Malden High School - Maldonian Yearbook (Malden, MA)

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1982 Maldonian Malden High School, Malden, Massachusetts 02148, Volume 63

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l ' t times it was like putting a square peg into a round hole. The world seemed to have turned upside down. In Washington a new administration had promised an end to inflation and a rising economic tide that was to ' lift all the boats . As the new year began in the grip of a more than ordinarly severe winter the unemployment figures seemed to reflect a disaster that even the President recognized as tragic and surprising . The budget cuts that were to have ended deficit spending were now not enough, and even Republicans began to speak of an acceptable deficit. Time devoted its Christmas issue to children - at war. The issue was sad enough without the editors ' comment that they had their choice of countries to feature. The international scene seemed to go from bad to worse. The Russians invaded Afghanistan and the Cold War was on again. Refugees seemed to be everywhere. There was talk of an acceptable nuclear war . We were told that teams of Libyan hitman stalked the President. Through the fall and winter the agony of Poland occupied our attention. The national sport did nothing to relieve the sense of things not fitting into place. For half of the season the boys of summer were on strike. When the season began again in August, no one was much interested. Superbowl XVI did nothing to relieve the sports scene and the nations ' television sets were occupied with Space Invaders and Pac Man. Come to think of it Pac Man may be the best symbol of the year - a glutonous, disembodied head eating its way through an endless neon maze. Closer to home the bravado of the phrase Make it in Massachusetts seemed to fade. Now the bold thumb was often seen pointing downward. The State had seemed insulated from the recession, that held the nation, but by late fall it was clear we were soon to have the same problems. Meanwhile, Barry Locke was convicted. Pixie Paladno and John McDonough were acquitted. There was more than enough headlines to occupy the most avid scandal watcher. On every side there was talk of austere budgets but there was new china in the White House. It was to be a year of making do and doing without. That message came early for the schools. In June 127 teachers had been layed off, system wide. When the schools opened in September some had been rehired but a large number of familiar faces were not to be found. The advisors to both the Senior and junior classes were gone.