Highland High School - Shield Yearbook (Highland, IN)

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The Eastern ways Cox Concentration! Mike Fazekas knows the val right practice of a martial art. ue of concentrating his body and mind in the The battle oS stress For many who spend their days here at Highland, nights are spent studying the ancient art of Karate. Often times, this word brings up im¬ ages of Bruce Lee’s swiftly moving arms and legs in the fight for justice and truth. Karate can however be more -much more- than this. Originating many thousands of years ago from such eastern nations as Japan, China, and Korea, the martial arts are probably the best method of self-defense there is. Karate began when someone ob¬ served animals and adapted their movements to the human body. After much time and hard work, this mimicking of animals became a very complex and skilled art. Soon many people from all different back¬ grounds made Karate a way of life. This was because the martial arts has so much to offer. The possible physical gains pre¬ sented by the study of Karate are tremendous. One starts with the simplest and most basic movements and with time and practice can be¬ come a picture of skillful move¬ ment. Balance, physical awareness, and physical fitness are therefore only a few of the physical attributes of Karate. Somewhat less well-known are the positive mental aspects of the study of Karate. Many who study Karate are introduced to such activi¬ ties as meditation and mental relax¬ ation which can be helpful in life in general as well as in the perfection of one’s study of Karate. Another benefit is the sense of accomplish¬ ment one gets as a result of studying the martial arts over a period of time. If you’re a person who is looking for a challenge, Karate is definitely a good possibility. Lori Peterson Basil Adad The walls are tumbling in! The pressure is just too much. A person can cope only so much. There is no solution! Stress is felt by teenagers all the time. It is felt both physically and mentally. Everything piles up and somewhere, something is going to break. Stress causes a lot of things It causes anxiety, worry, frustration, and some times even anger. School plays an important role in causing stress. Cramming for a test, or doing “impossible” homework makes a person feel like they have a ton of weights on their shoulders. Alas, something else must be going wrong too. Friends and peers some¬ times cause anxiety. They expect commitments to be fulfilled and a person should never have any wor¬ ries. Life, within itself, causes much frustration and disappointment. It is a large puzzle, and the person must always look for the missing piece. The solution? There really is none. The only real answer must be found within oneself. Stress must be handled carefully and with much consideration. It comes unexpected and can destroy a person if it goes too far. It is destroyed by those who are strong enought to battle. Stress can be nothing more than a back¬ ache; whatever it is, always try to find a solution. Cricket Reynolds q| Silver Time 29

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I 4 4 I 4 I 4 I S4 k| S Millions of Americans are now flipping on their television sets in the afternoon to watch an hour filled with drama, laughs and too many commercials. What element exists in these daytime dramas that at¬ tracts such a vast audience? Soaps have a psychological effect on it’s watchers. Many people be¬ come so absorbed in a character’s life, that it helps them subordinate their troubles. Subconsciously, these people take on the character’s troubles. Therefore, soaps provide an outlet for some people. It is best Feet in a hall different footfalls pulsating as if stomping out their own rhythm. Each marching to the beat of a different drummer? Eyes scanning the sea of faces suddenly illuminate recognizing another pair of colored rimmed, black centered jewels flirting in a glossy pool of whiteness. Smiles bursting forth like the time-lapsed photography sequence of a blossoming flower. Words tumbling without rhythm as each voice hurriedly whispers questions, answers, thoughts, feelings. Friendship a closeness of hearts immeasurable in miles, yards, or feet. Theresa Kenders for people to take these shows light¬ ly. In most cases, they prove to be quite humorous to imagine that peo¬ ple really live like the soaps suggest they do. Of course, everyone’s neighbor has a shady history of once being a lady of the evening. This character was set on the right track by her now former husband. Soon they get a divorce and she marries a multi-millionaire. She has an affair with her former husband and gets pregnant but thinks the baby is her husband’s. He lies by acting as though the child is really his. This is impossible because he is sterile. She soon finds out — the result — di¬ vorce. The birth of the child brings about the mixed feelings betwed the two parents. They plan to re¬ marry, then tragedy strikes. The death of their son leaves the father mournful and the mother accusing the father of murder. The next time the t.v. has nothing to offer in the daytime, try watching a soap opera. Be careful, you may| join other Americans and becor “hooked” on soap operas. Kathy Funston Life after class From the time school starts ev- ery-morning to the dismissal bell after school, many students are shortchanging themselves by only taking required classes. These peo¬ ple may be missing out on some of the most interesting and fun extra¬ curricular activities their school has to offer. There are clubs, organizations and team sports that pay attention to one’s particular need. First of all, decide what your favorite pasttime is or think about what lies in your future. There are groups you can join to findout if you really like the goal you’ve picked. If one has ability in sports, next time try out for the school team, maybe someone en¬ joys speaking in front of others then they have speech debate, or drama to choose from. Whatever one’s tal¬ ent is it should be put into use to benefit themselves or others. Through one’s efforts there can be a feeling of accomplishment and seif satisfaction knowing one has achieved something along with new friends and many exciting memories also. Everyone can learn a lot from their actions which may someday enhance one’s self into a more pro¬ ductive person. Karen Krahn ‘In’ ‘Me? Were you ever in the midst of a group when you suddenly realized you had become the group and lost your identity? What is better: Being ‘in’, or being ‘me’? Sometimes the teen needs the fun times with the crowd, but some¬ times a person just needs time to be by himself and think. What’s the matter with taking a breather now and then to sort things out? Sure, everybody needs friends, but remember to balance your life and give yourself time. You are always the most “in” when you are being your real self! Theresa Kenders 28 Silver Time

