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

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NEWS nd ISSUES NEWS ISSUES 29

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Setting the Stage Excitement abounded, as well as some nervousness, at the auditions for this year’s Winter play, The Man Who Came to Pinner. Many of our school’s actors and actresses were present to demonstrate their ability and hope for a chance to be in the play. Those who tried waited anxiously to find out if they made it. who they would play, if their friends made it, and so on. Soon a notice was posted, and as people stood in the back of the crowd trying to get a look at the sheet, they muttered the usual comments like, “Oh, I just know I didn’t make it! Some were right, but for those who did make it, there was the thrill of being involved in a play. “The Man Who Came to Dinner, directed by Cynthia Elquist (fac.), is a play about a famous radio personality, Sheridan Whiteside (Antav Bilgutay (12)), who visits a couple. Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Stanley (Mike Rubens (11)) and Martha L'sem (12)), in the small town of Messalia, Ohio. He slips on their steps and is instructed by the town’s doctor (Brian Kelly (10)) that Banjo (Brandi Slower (!2i) watches as his friend Whitesidc Ant y Bilguta (12t) ex plains his dilemma a lot of nice people. John Bush (10) adds, “Even though it was my first part in an Edina production, the other members of the cast made me feel comfortable. The final production took place on February 1st and 2nd. After weeks of weary practicing, the cast found themselves caught up in the lights and the costumes. It was then that their characters came to life. The actors really had a lot of feeling for their characters. Ben Klasky commented, “As a sophomore, it was quite an honor to receive a lead in this years play. I hope to continue to participate in future theatrical productions. Heather Gilchrist adds. “The part of Lorraine Sheldon was a real challenge for me, and something that I really had to work at, but it was worth it. It will be sad leaving the Edina High stage after three years, but all of the productions were great experiences for my future career. Marit Trclstad { li,Maggie. and Ben Klasdy (10). Bert, discuss the realtionship between the characters they portray in “The Man Who Came to Dinner. until he recovers, he is to stay with the Stanleys, where he inevitable wears out his welcome. At the same time, Whitesides’s secretary, Maggie (Marit Trelstad (12)), falls for local journalist Bert Jefferson (Ben Klasky (10)). Afraid of losing her. White-side tries to get Jefferson involved with someone else, namely friend and actress Lorraine Sheldon (Heather Rali Gilchrist (12)). The two hit it off, breaking poor Maggie's heart. Soon Whiteside decides that maybe he has made a mistake, but he discovers that setting things straight is not easy. The ensuing sequence is incredibly humorous for the audience. To make this play a success, the actors diligently memorized their lines, the set crew built, and the costumes were stitched. In effect, everyone put all that they had into the play, and it showed marvelously. If a production is to be a hit, people have to work together, and fortunately, there was a lot of comradery, among the cast. Remarked Marit Trestad, The play was a good opportunity to meet and know 28 WINTER PLAY

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Election ’84 The 1984 Presidential election was moved by a resurgence in patriotism. Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale used flag-waving rhetoric in order to capitalize on the new nationalistic trend. They argued over far-reaching issues during two widely watched debates (although some felt that the debates resembled small press conferences). The issues covered during these debates ranged from U. S. foreign policy to religion and its role in the American government. Much of the world’s attention was not centered on the Presidential candidates themselves. but rather on their running mates: George Bush. Republican Vice Presidential candidate, and Geraldine Ferraro. Democratic Vice Presidential candidate. The election held no surprises for most of America and the world. Incumbent Ronald Reagan won 70% of the popular vote and carried all of the states, excluding Mondalc's home state of Minnesota and the District of Columbia. Reagan’s sweeping victory was the first of its kind since Franklin D. Roosevelt. However, many felt that Reagan lost his chance to gain a mandate by not clearly stating what his policies were to be during his second term. Newcomers The 1984 Presidential campaign brought into the publics’ eye two new political faces that represented two major forces in America. Jesse Jackson, a black Baptist minister from the South, ran for the Democratic nomination, being the first black man to seriously compete for the position. Though he did not capture the nomination, his candidacy spurred voter regis- tration among blacks. Geraldine Ferraro was chosen as the first woman Vice Presidential candidate by Walter Mondalc, the man who beat out both Jackson and Senator Gary Hart of Colorado for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Many felt that Mondale chose Ferraro as his running mate simply for political expediency, but not all the voters followed Mondalc’s hopes. Some people said that Ferraro’s candidacy scared off as many voters as it attracted. Star Wars The question of the military played a major role in the formation of many voters’ decisions when it came time to vote. The idea of taking nuclear war up into the heavens became a possible reality with the concept of Star Wars—a defensive system designed to shoot down Soviet missiles. Reagan seemed to take a liber- al view of Star Wars and offered to share the technology with the Soviet Union. Mondalc, on the other hand, spoke out against escalating nuclear war into space, and felt that sharing that knowledge with the Russians would be pointless. Religion Religion has been a contro versial issue for most of America’s history, and it surfaccc once again during Election ’84 Candidates Reagan and Mondalc debated about the role they felt that religion should play in American’s lives. Reagan, who played up the ’’traditional’’ aspect of family life believed that peoples’ rcligior would always direct the law Reagan felt that prayer should be allowed to be practiced in public schools, whereas Mondalc upheld the idea of total separation of church and state Ronald Reagan begins his second term as the President of the United States of America 30 NEWS ISSUES