Abbeville High School - Wildcat Yearbook (Abbeville, LA)

Page 10 text:

A Moment’s Concentration, Since students are not, in many cases, the closely knitted group that they once were, they find it more difficult to pull to- gether without some unifying factor. I perform a unifying function. I enable students who might otherwise never even have met to identify with each other and to pull together for a common goal. I also serve to increase students' sense of belonging. A sense of belonging is be- coming quite a problem in schools growing in size the way AHS is. Too many commuter students feel like outsiders as compared to those who do not rush to every appointment with bell and bus. Today, students are more inclined to feel as though they belong to a com- munity or just a neighborhood rather than a school family as it should be. By becoming part of me, students are made to feel a part of the school. I also smoothen the way for new students and the acceptance of them by students who have been attending the school for a number of years. Ninth or tenth graders who are unfamiliar with the ways of a new school, a larger school, are likely to have a problem in adjusting to a new way of life if they are not made familiar with the new situation A Moment’s Rest

Page 9 text:

I Am Serious Study First, today's school - like most other institutions - is growing faster than ever before. Many high schools now have enrollments equivalent to those of some of our major colleges 10 to 15 years ago. In a school this size, face to face com- munications can no longer be relied upon to distribute the school message. Students with one set of interests may not even be acquainted with students whose interests are totally differ- ent. Faculty members often don't recognize students that don't happen to be in their classes. And, townspeople, who support the school with taxes, are more removed than ever from the campus scene. I - as well as a newspaper - am really needed to communicate to people on all these levels. [ For one thing, both I and the newspaper publications create an awareness of school issues, poli- cies, and problems. We further understanding on the part of the students, parents, and others among interested citizens. It's agreed that our functions are different because of our publi- cation dates. The newspaper provides instant news in brief. But I cover an entire year and can bring to the reader in-depth coverage. I can focus on not only the beginning but also the middle and the end. Possibly the most important contribution is the furthering of acceptance. When students, teachers, parents and the like can see an issue in my entirety, they can more easi- ly accept the ' ange. And, understanding an issue which cropped up this year makes ac- ceptance of future changes more predictable. My second contribution is the benefit to school spirit ( a some- what antiquated but still ap- propriate word). Just as the size of the school has worked to de- crease students' and teachers' knowledge of what is going on, I have also worked to increase school spirit - an important aspect of school life. 5 And Deep Thought,

Page 11 text:

Am A Leader in one way or the other. I see that this is accomplished. I can pave the way for a change - regardless of how abrupt - by providing information on what the new student can expect. Tests have proven that anx- iety on the part of a new student is much greater when there is a lack of adequate information about the new school he's going to enter. I provide this infor- mation in an easy-to-absorb manner, and it is from a student's point of view. Also, the fact that I provide a complete picture (from the beginning of school to the end) is of tremendous orien- tation. Here is the background information so needed for total understanding. 7 And A Follower