Northwest High School - Vanguard Yearbook (Indianapolis, IN)

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ment. Yet, with the proposal of the twenty-sixth Amend- ment to the Constitution, Northwest students built their hopes on its ratification, for they would then be able to make mature decisions that would have an effect on the government. Robin Downing, an 18-year-old senior, said, I feel I'm important and responsible enough to express my thoughts and opinions, and to let people know how I feel. A large portion of students agreed with Robin's opin- ion. Boys, however, added to her ideas with the often- voiced thought that if a young man is old enough to fight in Vietnam, he is old enough to vote. Joe Ambers, senior explained, Since at 18, the government will ex- pect us oo go over and fight for our country, we should at least have the opportunity to choose who we want to fight and die for. There were skeptics, even among those who stood to benefit from the measure. I believe that young people are not sincere in a lot that they do, commented Dan Gagen, senior. I feel that most of them will be apathe- tic about voting. Whatever the opinions, on June 30, 1971, the Ohio House of Representatives voted 81-9 in favor of the Twenty-sixth Amendment, making it the thirty-eighth to do so, and completing the two-thirds maiority needed to ratify the revision. Though only a handful of Northwest students 18 ,B . years or over were directly effected by the change, the remaining students anticipated the new responsibility as a welcome addition or alternative to other modes of ex- pression. Social studies courses took on new meaning as students prepared for the experience of voting, while some classes experimented with a mock voting machine, others discussed the maior issues of the 1972 election. On November 4, 1971, the new voters were given their first opportunity to vote. The maior Indianapolis contest, that for mayor, between Democrat Dan Burton and Republican incumbent Richard Lugar, ended, as forecast, with Lugar on top, the 18 to 20 year-olds had not appreciably altered the outcome in either direction. yet the important fact was that enough youth voted, thus proving their sincerety in the matter. Senior Dick Beuke reasoned, People went to all the trouble to get 18-year olds the privilege to vote, I figure I owe it to these people to show l'm responsible enough to deserve it. The true test of 1 8 to 20 year-old suffrage will be the presidential election of 1972. Most of the Northwest Class of 1972 will have the right to vote. Whether or not they will live up to the pre-suffrage concern over na- tional issues, whether they will unite behind one candi- date or will make individual decisions, whether or not they are prepared to accept the responsibility of govern- mental participation remains to be seen. 73 W , X' Q 1 rf?J7SMie Q-J 50.-r , 1 dorff funk... C

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illllgewllllgkkllllk iel llllfkkillllg lhl lll'Z llllRllEQS3llllQ N Sill lill3lllll llllblllll Till l 48 lalSharing a solemn moment at the commencement of Little 500 festivities, Chuck Wentzel '71 and Mayor Rich- urd Lugar display their respect for the American flag. 124 lbl To obtain a better under- standing of the voting con- cept, seniors Randy Thompson and Richard Rich experiment with a voting machine in their government class. lcl Senior Darryl Rupe drew this cartoon, also printed in Telstar, to depict Governor Edward Whitcomb's negative vote for the passage of 18- year-old rights. 'WSG For American youth, the passage of the twenty-sixth Amendment, which achieved final ratification June 30, 1971 and granted suffrage to all citizens 18 years and older, was a milestone event. lt climaxed youth's grow- ing involvment in national issues marked by expressions ranging from concern to violence. Before the amendment was passed, Northwest stu- dents selected symbolism and the press to display their interest in the government. Though long hair and cloth- ing ofthe counter-culture lost much of their impact when they became a common fashion for the masses, it never- less remained. The peace hand sign, created by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill as the V for Victory, the peace symbol initiated by British Ban the Bomb groups, the earth-green ecology flag, and the clenched fist salute also became practically meaningless through their mass-reproduction on T-shirts, buttons, and bumper stickers. However, the newspaper proved a more potent voice. Not only did the school paper, the Telstar, take editorial stands on the anti-war Moratorium Day, the SDS, drug abuse penalties, Earth Day, and school dese- gregation, but also an underground newspaper, pub- lished by Northwest students gave its opinions in the few short weeks of its existence. But still, no matter how creatively opinions were ex- pressed with appearance or symbols, no matter how eloquently the press spoke out, the fact remained that students had no direct connection with their govern- b

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As always, seniors greeted graduation with mixed emotions-ioy for the end of childhood, the coming of age, sadness for their departure from North- west, friends, and security. From the beginning of the school year, they were a select group. Their schedule included Senior Parent Night, September 29, Senior Recognition Day, October 13, cap and gown measurements, November I 2, end of the fall semester, when 61 Northwest seniors completed graduationrequirements, Januray 28, Senior Class Day, June I, Vespers, June 4. And Com- mencement. Diplomas went to 534 students-di- plomas containing the last words of afour-year .book of many chapters. June 7, 1972, graduation, Class of '72, the end of the beginning. l26 Ill? ll QW Q