Munster High School - Paragon Yearbook (Munster, IN)

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SKUIDIWTI Another Monday morning . . . it ' s just like any other school day, regular dull schedule, boring teachers, and the usual faces pushing and shoving through the halls. My parents really have been down on me about grades and school in general; it ' s a wonder I just don ' t leave school and never come back. Hey! That sounds great . . Oh yea. I ' m not 16. Well, the building itself hasn ' t changed any over the weekend. Looks like the vandals were up to their usual kicks. The janitors just re- ABOVE: Taking advantage of the right to free dress and growing a beard are se- niors Norm Levenberg and Joe Wollack. placed that door last Thursday and it ' s already smashed. I wonder if the washrooms are back in working con- dition . . gosh it ' s cold in here. I ' m glad I only have to comb my hair, if I took any longer I ' d choke on the smoke. Just for us non-smoker ' s sake, I wish there was a lounge for smokers. I never really heard the reason for not setting one up . . just some rumor that they are against state law. I bet a smoking lounge would lax the num- ber of suspensions save the non- smoker ' s health, plus I would not smell like a truck stop diner when I go to class. Today during sixth hour I think I ' ll investigate my school records, I ' ve been hearing about the new law that has been passed. Besides, I ' d like to see what some of those long forgot- ten teachers had to think of me. I wonder if I ' ll have any chance left for a happy future. Can I see your pass please. I don ' t have one. I ' m just on my way to guidance. I ' m going to check out my records. Who let you out of class anyway? Sorry, I will have to report you. Name? John Doe. Did you know your name was on the announcements, you were to go to the office this morning. The assis- tant principal wanted to see you. I suggest you be on your way there. Good afternoon, sir. You wanted to see me? Yes, come in and sit down. You weren ' t in school on Wednesday or Thursday sixth hour, and you did not have an early release either day. John, you are considered truant for those two days . . you now have a three day suspension. . . Gee, Monday certainly did turn out to be a rotten day. Most students could identify with the preceeding story at some time. Students were subject to rules and regulations which limited their privi- leges. According to the Supreme Court decision in 1969, Tinker versus Des Moines, STUDENTS HAVE RIGHTS. Therefore, the School Town of Munster established the Student Due Process Code — Public Law 162 (1972) as amended in 1973. This code outlined student rights and the pun- ishments incurred for breaking rules. Suspensions played an important role as a means of punishment. Stu- dents who were caught ditching or excessively tardy, smoking or drinking at any school-related activity, plagia- rising or cheating, and parking any ve- hicle on school property without school permission were subject to a three to five day suspension. Vandalism rose to alarming levels. Broken windows, doors and plumb- ing resulted in $7700 of damage from August 1974 to January 1975. Girls were denied the use of a washroom 28

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Whoever coined the phrase, Do as I say, not as I do, must have realized his own actions were sometimes contrary to what he said he was going to do. He realized his self-con- tradiction. However, has the student body come to realize that it is paradoxical in nature? Opposition to the previous state- ment was heard, Hogwash! that statement about students being self-contradictory is a bunch of bunk! I ' practice what I preach ' . These words were all too familiar. See if you can ' t place yourself into any one of the following situations. In late August, students were informed that school hours were lengthened to 8:30 a.m. to 3:08 p.m., eight minutes longer than in previous years. Immediately, opposition against staying in school those few extra minutes was heard. Cries of protest resounded through the halls. Did anyone ever stop to think that those few minutes were added to appease demands for more time between classes, to get from one building to the other? Ah yes, now you remember. Instead of waiting for 3:00, one had to control his faculties until 3:08. I can ' t wait ' till school ends to get out of this building, was periodically heard throughout the day. Yet, how many students who murmured those words could be found at the candy machine in the North Commons, talking with friends until 3:20? Just take a head count next time you are eating that Three Muskateers bar. Another common phrase that came forth from a student was, the food here isn ' t fit to slop pigs. Then, why was it that out of the 1778 students, 28% opted to buy lunch from the school menu instead of brown-bagging it every week? Even more so, 75% bought something, whether it was just fries, an apple, or milk, Maybe pigs did not care for our food, but ap- parently some students do. Face it Munster, you were leading a living paradox. Just take a look down the hall or in the cafeteria. Many girls had turned in faded denims for the more conservative knee-length skirts and coordinated blouses. Yet, came Friday, those same girls sported those comfortable old friends, called jeans, in prepa- ration for the start of the weekend. If you were a senior, the classroom situation was more prev- alent. Perhaps you were one of the first hour sociology stu- dents who could not wait for second hour economics to get a breath of fresh air. The reason for this was that sociology classes as well as other senior courses, such as composition, were held in small classrooms packed beyond capacity. In sharp contrast was the vast expanse of emptiness found in the South Resource, where the economics classes were held. Classes of 25 people were held in an area large enough to ac- commodate 100 students. You still don ' t believe school was paradoxical, do you? Re- member when Student Senate promised to set up a bulletin board so that the student body would have an insight on what went on at the meetings? The board was to act as a channel of communication between all students and the Senate, ac- cording to President Jim Krajewski. However, because of a seemingly lack of communication between Senate members themselves, the board did not appear for weeks. Finally, one was arranged only after some non-Senate members tried to organize one themselves. Could you place yourself in any one of the above situations? No, but you did think of a time in which you were self-con- tradictory. Face it Munster. You were tangible proof of an ac- tive paradox. BELOW: With the absence of a dress code, senior Linda Williamson dons the classic skirt and blouse, while freshman Sue Emhoff sports the not unfamiliar attire of a Munster High student. BOTTOM: After weeks of deliberation within Senate about who has the responsibility for arranging information on a board, the student body finally had an open channel of communication to the Student Senate through the in- novation of a special bulletin board.

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FAR LEFT: Hiding behind the closed door anonymous students quickly light up and catch a smoke between classes. LEFT: Excessive vandalism and smoking caused the girl ' s washroom in the cafe- teria to be closed and pad-locked by Mr. James Bawden, assistant principal, dur- ing the lunch mods. BELOW: Investigat- ing his school records, senior Chris Mor- fas discusses the information with Mr. Bob Speelman, guidance counselor. located in the cafeteria during the lunch mods. Due to excessive van- dalism and smoking, the washroom ' s main door was pad-locked. Any stu- dent found vandalizing was either suspended or expelled depending on the extent of the damage. Evacuating the building for fire alarms posed a problem. Students and teachers filed out into the ice cold air and waited until school per- sonnel were able to locate where the alarm went off. After several episodes of fake alarms, the administration as- signed faculty to positions in the hall- ways near fire alarm boxes. Tamper- ing with fire alarms is a federal offense. Thus, anyone involved with the pulling of fire alarms could auto- matically be expelled. Although some rights were gov- erned by suspensions, students were allowed of her free choices. Ri ghts in- cluded school officials not dictating the length of students ' hair or the growth of mustaches and beards. Stu- dents may publish newspapers with no restraints beyond normal journalis- tic standards with the consent of the superintendent. A federal law known as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 allowed students and parents to view records kept by the school. All in all, while students have not been afforded all the legal privileges of adults, positive action has been taken to insure the protection of stu- dent ' s rights. Student Rights 29