Paseo High School - Paseon Yearbook (Kansas City, MO)

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THE FIRE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED About two weeks ago a very unthinking stu- dent set my school on fire. I don’t know who he is but he should be ashamed of himself for what he did. I could have understood if the fire was started by some loose wiring or if fire struck in the cafeteria. No, it was some assinine student who belongs to the school in which the crime was committed. I don’t know the actual story but I was told that it was over a $5.00 bet. The funny part about it is that the person with whom he made the bet told on him and got a $50.00 reward. These people really have a problem up here. It just isn’t the fire that caused a whole lot of chaos, it is a lot more. Things like this make me wonder if this school will ever get any better—like it was three years ago. It’s really embarrassing to know what type of school i attend today. There is no respect in the students. Now that the fire deal is over, I am scared about what might happen to Paseo High School tomorrow. Robert Levels Tapping your potential is what it's about. Trying to find the easy way out. Looking about to see what you can do, or looking to see if you’re one of life’s fools. Let's dig way in and see what comes out. Is life really “what you put in is what you get out?’’ You know yourself what goes around com- es around. Did you hurt some one while you were journey bound? Did you feel bad all the way round? Did you know that your soul helps deter- mine your life? It lets you know That’s wrong and this is right! Kill your soul and destroy your life, Or satisy your soul and do what's right. Lesa McDaniel I FIRE! Wow. it’s a fire! Maybe the whole school will burn down. Damn! That would be fun. I wonder if it really is on fire. Everybody’s walking as if nothing is wrong. (Smell smoke, so it must be doing something). Hey! my coat’s still in the locker, plus my favorite hat, and my money! Why did they have to burn it down now? Why not on a day when I was absent? I wonder who did it. Probably one of those freshmen or a sophomore. He couldn’t have been a senior, they're too anxious to graduate—besides the freshmen are behind most of the stuff that goes down around here anyhow. I wonder why they did it. Probably had bad grades or wanted revenge or maybe he was just trying to be bad and show how bold he was by doing it. He could have been just plain ignorant—or ignorant to the fact he was setting it on fire. Man! He’s in trouble. When that cat runs into a cop, he's in trou- ble because that's probably a federal offense. They’ll give him 5 to 10. I surely don’t want to be in his shoes. 16 Fire

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 THE DEVASTATING ACT OF A RADICAL The fire that occurred at Paseo High School affected me as a senior student in many ways. I was suddenly stunned that an in- dividual with such low morals had suddenly begun to burn his future down and my future was bursting in flames with it. I could not possibly figure out why an act of such stupidity had been had been performed. While I stood paralyzed and watched the firemen battle the blaze, my mind went back to the time in history when it was for- bidden and against the law to teach a black person how to read and write. And now time has changed that ungodly rule; blacks can now learn to their full mental capacity. I was so offended that a black whose ancestors fought for freedom and the right to learn to read and write would suddenly destroy his right to learn. It suddenly occurred to me that I would be graduating from this school this year. I thought in despair what the general public might say about the school I once had so much pride and dignity for. Earl Thomas A soul search is needed in the hearts and minds of the student body. Students at Paseo commit actions, involving violence before searching their minds and souls. If they would stop and think before they make their step toward the direction they are headed, many disturbances would be avoided. To make this step it takes maturity and a positive mind. Many of us at Paseo are immature and cannot accept the task that maturity brings. When the ad- ministrators put forth a rule for the student body to abide by. the first thing they say is Na Man! but answer this question—will “Na Man!” give you a better school system? Many of us block away in our minds that Paseo is an educational center for our benefit. We come here with our “coolest rags and try to check out everybody ex- cept our own minds and souls. That's where the search is. So let’s all get together and search our minds and souls and if we find anything that should not be. let's take it out. Roxanne Byers

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A HOT HOT HOT Personally, I believe that those who don’t care shouldn’t try to ruin the road to success for those of us who do feel strongly about reaching our goals. Just the thought of making it this far and then something happening all of a sudden to prevent me from making it out is really an uncomfor- table thought. I don't know what the person who set this fire was trying to prove, but I feel that it was really uncalled for. Evidently this person didn’t think about the after- effects. or maybe he or she didn’t expect the blaze to get too far out of hand the way it did. At least we were spared and no one was hurt. I guess we all have that to be thankful for. I sincerely hope that the next time a pyromaniae gets his urge up to feel some heat, he or she will think positively about what will happen. Most of all. I hope that everyone learned a little something about fire, because it’s not to be played with. Maybe there won’t be a next time. If the students get it together, there won’t be a next time. Cynthia Walker This fire was not only one more mark against Paseo’s already bad reputation, but in the ashes of the fire lie the first semester pictures for the yearbook and all the darkroom equipment and supplies used by the Paseon staff photography students. We the students do not have to tollerate the ig- norance of other students. We do not have to suffer because of the stupid acts of others, but we do have to learn to help them find themselves in a constructive manner. In return, we will be helping ourselves and our school. Fire 17