Forest Lake High School - Forester Yearbook (Forest Lake, MN)

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Options Abound For School What was the typical high school student’s budget? The dollar figure varies, but the basic expenses fall into basic categories. First of all, there were blue jeans and cords, ranging in price from ten dollars to fifty. Add a few sweaters, turtlenecks, shirts or blouses, tube socks, Nike’s, and undies, and the basic unisex “uniform” was complete. For those with a few extra dollars, guys added wool slacks, a sport coat, blazers, matching stockings, fancy blouses, bow ties, and dress shoes. In all cases, the total cost of filling a student’s closet was high, from one hundred and fifty dollars to over three hundred! Transportation was the second major expense mentioned. For sophomores, the money was needed to pay for driving lessons, which could amount to over one hundred dollars. Once the driver’s test was passed the money seemed to just disappear for gas, oil, insurance, and basic upkeep. Some students were lucky enough to have cars and car payments of their own. The privilege of driving and parking in the school lot also had a fee. Some wiley students tried to avoid the charge by arriving early before the lot supervisor. Finally, after buying clothes to wear to school and paying for the use of a car, parents and their teenagers had to find ways to pay for entertainment, too. Some found that they could only afford movies on buck night. Eating out was popular, but the cuisine was of McDonald’s or Hardee’s variety. “Real’’ restaurants were visited only on extra-special occasions like prom. Careful spenders were able to get by on five to ten dollars a week. How did kids pay for all of this? Most had part-time jobs. Some were lucky to get allowances that forced them to make careful choices. A few had over- generous parents that paid all the bills, no questions asked.

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[ Sitting in the cafeteria after school is a popular choice. Some just goof-off. Many choose to study and visit with friends. What Is There to Do After School? Rrrring! The bell at the end of sixth hour told students to pack up, hurry to their lockers, and go home. After a hectic five minutes, the halls were fairly quiet and the pace slowed down. Where did they all go? Many boarded buses for long, bumpy noisy rides home. A lot of students did not go home, though. Traveling north on highway 61, it is obvious that many have chosen to walk to Northland Mall and “hang around.” The mall offers shopping, eating places, walking room, or playing the games at Beanie’s Arcade. Then, at 4:45 p.m. the walkers could be seen hurrying back to school to catch an activity bus home. How did they get away with it? Fortunately, the majority of students who stayed after school had specific purposes. Studying in the cafeteria and library improved many grades and also allowed time for socializing. Sports and cheerleading participants were forced to give up time after school for their activity. Other clubs and activities also took up long hours after school. With so many options, no students complained about not having enough to do when the regular day is over. 1 Renee Luthi uses her bus riding time to catch a quick nap. 21

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1. Finding the money to keep up with the styles is not always easy. The cost of jerseys and tee shirts ranges from ten to twenty dollars. 2. It is unique to dress alike, especially if you do not plan it that way. 3. Karen Skoglund gives time to a Brownie troop, even going so far as wearing a devil costume to the council Halloween party. 4. Deciding which college to attend is best ac- complished by visiting, as did Deb Mattson at the U of M. 5. The number is not specific, but over half of the student body works in the evening and then finds it hard to get enough time to study and sleep at home. 6. The peer pressure is tremendous, especially when the cheerleaders are selling Ranger jerseys in the fall. 7. Playing a musical instrument involves talent, but it also requires quite a lot of money for music and supplies, not to mention lessons. 23