Wabash High School - Sycamore Yearbook (Wabash, IN)

Page 33 text:

f ySIowr.rliie: Richard Shiv.ely ;s horseback to get a o;ser k.at the ri! ;ail£alls. t Sk ▼ Checkers anyone? Although this ooks like a game board, it is actually a bird ' s-eye view of a Mexican cafe. ' Cool temptation. Jim King. Tam- my Weimer. and Richard Shively admire the water fountain in front of their hotel. iw several interesting sights id went on guided tours, hey toured a large, palatial riental-style house which IS a unique history. It seems lat it had been owned by a itired naval officer and his ife. They had moved to [exico to set up a private ihool for the best students in le world. This idea was emulated by his wife, who anted to take the best stu- 3nt from every country in le world, put them together a private school environ- ent, and educate them to be le leaders of their nations, his way, world peace would nally be established. Unfor- mately, the plan was never irried out. The home, however, remains. Along the major roads and highways of Mexico, it is possible to see small monuments and crosses in- scribed with names just off to the side of the road. These monuments can be anything from a single stone cross to an elaborate shrine of marble and flowers. Their purpose is to identify the exact spot at which some person died along the road, either from natural causes or a traffic ac- cident. The monuments are placed there by the remain- ing family members of the deceased and are taken care of (decorated with fresh flowers daily, kept clean, or kept intact) by mourners for six years, after which they must be taken down. By this time most of the family members no longer need or want a reminder of the death of the deceased. While on another such road trip, the guide described to the group the natural wealth of the nation. Although usually considered poor, Mexico is a leading producer of oil, copper, gold, silver, and natural gas. In fact, Mexico supplied 21.7 percent of the world ' s natural gas and is the fourth largest producer of oil in the world. Through this trip, the language students discovered what life in Mexico is really like. They also learned the similarities between the U.S. and Mexico: both have huge automobile plants (Mexico is a major producer of Volkswagon), both share similar tastes (people in Mex- ico, on the average, drink more soft drinks, especially Coke, than Americans do), and both countries have dif- ferent classes rather than one single grouping of people. These facts and others helped give Wabash students the real view of life in Mexico and showed what the purpose of such a travel pro- gram is. Mexican Trip Zy

Page 32 text:

M. W ' rfx - 1 ! ! ! T t%v --- A 4-W 1 ■ ■ ■ m uring spring vacation, members of the Spanish class and former students of the language, as well as teacher-sponsor Shirley jagger, traveled to Monterey, Mexico, to in- crease their knowledge of the language. The name given to the pro- gram was Vista Real, which means the real view . Jagger wanted her students to get the overall picture of what life in Mexico is like. The students traveling were Beth Proctor, Tammy Weimer, Jim King, Norman Coots, and Richard Shively. On the first day (Friday, March 29), the group was in- vited to a family reunion by the Antonio Garcia family, who own a restaurant in Fort Wayne and have helped jag- ger with the travel program. The next few days were filled with visiting people and places around the Monterey area. The purpose of visiting these people, besides just meeting them, was to have the students practice the language as well as see the broad spectrum of living problems in Mexico. This spectrum went from Guajardo ' s own house, which would be considered fine in any country, to some areas of the city where houses are often made from such things f ■ ' ■■ as bare concrete, scrap wood,i| and metal. j The overriding impressionn ' from all of these people,; ' lower to upper classes, is thatit they are happy with theirii conditions, even the workers? who can never hope to get , more than four dollars a day. for their long day in the fac- tory. This feeling is prevalent ' throughout the country and isi evident to every visitor of the area. While there, the members of the group were i rarely treated rudely, even i while they were fumbling fon words. Rather, the natives are helpful to non-Spanish speakers to learn the language. While in Mexico, the group Zo Mexican Trip

Page 34 text:

7 1 ven as a child, 1 na you fantasized |H 1 about going to p 1 1 the prom. You t J envied your older siblings and neighbors as they stood on the lawn posing for hundreds of pic- tures. As you painted a pic- ture of the prom in your mind, you wondered if you would ever be a junior. You envisioned girls in beautiful gowns of silk and taffeta, yards of ruffles and lace cascading to the floor. You imagined debonair young men decked out in ebony and ivory. Everyone would be dancing, laughing, and hav- ing a splendid time. For many juniors and seniors, this dream finally came true on April 13. For the first time in WHS history, the prom was a dinner-dance at the Honeywell Center. Although couples could eat elsewhere, there was a special discount price for those who attended the Honeywell buffet. Couples could choose from three main dishes: beef, chicken, or ham, each served with mashed potatoes and dressing. Pies in a rainbow of f eaoie flavors tempted even those on a diet to indulge in dessert. The Honeywell gym, draped in pastel streamers and sprinkled with silvery stars, looked as if it really could have been the Stair- way to Heaven . A wishing well stood in one corner as a reminder of our Ethiopian brothers and sisters. Students, feeling quite for- tunate in this elegant at- mosphere, found it hard not to donate to the African Relief Fund. As the evening wore on. Junior Class President Mark Wallace crowned Julie Eichenauer queen; John Rauh was named king. Everyone crowded around as the king and queen shared their traditional spotlight dance. However, all good things must come to an end. At mid- night it was time to leave before all the Porsches turn- ed into pumpkins. Some par- tied into the wee hours of the morning and breakfasted in neighboring towns. One thin is for sure: prom night wil live forever in your mind, on ly now in the form of memories instead of dreams. A Wishing isn ' t enough. Feeding the starving children of Ethiopia takes more than wishe.s. Realizing this, students donated money to the African Relief Fun. The piper coJJs the tune. Dee jay Dan Eckelbarger spins classic • rock, modern pop, and romantic ballads. ▲ Acting as archbishop, junior class President Mark Wallace crowns Julie Eichenauer queen. 30 Pr om