Elkhart Memorial High School - Monolith Yearbook (Elkhart, IN)

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‘Yiscrepancy between Central School boundary changes discussed “| enjoy myself at Memorial and | ‘earn every bit as much as a Central student does,” wrote EMHS junior Cristi Cain in her Feb. 11 letter to The =|khart Truth. Many people in the Elkhart area vere concerned about the enrollment and Memorial High Schools and about the youndary changes that were proposed ‘0 balance those differences. Ways to balance the two schools ‘were considered by a committee made up of Elkhart Community Schools’ Yarents. One option that raised objec- tions included moving school boun- aries so that some students who cur- rently live in the Central district would ‘Jo to Memorial. ' Pinewood Elementary School students held an informal boundary yrotest on Feb. 7. Pinewood was one Df the schools that would have had some or all of its students change “rom Central to Memorial, which upset ,) Many of the students and parents. ‘) One Pinewood student told The ‘J:lkhart Truth, ‘I’ve always lived in ,2entral district, and | want to go to Sentral. My brothers went there.” Another suggestion that brought on mixed emotions was one of combining the two high schools into one Elkhart high school. This proposal would put the junior and senior classes in Memorial’s facilities and the freshmen and sophomores in Central’s. The parent committee pointed out pros and cons to this idea. An advan- tage would be that classes and pro- grams could be geared to more specific age groups. Also, special Classes like advanced and remediation programs would be stronger because they would consolidate kids from all over the city. There were also many cons to the idea, however. Students would have to adjust to another school change; there would no longer be competition bet- ween two schools, and freshmen and sophomores would lose upperclass leadership. Which option will be used remained undecided at presstime, but it seemed agreed upon that some sort of a change was necessary. According to Elkhart Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Fred Bechtold, Central will become overcrowded in Charser Ch the near future if some students are not moved. New housing projects in that area have brought so: many people to Central that if the trend continues, in seven years Central will contain about 1890 students to Memorial's 1430. Another problem was that Central has a mixture of upper and lower class students while Memorial had primarily mid- dle class students. The committee tried to recommend boundary lines that would give a more even distribution between the two schools. Bechtold said in a GENESIS news conference he understood why people were upset by the pro- posed changes. ‘Kids are just uniformly concerned about who they'll be going to school with,’ he said. He also felt, however, that young people should be able to adjust to the changes. “Elkhart is a very mobile society. Kids need to learn how to adjust.” EMHS Principal Miss Carolyn Cook agreed that students as well as parents should be flexible. “Wherever a student goes, if he has the right attitude, and his parents have the right attitude, he will do just fine,” she said. -¢- Seventh period proposed students who are having Among this year’ ars Was a dog. ae facetious, § I into com- arties and uo who made down-home Humor was definite! “in” j Se evoen! business, and fle ark umor Caused many groggy looks on Students at school. Stupid pet tricks dropping watermelons off of roofs. and hysterically answering viewer mail ee Some of the things that made ate Night With David Letterman eee ut ae “Ya, that’s the sn't that ial” became Standard jargon, thanks io he Pathological liar and Church Lady on the ever-popular Saturday Night Live. As far as game shows go, The Wheel of For- tune was a winner, iving White a chance to turn letters and = — S heads) and Pat olay as chance to give away new cars. This = the only prime time game show. ruce Willis was moonlighting with nde ores and a hit song music respect Yourself.’ Moonlighting was a big hit nominated or 16 Emmys. Millions Of viewers across the country breathed a sigh of relief when Bruce and co-star ybill Sheppard finally kissed this season! With the concern for quality education growing, many politicians and school administrators have been trying to find a way to improve the education students receive. A proposal under consideration for Elkhart schools was the seven- period day to permit high school students to take a maximum of seven courses instead of the current SIX. The committee reviewing the pro- posal contained three Memorial staff members: Mrs. Janice Dean, Dr. David Flora and Mr. Donald Litherland. The seven-period day was suggested to help those students having trouble earning enough credits for graduation and to help freshmen and sophomores meet increased graduation re- quirements raised by the state. According to Mr. Stan Teal, mathematics, ‘“The seven-period day might have to fit into the present framework of school time (7:55- 3:10). What would happen then is that the current class time would be shortened from 10 to 15 minutes and the teachers would have less time to cover material and help those trouble. The study time for students would decrease and depending upon the class that the student elected, he could have 20 percent more to do.’ Also, he said, “Teachers would have less time to prepare for class and to grade papers.” While these were serious points, other teachers believed that some good things could come from the seven- period schedule. For ex- ample, a student could take classes that interest him such as music, business, photography or metals and still be able to meet the additional paces requirements. he seven-period day also would help those struggling in a particular area to take more classes or to repeat courses if necessary. -@- The computer generated peadivem aiso made big rie ‘ ¢-catch the wave” commercials for ‘Oca Cola and as the wacky host of ane Se nueous show on e. Starti Night Lita ing out on Saturday the Saturday ve: 'n the world of fashion i jackets and mini skirts were an aes . wore’ drobes. Students would a'sO pay up to $90 for a pair of Guess overalls. Something new this year was eigen oe only!!) that were 0 use an like it had been “put ip — oes Pho! vs oa Courtesy of WSJV, The Elkhart Truth, and

