Duncanville High School - Panther Tale Yearbook (Duncanville, TX)

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Learning the ropes Class of 1990 meets at freshman orientation Class of 1990 met for the first time. Only three months be- fore, they had been the big- wheels at the two junior high schools, Now they were the freshmen at one of the largest high schools in the state. Boy, what a scarey feeling. Even the most se- cure individuals were a bit apprehensive about their first trip to the high school. As each group passed through the halls with student council members serving as tour guides, comments such as Look at the chick. Where has she been hiding? and That jerk must be from Byrd were heard. However, it only took a few weeks for the junior high rivalries to disappear as the class became united. Perhaps it was the fear of getting lost or of not having a friend to eat lunch with that promped the freshmen to make friends quickly. It didn't take long for the class members to start making their mark on the school. The freshman volleyball team won district and both football teams t 9 a.m. on August 21, the were equally successful. And it didn't take long for the cheer- leaders elected from each junior high to join together in becoming one of the best groups in the nation. In fact, they were chosen to compete with the 48 best squads in the nation in a competition in Orlando, Florida, during the Christmas holidays. The local girls took eighth in the contest. And to think, they accomplished so much with three more years left in high school! Other members of the Class of 1990 also became winners during the first cou- ple of months of school as a number of freshman made the marching band. Oh, what a feeling it was to be named the very best band at the Cotton Bowl Parade of Champions and then at the State March- ing Contest. ln addition to participating in the extra- curricular activities, the freshmen learned how to survive in the classroom as well. After all, they were in school to get an education. In order to introduce the freshmen to the ways of high school, upperclassmen per- form a skit at orientation. lPhoto by Michael Jackson.l A lonely freshman waits in the auditorium for some of his classmates to show up. lPhoto by Michael Jackson.i Orientation 13

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l X g fade Makes the Differ- ence! The Band proves that nobody does it better than Duncanville at the Parade of Champions, district, regional and state marching contests. lPhoto by Michael Jackson.J Learn to be united Duncanville remains a one-high-school town logans such as Duncanville - The City of Champions and Pride Makes the Differencen are seen around town. And it is that pride in the schools and the accom- plishments of the young people that have prompted city fathers to keep the high school students together rather than building a second four year high school in town. In the past few years, enrollment has grown by over 100 students per year. Over 3,300 students were enrolled for the first semester. The administration was faced with the task of educating and cor- ralling this mass of students by making decisions that were not always popular with everyone. But in spite of a few unhappy people, a vast majority of the citizens took pride in the high school and even attended many of the activities and athletic events. Par- ents even formed groups to help out, V One high school town there were the Band Boosters, All Sports Association, Soccer Parents, High Hat Linebackers, High on Life members, For- eign Studies Committee and PTSA, to mention a few. Parents and grandparents that graduat- ed from DHS could be seen in the stands and audiences supporting the current generation of students. Somehow, it just wouldn't be the same if the town were divided as has happened at other commu- nities. Proof of this can be seen at out-of- town athletic events when Duncanville has more fans in attendance than the home team. As an answer for the overcrowding in the 900 block of Camp Wisdom, the school board called an election in Febru- ary to ask the citizens to approve bonds to build a ninth grade school. Only the freshmen would be moved to another fa- cility. This was done to keep the town united.