MacArthur High School - Crest Yearbook (Irving, TX)

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confronted will be familiar— just the faces and places will change. School is for learning. Textbooks, lec- tures, tests, and homework are important. However, the areas that revolve around jthese zones are just as important and can be just as productive in developing the students ' overall education. In fact, it would not be wrong to state that they are necessary to the person ' s growth, well- ibeing, and personal sense of accomplishment. Success is what it ' s all about! And, in- volvement offers the best chance to find it. Getting involved in band got a person involved in the school because people associated band with school It was aJso a great way to make a Jot of friends and get accepted. Phil Jones, Senior photo by Erik Gottleib Beginning their pom pom routine to the Alma Mater, Varsity Cheerleaders Beckey Phillips, Jana Wickham, Angela Ellard, Kristina Weisbruch, Libby Schnee, and Denise Ballenger wear and carry symbols of their involvement. Cutting out a stencil for the Senior Class Arts and Crafts Fair, Sung Han found that school was more than studying and tests. Clutching a fast ball, Varsity Catcher Chris Prawdzik spent Tuesday and Friday nights behind the plate, which, for most athletes, left homework for the late hours. involvement 9

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Involvement Complimentsj Students ' Total Education! Todd Davis All will agree, even students, that the main purpose of school is to get an educa- tion. Education, however, does not come from just lectures, homework, tests, and textbooks. Learning hides itself in many forms on the high school level- involvement being just one of them. And how, one might ask, does a person learn from being involved? Space on this page does not allow full coverage of this question. However, a brief exploration of the subject is offered. First of all, on the athletic field, young men and women who are involved in their particular sport have the opportunity of learning a multitude of things not covered in any textbook. They learn to think quick- ly and act. They learn strategy planning and problem solving. They learn to work as a member of a team and not just as an individual. And, they learn coordination and how to use their body effectively- training it to work for them. What has been said concerning athletes also holds true for members of the drill team and the cheerleading squad, as well as for the Big Mac Keepers. They practice, discipline themselves, budget time, and set priorities as a part of their involvement. Involvement, of course, occurs in other areas of the school and just as much educa- tion is being absorbed as it is in athletics, cheerleading, drill team, and Big Mac Keepers. In the band hall (really, music hall because choir is right next door), students are being taught how and when to hit the right notes by using their instrument or voice correctly. That ' s all they do, one might say. Wrong! They learn to follow direction— knowing if they don ' t, a mistake could be made that would make the entire group sound bad. In marching band, the group learns about precision and timing. Both groups also have the opportunity of working as a whole, with little emphasis upon the individual. Further down the same hall the Little Theater houses the Speech and Drama Department. Thinking on one ' s feet and learning to be at ease while appearing in front of an audience are the areas of strength offered by involvement in the courses taught. In addition, students find that performing is just part of the perfor- mance ritual. Long oefore they set foot on the stage, sets must be built, costumes must be gathered, lighting must be engineered, and the sound has to be planned. These are no easy tasks and require much research, thought, and recalling those things learn- ed in class. Other areas of involvement would be found in yearbook and newspaper, ROTC. photography, journalism production. Stu- dent Council, and the various clubs throughout the school. The list, of course, could be continued, but is too long to com- plete along with the learning that could be achieved through the association. Involvement takes time. In many in- stances, the student who is involved in an extra-curricular or co-curricular activity spends more time in that activity than at the books. That does not mean to say that studies are neglected— they are often com- plimented by the time spent and the effort expended. And. where does a student find the time when he must spread himself between family, studies, and other responsibilities? Here is, indeed, another learning area, sub- tle as it might be. The involved person must learn about priorities— doing first things first. Problem solving is also nestl- ed into this zone as well as decision making. The student who has a test on Tuesday drill team or band practice on Thursdaj; night, and a full work day in yearbook or Saturday— with mom ' s birthday squeezec in on Wednesday— is forced to budget time. Too much for one young personii Maybe! That person has the opportunityj however, of learning how much he car, handle and handle well. | Who are these people— these people whc are involved? They are often easil) recognizable. Look for the person who com tinually has a camera hanging around his neck or a girl carrying pom poms with hei books or an individual wearing a lettei jacket or a guy walking out the drama room wearing make-up or the girl with a whistle around her neck or the guy with bruises and abrasions. Another way ot determining whether or not a person is ini volved is the amount of time that person stays home and the amount of frustration that parent suffers from the absense. Involvement also carries a few dangers— lack of sleep, little or no personal! time, and, for those who become too in volved, failure to complete a taski whatever it might be. On the other hand, these people who become involved, even those who attempt too much, have the op: portunity of being better prepared for the future. They have more than likely met with the frustrations of having to rely on other peoi pie and being either pleased or disapi pointed, they have been forced to cope with schedule problems and how to rear range the schedule to meet the deadline, and they have judged just how far theyi push before they reach limitations. These people have had the chance to meet with success and deal with failure. They have a insight to what faces them in college and or career. The situations they have i I involvement I

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Hi-Ho,pii-Ho; It s Off t Work QlTe Go! Paper was swept, mashed potatoes were served, and parking money was taken for Mac to run smoothly. Darin Anderson Did you drive a car? Did you buy lunch in the cafeteria? Were you an athlete with a locker in the Field House? Did you ever just wonder who the people were who helped to keep MacArthur running smoothly? The credit must be given to the custodians, the ladies who worked in the cafeterias, and the lady who collected your daily parking fees. The custodians, under the direction of Jack Dutton, kept the school looking great. Paul Duncan, in his seventh year as a custo- dian, was well-known among the athletes and other students who spent time in the Field House after school. Everyone around the Field House knew me. Since -we were friends, they seemed to help me more than make my job harder, remarked Duncan. Standing in line to buy lunch could be a long and frustrating experience, but the ladies who ran the cash registers understood this and did their best to get us through the lines quickly. One such cashier, Ann Pualet- ti, who ran the cash register in the North Cafeteria Snack Bar, said she enjoyed see- ing the students everyday. Mary Capps monitored the student park- ing lot for the past five years, rain or shine, from 8:30 am until 4 pm. She not only col- lected parking fees , but also watched and guarded the cars against theft and van- dalism. Junior Angela Tidwell relayed, I felt sorry for her having to be out in the rain and cold, but I was glad to know that she was out there watching out for our cars. Above Left: Cafeteria server Tadea Iwanow prepares for the steady stream of students during fourth period lunches. pAo o by Jill Yandry Above Center As part of her daily duties, Ruby McChris- tian cleans a chalkboard. p )o(o by Jason Watkins Above Right: Braving the elements, Mary Capps collects a parking fee from a tardy drivec.lphoto by Rod Blake ' ' We did what we were paid to do, but our jobs allowed us to be around the kids who always seemed to make our jobs a lit- tle more interesting. ' ' Tarzan Crassling photo by Jason Watkins T vwi r: : 10 helpers