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the inside Out with old, in with new rooms Memorial underwent over $750,000 worth of renovations to several areas of the building during the summer and throughout the school year. The replacement of carpet in A-hall, the remodeling of the library, the addition of the new freezer and cooler in the cafeteria, the addition of three classrooms and the remodeling of two classrooms in the science and math departments, updating of the lights in the auditorium, plus the lowering of the drinking fountains and remodeling of “Bless this mess” a plaque in her office read, but most people considered the office of Activities Director Miss Alice McKeehan to be spirited and busy rather than messy. With a smile and an occasional stern repri- mand, Mrs. Coe Strain guided enriched sophomore English students through ac- tivities from mythology to “personality projects.” 28 the restrooms for the handicapped in B-hall are the things that kept the in- side of EMHS looking good and working better. Many students found the library the one renovation that really caused a true change to the school. Linda Sigler felt that the school had lost something when the open library ceiling was remodeled. “| had a Central exchange student visiting with me last year, and she said the most exciting thing about our school was our library. | think we've lost that,” said Sigler. Freshman Sharon Brotherton said she felt the school had lost some of its character and variety from other schools. “At first they (students) didn’t like it, but they are now beginning to,” librarian Mrs. Della Mitchell said. -¢- Reconstruction work on Memorial’s library began last school year and lasted throughout summer. Librarian Mrs. Della Mitchell works to restock the shelves for its reopening. McKeehan, Strain leave EMHS “It’s time to get on with another part of life,’ ad- mitted Mrs. Coe Strain. Mrs. Strain, along with Activities Director Miss Alice McKeehan, retired from their posi- aol tions at EMHS at the conclusion of the 1986-1987 school year. Both Miss McKeehan and Mrs. Strain have worked at Memorial since the school’s inception in 1972, after a number of years at the old Elkhart High School. Mrs. Strain was instrumental in setting up Memorial’s drama program, after do- ing drama at EHS, and served as the drama coach for several years. “| learned a lot about music the first couple of years,’’ said Mrs. Strain, of her work on Memorial’s musicals. Her background in college had prepared her only in drama and English. Naturally, it took a lot of work to put on four shows a year, usually working four nights a week through the end of each school year. ‘| had to take naps on the floor of my office sometimes,’’ she remembered. “After a while, | got to the place where | was physically unable to get here at 7 in the morn- ing and leave at 10 at night, September through April.” Eventually, Mrs. Strain also joined the Humanities teachin team—while still teaching Englis and Drama, of course. All three of Mrs. Strain’s children are graduates of EMHS. Being at school with them proved to be an ex- perience at times. “I'll never forget the time my son came into class—in the middle of it—with the sliding door of my Volkswagen on his arm,” she laughed. “Memorial is a big part of my life, but | guess (wanting to retire this year) is just wanting to get out before they start to say, ‘Is she still here?’ ” But Mrs. Strain said that there are a lot of things she will miss next year. “You don’t do anything for 30 years and not miss it,” said Strain. Organizing Memorial’s drama departmen t was also what first brought Mrs. Strain into working with Miss McKeehan. When Elkhart High School was split, Dr. Palmer Mart needed someone to help take the load off of Mrs. Strain by hand- ling the financial end of the drama groups’ performances. The position of ‘‘Activities Direc- tor’’ was established by Dr. Mart in 1968, and ever since the role has been filled by Miss McKeehan. “Dr. Mart had some pretty definite ideas about what he wanted done,” said Miss McKeehan. “‘I guess | was fortunate. | did a good job, and when the two schools split, they maintain- ed the position in both schools.” There was at one time in Memorial’s history, however, a dispute over whether or not the position of ac- wile director would continue to exist. ‘About eight or nine years ago we | | were in a big financial bind in the school corporation,’ remembered Miss McKeehan. ‘‘They wanted to eliminate this position ... the staff got really uptight about it. They had a meeting. | didn’t know anything | about it. But they were so concerned | about it that they called the) superintendent—who was .in con- ference at the time—and called him | out of the conference to talk about it. So they made a couple of changes for that year, and the position stayed.” | The main purpose of having an} “Activities Office’ was to alleviate some of the duties of group spon- sors and the assistant principal. Miss McKeehan’s office handles everything from organizing the mor-. ning announcements to fitting the seniors for caps and gowns. For what seems to be a rather high-pressure job at times, Miss McKeehan has missed surprisingly few days in the past 15 years. She admitted to about 15 or 20 total—a record that few people could match. But the hardest thing to replace after this year may be the ex-| periences of a lifetime that both Mrs. | Strain and Miss McKeehan have of- | fered to Memorial and its students. From Day One 15 years ago, both} have played key roles in raising ‘‘the | new school” to its working place in; the Elkhart community—and its students along with it. “It's going to be a difficult transition,’ said Principal Carolyn Cook. -2-

