Gateway High School - Portavian Yearbook (Monroeville, PA)

Page 10 text:

th ANNIVERSARY 25th ANNIVERSARY 25th ANNIVERSARY The 1960’s was a decade of growth and rebellion. Teenage America wanted to make itself known, and so it did. Hippies and Flower Children became infamous, and as one Michigan newspaper put it, “They took their tactics from Gandhi, their ulealism from philos- ophy class, and theu money from Daddy. ” The youth was the Woodstock generation, the Viet- nam generation, the Civil Rights generation. But before all that, before the war and psychadelics and Jimi Hendrix, there was Camelot. For one brief, shining moment, there was the prom- ise of a light at the end of the tunnel. There was the hope that youth and vigor and touch football would charm a nation. And for almost four years, John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie made that hope a reality. When Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, the world mourned. Daniel Patrick Moynihan observed the crushing blow by stating simply, “We’ll laugh again, it’s just that we’ll never be young again.” Lyndon Johnson accepted the Presidency at an un- enviable time; the war was now a U.S. problem and the youth had long since thrown down their hula hoops in favor of picket signs reading, “What if they gave a war and nobody came?” and “Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?” Some turned to the music of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, the balladeers of the day, but many others opted for sit-ins and marches, protesting not only Vietnam, but the lack and decline of civil rights. Behind Martin Luther King, Jr., blacks and whites both emerged, demanding racial equality and often being the targets of violence. Amidst the turbulent national events, Gateway stu- dents struggled to find their place in a rapidly changing world that seemed to romp from one extreme to the next. Gateway made demands too — and the students here became caught up in the spirit of the times just like everyone else. PICTURES (Page 6) Top: “Class Day” skits, performed by respective classes, provuled entertainment for the whole school, 1962; Baseball player wears a Monroeville-Pitcairn uniform, 1960. Middle: Gateway sends outstanding divers to state competitions, 1962-63. Bottom: Gateway mourns the loss of a Presuient, 1963; Alphalite editors discuss the next edition of the school paper, 1963. 6 Anniversary

Page 9 text:

25th ANNIVERSARY25th ANNIVERSARY 25th Every group is defined by common goals — something to unite and distinguish them from all others. Here at Gateway, that definition can be found m everything. Even the names of some of our clubs — Portavian and Portal to be exact — arc translated to mean “Gateway. ” Another place to find those ideals is the Gateway seal. Established m 1958 by SGA. the seal, imprinted on official letterheads and class rings, consists of a lion surrounded by the school motto — scholarship, leadership, and sportsmanship. The lion represents learning which, above all, is Gateway’s purpose: it is a place where we may learn. However, that learning is not limited to the knowledge obtained from studies, which is “scholarship”; it also includes the awareness and strengthening of self, which must come from within. This “inner learning ” aids in fulfilling the next goal: “leadership. ” It is a goal everyone can achieve, for everyone has a unique ability he or she can be the best at. It is Gateway’s aim to aid each student in recognizing that ability and achieving excellence. . The third ideal is “sportsmanshipwhich may mean losing not defeated, or winning and not allowing yourself to rest on that victory but to continue your success. These goals of the seal become the goals of every Gateway student, and the pride of living up to those worthy objectives is something that is expressed before every home football game when the crowd stands for the A Ima Mater. Originally, when there were two school districts, there were two Alma Maters: one for Monroeville and one for Pitcairn. However, when the districts merged, so did the song, and today's version, with music by Brahms, is a compromise of both, capturing the best of each. The late 1950’s were eventful throughout the world, peppered with social and scientific breakthroughs. Gateway had breakthroughs of its own, too. Everything was fresh and never before done. New clubs, new teams, new activities — new everything! So, when tn March of 1958 the U.S. satellite Explorer III was launched, it realty could have symbolized the launching of the new high school. By September of ’58, when Gateway’s doors first opened, teen ulol Elvis Presley had been drafted. “Dear Abby” was a regular syndicated newspaper feature, and the U.S.S.R.’s Krusches was planning a visit to the U.S. The new school was not wasting any time, and almost immediately a majorette squad: a cheerleading squad; a band; a choir; and bowling, basketball, track, swimming, and football teams were formed. While Alaska and Hawaii were being named states and Gigi was sweeping the Academy Awards, Gateway had its first Coronation Ball, themed “Bah Ha’i,” sponsored a March of Dimes fundraiser, and had its first school play. The new year had started and new plans were already in the making. Three assemblies, the first annual Kennywood picnic, and baseball fever brought on by the trouncing of Chicago by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series preceded commencement in May. For Gateway, the graduation was marked with optimism and high hopes for continued growth and success as real as the first years had been. Anniversary 5

Page 11 text:

«arrarum 64 the 60’s 25 th ANNIVERSARY25th ANNIVERSARY portavian Amtmifary 7 5th ANNIVERSARY PICTURES (Page 7) Top: Pep Rally, 1963; Stu- dent uses new chemistry equipment, 1959-60; Gator mascot of the 1962-63 school year. Middle: 1963 Prom As Time Goes By.” Bot- tom: Silver platter presented to Gateway's AFS student, 1968; Band members of the 1966 marching season.” The early 1960's provided the students with many additions to the extra-curricular program, enabling them to jump on the bandwagon of youthful involvement which seemed to be taking the nation by a storm after Kennedy entered the Presidency. Everything was being built up or renewed: the Gateway stadium, with seating for 2700, was opened and the class A A football team was ready to start serious competition; the school paper, the Alphalite, was admitted to the national rating society for high school newspapers; and, a student committee desingned the official class ring for the school. Organizations for every possible interest were being created as fast as the need for them arose, and soon, the Future Homemakers of America, the Biology club, and the pep club appeared on the scene. Baseball and wrestling opened up their programs on the heels of a major Gateway athletic first: the 1961 boys swim team had the distinction of being the first to send representatives to statewide competitions. The desire to be involved spread to interaction with other schools as well. The SGA hosted the 1962 Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils Convention, while the marching band hosted All-State Band, with participants from 103 Western Pennsylvania schools that same year. Gateway entered the decade with a roar — motivation was high as were expectations, and the student body couldn V wait to live up to each and every goal they had set.