Mazama High School - Valhalla Yearbook (Klamath Falls, OR)

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Chernobyl Accident The Geneva summit, held on No- vember 19-20 between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, was a realistic discussion of nuclear-arms control — and may have possibly made some concrete progress. The four primary U.S. concerns were arms control, hu- man rights, bilateral relations, and re- gional conflicts. In the arms talks, the lack of guide- lines for negotiators could create a new deadlock at the outset over the major U.S.-Soviet dispute: Whether to link cutbacks in offensive missiles to the Kremlin's demand that President Rea- gan halt his Strategic Defense Initia- tive. known as Star Wars. Less predict- able, and potentially less manageable, arc U.S.-Soviet strains that could flare up in regional trouble spots. The Live Aid This year the music industry became a medium with a message. Singers donated their talents for records like We Arc The World. but this year the charitable contributions of music art- ists grew. The Live Aid concert which took place in July, was 16 hours of nonstop rock and raised $70.5 million to save lives in Africa. Then came Farm Aid. a 15-hour show to raise $10 mil- lion for farmers. Later Artists United Against Apartheid released an album and video. Sun City, to support South African activists. But, the fans funded the effort, buying tickets, T-shirts, and records, and rallying in pledges during spin-off videos. chances of a settlement are remote be- cause Moscow, like the U.S. in Viet- nam, is not willing to admit defeat. One boost to stability in U.S.-Soviet relations is the apparent decline in So- viet enthusiasm for investing resources and political prestige to support new wars of national liberation in the Third World. For U.S. business, poten- tial benefit is suggested by Gorba- chev's invitation to U.S. companies to participate in major Soviet projects. The good news from the summit according to Paul C. Warnke, who headed the U.S. SALT II negotiations, is that the two leaders plan to meet again. The bad news, he fears, is that they will not achieve much in those talks, either. The first warning came in Sweden. At 9 a.m. on Monday, April 28. techni- cians noticed disturbing signals blip- ping across their computer screens. Those signals revealed abnormally high levels of radiation, a sure sign of seri- ous trouble. When the Swedes and their neighbors, demanded an explana- tion from Moscow, concerning the high-levels of radiation that was being measured in the area, they were met by denials and stone silence. Finally, at 9 p.m. on Monday, an expressionless newscaster on Moscow television read a four-sentence statement from the Council of Ministers that seemed to raise at least as many questions as it answered. An accident has taken place at the Chernobyl power station, and one of the reactors was damaged. Measures are being taken to eliminate the consequences of the accident. Those affected by it are being given assistance. A government commission has been set up. This was by far the gravest crisis in the troubled 32-year history of com- mercial atomic power. A catastrophe had occurred over the weekend at the Chernobyl plant, 80 miles north of Kiev, where a reactor meltdown and explosion caused untold death and suffering and raised the prospect of long-term health and environmental damage on a far greater scale than any- thing yet unleashed by peaceful nuclear use. Radioactive gases and particles were spread over a vast section of the Soviet breadbasket in the Ukraine, and water supplies for the more than 6 million inhabitants of the Kiev area were threatened with contamination. Milk from local cows will probably be taint- ed for months to come. Although the Soviets politely rejected U.S. assis- tance, Moscow did invite Dr. Robert Gale, a UCLA bone-marrow-trans- plant specialist, to provide medical aid to Chernobyl victims. By week’s end. the administration’s anger at Moscow had grown. In his Saturday radio address, Reagan de- clared, The Soviets owe the world an explanation. A full accounting of what happened at Chernobyl and what is happening now is the least the world community has a right to expect. The Chernobyl disaster is inevitably renewing the debate over the safety of nuclear power plants far beyond Soviet borders. The disaster at the Chernobyl plant isn’t likely to resolve the world’s nuclear dilemma but there is hope that it will at least increase the momentum for international cooperation to deal with the hazards of nuclear power. International News-163

