Lanphier High School - Lan Hi Yearbook (Springfield, IL)

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EDITORIALS LADY LIONS You've had your yearbook how long? ls it two weeks, two months, or two years? At any rate, ylou are finally getting around to reading t e articles, dedication, theme, team records and editorials. The 1977 Lan- Hi Staff tried a new twist in this book. We wrote articles covering many issues that concern LHS students. These two pages are simply opinions of students. You may or may notagree with them. So sit back, relax, and enjoy your reading. These editorials should refresh your memory of the way we were! STUDENT HONOR Student of the Week is an annual honor received by various senior students from each city high school and sponsored by the Springfield Marine Bank. Student Council, a select group, chooses our applicants and suqposedly judges them on scholarship, lea ership, and extra-curricular activities. Thirty-six seniors from the six Springfield high schools competed with each other monthly, starting in November and ending in january, for a four gear scholarship awarded to a lucky indivi ual near the end of the year. It seemed to me that since this honor is to compete for this scholarship, it shouldn't be the responsibility ofthe Student Council to choose our representatives but that of the teachers. Who else but the teachers could select applicants that fit the qualities associated with Student of the Week? Also, I feel a scholarship should be given to someone who is capable intellectually but incapable financially to further his edu- cation. In previous years a sizeable portion of the winners have been children of well- to-do families who could have easily sup- ported them through college. Toward the end of the year, juniors are nominated. l believe that they shouldn't be selected because this deprived other se- niors from trying for the scholarship since juniors could not win it anyway. Anymore, being a Student of the Week is more or less just having your picture in the paper ganother photo for your scrapbookj instea of providing someone with a chance to further his education which he deserved but couldn't afford.-D.R. 6 Would you like a program? May l help you to your seat? These familiar phrases were often heard throughout the football and basketball seasons from the Lady Lions, othenfvise known as the Ush- Qrettes. The Usherettes did more than just hand out programs and find seats for vis- iting fans. They also directed traffic at Open House and occasionally at Teachers' Work- shops. The Usherettes, along with Key Club, ran the concession stand during bas- ketball season. During the month of Octo- ber, the three juniors and nine seniors spent many hours of hard work constructing a float for the Homecoming parade, only to get rained out. With funds earned from the concession stand, the Usherettes purchased two new uniforms. The black sweaters and slacks and the jumpsuits added a touch of class to the city's only service club of this type. Al- though the girls usually had a lot of fun with their assigned duties, they did run into a few prob ems during the year. Sometimes visitors and even Lanphier's own fans got a little too carried away but the Usherettes were always ready to handle any situation with a smile.-B.A. GRADUATION lt wasn't too long ago that we used to rush from the playground after recess into our classrooms to read about Dick, lane and Spot. Almost too soon, we advanced to Middle School and quickly adopted to the novelty of being able to move from class to class for a wider variety of subjects. For many of us it seemed like only yester- day that we, as freshmen, confronted the challenge of High School and proudly presented ourselves as the Class of '77, Fi- nally, we became seniors and reached the day that declared our Graduation. To many seniors, our long anticipated graduation day was an occasion of sorrow. The reality that it was the final day of the unity of our class disheartened many, for there will never be another day exactly like it. Some were saddened when they realized that they looked at Lanphier for the last time. Others shared tears with friends as they relived their fondest memories and ex- changed their last good-byes. But Graduation Day wasn't just a time to grieve. lt also sparkled with happiness and initiated the beginning of a new life for each of us. A small number of the gradu- ation class marked their new life with a pledge of marriage. A career with the armed forces compelled some new gradu- ates to take up the challenge. Many stu- dents wished to continue their education and prepare for their chosen field by enroll- ing in a college or trade school while an equal number embarked on a job shortly after graduation. Whether we choose a life of labor or lei- sure, l hope that a majority of us will be able to attend our tenth year class reunion. l hope that there will be no tears of sorrow. Instead, we will just laugh together. See you in ten years!-N.P. BEST YEARS? Your high school years are said to be the best ears of your life. Have they been? Or will they be? lt's hard to answer this ques- tion without first deciding whether or not we really went to a high school. There were really very few traditional high school activities reserved for the Lan- phier students. Nearly all extracurricular ac- tivities were open to the Edison students. The Edison student body participated in the entire Homecoming process, they could enter the parade, were eligible for thecprizes, and finally were allowed to at- ten the dance that evening. What more could deflate a high school student's ego? What more could lessen his school pride? The Edison students also attended our after-game dances, held money making projects such as bake sales in our lobby, participated in our Student Government Association and were pictured in our yearbook. lt seems that there were very few restric- tions placed upon the middle school stu- dents. By participating so wholeheartedly in high sc ool activities, the Edison stu- dents necglected to support their own school an therefore deprived the Lanphier students their true high school years. Lanphier and Edison were the only schoos in Springfield paired together. No other city middle school hasbeen given the rights that have been given to Edison, no other city high school has been denied the right to carry the name of a high school. Our school spirit was dominated by the Edison student, and why not? They've had everything to gain and we've had every- thing to lose. Our deflated egos and cries

