East Haven High School - Pioneer Yearbook (East Haven, CT)

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Viet Nam were withdrawn and the last 67 American prisoners of war were released. The country had not yet recovered from the divisiveness of this foreign conflict before it found itself plunged into an equally divisive internal conflict. The Watergate affair, which began on June 17, 1972, as a “third rate burglary” grew to national proportions and caused political dissention at every level of government. To our sur- prise, President Nixon, on nationwide television, accepted personal responsibility for the Watergate case. On August 9, 1974, Richard Millhouse Nixon resigned as the 37th President of the United States. This ultimate end was reached due to the severe pressure placed on Nixon by Congressional quarters. Since Nixon’s elected Vice-President, Spiro Agnew, had been forced to resign earlier because of problems stemming from his tenure as a Maryland governor, his appointed replacement, Gerald R. Ford, became the first man to achieve the presidency without a national election. Male-chauvinist became a household word when Bobby Riggs challenged Billie Jean King to a $100,000 winner-take-all tennis match. Riggs received a bitter blow to his ego when Billie Jean won the match. Besides being a victory for Billie Jean it was a victory for Women’s Lib. The nostalgia of the 1950’s was brought back with the movie American Graffiti. We imitated the styles of that era when we wore saddle shoes and rolled up dungarees. In place of class dances we had sock hops. All this played a big part in our Junior High Years. In September of 1974, we, the East Haven High School Class of 1978, began our high school years. These are the times we will remember and reflect upon the most. Our freshman year found us still unable to escape the continuing Watergate saga. The cover-up trial commenced and President Ford surprised many by granting former President Nixon a full pardon for all offenses he may have committed. In Connecticut politics. Democrat Ella Grasso, aided in some observer’s viewpoint by a Watergate backlash, was swept in to the Governor’s office becoming the first women to acquire the office whose husband hadn’t preceeded her in the post. The casual look was adopted in 1974. Earth shoes were introduced and were immediately accepted as the current fashion. Puka shell necklaces, whether authentic or im-mitation, adorned both male and female necks. Evel Knievel, celebrated throughout the world for his death-defying motorcycle jumps, attempted one of his most daring stunts. He constructed a small rocket which he called a “skycycle”, and in it he Nixon President Nixon says goodbye to members of his staff outside the White House August 9, 1974 as he prepares to board a helicopter for a flight to nearby Andrews Air Force Base. Nixon addressed members of his staff in the East Room prior to his departure. (WIDE WORLD io PHOTOS BY ROBERT DAUGHERTY)

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Pioneet Poll No. 4 onev Ca cJoes When one considers how much money is earned by the student body at East Haven High School, the total at first glance is hard to believe. Our statistics reveal that the gross weekly earnings of our students totals $27,472.50!! Due to our 1:05 dismissal the majority of us who are old enough to work are employed in various capacities and earn an average of $49.50 a week. Since we spend over 40% of our salaries, we thought it would be fun to show “Where the Money Goes.” Every month we spend about $16.00 on food and over $18.00 on various forms of entertainment. Music, tickets, sports equipment, hobbies, and cigarettes largely account for the rest of our spending. The majority of our students are willing to spend over $10.00 for a ticket to a really good concert and over $3.00 to see an exceptional film. The poll indicated that an average night costs us $10.16 but a night as special as last year’s Junior Prom cost us over $60.00 each. This last statistic is especially interesting when one considers that cumulatively those attending the prom spent $13,200.00 for a single night out.

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Evcl Knicvcl Stuntman Evcl Knicvcl climbs into his Skycyclc X-2 which he hoped would carry him across the Snake River Canyon of southern Idaho. (WIDE WORLD PHOTOS) hoped to cross the mile wide Snake River Canyon. Millions viewing this televised event saw the skycycle’s parachute open prematurely and watched anxiously as Evel drifted helplessly toward the rocky canyon wall. The cycle avoided the wall, just barely landing in the river, and Knieval survived. In complicated and controversial legal proceedings, society attempted to define death in legal terms. A young woman named Karen Ann Quinlan whose life was being sustained by machines became the central figure in courtroom and media drama. Her parents felt she should have the right to die a natural death peacefully and eventually they won this right in court. Sharks became a much talked about subject in 1975. Based on a novel by Peter Benchley, Jaws shocked audience after audience as viewers watched in horror at a killer shark on its rampage. Jaws was released to coincide with the opening of the summer beach season but after viewing the movie many beach goers elected to stay on the beach and work on their tans rather than test the water. Elton John continued to enjoy tremendous success and popularity. Flamboyantly dressed and sporting different glasses and hair colors for each song his concerts became legendary. Multi-colored socks became a fad along with the big selling mood rings. This ring supposedly changed colors according to the mood the wearer was in at the time. Pet rocks, another gimic item, were popular for a short time. Dorothy Hamill became the sweetheart of the 1976 Winter Olympics which were held in Innsbruck, Austria. The wedge or “Ha-mill look , a short and bouncy, layered haircut soon became a must as girls tried to capture the look of the skating star. It was about this time that music, dance, and fashion began to revolve around the disco scene. Prominent dances included the Hustle, Bustop, and the Bump. Dressier clothes were seen more often and frequenting the disco became the primary social activity for a large segment of young people. The Tee Shirt served as a graphic way of displaying one’s feelings and whether they were worn with the dressiest slacks or the most faded dungarees, they were seen everywhere. Television audiences indulged in fantasies of superhuman strength and abilities as shows such as The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, and Wonder Woman achieved high ratings. Although it failed to materialize, at one point a series dealing with a bionic boy and dog was under consideration. Welcome Back Kotter provided a basic situation that anyone who had ever attended school could relate to. The weekly antics of Barbarino, Washington, Epstein and Horshack, the rowdy sweathogs of Buchanan High School, and their teacher, Gabc Kotter, became a viewing must for millions. “Smoky”, “10-4”, and “good Buddy , all became part of everyday language as the CB radio made its impact on society. In a matter of months it seemed as though every other car had sprouted a long CB atenna and a feeling of neighborliness was shared by CBer's. The emergence of child prodigy Nadia Comaneci highlighted the Summer Olympics of 1976. Nadia turned in perfect performances and was awarded the previously unheard of score of 10.00. United States athlete Bruce Jenner laid claim to the title of “World's Greatest Athlete by winning the decathalon. The new concept of the television miniseries made an auspicious debut with Rich Man, Poor Man but it reached a peak when the novel Roots by Alex Haley which dealt with the ancestry of an American Black family, was presented in twelve parts. Jimmy Carter, a virtually un- known peanut farmer from Georgia thrust himself into the national spotlight as increasing numbers of Americans began to take his campaign for the presidency seriously. The one time governor of Georgia set his sights on the Presidency and his easy-going and informal manner was readily accepted by an American people eager to once again have faith in politicians and government. His story book campaign had a happy ending as Carter defeated incumbent Gerald R. Ford in the November election. Farrah Fawcett became the new sex symbol of the 70's as she starred in the weekly scries Charlics's Angels. The television screen was given an added dimension with the intro- n