Austin High School - Comet Yearbook (Austin, TX)

Page 30 text:

Editor s Journal F finals for third and fourth periods. Afterward they were dismissed for lunch and or the commencement cere- mony. The final day of exams was the same as the past with fifth and sixth period finals lasting two complete hours. In previous years, two-hour exams were held for each period on three days wih two exams per day. Lucky artist suspended Cartoonist, Whitney Ayres was suspended from school and banned from commence- ment and prom exercises after the publication of his comic strip in Austin High ' s news- paper the Maroon. Lucky comic strip con- tained two characters master- bating in this year ' s final issue. Tom Prentice, SFA jour- nalism instructor and student publication advisor said the artwork was lewd, obscene and not protected by the First Amendment. Prentice re- quested disciplinary action to- ward Ayres after a number of students brought the material to his attention after the news- paper was distributed Fri., May 17. Budget cutting plan approved by Congress When President Reagan re- turned from one of the most grueling and controversial as- signments of his career, the European tour with his con- troversial stop at the Geman War Cemetery at Bitburg, he found a victory for spending restraints and no tax increase in the national budget cutting plan for 1986. While the president was across the Atlantic, Vice Pres- ident George Bush broke a 49- 49 Senate tie vote which brought the GOP deficit bus- ters a tactical victory. The plan consisted of a budget that would cut out $56 billion in 1986 and about $300 billion over the next three years. Although the GOP felt the passage in the Senate was a victory, it was something of a strategic defeat for Reagan. The plan included a one-year freeze on the cost-of-living al- lowances (COLA) for social security, a major contradic- tion to one of Reagan ' s few campaign pledges. While the plan ignored COLA impor- tance, it also included a no in- crease budget beyond infla- tion for the Pentagon. Even though the budget cutting plan survived the Se- nate, it was unlikely to clearly pass through the House. The Democrats were eager to aviod new taxes, but were de- termined to reject a cap on so- cial security COLA. The next item on the agenda was the presidential tax reform plan. Despite the bipartisan agreement on a need for the plan, Reagan ' s proposals were expected to evoke considerable disagree- ments during the summer months. Daily extracurricular participation limited In May, AISD announced it was complying with the pro- vision of House Bill 72 which required school districts to limit student participation in and practice for extracurricu- lar activities during the school day and school week. The State Board limited to ten the number of days that could be missed for activities out of a 175-day school year. It was up to each individual district to decide how to space them out over the spring and fall semesters and the six- weeks periods. Some districts decided to split the 10 days 5-5 over each semester. In some areas, special cases were discovered. For exam- ple, golfers, baseball players, debaters, and even jour- nalism students needed more days off for their activities in the spring semester. Con- sequently, the AISD decided to simply leave a 10-day maximum for the entire school year. Any coaches, sponsors, or directors with comments or complaints about the limitations were in- vited to contact the State Board directly. In addition, the AISD im- plemented the state-required eight hour per week limit on practice time for a single ex- Katherlne Von Driesler at Commencement tracurricular activity. Senate Bill 525 Throughout the school year, in the halls, the class- rooms, the offices and even outside the building have been endless complaints about the ever so popular House Bill 72. However, toward the clos- ing of the year, rumors were heard that the legislature might bring some changes in the educational restrictions that the bill imposed. Senator Carl Parker prop- osed Senate Bill 525, a bill which would refine some as- pects of HB 72, such as, in- creased funding for the teacher career ladder or relax- ing restrictions on extracur- ricular activities. According to a bill analysis of SB 525, it would insure the most effec- tive implementation of HB 72. If passed, the bill would au- thorize the State Board of Education to provide for grade reporting periods of less than six weeks in imple- menting the no pass no play rule. In other words, if a stu- dent in a sport fails a course, the time which he cannot play that sport would be less than six weeks. In addition, honors students would be exempt from the no pass no play rule if the student maintained a certain defined level of achievement. Another effect of the bill would be to require teachers and administrators to take a basic skills exam, but the State Board of Education would study the results of the exam as well as the results of im- plementation of the statewide appraisal system to determine the need for any further test- ing in subject matter areas. Student discipline is also addressed in the bill. School districts would have greater W

Page 29 text:

our Of Spurgeon Bell, distinguished Senior class president Paul Gerling alumni, and junior Ned Sherman lis- speaks to students and guests at ten to Dedication Day ceremonies. Dedication Day. first, third and fifth period fi- nals, and on Wed., May 23, second, fourth and sixth period exams were issued. The exam periods were an hour long for the seniors and the graduates were required to attend the classes between each final exam. Also, on Thurs., May 23 seniors were expected to be in their classes for a daily grade. Any classes missed on Thursday were counted as an absence toward the five day limit. According to Principal Jaq- cuelyn McGee, in the past years, seniors were never re- ally released from school a few days early, they just took it upon themselves to miss those days. She went on further to explain that the major differnece in this years ' s schedule was that the absence policy was strictly en- forced and that this year seniors were not exempt from finals becaus of HB 72. Seniors were scheduled to graduate May 28, at2;00p.m., but were not required to be in school on Fri., May 24 or Mon., May 27. Most seniors expressed glee in getting out of Texas ' schools before House Bill 72 and all of it ' s reforms did any- more damage to them. One example of the reforms that even the district felt impelled to execute was a new final exam schedule for under- classmen this year. Students complained that the state ' s education proposals were bad enough without the help of the district. On Fri., Mav 24, when seniors were out of school, underclassmen took their first period final from 8:55-10:55. Then they resumed regular classes through sixth period. The following Monday, they took their second period exam for two hours and then com- pleted the average school day. On Tues., May 28, the stu- dents took one and a half hour Milderd Pickle Mayhal, former Social Studies teacher, was honored at the Dedication Day ceremonies. Tenth Anniversary Celebration ends with Dedication Day X he lakefront campus for Austin High School was dedi- cated on May 2, 1976 as AISD ' s Bicenntial gift to Au- stin. Ten years after the in- stitution opened on Town Lake, the Student Council celebrated its anniversary April 29 to Dedication Day on May 3. Each year SFA observed the anniversary of the ' dedica- tion ' of the lakefront campus, but since a decade passed at the location and since Spring Thing was cancelled the coun- cil planned a week of activities leading up to Dedication Day. Their plans included trivia an- nouncements, receptions, photography and art exhibits, school tours, and spring-time intramural sport ' s competi- tions. The council sponsored a fun run, and a golf and Softball tournament. The fun run was held on May 1. Neal Tuttrup, junior, and freshman, Melissa DeLeon ran to two top times for the male and female divisions in the three mile run. Alumni and faculty joined the stu- dents in the fun run as well as the golf and softball tourna- ments. Due to April showers the golf tournament was can- celled for students and faculty after Ken Macaluso took the winning alumni title. Despite the rain, student softball players from each class and the faculty battled for blue rib- bons. Of course, the senior class robbed the under- calssmen of their egos and smushed the faculty team. Consequently, the seniors took home the blue. An all-school Dedication Day assembly on May 3 wrap- ped up the week ' s activities. The Hall of Honor Steering Committee announced Dis- tinguished Alumni, Spurgeon Bell, class of ' 25, and Jaquelvn McGee, class of ' 46; Honored Faculty installed in the hall were Mildred Pickle Mayhall, Social Studies (1956-1964) and Maurice Price, English (1956- 1978). Also the Maroon Soci- ety representives installed were Melissa Macaluso, Catherine Schneider, David Shivers and Becky Youman.

Page 31 text:

ifii ' ' rren, English and tennis Instructor, may orbit the earth in 1986. flexibility in disciplining stu- dent because of an allowance of six days of suspension and immediate expulsion from school for possession of dnigs, alcohol, or weapons. The procedures for removing a student to an alternative education program would also be clarified. Several of the other changes would be: a reduction of paperwork for the Central Education Agency, school districts, teachers and ad- ministrators; the addition of bbrarians and non-degreed teachers to the career ladder; an increase of the age for com- pulsory attendance in public schools from 16 to 17; and the acceptance of medical ap- pointments as excused ab- sences. If passed, SB 525 would go into effect for the 1985-1986 school year. How- ever, as the legislature began its final week in late May, it seemed unliklv that he bill. which had passed the Senate, would be approve by the House. Even if itwas, indica- tions were that Gov. Mark White might veto it. Editor ' s note: F inally , a glim- mer of hope. Toward the end of my high school experience, I saiv education become more and more strictly defined as the national pendulum moved closer to the conservative side. I hated the thought of leaving the public school system to all of those un- derclassmen, especially my younger brothers, who would have to either fight or accept the perilous changes in educational reforms. In all my prayers, I hope more adults in legislative author- ity, would, like Senator Parker, realize the danger in their educa- tional change game before people in school are required to carry their own rechargable battery in order to live in the system or in the extreme, before all the teachers resign and all the students drop out. Warren : the right stuff to enter space B, • Ihocnd of the school ear overyone knew that Ln- glish teacher and boys tennis coach, Steve Warren was also an U.S. Navy Pilot, and that he expected the most from both his students, as stated in the Austin-American States- man. This summer Warren may recieve notice of an Honor that would give a chance to go higher in the sky than even he has gone before, or the possibility of becoming the first ordinary person to orbit the earth as a member of a Space Shuttle crew early in 1986. Texas candidates for NASA ' s Teacher in Space were annonced April 18 by Dr. William Kirby, the Com- misioner of Education. The only other teacher nominated from Texas ' 420 applicants was Peggy Lathlaen of Friendswood Independent School District who teaches grades three through five. Warren still had to survive several more cuts before a winner is chosen to travel into the final frontier . I didn ' t even think about it, Warren said about apply- ing for the honor. The minute I heard I called the White House. I was watching the news when I heard Reagan make the announcement. Then I called Washington and they gave me an address to send for an application. A peculiar thing about Texas applicants was that there were only 420 of them in comparsison to the 10,000 nationally. Warren thought he knew a couple reasons why The application re- quired six essays, three letters of recomendation and a pro- ject. You also had to pass cer- tain medical requirements and be willing to undergo a secret background which in- volves the FBI asking people you know, such as neighbors, questions. The investigation is supposed to prove that you ' re not a communist, Nazi or somthing crazy like that. The person chosen in the final nomination will get a year ' s leave of absense with liftoff scheduled for January 22, 1986. Then, after the teacher chosen has been in space, he will go on a tour of schools throughout the U.S.. With this possibility Warren verifies that, the agreement I made with Ms. McGee was that if I won I would get a year of leave so that I ' m able to come back. My tennis team ' s too good. I couldn ' t leave that. As for his chances, Warren feels that they are, as good as anybody else ' s. It ' s one out of one hundred and twenty right now. I hope they will look at my military back- ground favorably. Warren always excelled at Austin High. As a tennis coach, his team never finished lower than first place in dis- trict. As an English teacher, he taught the most talented freshman students, and with great success inspired them to be the best they possibly can be. As a person Warren is in- telligent, he is physically at his peak, and has an attitude to succeed as well as to teach. The only challenge he now had to face was whether or not the National Review Panel felt he has the right stuff to be the first teacher in space. m-i