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International News Corazon Aquino (above) and Ferdinand Marcos (right). Corazon Aquino In December, 1985, Corazon Aquino stepped forward to run for the presidency to the Philippines against entrenched dictator Ferdi- nand E. Marcos. Cory Aquino was not an unknown. She was the widow of Benigno (Ninoy) Aquino, who attempted to attain the Filipino presi- dency, but was assassinated (most likely as act ordered by Marcos to assure himself of re-election.) The biggest threat to cohesion had been the rival candidacy of Prime Minister Salvador Laurel. Laurel then announced that he was willing to run as Corazon's vice president. Yet, it was the extraordinary support of the people that swept her into the presi- dency and Marcos into exile. Nuns counted ballot votes by candlelight and recorded the times and dates when Marcos' men carted away bal- lot boxes. Computer workers walked off their jobs at government election centers, and used their expertise to make tv screen go black across the country as Marcos tried to take the unearned presidential oath of office. Meanwhile Aquino took her oath still in doubt of her victory. Church leaders were also instrumental in ral- lying support for Aquino and in get- ting masses of people into the streets to protect military headquarters and military men who had turned against Marcos. Finally, on February 25. Marcos surrendered the power he had held for 20 years. The most immediate challenges of Corazon Aquino were keeping the political ambitions of powerful mili- tary and civilian rivals in check, re- viving a shattered economy, curbing prcvelent corruption and thwarting a Communist revolt. She must also deal with her country's most threat- ening problems. These were a mili- tary run by cronies, and economic stagnation caused in large part by Marco's own policies. Ultimately Aquino will be judged by how she deals with these and how effectively she attacks them. Aquino is the kind of moderate, personally honest, democratic reformer who — given enough help — can turn things around in the Philippines. U.S. offi- cials feel that Aquino is a good bet on future stability. Libyan Air Strike Anger exploded, world wide, over South Africa's racial politics. The United States, avenging Lib- yan-backed terrorism, unleashed its biggest air strike since the Vietnam War on Monday, April 14, 1986. The U.S. bombed Libyan military bases, an oil port, and Moammar Khadafy's residence. The radio reported that at least three people were killed and more than 100 injured. One U.S. plane was reported miss- ing after the raid and later the report was changed to read that the crew was killed in action. France denied the U.S. attack force passage over French air space forcing the U.S. to lake a longer route from bases at Upper Hey ford and Lakeheath in Great Britain. Larry Spcakes' statement on the U.S. attack against Libya read as follows: Libya bears direct responsibility for the bombing in West Berlin on April 5 that resulted in the death of Army Ser- geant Kenneth Ford and injury to a number of American servicemen and others. In light of this reprehensible act of violence and clear evidence that Libya is planning future attacks, the United States has chosen to exert its right of self-defense. It is our hope this action will preempt and discourage Libyan attacks against innocent civil- ians in the future.'' The administration apparently acted without the full support of all its allies, although Speakes said, They under- stand our reasons, our motives for this, and there is general support for our activities in one form or another.” 162-International News

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National News The Challenger America's innocent vision of space travel is gone. It went in a flash and a fiery ball at 11:39-13 a.m., on Jan. 28, 1966. In that instant, seven men and women who dared to break the bonds of Earth simply vanished, their passing marked by a 10-mile-high cloud that hung in the skies for hours. The flight itself was unique. Not only was it the 10th orbital mission ol the shuttle Challenger, but also it was the first flight to carry an ordinary” American into space. Christa McAu- liffc was to have broadcasted lessons from space to televisions across America. It has been said that Christa brought a different kind of lesson into our lives — one of how to deal with death. Many important shuttle projects, in fact all space flights, were can- celled until a special commission ap- pointed by the President could ana- lyze what went wrong with the Chal- lenger and what kind of reforms NASA needs to undergo. The com- mission released its reports in June and NASA has projected flights as early as June. 1987. Charles And Diana In November 1985 the Prince and Princess of Wales visited the United States for a 3-day visit. After weeks of feverish anticipation and frenzied publicity, the world's most glamor- ous and relentlessly observed couple arrived in the capital of what was once their kingdom's richest posses- sion. After Washington, they were set to jet down to Palm Beach, Fla., for a game of polo and a charity ball for the United World College of the American West. They also paid a call to a suburban JC Penney to give the royal seal of approval to the store's Best of Brittain merchandising campaign. East year oil and gasoline prices fell to a surprising low. These prices were welcomed by American citizens, but had damaging effects on various gas and oil companies. Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Astronauts: Ellison S. Onizuka. Christa McAuliffe, Gregory B. Jarvis. Judith A. Resnik, Michael J. Smith. Francis R. Scobec. and Ronald F. McNair. AIDS Epidemic The grim statistics accumulating with the spread of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) has made it medicine's biggest mystery — and challenge — since the lethal virus was first recognized in 1981. Laboratories across the United States and Europe are searching for drugs to combat the AIDS virus. But meanwhile the virus is demonstrating features that can complicate drug treatment and that will have to be overcome if the U.S. Public Health Service is to meet its goal of control- ling and preventing AIDS by the year 2000. The name AIDS comes from the fact that the virus destroys the body’s immune system, the collection of tis- sues and cells, mostly in the blood, that attack invading microbes such as bacteria and viruses. Some people are born with a genetic defect in their immune system, but those infected with the AIDS virus the immune de- ficiency is said to be acquired. No one knows if AIDS will ever go away. If an effective vaccine can be made, it should be possible to slow or stop the spread of AIDS, though perhaps not eradicate it en- tirely. Until there is such a vaccine — or if one is never developed — AIDS could become a vastly greater scourge than it already is. 164-National News