Merrillville High School - Merrillvue Yearbook (Merrillville, IN)

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Pirate Pep sessions, winning teams and a positive school image helped increase school spirit SPIRIT. An attitude and feeling that was renewed at MHS. Pep sessions, winning teams and a positive school image helped increase school spirit. Spirit was a definite plus for Pirate teams. At several of the football games, students paint- ed their faces Purple and White, while others wore var- ious shirts and sweathirts to express “Pirate Pride. According to some students, winning played a major role in the uprising of spirit. “I think beating Hobart and other good schools raised school spirit, said Camile Kearby, junior. For the Hobart game, over 7,000 fans attended the game. Leslie Osoba, junior, said, “I think the spirit of everyone helped the team get psyched up and made them want to win.” Not only was this spirit evi- dent in the stands, but it ap- peared on the athletic field as well. Several Pirate players fired up the crowd during in- tense moments of the game. Bob Stewart, junior, said, “The team needed the extra ‘push’ from the crowd to help us through the rough spots.” In addition to feeling more spirited, MHS has also looked spirited. Signs were posted throughout the entire school. George Nicholich, sopho- more said, “As I walked down the hall and looked at the lobby for the first time, I began think- ing about how great it looked and about the game that night.” The renewed school spirit had positive effects in 1986-87, which helped in “building an image.” “Football games were not the only place MHS students were spirited. I noticed it in school events, pep rallies and girls’ games,” said Jill Lamfa- lusi, senior. by MICHELLE SPOSATO, TRACY WIKSE Spirit

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T ina Pavlou, sophomore, decorates the main lobby in preparation for the game against Hobart. The cheer- leaders spent many hours decorating the school before football and basket- ball games. A long with pep rallies, decorating the halls and the entrance to the school enhanced spirit. E nthusiasm. Seniors go hog wild a one of the many pep rallies at MHS. L eading the crowd in a cheer, MHS cheerleaders show their school spirit. Spirit was evident at pep rallies for the first time in years. M US students catch football fever at the Hobart game. During the course of the football season, there was an abun- dance of fans. 14 Spirit

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Merrillville Grows In just over 10 years, Merrillville has gone from a small, rural community to the largest” town in Indiana with over 100 restaurants. Ten years ago, Merrillville was just a small town in Indiana that was known as “Next to Gary. But in 1987, Merrillville has prospered to be the largest town in Indiana. The drastic growth has been due to the many new buildings construct- ed. Some recently constructed buildings are New York Carpet Land and the Carlton Inn, next to the Holiday Star. With the added number of buildings to Merrillville, the traffic becomes a problem. “It’s a pain. The lights take forever, and when they do turn green, it seems like only five cars pass through,” said Jim Markos, senior. Sometimes people decide not to drive because of the traffic. “The traffic is a pain at 9 p.m. when the mall closes and 16 Merrillville when the Holiday Star lets out,” commented Steve Lewis, junior. Even though the traffic is bothersome, most people be- lieve the growth is beneficial to Merrillville. Michele Santos, sophomore, said, “The growth will supply many more jobs for the unem- ployed teenagers.” Some people focus on the general benefits of the growth. “Merrillville’s increased size will help the economic growth and also put Merrillville on the map,” said Diane Mishevski, senior. Others have high hopes for Merrillville because of the growth. Josephine Cammarata, sen- ior, said, Maybe it will finally make Merrillville a city.” So maybe in ten more years this dream will be a reality. by JAYNE MAGINOT £ njoying a quick meal is Valerie Hus- ton, Tony Muffoletto, Steve Harms and Carl Jimenez, seniors. Burger King is one of the many fast food restaurants in Merrillville. X he restaurants right off of U.S. 30 are an example of the many different franchises in Merrillville. The town of Merrillville has the most restaurants in the United States.