Niles Township High School West - Spectrum Yearbook (Skokie, IL)

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7 Scette . . . With Friends RRRRing! As the bell for the next class sounds, students depart from their confined classrooms and emerge into the hallways, congregating with friends they’ve seen just the period before. Only a pre¬ cious five minutes remain for brief conversation with classmates travelling in the same direction. However, having friends with whom to share those few moments greatly enriches that time. Friendships, an integral part of high school, provide students the environment in which to grow not only academically, but socially as well. Whether in the cafeteria, resource centers, or the Oakton Lobby, friends always talk jovially to one an¬ other. On one of those off days when the sun doesn’t shine or studying all night does not pay off for an exam, and everything else simply goes every which way but the way intended, knowing there is a smiling friend to reach out to provides comfort and encouragement. When entering high school as freshmen, students felt everything loomed big and foreign in front of them. The older students had already established their positions and identities, leaving the freshmen feeling a bit inse¬ cure about where they stood. But during that first day, students made new acquaintances which soon devel¬ oped into lasting friendships, creating memories of nev¬ er-to-be-forgotten happy times and not so happy times. Treasured moments and treasured memories are syn¬ onymous with friendships. Returning to school after long vacations and weekends becomes easier and a little less foreboding knowing expeditions and experiences can be shared with friends. As the number of days until graduation dwindles, the realization that friends will soon embark on their separate paths becomes more and more of a reality, and they find saying good-bye the hardest part of high school. Each becomes richer for having known the other person, for as the favorite mov¬ ie “It’s a Wonderful Life” stresses, “No man is a failure who has friends.” Christina Gabriel A smile during a conversation can leave a lasting impression on a friend. Students often share simple moments that add up to lasting relationships. Sensational (Summer he last bell of the school year rings, and sudden¬ ly, the summer begins. An indescribeable sense of freedom overwhelms students, and with their free time during the summer, they relax and forget about everything associated with school. For many peo¬ ple, this includes friends, too. When the summer break begins, most students do not disregard their friend¬ ships, but extend them to new and exciting summer¬ time experiences. A chemistry study group may turn into a beach party; a filmstrip becomes a trip to a film festival; a few lunch mods become a day at the Taste of Chicago; or a gym period becomes a volleyball game at the park. Though not as simple as seeing friends at school everyday, making summer plans often provides richer experiences with friends to cherish always. Several junior football fans in¬ terrupt their conversation to watch the kick-off fly deep into the opposi¬ tion’s territory. Football games and other sports activities set the perfect scene for friendly get-togethers. Mini Magazine

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Dating Evolution ust as Poodle Skirts, Hula Hoops and a Betty Boop have become a thing of the v past, so have certain views towards dat¬ ing. Girls no longer have to wait by the phone for that “Special Someone” to call or sit at home on a Saturday night because they re¬ main dateless. Likewise, boys no longer need to spend weeks of hard earned money for their dates. The Eighties have arrived! Throughout the years, the attitude toward teens dating has changed. Unlike the old days of the 50’s and 60 ' s, the 80’s girl has no fear of asking a guy out. The guys no longer have to make all the plans or the first moves, so they feel less pressure. Twenty years ago, girls expected guys to pay for the dates. Now the girl often offers to pay for the date, or the couple goes dutch. If the couple desires to feast at a nice restaurant or attend a school dance, the costs add up. Bv splitting the cost, the couple can afford special activities, while both contributing to the relationship. In the past years, not a guy or girl dared to stay home on a Saturday night-” Date Night.” It proved deadly if a person re¬ mained dateless. At the present time, the weekend allows kids to “Hangout” or “Cut- loose” either with buddies or out on a date. Dates do not occur on a set night anymore, but rather when the couple can afford to go out! Not having a boyfriend or girlfriend pre¬ sents few’ problems since people seem to like being free and choose to hangout in large groups, instead of clinging as couples. The 8Cfs brings less pressure to have a boy-girl friend relationship than before. Throughout the years, attitudes towards many of life’s aspects, including dating have changed. Showing more equality in relation¬ ships, no longer do girls depend on guys for the first move or for the expenses of the dates. Less pressure falls on the teens to date, because the 80’s kids feel content with their friends. If kids want to go out they will; if not, at least they won’t be called, as they used to say, a “Square.” Mindy Grossberg Sharing special moments can be as simple as five minutes spent at chemistry homework, or as compli¬ cated as a ten-second kiss. Captur¬ ing these moments is not difficult, because they are so special. (Students. Friends And ? Niles West students are very confident about having friends of mixed sexes. In fact, hardly anyone has res¬ ervations about spend¬ ing time with members of the opposite sex. Here are the results of some questions, which probed the feelings stu¬ dents have about each other. Do you feel confident about having friends of mixed sexes? — 97.5% answered YES, only 1.3% an¬ swered NO. Do you have a small group of friends you are closest to, or are you one person in a big crowd of friends? — 60.8% are part of a small crowd, 21.5% are one in a big crowd. As for dating, almost everyone enjoys that pastime. When they were asked, 94.9% of students said they en¬ joy dating, only 1.3% said they did not. Gen¬ tlemen, pay attention. If you would like to ask a girl out here’s what she’s looking for: — 71.4% of girls at West wait for the guy to ask her out, only 28.6% will make the leap and ask you. — 31% of the girls at West will flirt to cap¬ ture your hearts, 50% will be typically ladies and play it cool. Here are the most com¬ mon things that at¬ tracts a girl to a guy: personality 57.1% appearance 50% sense of humor 14.3% charm and depth 9.5% intelligence 7.1% money 4.8% Ladies, though you enjoy your fancies, it is important to under¬ stand the male species as much as possible. — 51.4% of guys at West are too timid sometimes to ask a girl out, while 40.5% have an unending supply of courage. What attracts guys most to a gal? appearance 59.5% personality 43.2% sense of humor 8.1% charm, aura, matur¬ ity 8.1% intelligence 5.4% same interests 2.7% 10 Mini Mag

