Billings West High School - Westward Yearbook (Billings, MT)

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NICE WATCH - Is West High a materialistic school? Not if you ask stu- dents who go to school here. NO 100s ACCEPTED — Money might be thought of as the key to success at West High, but students individually disagree. Stu- dents interviewed by the Westward said that money does not buy acceptance at West. FRESH BLOOD: New students share impressions of first weeks at West by Kari Mitchell Billings West... a school of snobs and jocks who arc too good for each other. Or, is that just an idea people gel when they see it from the out- side? “Everyone told me West was where all the rich, stuck-up people went,” according to former Joliet Hawk Missy Vending. Coming from smaller high schools like Joliet with 85 stu- dents, or Park City with 100, this is the story most commonly heard. But, given patience and time. West is found to be actually more friendly than the small schools tend to be. “Kids are more willing to ac- cept new people here,” says Ra- chel Bidon, who transferred from Park City this year. “The reason I think it has such a snobby image is because you see people ‘dressed up’ all the time and driving nice cars. In Joliet it didn’t really matter what you wore. It’s like they’re representing West,” Vending added. As the old adage says, “Don’t judge a book by its cover, because looks can be very deceiving. “People here are really friendly and go out of their way to make you feel accepted,” Bidon said. Missy Ventling, Junior

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tyUetf tytittf, yxldf (fan?, Inside, you'll find hearts are by Aaron Jones Allhough West High is gen- erally perceived as a “rich snob” school, most of the students who attend there do not agree. “I heard that West High was a stuck up school, but I’ve found that it’s not,” said Justin Krueger, freshman. “I see all kinds of people at West, not just rich people,” agreed sophomore, George Rodriguez. However some people agree West is a rich school. “I think for the majority West is a rich school,” said Tony Modroo, senior. Most West High students are not concerned with the amount of money their fellow students have. For the most part, they say they do not base their friendships on the amount of money their friends’ parents make. “It doesn’t matter to me if my friends are rich or not, because you shouldn’t judge a person by how much money they have, but by who they are,” explained Tracy Tierney, junior. Chris Clark, junior said, “I think personality and how a per- son acts are what makes the differ- ence, not how much money they have.” Excelling academically or in sports is thought to be more bene- ficial at West High by the majority of the students than coming from a rich family. “I think excelling in sports helps you to be better accepted at West because if you are the star of the teyou are well known and peep ook up to you,” Tierney said DUDES — Sopho- mores Gary Pippin and Troy Golding have a great friendship even though they have separate inter- ests. OPENING

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Night time is our time PRO CON by Jennifer Ostrum by Tiffani Cochran Although most teenagers do cruise 24th street week- ends, not everyone likes it. There are obvious bad aspects to cruising 24th such as wasting gas — and the costs can add up. This may not bother those people with a little car that gets excellent gas mileage, but to those people who drive trucks and jeeps and get only eight miles to the gallon, the cost can really add up. Another con with cruising involves a person’s chances of getting a ticket Cops are everywhere on 24th just waiting to pick up teenagers who accidentally cross over the yellow line or forget to signal. Getting a ticket can sometimes lead to higher insurance rates and even a pos- sible license suspension. Cruising also creates a negative image of youth in the eyes of the public. There were quite a few write-ups in the paper and on the news about all the trouble caused by teenagers cruising. Some reasons why adults are so dis- turbed are that teens have been urinating in people’s yards and vandalizing private property. Finally, there was plenty of violence and accidents associated with 24th. How many times has a person reached down to change the radio station or turned to talk to the passenger when suddenly, there is a loud screech and the person has just rear-ended the car in front of him. Last year a teenage boy was knifed on the point. If this is what is on 24th, why be out there? OPENING What do teenagers do on a Friday night? Some do cruise 24th Street West. Are you turnir up your nose in disgust? Well, after reading this article, m be y will change your mind. Cruising 24th has many sf ; p ts. For example, Mike Gambill, senior, said he li 'n - ing new people and “hanging out with friends. In agreement with Gambill i moi ■ nessaVeltkamp. “You get to see all your frie bee; use that’s where everyone is,” Veltkamp said. Michele Parry, senior, with a big smile on her face, said she went cruising, “to find some hot babes.” Likewise, Kevin Gilligan, senior, said he goes cruising, “to pick up girls.” Parry also says a person is able to, “see what else is going on.” Another reason to cruise cited by students was helping the economy. How? Well, McDonald’s, is a good place to start, along with Taco Bell, Hardee’s, and sometimes even J.B.’s. Also, think of how much gas is sold for the sole purpose of driving up and down 24th Street? Cruising 24th can be beneficial. Cruising can be fun. It all depends on what you make of it. After all, you’re only young once and if you end up doing something wild and crazy, you can always blame it on your youth and inexpe- rience. BE HAPPY - Smiling is no problem for these students who are having fun hanging out on a Fri- day night. FUN TIMES - West students show their excite- ment in the Payless Drug parking lot on a Friday night in the fall.