Belleville Township High School East - Yearbook (Belleville, IL)

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It wasn’t ten years of study that made East the school it is. And it wasn’t really the system. It is student involvement which supports the life of the school today. That loyalty to East can still be found on campus through bike-a-thons or clean¬ up days, club meetings and concerts, sports to fine arts. Each student who contributes his own individual time, effort, and ideas helps to build a strong student body.

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EAST’S STUDENTS by Susie Brierly After four months of research, editing, and writing, the scrapbook” section emerged; I had compiled the photographs and facts which were particularly Interesting to me. As I read through back Issues of school newspapers and yearbooks, I couldn ' t help wondering what students were like when Belleville East first opened. I felt that the best way to answer that question was to get first hand Information from a series of Interviews with former East students as well as faculty members who have been here since 1966. Through this article, I hope to make you, the yearbook reader, aware of changes which have occurred over the past ten years. Today East students have a different appearance than students of ten years ago. Their clothing, manner of speech, and length of hair surely prove It. The physical aspects of today’s students have certainly come a long way in the past decade. What about the mental aspects of student life? Has a similar change oc¬ curred In students over the past ten years? Have personalities and opinions changed along with the dress code? If so, has It changed for the better or the worse? Terry Blaies, psychology teacher, believes: “Students have changed like society has—maybe a little slower. I don’t think we can put a blame on anyone. Today’s students are more open and realistic.” Principal Charles G. McCoy feels that students have changed In regard to respect. “There’s been a change in the total attitude of people and lack of respect for public buildings and public officials. A dis¬ respectful attitude throughout the country has come Into being since 1966.” Billie Chaney, French teacher, replied: “They’re different! They have different goals. Grades used to be more im¬ portant. You used to ask for harder things . . . and you got them.” She believes that many students attend school merely to be with their friends. “They want to be here because this is where everyone else is.” On the other hand, Michael Asbury, English department, disagrees, “I believe students are working harder.” Accor¬ ding to art teacher Ronald Isom, “Students are more creative and more sophisticated. I’ve never had trouble with discipline, even though students are more Independent and you have to justify everything . . .” Many changes have taken place since Belleville East opened in 1966. A student issue of earlier days was the dress code, which required female students to wear knee length dresses. Male students were not encouraged to wear blue jeans and a belt was required. Long hair and beards were not permitted for students and even frowned upon for faculty members. A former East student, Mike Sullivan, now student teaching in the art department, says “Yes, Belleville East has changed. I attended school here during 1967 and 1968. You could wear levis—but they didn ' t have holes in them. No beards. No long hair.” These rules gave way in 1971 to what we know as our current dress code. Bea Godwin, a school librarian for the past decade, has come in contact with the majority of East’s students—past and present—at one time or another. “The students looked better when the dress code was in effect. They liked it. They wanted it,” she commented. “They’re different. They have different goale. Qradee used to be more Important •i In 1966 Belleville East was a hectic place to say the least. “Everybody was new to the school. They came together pretty fast—especially by the second year, said Mr. Blaies. Assistant Prin¬ cipal O. C. Thomas was Dean of boys as well as Student Council sponsor in those early years. “The first day was very hot,” he reminisced, “There was no air conditioning. At that time there were 1600 students on campus. During the lunch hour they all went up to the cafeteria—books In arms. We could not serve the students with only two lunch lines. We were backed up 30-45 minutes. It was turmoil and confusion. That day was one of the most atrocious experiences of my life.” The school’s furniture and supplies were im- complete for some time. Lockers didn ' t arrive until mid-year. Other equipment was also late in arriving. Elnor Gabel, foreign language depart¬ ment, recalls a few of the bad memories. “I would never want to open another school in respect to our department. Our textbook material had been changed, so we had to im¬ provise for three weeks. It was January before students had lockers. There were no wastebaskets for some time. The student body was relatively dissatisfied. Many of the staff who transferred from West, were too.” 20 Terry Blaies Psychology Billie Chansy French Bea Godwin Librarian