in his workers, the students, is able to see things through their eyes, to feel with them, and is wholly consecrated to their service. A casual visitor to the principal’s office cannot but be impressed by the multiplicity of duties which devolve upon that official in the course of a school day. Disciplining offenders, recording attendance and pacifying irate parents constitute only a minor part of the administrative functions. Then our student council, which compares with the Hoard of Industrial Relaticns, an organization of employees, in our industry brings the student body in closer contact with the administration. The object of a student council in the high school is mainly to promote self government. The student council is constituted of a group of students with advisory capacity, consisting of the presidents of each of the four classes and one additional representative from each class. These eight members cooperate with the principal in suggesting and helping to put across the various activities of the school, together with any constructive influence that they may, as an organization, be able to exert in the best interests of the school. For harmony and smooth running course of affairs, cooperation is an essential element in any administration, whether it concerns a school or a business. If the heads of the various departments will cooperate, the very best results are sure to come. STUDENT COUNCIL Lift to right around tin- table: Harriet Nash (secretary). Catherine Ribovich. Janet Patten. Arvo Antilla, Birja Drinker (president). Albert Ferenee, Stanley Davies. L. C. (irubb fifteen

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DEPARTMENTS Ever since it was introduced into the school curriculum the work of the industrial department has proved to be of great importance to the students. Because of the nature of the work, only boys, as a rule, follow the courses in mechanical drawing, printing, machinery and woodwork. Thus far the class of 1930 has the largest percentage of students enrolled in mechanical drawing. The first year is a general course in which skills are developed, while the second year deals with the study of designing and architectural drawing in which various types of houses are studied and floor plans made. The members of the printing department study typesetting and the different methods of book binding and book repairing. The shop is of value to both pupils and the school because it prints office forms , tickets, programs, posters, ballots for student elections, and the school newspaper and yearbook. Woodwork is probably the oldest and one of the most useful vocational courses offered at Whiting High. Here the boys, well instructed as to their work, make many useful articles for the home and school. The work of the first semester is based on the construction of furniture, and the second semester is devoted to designing and wood finishing. The training in the Machine Shop may be used in many ’ fields, its main objective being to teach the students to work under typical shop conditions. Moving machinery and other dangers necessitates instruction in safety first. In the commercial department, bookkeeping, shorthand and typewriting always attract a large number of students. Accuracy and speed are the ultimate aims in typewriting. To promote more speed in shorthand, a club was organized this year which is limited to students who obtained a grade of ninety in an eighty- word test. Since these subjects are preparatory to a secretarial career, more girls arc found in this department than boys. The three courses offered in the science department, chemistry, physics, and biology, require double periods and thus include laboratory work. Chemistry is the study of the composition, breaking down and reconstruction of materials under certain conditions while physics is the study of natural phenomena occuring within the fields of mechanics, sound, light, magnetism, electricity and radioactivity. Biology is a study of the principles of widest application to the origin, development, structure and function of plants and animals—in other words, the science of all living things. This year the students studying French and Latin entered into their work with more zeal because of the fact that clubs have been organized in both departments. The Latin and French clubs bring the teachers and pupils into more intimate association and more interest is aroused in the subject. This year the school was represented by Olga Bradac who took first place in the district contest, held in Rensselaer, March 22, and won the honor of representing her school in the State contest at Bloomington, April 11. Every girl, regardless of her future profession, should know something of cooking and sewing. In cooking the girls are taught how to prepare a simple, well-balanced meal and to be economical. The first year of sewing is devoted to the study of materials and the making of simple garments while in the second year the girls arc taught to make more fashionable garments. The Art class has studied many interesting propects this year. The subjects ranged from outdoor sketching and stage scenery to the skillful fashioning of silver bracelets and hand turned pottery. The course has been one of much enjoyment to the students. seventren