Normal Community High School - Echoes Yearbook (Normal, IL)

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enghis Kahn has seen it. So has William the Conqueror and Mark Twain. And now it's back, ready to amaze the world once again. The return of Halley's Comet will Je heralded as the event of a lifetime, said Carl J. Wenning, director of the Illi- tois State University Planetarium. Indeed it has. Everything from t- shirts to telescopes are being sold, all sporting the name of Halley's Comet. In addition, five spacecraft are being sent ip to get a closer view of the traveler. In order to inform area residents of he comet, the ISU Planetarium bought wo shows, l'A Comet Called Halley and Comet Halley: Once in a Lifetime. Mr. Wenning said, Most of our shows generally tend to get full, but here's no question that the comet shows have had the largest turnout. This interest in the comet can be at- ributed to its beauty. However, many ales have been spun about the comet regarding change, death, and destruc- ion. For instance, in 451 A.D., Attila the -lun was defeated by Genghis Kahn. In i066 B.C., William the Conqueror over- hrew King Herald of England. And each of these events was marked by a bril- liant streak in the sky - Halley's Com- et. At the time, nobody knew what a comet was. The ancient Greeks called them kometes, meaning hair. Each time the comet would appear, people thought it was a new one. But in 1682, Sir Edmund Halley, an English as- tronomer, had suspicions about this par- ticular traveller. Putting together bits of history and astronomical knowledge, he guessed that this comet was the same one the Huns and Normans had seen. With the help of Sir Isaac Newton, Halley established the fact that this com- et appeared once every 75 to 76 years, and it would be seen again in 1758. Indeed it was, and again it appeared in 1835, the year Mark Twain was born. its next appearance would come in 1910. Thus, Twain predicted his death would occur in that year. Because of this regularity, people realized that Halley's Comet was a natu- ral phenomenon. Still, many people re- garded comets as being supernatural omens. In 1910, word spread that the comet's tail would envelop the earth and poison people with its gas tail. Comet- pills were sold to those who feared for their lives, and comet parties were held to celebrate the last days on the planet. Today, we know that these supersti- tions are false. We know enough about comets to know that change and relationship to comets is coincidence, said Jenny Miller l12l. Nate Johnson C101 agreed. Sure, there are changes in Unit 5 and in Nor- mal, but I don't think those are on the same scale as Attila the Hun and William the Conqueror. When World War ll oc- curred, there was no comet, so comets don't signify change, he said. While most disagree with the thought that Halley's Comet will bring significant change, they do enjoy the thought of its arrival. t'This comet comes only once every 75 years. That's something special, said Nick Brosnahan 110. Perhaps Mark Twain said it best. I came in with the comet, and I aim to go out with it. - Laurie Hines 1125 The Halley's Comet show is projected through the metal sphere and reflects off the ceiling. A group ol small children settle back in their seats as the Halley's Comet show begins. The lili- nois State University Planetarium ran the show in November and early December. Halley's Comet-13

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A sw -we 1 vi fs,:sf4ffv::,-:J'ezt-fm'-3 i.ffi'1f:'f'PJ,g.?5'a. frplswvf nislfsur. .f:tx.f'-Yiwu:ffwlfmz :':,-Pfsiffif' V Q . ,M st sl.. M..-l... .vis f sl- ,.1..xH.f sts, ffm, fmffw... .ws .s,,sf'f is -ers, saga ,wifi-1sv,.t1,,5g5s.,gl31-ao, -.tf1lg:.15w f w ffvv Says ssstzgst- -ff s54g,,,s,,.fs. .tw ,jj,'1r77gg3i,,???liTg?jii?5g5i,f,'?9gj'5 Zf7'?t5,f'si,fIfigjgrtf'gH'ii.jf'f'rg.', fe.'-f-,'Q:,?'1f5ss?:57'Y j'1:.5gpi,-'ejgig iw: sgigwi 1:-,'5f.z:'fi 13,1 sw,-11s,, 1KelIy Meece 1101 shares a song with Eric Beer 1111 at the Victory Dance. t was a dark room filled with animals of the party sort. Wild sounds blasted from all direc- tions, and there was a strange feeling in the air. However, the setting was not a laboratory testing zone, but rather the scene for the back- to-school dance. For the first time ever students were the D.J.s. Chris Homan 1121 and Scott Fiuoti 1121 performed in Arend's Gym on Sept. 15, bringing in approximately 700 anxious teenagers which raised S700 for Prom. The Junior Class organized the event. According to Mrs. Kathy Moore, Junior Class sponsor, the back-to- school dance set the mood for dances to come. Homan and Ruoti thought of the idea to be disc jockeys in the summer, so they set out to gain the approval of Principal Robert Malito. After a few for- malities, they proved responsible enough to go for it. A list of music selections was sub- mitted to the faculty, and soon the stu- dent D.J.'s were cranking out tunes ranging from oldies but goodies to top 40 to the theme from the Beverly Hillbil lies. To be a D.J. required preparation. lt took a lot of time, Fiuoti said. But he admitted, lt was fun to do. Meahgan Kilmartin 11 OJ commented The D.J.s did a good job for beginners They played good music. Other sophomores felt a sense of belonging after the back-to-school dance. Jeff Jones 11 OJ said the dance was a nice greeting to a new school. The stereo and back-up equipment were rented and funded by the Junior Class. The senior D.J.s volunteered for free, which helped them get the job. Many people who attended the back-to-school dance agreed with a comment from Stephanie McCracken 1117, l'l had a good time. lt was fun. - Scott Goldberg 110 I I I I Book-to-Sohoo 1A crowd shot of the Victory Dance reveals a ca- -5 The Football Team's win is enjoyed by player sual setting in Arend's Gym with students dancing Kevin Franz 1171 in a dance with Tricia Mason 1101 and shouting to their favorite tunes. lt is here that at the Victory Dance. the students meet before heading to parties. 14-Let's Dance