Clearwater High School - Aqua Clara Yearbook (Clearwater, FL)

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Can You Spare A Dime? Many discover that no matter where you are , money flies when you ' re having fun A s the weekend drew near, students be- came more desper- ate for money. Although few went to the extremes of robbing a bank or hold- ing a teacher’s pet goldfish for ransom, several stooped to giving heart- wrenching pleas to their parents, siblings, and friends for more and more and more spending money. Many were accustomed OVER THE LIMIT While driving back from the beach on a Saturday afternoon, Paul Droubie is stopped by a po- lice officer for going 55mph in a 45mph zone and is fined $46. to the basic expenses relat- ed to a teenager’s typical social life: for example, movies and football games. On the other hand, some students got bored with these common activities and used their money for other types of entertain- ment such as putt-putt golf. However, the price for fun increased when “the hunger hit ya.” “I spend an average of $10 every week on food. Sometimes I stop for ba- gels in the morning before school,” said junior Erin Kennedy. Another major expense, a car, consumed a huge portion of a student’s in- come. “The gas tank of my car seemed like it was always empty because I drove my friends everywhere,” ex- plained Kathy Lialios. Many students who bought their own cars also had to pay for their auto insur- ance and make the pay- ments. The increased number of police officers who pa- trolled the streets added an extra problem for student drivers. Some found them- selves supporting the city through parking and speeding tickets. Senior Bill Glass com- mented, “I guess you could say I’ve had my share of tickets. They get pretty ex- pensive after a while.” Throughout the year, many different rock groups performed in the Tampa Bay area. These concerts provided another charge for the growing bill. “I must have seen at least four concerts this year,” said freshman Rob Pace. The price varied de- pending on where the group played: the Bay- front, the USF Sundome, or even Ruth Eckerd Hall. Of course, the popularity of the group also affected the price. “When I go to a concert, I end up spending a lot be- cause besides the ticket I buy a t-shirt and other stuff like a Coke,” continued Pace. Although students spent a considerable amount on school lunches, club dues, and class rings, the largest portion of their cash went toward after school activi- ties. All in all, most agreed that “money flies when you’re having fun!” □ by Susana Kugeares VICTORY CELEBRATION After a 17-14 football victory over Gibbs, Rose Graham, Jill Pressler, and Ann Humphreys celebrate at Capogna’s Dugout. GAS BILL BLUES Owning a car often seems great only until gas bills add up. Paula Larson shares a car with her sister to save on expenses. Spending Money □ 15

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SPELLBOUND “I had no idea how large Country- side was until I drove around look- ing for a friend’s house,” said ju- nior Kim Pollick. Pollick later made a point of getting substan- tial directions before setting out on the road. LIFE IN THE BIG CITY Only twenty miles away, Tampa was a nightmare for the unfamil- iar driver. Rather than driving endlessly on instinct, Nancy Ba- ker and Nicole Marolf stop to ask directions to the Tampa Theater to see a concert. Distant paths lead unfamiliar drivers on an endless Y ou knew where the Lakeland Civic Cen- ter was. After all, you had been there just barely a year before with your older brother. Be- sides, even if you were a little bit hazy about it’s ex- act location, one of the friends riding with you could surely point you in the right direction. Right? Wrong. Unfortunately, when six- teen year olds earned the privilege to drive, they of- ten neglected to consider an aspect of driving almost as important as knowing the rules and regulations: basic geographic sense. “When I first got my li- cense, I wanted to go to Countryside Mall,” said se- nior Wendy Marich. “It wasn’t until I got behind the wheel of my car that I realized I didn’t know how to get there.” The real problems be- gan, however, when con- certs, away games, and other distant amusements attracted teenagers to Tampa, Lakeland, and St. Petersburg. While the en- tire trip across the Court- ney Campbell causeway lasted no more than fifteen minutes, the road beyond posed some serious prob- lems. Finding the inter- state, not to mention taking the correct exit off, caused problems. Senior Martha Galloway recalled heading north on 275 toward Gainesville while searching for the Cu- ban Club in Ybor City. Missing the exit, she dis- covered, was not a pleas- ant experience. Of course, turning around on a five lane highway wasn’t the easiest task in the world. To the unexperienced driv- er, Tampa itself was a road to nowhere. “My friend and I were looking for this store in Tampa,” said Eddy Green. “He said he forgot the ad- dress but remembered it had the same name as one of the presidents. That was fine until we realized that every other major street in Tampa was named after a president.” Other bordering cities drew oblivious student drivers into unknown desti- nations. One was streets and rural areas were found particularly confusing. “We spent hours one Saturday driving around and looking for this canoe site,” commented Chris Murphy. “Finally we decid- ed to just get some food and eat out by the river.” While a sense of direc- tion was not easily ac- quired overnight, those that accidentally end ed up trapped in some unfamiliar locale learned the necessi- ty of developing one. After all, the first time anyone spent endlessly carousing one of the less reputable neighborhoods of down- town Tampa was enough to scare him straight. Perhaps afterwards he would even check directions before heading out on the road. □ by Carrie McLaren C. Flory