Gross High School - Heard The Latest Yearbook (Omaha, NE)

Page 44 text:

Christa McAuliffe holds her training uniform as she packed for o trip to Houston where she began training for her trip into space. McAuliffe was a high school teacher from Concord High School in Concord, N.H. Photo by World Mde Photo. of Seven 'Spirit The space shuttle disaster on January 28, 1986, took the lives of seven astronauts and touched many lives, including those of the students and teachers at Gross High. When the students first heard about the explosion in their period 8 class, they had feelings of sadness. I felt really sad for the families of the astronauts, especially for Christa McAuliffe's youngest daughter who didn't want her mom to go, said Sue Ku- sek '87 who was in her English class when she heard about the explosion. Devon Nie- bling '88 said, lt affected me in the same way that l4ennedy's assassination affected the country in 196-B. Students in Mr. Mick I4rupski's classes watched the replay of the explosion and couldn't believe what happened. He said that the students had mixed reactions. They had a sense of awe and tragedy at the same time. Mr. Krupski said that Dave 40fon the outside The space shuttle Challenger exploded over the At lantic Ocean on January 28, 1986. The lives of seve astronauts, including one teacher, were lost in th accident. Photo by World Mde Photo, ' lives beyond disaster ' Leahy came into his Current Events class and told them about the disaster. Mr. Krupski said he replied, You'd better not be kidding, or that's a pretty sick joke. Mr. Krupski said he didn't want to accept the fact that the space shuttle exploded, taking seven lives. He said he kept looking for a parachute or something that would give everyone hope that someone had survived. The astronauts aboard the space shuttle Challenger were Commander Francis Pl. Scobee, pilot Michael J. Smith, Judith Reznik, Ronald E. McNair, Ellison S. Onizuka, Greg- ory B. Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe, a social studies teacher from Concord, New Hamp- shire. She was chosen from 11,146 teachers who applied to be the first civilian in space. The space shuttle explosion was the first disaster in 55 manned space flights. When the shuttle exploded it was 10.4 miles up and 8 miles out over the Atlantic Ocean. lt was accelerating at a speed of 1,977 m.p.h. The mcyor blast came from the large exter- nal fuel tank when the two solid-fuel rockets brake loose. President Reagan was very saddened by the explosion. He expressed his feelings by saying, We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, as they prepared for theiriourney and waved goodbye, and slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God. Despite this tragedy, many students feel that the explosion should not stop the space program. Bob Kahout '88 said, lt was a terrible accident, but I think NASA should continue with the space program because it's a good one.

Page 43 text:

Coke tampers with a classic oke is it, was it and is it again. The decision made by Coca- Cola executives to change the QQ- year old formula was just one battle in the war of the colas. The new formula of Coke offered the soda drinkers of America a sweeter and less carbonated version of an American Tradi- tion. The executives had planned for an attack from other cola companies, but not from the American public. People were outraged with the change. Letters and phone calls poured into Coke offices daily. People began storing the old Coke in wine cellars, basements and ga- rages across America. Cases of the old Coke had a value of thirty dollars and more. ln one of many commercials making fun of the Coke change, Pepsi-Cola, long time rival of Coke, boasted, ln the showdown between colas, one fact stands clear: One cola's changed and one coIa's chosen. Pepsi, the choice of a new generation. The Coca-Cola executives brought back the old Coke under a new name, Classic Coke. They also decided to keep the new formula on the market. But old Coke easily outsold new Coke. The cola wars weren't limited to planet Earth. Space was a battle field between Coke and Pepsi. Coke was chosen to take part in an experiment taking place on board the space shuttle. Pepsi complained about the exeriment taking place without them. The shuttle officials, who said that they had no preference which cola went on board, took Pepsi along. The experi- ment had nothing to do with the colas but the dispensers they were in. During the summer, Coke introduced 5 Pv- 5 L Cherry Coke, a fountain drink popular in the '50s. People who were once loyal to Pepsi or Coke switched to the fruity-fla- vored cola. The makers of Pepsi earlier introduced a citrus drink called Slice, an uncola with 10 per cent real fruit juice. The official uncola, 7-Up, was facing some tough competition between Pepsi's Slice and Coke's Sprite. 7-Up made one last attempt to get out of its slump in the spring by launching a new advertising cam- paign to compete with the bigger soft drink companies. At the same time, Pepsi was considering the purchase of the 7-Up Com- pany. Coke tried to counter Pepsi's move by attempting to purchase the Dr. Pepper Company. A larger variety of soft drinks came into the market. There were colas, and there were uncolas. There were sugar free, caf- feine free and sodium free soft drinks. lf you didn't have a favorite, a lot of time was spent on deciding what to drink. If you wanted a Coke you had to make more than one decision, Patti O'Keefe '86 said. There was the choice between Classic Coke, New Coke and Cherry Coke. If this was too much, there was always Pepsi. However, Pepsi wasn't much better. There was Pepsi Light, Pepsi Free, Diet Pepsi Free and plain Pepsi. At this point, some people may long for a simpler time when they could order a Coke and actually get one. But for now, it's only a dream. on the outside!S9