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Freshman blues The halls are mysterious and un¬ known. Teachers are strangers and reputation lies within the first few days of school. The never ending struggle of being a freshman. When first walking in the doors of Highland High School, a freshman’s life begins. People pass them by like they were nothing more than space. The only people they associate with are other freshmen. Everyone around them is a stranger. Everyone is unexplored and lost to them. To some, being a freshman is like trying to mold a lump of clay. It is nothing unless someone wants to do something about it. They can either leave that lump there, or make something special out of it. Freshman year can be the build¬ ing block to the future. It is the year of discovering and learning about other people. It may seem tough at first, but it could end up being one of the greatest times in a person’s life. Freshmen can make or break their first year of high school. They can use it wisely and make the most of it, or they can hide in corners and make the year a real disappoint¬ ment. It becomes what they want it to be. Most freshmen feel scared and lost the first few days of school. There are so many rooms. They can’t even find the six they are as¬ signed to. It becomes a maze with many dead ends and passage ways that lead to nowhere. Being a freshman might seem like being in a world of the unknown, but some of the greatest things are learned from the unknown. Fresh¬ man year should be a year of grow¬ ing and maturing. It should be price¬ less! Cricket Reynolds Near the end “What are you going to be when you grow up?” “What do you want to do after you graduate?” Do these questions sound familiar? Most sen¬ iors hear them ten times a day; it is a constant nag at home. Colleges start sending information to seniors about their campus. Pretty soon, before one knows it, one might have twen¬ ty letters from different colleges piled up on the corner of the dresser, just waiting to be opened! For those who do not know what to do, don’t panic; you are not alone! Senior year creeps up like old age; it goes slow, but when it gets there, one doesn’t know where time went. All of a sudden, the shelter of a high school isn’t there anymore. Seniors are faced against the confusing and cruel world. They have to start mak¬ ing their own decisions and become more independent. O.K. seniors, now is the time to put an answer to the questions at hand. You have to stand up for yourself and hold your ground. Mom is not going to call the school and talk to your teachers anymore. She is not going to get you out of classes you think are too hard or get a different teacher you can “get along with”. It is up to you to get along with your professors. There has to be a time set aside for homework. Professors do not let students slide by like some high school teachers do. Get the studying done first; there will be plenty of time to party afterwards. Shelly Garretson 30 Silver Time Rolling over A solitary figure, who has memorized the curves and cracks of the sidewalk, rollers¬ kates effortlessly while jum¬ bled thoughts worry her mind! A prescheduled geometry test is tomorrow; Does pi = 3.14 or 4.13? Will the formulas really give her the answers to the questions asked? “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways ...” No, not the test question in geometry, but an unsolved, unasked ques¬ tion tormenting her soul — memorized for English — still unforgotten by her heart. The cracks of the sidewalk become the petals of a flower: He loves me, he loves me not? Theresa Renders ups? Which one is right-left or right? Left-handers are considered total op¬ posites of right-handers. They do everything backwards, and everyth¬ ing in reverse, and usually are con¬ sidered clumsy, because of this. The world today considers right¬ handers to be dominate. They make everything associated and fit for the right-handed people. So where do left-handers fit in? They usually don’t fit at all. They are stuck using right-handed things. Even in kinder¬ garten, left-handers have to buy scis¬ sors that say LEFTY or they can’t cut straight. Finally there is a solution for left- handed people. Now there is a group strickly for left-handers. They dis¬ cuss the problems put in front of them. From now on, all right-handers be¬ ware, left-handers are here to stay. Cricket Reynolds