Patrick County High School - Archive Yearbook (Stuart, VA)

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Olympian Bobby Spencer displays his ribbons while Randy Lawless looks on. Special Olympics 19

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Special Olympics: A Time For Joy, Courage, Growth, and Confidence The 1983 Special Olympics was held on April 19, in Pat¬ rick County. Although the weather was extremely cool and windy, the smiles and happiness of those who com¬ peted seemed to brighten ev¬ eryone’s day. It was certainly a success. The Special Olympics, a competition between the physically and mentally handicapped, is sponsored each year by the Monogram Club. The PCHS Special Olympics works together with the PARC Workshop in Stuart and other a gencies around Patrick County. In addition, there were a few competitors from North Carolina. Ap¬ proximately one hundred in¬ dividuals competed in a vari¬ ety of events. The competitors ranged in age from nine to for¬ ty. Every member of the Mono¬ gram Club participated and everyone feels it is a worth¬ while event. Conna Turner, a Senior, summarized her feel¬ ings by saying, “It gives you a special feeling inside to see the joy on their faces — not only when they win but as they compete.” Senior David Ratliff com¬ mented, “It made me feel good about the work and time that went into it (Special Olym¬ pics) to see the smiles and joy of all the kids who aren’t quite as lucky as those who partici¬ pate in athletics at PCHS.” Both club members and Olympians alike, look forward to the event each year. There is also the chance for the Olympians to advance to re¬ gional and state Special Olym¬ pics. Jana Cassell, President of the Monogram Club, ex¬ pressed her feelings this way, “Participating in Special Olympics is a very rewarding experience for me — and for the club as a whole. Although a lot of time and work goes into preparing for the Olym¬ pics, it’s all worth it to see their smiling faces.” The slogan this year was ‘Joy, Courage, Growth, and Confidence’. Through Special Olympics, each Olympian and club member could learn the real meaning of each of these words. To see the determina¬ tion on their faces and the joy in their eyes — it was truly a growing experience for all. These Special Olympians wait at the starting line for the signal to begin the race. 18 Special Olympics

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Martial Arts Assembly Intrigues Student Body Sergeant Floyd Mumford demonstrates the pre-kick stance at the martial arts assembly. Though similar in technique to Tae Kwon Do karate, Chinese Goju is more of a spectacle to watch. The students at PCHS were both dazzled and intrigued when five members of the United States Army displayed their talents in the martial arts. The group consisted of three men and two women. The men were originally from Michigan, North Carolina, and Puerto Rico. One woman was from Chicago and the oth¬ er woman, currently serving as a lieutenant, was from New York. The group went through many different maneuvers and techniques which awed the students. Some particular moves which were appealing to the females were when the women threw the men to the floor. Just a simple flip of the arm or trip sent them sprawl¬ ing. Some of the demonstra¬ tions included breathing and concentration techniques, breaking boards, and sparring. Each maneuver was execut¬ ed with the utmost skill and dexterity. The moves appear to be simple, however, they are achieved with great expertise. After some board breaking exercises, one of the members went out into the audience and chose a student to come out and perform. Senior Sarah Travis was chosen. She ner¬ vously stepped out from the crowd and approached the boards. The members then ex¬ plained to Sarah, in only a few minutes, how to focus her con¬ centration on the board, and ultimately break it with her hand. She looked as though it was hopeless and also seemed very skeptical, but when she brought her hand down, the board snapped easily. The students learned that the forms of martial arts are effective methods of self-de¬ fense. Because it is very easy to hurt someone using these techniques, students were cautioned not to use them un¬ less they took a class under a well-trained teacher. One point that was stressed was that strength is not the important factor in executing the maneuvers. The key ele¬ ment is concentration. This was certainly proved when the one-hundred pound woman broke the board and threw much larger men to the floor. The last demonstration was sparring. Two at a time, the members “boxed” using the different maneuvers. They were equipped with special hand-arm and foot gear for this activity. It was exciting to see the agility and ease of their movements. The assembly was greatly enjoyed by the students. When the bell rang, everyone left in a flurry of excitement to try these moves on their friends. 20 Martial Arts