Gateway High School - Portavian Yearbook (Monroeville, PA)

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the 25th ANNIVERSARY 25th ANNIVERSARY 25th ANNIVERSAR The 1980’s is promising to he a decade of renaissance, hard work, and accomplish- ments. So far, they have been years marked with Reaganomics and the very real possibility of economic strife; years that hare seen assassination attempts on both the Pope and our U.S. President. However, though at times the future may not have seemed too hopeful, there were other times when people everywhere were caught up in the adventure, promise, and romance of the tomorrow on the horizon. The wedding of Britain ’s Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer provided 700 million people with a true to life, televised fairy tale: a royal wedding that won the hearts of all who witnessed it. Back on the home front, the Space Shuttle Columbia opened the doors to a new era in space that could someday result in regular trips to the moon and surrounding areas without major expense. And, Sandra Day O'Connor received the prestigious honor of being appointed the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court. Punk rock und New Wave beats have taken firm hold, and they offered for some likely entertainment alternatives to major league baseball and professional football, which both dragged out their seasons due to long strikes. The 80 s are a time to set sights high; to dream big, and achieve your dreams. Gateway students seem to sense these possibilities and are answering to them with the spirit that has become a tradition here. Gateway kicked off the ’80’s as did Pittsburgh and the surrounding area by cheering the Sfeelers on to another Super Bowl victory, this time over the Los A ngeles Rams. All of the stalwart fans who had attended the games in the worst of weather unfortunately had to pay the price. Gateway students were no exception, and the attendance rate was cut in half because of the flu. Fortunately, though, better weather did come, and with it came the First Annual AFS Food Festival, five National Merit finalists, and the Jazz Festival which Gateway hosted Then, GHS had the honor of placing third in both the Biology and Computer Divisions of Pennsylvania competitions at Slippery Rock State College. Gateway could be held back by nothing — not even the teacher's strike that delayed the school’s opening until September 10 in the fall of 1980! But when the year finally did get started, another hurdle came up: the Gateway service workers went on strike. Students learned to appreciate hot lunches during those days when they were brown-bagging it. Trash overflowed the garbage cans and hallways, and for awhile it seemed as if the strikes would never end. During that time, the Gateway student body turned to athletics and Agatha Christie to cheer them: the Gator football team romped over Penn Hills and the junior class presented the classic mystery play, Ten Little Indians. fust when everything seemed to be back to normal, and commencement exercises were being planned, another setback came up: it was rumored that because of nine days not made up due to the teacher’s strike, GHS graduation would be illegal. The 614 seniors did not take too kindly to this, and after months of debate and discussion, the graduation date remained as originally scheduled. Although 79-80 and 80-81 may not have been the most uncomplicated of school years, they were certainly not without accomplishments, proving that when the going gets tough, Gateway is tough enough to get going! The 1981-82 school year brought great prestige to the music department of Gateway with the smash success of the musical West Side Story and the Golden Gator Marching Band’s appearance at Three Rivers Stadium for a salute to the Steelers. While Gateway students were tuning up, so were the administrators and school board, who made the not-too-surprising decision that GHS would become a four-year school in the 1983-84 school year due to decreased enrollment. Another milestone event was the announcement of Dr. Joseph Shafley’s retirement after many years as Superintendent. He served Gateway well; and with the end of his last full school year, many tributes were justifiably paid to him. The year 1982 closed on a promising note — senior class President Soma Eremic, in her commencement address, described a gradual transition among the students from disunity to solidarity. The Class of ’82 emerged as just that — a class of people joined by their similar experiences and pride in what they had shared. Their “oneness” was even reminiscent of the closeness demonstrated by that first graduating class 24 years before them. Amiveruiry IS

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PICTURES Page 14 Clock™ from upper left: Golden Gator Marching Band and Majorettes, Fall 1981; Oktoberfest presented by the German classes, 1979-80; Talent Show, 1980; Intramural Volleyball, 1981; French play L’Histoire de La Pauvre Princesse; West Side Story presented by the music department, 1982; Halloween Con- test, 1981. Page 5 Left: Gateway hosts Regional Orchestra, Spring 1981; Mr. Gateway Contest, 1980. MMmmm

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Pages from Yesterday Leading to Tomorrow ANNIVERSARY 25th ANNIVERSARY 25th ANNIVERSARY Gateway has survived twenty-five years of growth and alteration; and the breed of student that graduated from here has grown and changed as welL Each class had the chance to learn from the trials and accomplishments of their predecessors, as will each class to come use the past as then guide. Tennyson wrote, ‘7 am part of all that I have met, ’ and now that we have, in a sense, met the last 24 classes of seniors, it can be seen that we really aren 7 all that different from them. Our world is a world of demands, and we must measure up to the realities expected of us. But we aren't the first group to have to do that. Nor will we be the last. We have seen what was. We are what is; and if we have truly achieved the desire to succeed, only the limitations of our imaginations can PICTURES Clock- wise from upper right: Double-page from the first yearbook; Faculty candid pages, 1980; Pride in Gateway at a pep rally, 1963-64; Senior division page in 1980-81 year- book; world and local events of 1981-82; Events division page m 1978-79 yearbook- Kj i l £ K) § § I Co No § § I £