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7 e Sce te The 60’s Relived, Or Just Revisited? urs is a strange genera¬ tion. Walking through our carpeted hallways, one can’t help but see the so¬ cial groups that make up the diverse population of Niles West, each with its own unique hair style, dress code, taste in music, behavior or some com¬ bination of the above which distinguishes it from the rest. Many of these groups think they original, but the truth is that just about everything they do has already been done by someone else, probably some¬ one who went to school in the late 1960 ' s and early 70 ' s, for that was when originality and individuality were really in style. The 1960’s were a time of rebellion against authority and establishment, but they were also a time when teenagers had fun and sometimes upset the status quo just for the thrill of it. Some students in those days believed a thought commonly held at the time: nature cannot be improved upon; if one adds to it, it becomes unnatural. Girls did not primp in front of the mirror, and sports especial¬ ly body building, were frowned upon by students of both sexes. How amazing and strange all this sounds to us. Few things are of greater concern to our generation than appearance, and people are spending more money to improve what nature has given them than ever be¬ fore. Nature might be great, but it requires a little help. Girls start wearing make up before they enter their teens, and boys start working out in the weight room shortly there¬ after. In fact, it seems our gen¬ eration will go to any means to improve appearance. Students even take steroids to accelerate their natural development. The mirror is also back in style. Girls and boys alike spend quite a bit of time checking their appearance, practicing smiles. What really distinguished stu¬ dents of that era from other groups was their tendency to have an opinion about everyth¬ ing and to be outspoken about those opinions. For instance, during a teacher’s strike, the students who supported the teachers would join them in the picket lines. Three years ago when the teachers picketed here for higher wages, no cit¬ ings of concerned students were reported, and the over¬ whelming response of students was one of delight: an extra va¬ cation — what a nice treat! As for political involvement of students nowadays, there is considerable interest in the na¬ tional elections, but less in lo¬ cal politics. Some students worked this past fall for repub¬ lican and democratic cam¬ paigns. For the election of members of the school board, which affect students’ lives more immediately, however, there is much less inclination to be involved. Perhaps the students’ great¬ est concern was the war in Vietnam. They generally shared in the view that the United States had no business being in the war. But whatever opinion they held, their con¬ cern and awareness caused them to be confused and disil¬ lusioned. These thoughts were reflected in their writings and artwork collected in OPUS 1, which is now known as West of Edens. Underground newspa¬ pers also emerged at this time and were about the length of our present West Word issues. Some similarities in the spirit of those journalists and authors of papers such as SPLAT! re¬ flect the desire to give extra opinions on current events. Just as students in those days had opinions for almost every subject, so were they interested in almost everything. Religion and race were not things taken into consideration as much as they are now. with the popular¬ ity of ethnic clubs and Bible study groups. Nevertheless, in such a diversely populated high school, most students find “Underground news¬ papers, the predeces¬ sors to SPLAT!, emerged at this time. ” common interest with people of differing races and religious beliefs, and many students date people of other backgrounds. As for disturbing the status quo, students then perhaps had more threatening restrictions to battle than today. For in¬ stance, there was a strictly en¬ forced dress code which re¬ quire boys to wear slacks and button-down shirts and girls to wear blouses and skirts which reached below the knee. Girls would not be allowed to come to school wearing pants, until a plan was devised by the student body. Through announcements in the underground newspaper, a day was designated when all the girls were to come to school wearing pants. Many did, and because it would be absurd to send home nearly half the stu¬ dent body, they were allowed to stay, and the restrictions be¬ gan changing to the students’ favor. These days, the battles are fought through the student senate. No individual groups seem to take the initiative in continued . . . Freshmen get invohed in the school scene right away with elections in the fall. Eric Orsic supervises the novice voters. 12 Mini Mag