J J Pearce High School - Mustang Yearbook (Richardson, TX)

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Dnly time will tell Do you remember not buying a icket to the senior slide show, neaking in free, and bragging .bout it to your friends? Or hoping he Skitzoids would have an en- lore so there wouldn't be enough l time to take your algebra test? Wasn't it fun finding the cute guy or girl you liked, and sitting next to them? For juniors and seniors these memories are probably a recollec- tion of the good old days. It was so much fun getting the entire stu- dent body together for a good time and a much needed break from schoolwork. As soon as that bell Rehearsing during second period, Suzanne Beall sings while Iohn Sheroke waits to come in. fDinwiddiej During the canned-food assembly, Maria Callender sings a solo in the spotlight. fBriggsJ t rang, students swarmed into the auditorium which throbbed with rock music. Sophomores were warned not to sit in the lower sec- tions, which were reserved for seniors. Yes, assemblies did get radical - there was smoking in the upper rows, obscene com- ments yelled by the audience, and small groups who always caused trouble. Because of this behavior, Mr. Stamps decided to ban general assemblies. Students went into a panic. What about fund raising assemblies and the senior slide show? Nighttime assemblies were our only option, even though the turnout would be greatly reduced. During the school day, though, we settled for teacher option assemblies, even though few teachers opted for them. Even though coming to school at 8 p.m. was a bit of hassle, who could possibly miss the senior slide show or the talent show? What will hap- pen next year? Only time will tell. Wan Peltj Terri Green, Chris Smith, Suzanne Beall, and Mike Shockney perfect one of the many pop tunes for the Forte spring show. fDinwiddieJ an 'Zu Life I 25

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See you at the sock hop Friday night was a common phrase in the '50's. Young people didn't have as many movie theaters or eating establishments as they do today, therefore, a school dance played a big part in social activity. Recently, however, with the tremendous growth in our area, the high school dance has become almost extinct. In junior high, a school dance was a big thrill. It provided a chance for us to dress up and mingle with friends - especially members of the opposite sex. But as we got older and discovered cars and dating, the need for dances as a social activity greatly diminish- ed. We had other places - Chili's, parties, or the drive-in - where we could go. Aside from other social interests, the lack of sponsor enthusiasm aided in the decline of dance popularity. It was necessary for each dance to be backed by a school organization. But to hold a dance an organization went through a lot of red tape. First, per- mission was required from Mr. Lowder. Second, the student body had to be notified. And then, after setting the time, date, and deciding on the admission price, members of the sponsoring organization spent time creating an- nouncements and posters to advertise their dance. With the tremendous cost of hiring a band or disc jockey, it was important to attract as many students as possi- ble. On the big day, group members, parents, and other volunteers cleared the corral of tables and chairs to set up the sound equipment and make room to dance. This was time consuming and nerve racking. With odds seemingly against them, a few adventurous groups did sponsor dances. The senior class held the first dance of the year on Sept. 17. The band Bogus 24 f Student Life - Dances ot quite the old sock hop performed for those who wished to dance the night away. The cheerleaders also ventured in the dance direction. To raise money for decorating supplies, they spon- sored the Punk Plano dance. Mike Eriksen acted as disc jockey for the punkers who slammed to the new wave beat of such groups as the Clash and the B-52's. Although organizations spent desired. Because of poor attendance and lack of student and sponsor in- terest, the number of dances held decreased with each passing year Even though we didn't rely on dances to provide our weekend social activity, the sock hop will be looked back on as a high school their time organizing dances, stu- dent response to the effort was negative. The general attitude seemed to be that dances were bor- ing and not worth the students' time or money. Senior Greg Cox said he wouldn't attend dances even if we had more. He said he's just not interested. The music was bad, and the dance was bor- ing, Ion Zeitler said of one of the dances he attended. And sophomore Karen Welch said that Pearce dances left a little to be Enjoying a slow dance, Lisa Mamot and Scott Monaghan relax and wind down after a long week. CDrakeJ At the Homecoming dance, Randy Bullard buys tickets rom Mr. Benson for himself and Kristin Schults. Q tradition. fBlankenshipJ K

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Putting it to the test It was the end of the semester, but instead of being excited, most of the students Were filled with dread because before they could begin their new semester or their summer vacation, they were re- quired to take final exams in their classes. Although the tests were held only twice a year, the study- ing and preparation that went into taking the exams made it seem like a lot more often. Final exams were held to test the students' knowledge of the subjects they were supposed to have learned during the semester, and many of the students ended up relearn- ing the entire semester the night before the exam. These exams counted for one-fifth of the stu- dent's grade, so they took the time to prepare for their exams carefully. Although final exams were im- portant to the students, they almost seemed like nothing com- pared to the emphasis placed on the SAT and ACT college entrance ......---v-'- exams. The SAT, or Scholastic Ap- titude Test, and the ACT, Aptitude Comprehension Test, both tested the student's knowledge on basic English and math skills. These tests were important to the students because most colleges re- quired that students seeking ad- mission take one or both of these exams in order to be accepted. Because so much emphasis was placed on these tests, the Saturdays spent in the Richardson High School auditorium taking the tests on lap desks became dreaded dates. Tests, both semester exams and the SAT! ACT, played a big part of the student's year. These tests counted toward everything from passing a class for the semester to getting into the college of his choice. As senior Kathy Heye said, I hate taking exams and tests, but if, and when, I do well, I feel great and all of the time spent studying was worth it. CGibbsl ,,,........-,Ma A Hoping to improve his SAT score junior Geoff Morris reads How to Bea the SAT. COliverJ A K! I l ..-n-n-nun Q,-.-no Seniors Caron Navias, Kathy Heye, and Laurie MacDonald do some last minute 26 I Student Life - Tests ......-..---w cramming for their trigonometry exam. COliverl 2 1 l I l 1 l