Page 45 text:

,gn-l -pil if fl .g-- Once in o lifeiime event foils To Thrill l'You could never cotch me out One of this yeor's celebrities wos noth- ing but o snow boil. S o m e p e o p I e comped out nights or got up eorly to get o view of this giont ice cube. Others couldn't hove cored less, HoIley's Comet wos one of the onticipoted highlights of 1986. Fon clubs ond scientists went crozy over the orrivol of the comet. For rhe Averoge Joes, the comet wos o disoppointment. I thought it wos going to be something huge with o big toil, but oil I sow wos o little speck, soid senior Ronde Bernhogen. However, those who didn'r see the comet for outnumbered those who did. I feel very fortunote to hove hod the chonce to see the comet, but you could never cotch me out in some cornfield in the middle of the night looking for o hunk of ice, Donnie Piomon '86 sold. Senior Colleen McDermott sold, I didn't even toke the time or effort to go look outside. The lost time the comet troveled neor eorth wos bock in 1910. Sightings of the comet were very common then. Mony people could just wolk out their door ond look up to the sky. However, becouse of the city lights, this yeor people would hove to trovel greot distonces to view the comet in some cornfield in the middle of the night looking for o hunk of ice. -Donnie Piomon '86 o sign of good luck. ln 1456 the comet wos blomed for the foil of Constontinople to the Jews, The Americon outhor, Mork Twoin, wos born with rhe or- rivol of the comet in 1885, ond died with cleorly. The comet's toil olso troveled closer to the eorth in 1910 thon it did in 1986, giving the people of 1910 o more spectoculor view. The comet, which trovels on on ellipticol poth obout three billion miles from the sun, possed eorth in November, 1985, rounded the sun in Februory, 1986, ond troveled close to eorth ogoin in April before it went bock out to the solor system, The comet, both in 1910 ond 1986, trig- gered the monufocture ond sole of mony comet monio items. This yeor there were such items os Holley pins, cops ond troveling bogs. ln 1910, the comet's logo wos found on socks, gloves, jewelry ond ties. The first time the comet's oppeoronce wos recorded wos in 240 BC. by Chinese, Koreon ond Joponese ostronomers. The comet is fomous for being ossocioted with mony historicol events, For exomple, in 1066, when Williom Duke of Normondy, invoded Englond, the comet wos visible. The troops of Normondy took the comet os the possing of the comet in 1910, In 1910, o French ostronomer worned thot life on eorth might be endongered when he pointed out thot the comet's toil contoined cyonogen, o poisonous gos, thot might kill oil life os eorth possed through the comet's toil, Doctors were stormed with pleos for ontidotes, ond the newspopers recorded mony comet-inspired suicides, This yeor, there moy not hove been crowded doctor's offices becouse of the comet. The popers moy hove written o lot obout the comet, but mony people moy not hove reod it. This once-in-o-life-time ex- perience wosn't token odvontoge of by most of the Americon people, despite those die-hord spoce fons who would comp out for weeks in o cornfield in the middle of the night to look for o hunk of ice. holley s cometf41