Belleville Township West High School - Bellevinois Yearbook (Belleville, IL)

Page 29 text:

Opposite Page, Top Right: Several sen¬ iors got into the Hobo Day spirit by kid¬ napping freshman Pat Kernan from his place behind the Class of ' 92 float. Let ' s drop him ' joked senior Clayton Merritt. Bottom Right: A group of freshmen girls enjoy their first Hobo Day Parade by fol¬ lowing behind their float. Left: The Hobo Day Parade is led traditionally by the pa¬ rade ' s banner. This Page, Top Left: Senior girls show their Maroon pride by march¬ ing behind their float during the parade. Top Right: David Sutherland marches in the parade as a clown. Bottom Left: The drum line also clowns around during the Hobo Day Parade. Parade 25

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Tradition Continues T he 1988 Hobo Day marked a 60 year Belleville tradition. After the assembly, the school gathered in the school drive. The parade, following its usual route from Belleville West, progressed down West Main Street toward downtown. It ended at the parking lots at Third and West Main Street. The Hobo Day banner led the pa¬ rade, followed by the Marching Maroons. After the band came decorated cars, mini floats, the football team, cheerleaders, the volleyball team, the girls tennis team, and other organizations. The class floats came last, each escorted by cheering and yelling students. Some students followed their floats on skateboards, roller skates and bicycles. 24 Parade motive

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S ince 1980, the Republican Grand Old Party (GOP) held influence in the presidential office through 40th President Ronald Reagan. After eight years and two terms. President Reagan stepped down. The GOP placed its support with Vice President George Bush who received the GOP presidential nomination. The Democratic Party saw this as an opportunity to put their policies in office. Michael Dukakis, Governor of Massachusetts, was given the Democratic nomination. The most notable influence on this election was the dominant use of negative advertising. The Bush campaign was especially ef¬ ficient with this tactic. Dukakis counter attacked too little and too late to help his campaign. In August, Dukakis also made an appearance in Belleville, Illinois was a pivotal state in this elec¬ tion., However, Bush captured the election. Too young to vote in the actual race Belleville West students voted anyway. Thanks to Mr. Robert Hanson and his govern¬ ment classes, approximately 400 students from a student body of about 2,000 confirmed Ameri¬ ca ' s new President-Elect. How¬ ever, the same students chose Robert Gaffner over Jerry Cos¬ tello for the U.S. House of Re¬ presentatives. Actually, incum¬ bent Costello was re-elected. Unfortunately, the 20% voter turnout for West was even worse than the approximated 50% vot¬ er turnout for the nation. A 26 Election