Mater Dei High School - Hi Lights Yearbook (Evansville, IN)

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CO D -Q co CD c CD O c D CO D 126 § h— D c CO D O c o o c O The weeks preceeding the junior- senior prom were lovely. You couldn ' t have asked for more beautiful weather. The sun had shone almost every day; most of the girls had acquired golden tans before the anticipated event. But then, on prom night, it rained. Hair, which had taken hours to fix, was drenched. Many couples did not go on the riverboat ride after prom for fear of the storm. All in all, the rainy weather put a damper on post-prom activities. Th is is only one example of how unpre- dictable the weather was, and how it greatly influenced MD ' s students lives. Spring break was another antici- pated event because it gave students a chance to lay out all week so they could be as dark or darker as their friends who were fortunate enough to vacation in Florida. But nooooooo! It rained and snowed the whole time. Evansville was declared a national disaster area following a severe thun- derstorm and probable tornado on June 8 which left various parts of the city without power and caused extensive damage. Nearly all of the trees in Garvin Park and Willard library were uprooted. A house on Lombard Avenue was split in two by a huge tree. Room 207 at Mater Dei was struck by lightning. At Weslake, the juniors were having their class party ... in the guard room and restrooms! A tornado supposedly had touched down about a mile from the lake, causing them to take cover. We weren ' t sure what was going to happen, said Alan Burdette. We didn ' t know if it was just one storm or a tornado. Mary Schenk added, We felt so help- less because we were scrunched in there (in the bathrooms) in a corner. Someone next to me about cut the cir- culation off my arm! School in the area was cancelled the day following the storm, and all other MD class parties were called off. In times of tragedy such as this, peo- ple grew closer to one another. They helped each other clear away the broken limbs and uprooted trees from their yards. Total strangers talked to one another in the long grocery lines and asked such questions as, Where were you when the storm hit? It ' s too bad it takes something as destructive as a se- vere thunderstorm to pull people together. — Mary Ellert LAUGHTER IN THE RAIN?: Trackster Chris Pugh and statistician Brandy Hicks wait in the drizzle between events at the City track meet. The rain wasn ' t the only reason for the sad faces as MD ' s perfor- mance in the meet was disappointing. (Photo courtesy of the Evansville Courier and Press)

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The show must go on FRESHMAN CHORUS: ON FLOOR: Mike Neale, Dwight Emmert, Jim Little. BOTTOM TO TOP: Re- gina Southard, Theresa Thornton, Lee Anne Soika, Lachere Anslinger, Amy Werner, Susan Weber, Teresa Baughn, Maria Hollis, Karen Beaven, Lori Laib, Dava Lappe, Angela Etherton, Anne Groves. (Photo by Alan Burdette) FAMEI: The Swing Choir practices its song and dance routine of the movie hit theme Fame. Members of the choir are, FRONT ROW: Julie Hol- ler. Mary Ann Scheller, Jill Rexing. SECOND ROW: Patty Wildt, Greta Emmert. THIRD ROW: Chris Rein- er, Missy Burdette, Karen Backes. BACK ROW: Pete Emmert, Brian Helfrich. Lights . . . curtain . . . what? ... no concert?!! This shock hit the entire music de- partment very unexpectedly. It had been practicing for five months to pre- pare itself for the spring concert which was to be held May 16. However, be- cause of conflicting scheduling of the gym area (a wrestling tourney had been scheduled the day of dress re- hearsal), the presentation was pushed back to May 31. I was mad at first, but I guess the extra two weeks gave us time to pre- pare, said Mary Ann Scheller, choir member. Whether of not the two weeks made any significant difference in the out- come of the concert is not known. What is known is that those who chose to attend the extravaganza were treated to a most professional evening of music and song and dance enter- tainment. It was really excellent, said Rob Zigenfus, a junior who attended. We need to get more students to those kind of activities, he added. The band opened the concert with several tunes including Stars In A Velvety Sky by Herbert L. Clarke, which included a trumpet solo by Jerry Grannan and America the Beautiful. The choir included a variety of music than ranged from classical to pop; in short, something for everyone. Nothing Like a Dame, from the movie South Pacific, was performed by the Singing Wildcats with Chris Her- tel impersonating a hula dancer in a grass skirt (no coconuts please!). Such recent hits as Hello Again and Just the Way Your Are were also per- formed. Choreography was also added to spice up some numbers which included One and Fame. Brian Helfrich and Alan Burdette re- ceived a standing ovation for their per- formance of Thank You for Being a Friend. I think the dancing, in addition to the singing, really helped hold the audience ' s attention, stated Jill Rexing. The fun-filled evening came to a close with a finale song and dance routine of the ever-popular New York, New York. Choir director Mrs. Cindy Weis said, I was thrilled that everything went so well; the choir members just felt so good about t! •Prior to the postponement of this concert, greenie teacher Mrs. Weis and the rest of the choir struggled through many hardships. Lights shorted out at the Christmas concert, a piano was ill, and the classroom became a swimming pool. But through it all they survived, proving that no matter what the circumstances ... the show, must (and did) go on. — Bethe Ledbetter — Gretta Emmert

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;X I DRYIN ' OFF: Class sponsor Mr. John Stratman rests after the storm hit at Weslake during the junior class party. A tornado supposedly touched down just a mile away. (Photo by Alan Burdette) PUTTING A ' DAMP ' ER ON THINGS: Margarita and Louisa Silva take cover at the girls track sectionals. The meet was held at Central track, despite the rain. (Photo by Alan Burdette) EN LIGHTNING I! ' The weather in Evansville proved to be as unpredictable as ever. Thunder- storms over the Memorial Day weekend thwarted many outdoor activities. Here, a bo lt of lightning illuminates the downtown area, particularly the newly erected Citizens Bank building. (Photo by . Geoff Coates) AFTERMATH: The severe thunderstorm which ripped through the area towards the end of school took its toll on Mater Dei. Left, a power line is damaged. Right, a huge tree by the side hit uprooted. (Photos by Bethe Ledbetter)