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From Cosbys ... to Colbys The mania swept faster than bees could bee or bears could bear—everywhere you looked there were seemingly “‘normal’’ everyday students Moonlighting on Tuesday nights. The fever was justified; the ex- plosive combination of Blue Moon detectives Maddie Hayes and David Addison was just too hot to miss. Every week they were at it again: the beautiful, sophisticated Maddie trading verbal abuses and blushing physical blunders with the ‘‘straight from the hip’ David Addison, all while solving the latest off-the-wall case. Innovative stage techniques and Original plot lines made the show a ‘must see” every week. From time to time the characters would talk direcy to the camera, which was unusual for a prime-time show. A continuing storyline was used just once, when a serious love triangle erupted between Maddie, David, and Maddie’s old friend Sam. When tension erupted on the set bet- ween actress Cybill Shepard and ac- tor Bruce Willis in real life, the direc- tors even turned that into a show. Rona Barrett interviewed the feuding parties on camera, leaving the au- The Cosby Show returned for its second season with Phylicia Ayers-Allen and Bill Cosby as TV’s most lovable parents. (Photo courtesy of The Elkhart Truth) Larry and Balki ot Pertect Strangers sparked laughs from viewers as Balki, who came from the country of Meipos, tried to adjust to America. (Photo courtesy of WSJV) the inside dience to wonder whether it was real or just acting. A black-and-white show featured a 40’s-style Maddie singing “Blue Moon,’ and ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ episode turn- ed the Shakespeare classic into an enlivened drama. No two episodes were ever alike, So missing a week of Moonlighting was like missing a best friend’s visit for David and Maddie addicts. Although few half-hour shows could create the tangy zip that held Moonlighting viewers glued to their screens, The Cosby Show, Growing Pains, Night Court, Cheers, Alf, Perfect Strangers, and similar situa- tion comedies earned encouraging reviews from students of all ages. But for the more serious evening viewer, it was most likely to be “classics” like The Colbys, Dynasty, or the hot new drama L.A. Law. Even students without time to watch T.V. at night kept up with recaps from their friends, or just relied on the faithful VCR. But even in the busiest of schedules, there was almost 30 or 60 minutes to laugh at someone else’s life—on television. -¢- They were big, bold, beautiful, and the hottest fashion at Elkhart Memorial. They were the senior sweats. According to Hatem Tolba, senior class president, ‘‘We wanted something unique for the Class of '87, and we found the designs for the sweats in a Catalog. We wanted something laid back and different, something that is our very own.” And so the adver- tising campaign went into effect. Posters were hung in the stair- ways and at water fountains and announcements about them were heard everyday. The advertising done by the posters and an- nouncements worked, because 210 sweatshirts and about 150 sweatpants were sold. “Our advertising campaign Poorbaugh wins ‘Hallmark’ The Regional Scholastic Art Com- petition consisted of 3800 pieces from 18 different counties. Memorial students received 24 of the 500 dif- ferent awards given for outstanding entries in 14 different categories ranging from pencil drawings to jewelry making. Kristi Poorbaugh received a Gold Key and the Hallmark Award for a pastel chalk drawing of a pair of Amish boots. The first Memorial stu- dent to receive a Hallmark Award nomination in the past two years, Kristi said, “When | first heard | won, | couldn’t believe it.” Kristi and all “blue ribbon’ winners, selected from the Gold Key winners, advanc- ed to the National Scholastic Art Competition in New York. “We (Memorial) have had as many as 38 award winners in the Regional Competition,” said Ac- tivities Director Alice McKeehan. Of 100 Memorial students in the competition, 17 received awards ranging: from honorable mention to the distinguished Hallmark Award. “Our students entered about 175 pieces, but there were several 87 sweats a splash really showed off the sweats to be spectacular. The students were ex- pecting a lot, and we feel we delivered what we promised,’ added Tolba. The profits from the sales were about $150. The money | went toward the senior gift to the school, decora- | tions for graduation, and putting — together the senior banquet. | “If it wasn’t for everyone’s | cooperation, it wouldn't have © gone over so well. Miss McKeehan, our sponsors, Mrs. Jarrett and Mrs. Walker, deserve a special thank you. | feel we established an individual trademark for the Class of ’87,” said Tolba. -- students who entered more than one piece, like Mike Zollinger who} entered eight different pieces,” said’ art teacher Miss Janet Kronewitter. | The Hallmark Award is a nomina- tion by regional judges for the five best paintings and drawings entries, from the region. These entries are in) the running for the national Hallmark Honor Prize of $100 and a possible! cover of a greeting card, if that is| what Hallmark is looking for at the) time of the competition. | Students who received honorable’ mentions and Gold Key (a top recognition that students may receive in any category) were seniors Marc Thompson, and Mike Zollinger (two honorable mentions). Others who received Gold Keys were seniors Jim Lavery, Kris Reames, Shonne Slack, Jennifer Ulery, and freshman Lori Tucker. Students who received honorable mention were seniors Sherrie Bynum 3) and Laurie Harris, juniors Kristie eed, Kelly Rogers, and Kurt VerVelde, sophomores Sherylee Jenkins (2), Jill Reedy and Jean Thomas, and freshman Billy Wu. -@- coms SL a