Mercer County High School - Highlander Yearbook (Harrodsburg, KY)

Page 24 text:

he Media Screams! Shouts Heard ’Round the World! The media has always been the loudest voice in the modern world and recent months have been no exception. It echoed the outraged cries of Indians after the assassination of their prime minister, Indira Gandhi, at the hands of Sikh guards and the cries of victory as U.S. athletes took nearly one hundred gold medals at the Los Angeles Summer Olympics. Its voice became the medium through which political parties shrieked their messages. It monitored and commented as President Reagan rode a landslide victory to a second term. But, as always, the media told what happened. Through it, Amer- icans followed the careers of Rep. Geraldine Ferraro, the first female vice-presidential nominee for a major party, and Rev. Jesse Jackson, the first major black contender for Presidential nomination. Kentuckians paid particular attention to the Queen of England’s visit to the Commonwealth and to William Schroeder and Murray Haydon’s becoming the second and third recipients of artificial hearts after operations in Louisville. How- ever the biggest impact on Kentuck- ians was the resignation of Universi- ty of Kentucky’s beloved basketball coach, Joe B. Hall. In the entertainment world, the charitable efforts of pop singer Bruce Springsteen received much publicity and the tragic crippling of Def Leppard’s Rick Allen, much scandal. Another humanitarian gesture of musicians was the recording of “We Are The World” by U.S.A. for Africa (United Support of Artists.) Com- posed of major musicians from across the country, this group aided starving Ethiopians with the proceeds from their album. Parents, outraged at the violence in PG-rated films like Indiana Jones The Temple of Doom and Gremlins, forced movie makers to place such movies under a new rating; PG-13. The first Pg-13 film was Red Dawn, released in August. Anniversaries were celebrated: Disneyland’s 30th with a T.V. special, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’s 100th with debates on racism in Mark Twain’s classic, and D.C. comics’ 50th with a restructuring of their universe that killed off several characters including movie idol Supergirl. On the health scene, Baby Fae, a terminally ill infant, was implanted with a baboon’s heart in a bizarre experiment. The political hot potato of the day was education. Presidential candidates debated school prayer and Kentucky superintendent of Public Instruction Alice McDonald was criticized for her strict atten- dance policies. McDonald toured the state with Governor Collins to get input on education from Kentucky citizens. U.S.-South Korean relations broke down after American agents were assaulted along with their charge, Kim Dae Jung, Korean dissident returning home after a lengthy exile, by Korean police. This contradicted assurances from Seoul that guaranteed Kim safe passage. Also on the international scene, a Catholic priest-activist who cam- paigned against the Soviet regime in his native Poland was killed and the Soviet trial of his killers looked on as a travesty of justice. On a more universal note, the world hoped for the predicted reappearance of Haley’s Comet, last seen in 1910. In short, when the media screams, people listen. 20 STUDENT LIFE

Page 23 text:

Friendships arise easily between neighboring teachers. Here Mrs. Rinnie Phelps and Miss Karen Smith discuss their plans for breakfast at Shakertown for members of the Student Council, which they sponsor together. The friendship bonds among these junior high students are strong as they wait for an autograph from U K. basketball player Kenny Walker. STUDENT LIFE 19

Page 25 text:

A familiar sight on the sidelines for many years, retired U.K. basketball coach Joe B. Hall will be missed by fans. When all America watched the Summer Olympics, young Mary Lou Rettin skyrocket- ed to instant stardom due to a gold-medal performance in gymnastics. As the historic recipient of a baboon’s heart. Baby Fae’s short life was well documented. STUDENT LIFE 21