Griffith High School - Reflector Yearbook (Griffith, IN)

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attle weekend boredom blues O-UXIN G iHeffiite ' 8 s School-sponsored events, such as cheering at Friday night football games, often answered the students ' question of What ' s to do tonight f Dominatingthe merchant ' s window, the No Loitering sign reflects the problem students encounter in finding a place to gather and talk. When business slows for Panther Press subscriptions, Barb Dudek and Cindy Class revert to a childhood game to help pass the time. Enforcement of the no loitering laws forced many students to divert their attention to inside the home. In her spare time, ludy Fortner has an opportunity to embroider. 11

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T.V., dates, People always claim they are too busy. But how often have you found that question of What ' s to do? impossible to answer? Restlessness, easily conquered by some, often kept others searching for new ways to combat boredom. Staying at home offered the chance to catch up on sleep or do things like cleaning out overstuffed drawers and closets. The rearranging and redecorating of a bedroom often resulted from a sudden impulse or just a desire to see the floor again. Watching television became a challenge choosing from Barnaby Jones, Marcus Wei by, M.D. or FBI, all scheduled at the same time. A good solution was settling on an old I Love Lucy rerun or curling up with an exciting mystery novel. Homework, along with dishes, served as other, although less popular, alternatives. Piano, guitar or other lessons required hours of practice to increase skill. Sewing proved to be an easy way to build an up-to-date wardrobe, making everything from halter tops to winter coats. Other hobbies, such as embroidery, painting, collecting antiques and more, captured students ' interests and gave them something to work at. Friends frequently stopped by to gossip, shoot pool or play cards. When a boyfriend came over the hardest task was keeping little brothers and sisters out of the room. The next most difficult job was trying to act interested while watching Monday Night Football as he explained the difference between quarterback and center. Sometimes it ' s better to just go out with your date instead of staying at home and trying your luck at football. The drive-in was a popular place for couples to go, while visiting zoos or relaxing at a picnic provided other ways to spend the day with someone special . While some students were on dates, others spent time searching for one. Girls trying to chase guys inconspicuously and guys attempting to catch the girls ' eye with sporty cars, became familiar sights. Cruising through town past Delock ' s and Tastee Freez soon turned monotonous. Some teenagers often gathered at South Park to talk with friends or have a beer, but cops soon started chasing them oift. With nowhere else to go, they returned to town. Favorite gathering spots became off limits as no loitering signs appeared in store windows. Sitting on the picnic tables at Tastee Freez and shouting to passing cars or conversing in parking cruising the town lots, youth risked being charged with loitering. Students felt cheated out of a place to meet friends and talk. School activities frequently came to the rescue with something to offer for almost everyone. Some students participated in play productions while others became involved in Student Council or various clubs that interested them. All sports required countless hours of practice for both guys and girls. Volleyball, basketball, gymnastics and other teams demanded much time to achieve the precision needed for victory. Games offered those not participating entertainment and a chance to donate time for supporting their school. Band members and Pantherettes also gave equal hours to preparation. After games, those fortunate enough to have a car, would go to Barton ' s or McDonald ' s. No matter what the season, students always spent a portion of leisure time taking part in some sport. Summer days of swimming and playing frisbee were replaced by ice skating and tobogganing. As temperatures dropped, students usually gathering at Ready and Franklin schools for a baseball game settled for a snowball fight. Weather didn ' t hinder some students ' activities as they searched for indoor places to go. Shopping centers with the biggest bargains attracted many people who went to buy or just browse around. Stardust and other bowling alleys enabled students to try their luck at a perfect score or at the pinball machines. Restaurants served as places to eat and also as gathering spots for friends. What were hangouts for some became sources of employment for others. Jobs provided one way of occu py ing spare time with the benefit of making extra spending money. Girls donned cowgirl outfits for work at Ponderosa while guys become covered with grease at gas stations. Money earned was saved for weekend skiing trips or out of town travel. Visiting museums and well known sites in Chicago supplied a break from ordinary activities. Students usually found someway to battle boredom, whether in their own room or in another state. When another Monday came, students went back to a routine schedule. Everyone presented a different story of what they did. But whatever the case, the same question was once again heard through the halls, What are we going to do this weekend? 10

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Don ' t strike a match By Donald Lewis Get out of your houses! Go to the Town Hall immediately! Get out of your houses, we must evacuate the area! Evacuate. Flee. Escape. Destruction. Death. Doom. Those were the first thoughts that entered my mind after I was awakened by a combination of flashing lights and a commanding voice over the loudspeaker of the Civil Defense Rescue Unit. We obeyed the instructions of the Civil Defense workers who were stopping at every block ordering residents to leave their homes, even though we were oblivious to the danger which threatened us. Our immediate action, after making sure our family was safe, was to check with the neighbors. When everyone was alerted and able to leave, we went to the town Hall. Still dazed and half-asleep from being roused out of bed at 11:30 p.m. the night of September 13, 1 somehow managed to get out of the car and walk along Broad Street. When I saw the hundreds of other people crowded on the sidewalks, my senses instantaneously sharpened as I bacame aware of the impending crisis. I then began thinking of the countless number of film clips I had seen on television news shows covering victims of tornadoes, earthquakes, floods: and fire, Scenes not only of refugees abandoning their possessions and property but also of the desolation and havoc which are associated with disasters were brought to mind. With all of these thoughts running through my head, I wondered how a burned-out section of Griffith would look on a news show. Liquid propane which spewed up from an underground cavern in the southwest corner of town and forced the evacuation, had settled Like a plot out of an old , Dragnet rerun, Indiana State Police officers examine a map of Griffith as they plan which sectors to evacuate. in a gaseous state over a larger area while the possibility of an explosion became greater. I was brought back to reality as my parents left the Town Hall and headed towards the car. We were to go to Elsie Wadsworth School which would be our home for the night, until the danger had passed. With WJOB Radio played over the intercom and other radios tuned to various stations, we began to gather more information describing the seriousness of our situation. Besides listening intently to news flashes on the radio, evacuees spent time talking to old friends, making new acquaintances, and sleeping while some children invented games or cried. The American Red Cross and the Salvation Army resque squads arrived early the next morning prepared to give food and shelter to the homeless and helpless. The sight of those two organizations only restored to my thoughts the news stories and film of other, more destitute victims of disasters, and the possibility that our situation was more perilous than the worst we had imagined it could be. With nothing else to do but wait, nervous residents gather at the town hall, afraid to think that their neighborhood could easily be reduced to rubble. 12