Little Rock Central High School - Pix Yearbook (Little Rock, AR)

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 After leaving school at noon, senior Paula Davis works as a nurses' aide at Baptist Medical Center. She said she enjoyed both the money and work. Even snack foods weren't cheap this year. Junior J. J. Graves and sophomore Tony Downs enjoy snack foods brought from home. A can- ned soft drink retailed for 40 or 45 cents at most Little Rock businesses. Earning some money as a clerk at Montgomery Ward's on University Avenue is senior Rick Smith, who was one of approximately 600 Cen- tral students who said they had jobs while attending school this year. An adding machine is used by junior Kristy Bryant as part of her duties as a clerk at a local department store. She said that she found enough time to work between 20 and 30 hours weekly at her job. attend classes at Central High, and “still do the all the things I like to do. 23

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Being of service and earning money at the same time, senior Chrissy Watts works as a nurses' aide at Baptist Medical Center. She was enrolled in the school’s Health Occupation Education Program, which allowed students to attend classes in the mornings and work on jobs in the afternoons. |r After leaving school, senior Mark Shcrrcll stops at Burger King on his way home. He said his afternoon 'snack wasn't cheap. I'm like everybody else. he said. “I worry about the high rate of inflation and wonder when it will end. On the job at Scar's is senior Ccodis Lasker. “My work is hard sometimes, but it pays good. Ceodis said. It lets me buy things that I want and need. 22 $$$ Woes More and more students look for employment as inflation continues to hurt budgets of families Approximately 600 students said they had jobs during the school year. Probably another 600 would have taken jobs if they could have been found. The reason that working was so popular with high school students during the 1980-81 school year was the nation’s inflation—an inflation that sent prices of most items soaring. ‘‘It's either work or stay at home all the time,” one student said. The one item that students complained most about was the cost of gasoline. A gallon of regular gasoline cost $1.21 around the first of February with indications that it would be around $1.50 a gallon by the end of the school year. Consumer prices rose by 12.4 per cent during 1980. It was the sharpest rise since the year following World War I. Even teachers complained bitterly about inflation. They were actively involved in getting pay increases. “We haven’t had a pay increase in five years that has matched the inflation rate,” one teacher said. Driving an automobile was a big expense for many students, such as senior Scott Crotty, the owner of this 1978 Trans-Am. In early February, a gallon of regular gas was approx- imate SI .21. There were indications it would be about SI .50 a gallon by the first of June. In hit uniform, junior David Tucker prepares an order at Burger King Restaurant. He said he kept busy on his job. but that it was better than doing nothing. Tucker also indicated he enjoyed receiving a weekly paycheck

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An enthusiastic audience listened to the Doobie Brothers at the Wild Hog Boogie in War Memorial Stadium during the summer. Several top-name bands performed at the Boogie. A favorite pastime for most students was listening to music at home, including junior Khonda Dickerson who plays a record on the stereo. Many students had as much as SI .000 invested in records alone. An album sold for about S7.50 at area music stores. Though most students wouldn't attempt to climb this section of Pinnacle Mountain on the outskirts of Little Rock, there were some who did. including senior Terry Kenney. It's a fun way to spend an afternoon. he indicated. Showing his skill, junior Doug Homeyer takes aim at a ball he wants to place in a side pocket. Many students had pool tables in their homes. These students usually had lots of friends. Who Shot J. R. Ewing? The big question that many Americans, including those at Central High School, were asking throughout the summer and fall was, “Who shot J. R.?“ They were referring to the final episode of the television series “Dallas that was televised in May. In that episode, J. R. was shot. On November 21, more than 44 million Americans watched Dallas” to learn the answer. They learned he had been shot by his sister-in-law, Kristin. Stars of the weekly show, rated No. 1 in national viewer polls during both the 1980 and 1981 seasons, were (In picture above, from left) Patrick Duffy, Vic- toria Principal, Jim Davis, Barbara Bel Geddes, Linda Gray, and Larry Hagman, who played J. R. 24—Entertainment