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MR. BRooKs o .W or f e E -wma M... :W , . ' as ,-........ E 3 ' 1. ,fm :g, , w--qw-qyytwiwwi ,,,, 1 WW ,,,,,.,. .,. 1 rrlwi .Qi E Since he came to Lanphier, he hasbeen a teacher, a counselor, and is currently an assistant principal in charge of the Guid- ance Center. He ,begins an average work day at 6:30 in the morning and goes home at approximately 5:30 in the afternoon. Be- sides his eleven hours during the day, you may find him at work in his office many evenings. He knows more about the stu- dents at L.H.S. and devotes more time to us than anyone . . . It is with great pride that the Lan-Hi is dedicated to this tre- mendous person, Mr. Lester Brooks. 5

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for help have been ignored. lt's hard to jsupport a school that won't support you. I But don't give in. Don't accept things for what they are. If you want to remember lyour high school years, then start now and do something about it. There's a time and place for everything. It's time to restore Lanphier to the high school it once was . . . NOW!-K.B. ffxvc ciaowino The Area Vocational Center was a great opportunity for young men and women to learn trades that would help them after graduation. AVC was set up for the schools of Springfield and the surrounding towns to use. A bus system was supplied so that it lwould be convenient for students without cars to attend. As a student at the Area Vo- cational Center, I am proud to say that the Auto Body Shop had an adequate supply of tools and materials. Classes at the Center started at seven fifty-five a.m. and were dismissed at ten twenty a.m. The hard working students at AVC had a fifteen minute break. The break area had several soda machines at which the price was twenty-five cents. There were several Tom's machines at which the price was fifteen cents. The attendance system was like ours at Lanphier. The teachers were friendly as were the principal and as- sistant principals. This year the Area Voca- tional Center had something new. They produced a yearbook. As you can see, the AVC has come a long way.-B.D. LET GIRLS IN? I listened closely to all that went on this year concerning Lanphier's Key Club with much disgust and resentment. I strongly objected to the way the female students at LHS were treated and see no reason why we were turned down membership. I do want everyone to know, however, that Key Club itself was not to blame. True, a few very crude remarks were made by Mr. Will- hoit, the club's advisor, but the decision to turn down girls for membership was made by the Kiwanis Club of Springfield, which sponsors Key Club, notl by the Key Club it- self. I happen to think this Kiwanis or ani- zation was not only unfair and prejuciced but also very stupid injtheir reasoning. Al- lowing girls to join Key Club would not change it into a social or anization for girls, as Mr. I illhoit stated, gut it would only broaden Key Club intb a more involved and active group of both young men and women. Other schools allowed female stu- dents to join and have very successful organizations. l We did not wish to intrude and destroy this fine organization buy only be a part of it. Was this asking tod much? Would this honorable club turn down membership to students because they were black, brown, red or yellow in color?j No, that would not only be pnethical but would also be break- ing an Hnwritten law. Prejudice is wrong. lust as t jese people would not change their color, we are not going to change our sex. So what seems to be the problem? Kiwanis has .become a very unpopular group and you can easily understand why. As long as people are allowed to turn down others because of race, religion, or sex, something is definitely wrong. If a young woman meets all the qequirements to join Key Club, she should not be denied mem- bership simply because of one factor: she is female.-T.I. y A few young ladies lattacked this year's LHS Key Club: the only club in school with membership limited to males. These young ladies attempted to etl into the club by de- manding membersgip. They were well qualified, but Key Club is a division of Ki- wanis International whjch is also limited to males. The decision to accept or deny the girls mjmbership was up to them. The club suppo ed the girls when they went to a Ki- wanis meeting with alpetition. When the club voted for the support of the girls, however, the charter members were afraid to vote. Hardly any views were expressed until after the meeting when some of the mem- bprg w re saying how it would mess up the cu . After the females attended the Kiwanis meetin and it adjourned, the decision was final: a solutely no wdmen were to be al- lowed into the LHS Key Club. I personally agree with the decision be- cause there are enough female oriented clubs already. Why not preserve what little the men at Lanphier have? In conc usion, I su est that if these young ladies would Iii? an organization similar to Key Club, they shouldn't gripe at the members of the club. They could do something like start a Keyettes Club for l women. Maybe later you can bring up your fight against Kiwanis again, but this year you struck out.-C.F. PEP CLUB School spirit dead? Slowly but surely it was fading fast until a little spark revived it at a football game. , The school spirit grew 'and expanded thanks to Miss Cutsinger and Mr. Taylor, two individuals who became aware of a little excitement and captured it to form a new and revised Pep' Club. The club cheered in a small section of the bleachers and added to the excitement of the games. It showed the players that students did care and they were not knocking their brains out for nothing. It also made the cheerleaders proud to have students learn cheers and all along. Before, students did not cheer cause they didn't like the old cheers, they wanted something new and different so the cheerleaders started doing big mounts and sharp and snappy cheers. Then the fans considered them entertainers. The cheerleaders this year still did a few new cheers, but they tried to make them easy enough for the students to learn. I commend the cheerleaders for their ef- forts, but I especially congratulate the new Pep Club for their success in'rousing the school spirit at LHS.-RC. I VAN DALISM In most schools, vandalism was a small contribution to unnecessary expenses. In my opinion, Lanphier had a big problem concerning vandalism. In the first nine weeks of the school year Mr. Schmidt, the principal, called an assembly. He threat- ened to take away smoking areas. I thought that would have been great considering that smoking contributed to fifty percent of the tardies this year. Some of the vandalism that occurred was meaningless and costly. I also believe that most of this vandalism was brought onby a small group of students who could care less about education.-E.F. 7