Edina West Upper Division - Windigo Yearbook (Edina, MN)

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1. Chris Wilson and John Demann do their best to look casual as a group of senior women wander by. 2. Sensing the additional Inclass competition caused by the merger, Debbie Peterson gathers together her books and settles into her homework. 3. Nan Sentman takes a closer look at a certain animal's Innerds during Human Phys. 4. After a quarter of rousing play. Paul Fee Is benched In order to give another team member some playing time. 5. The Homettes get a kick out of dancing during the half time show. Other page: Dale Lan-gcfels combines strength and concentration to perform perfectly on the rings. 4 INTRODUCTION

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eing at the top had always been an Edina tradition. Whether from East or West, whether in hockey, debate, choir, or American history, Edina students had strived to achieve their peak level of performance, and had consistently suceeded. The merging of two such high schools. Edina East and Edina West, into one in the 1981-82 school year could have resulted in only one thing — that the schools would be MEETING AT THE TOP. The physical location of Edina High began the long list of tops” in the reunited school’s first year, for the building was situated atop a rounded hill, overlooking the wooded areas surrounding Colonial Church and Highway 62. Enrollment was also at a peak, with 2163 students filling the crowded high school halls. More importantly, however, were the student’s elevated achievements in sports, academics, and extra curricular activities. A top ranked football team, seventeen National Merit Scholar semifinalists. and one of the the finest literary art magazines in the country were only a sampling of Edina’s paramount accomplishments. Money magazine’s assessment of the Edina Public School System as one of the top twelve in the nation further added to the feeling that Edina was indeed “at the top. Just like any other school, however. Edina also experienced its share of bottoms.” An enlarged student body resulted in a particularily large number of disappointed athletes who didn’t make the varsity teams. Overcrowded lunch periods and the abolition of snack break also dampened the spirits of many students. Nevertheless, the positive aspects of Edina greatly outweighed the negative. The merging of the two high schools resulted in escalated opportunities, expectations, competition, and pride. In short, it resulted in their MEETING AT THE TOP. INTRODUCTION 3

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Competition, a quality that had always been admired in Edina students, continued its fine reputation in one school. The competition within the school created controversy over whether this was a positive or negative factor. The pessimist concluded that the difficulty of getting accepted by an organization or team, and one’s resulting rejection, weakened individual confidence and stunted the growth which would have developed In a small school. The optimist believed that Increased competition strengthened abilities. This was due to the extra work that was involved in reaching the goal that was higher than ever before. One had to continuously try to fulfill his capabilities to keep up with the fast paced and competitive surroundings. All agreed, however, that strict competition selected only the “cream of the crop.” These individuals skimmed off more than the school’s fair share of top honors. Such successes made those responsible all the more exalted with their accomplishments. Winning was a positive word linked with the type of school of which Edina students were a definite part. Competition weeded out many teenage Edinans from participation. But, the fact that these people were not suited for the required role did not label him or her as a failure.” Instead, nonacceptance resulted in one’s putting forth extra efforts toward another goal and many times reaching this goal — this made victory all the sweeter. Students, who all varied in abilities and number of accomplishments, were in one way or another MEETING AT THE TOP. INTRODUCTION 5