Pinellas Park High School - Occurrences Yearbook (Largo, FL)

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I A LITTLE EXTRA WEIGHT from a leg cast and crutches made walking in the crowded halls a feat of strength for Mark Schneider, who decorated his weight with friends' signatures and original artwork. NOTHING GETS IN I-EES WAY from doing what he enjoys: football. Despite his physicai handicap, 'Mike Pino, assistant trainer, wrapped' and taped football players to prevent injuries. He rode on the team buses to every away game in addition to being an the sidelines at home events. Pino also enjoyed piay- ing foatboii, using his canes to block passes. 'S f -.Si 5 .Q me Q.: ' R 1 JP DEVELOPING HER OWN METHOD of hand' writing was Sue Rolsron's way to battie discrimination against left handers. Noi only desks, but door knobs, wafer fountains, and pencil sharpeners all seemed ro be backwards to lefties. COMMUNICATING WA5N'T A PROBLEM for the hearing impaired students, who used sign language with friends and teachers, Louis Banks and Robin Boniface sign duirng one of their classes. M be OBSTACLES I 47

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- 08811462 Ss tudents on the track team weren't the only ones who struggled over hurdles. Every student faced daily hurdles . . . some were steeper than others. Overcoming these obstacles, either the temporary inconvenience of a broken bone or the permanent condi- tion ofa physical disability, built strength. Students learned to compensate for weaknesses by developing strengths. There was no way to com- pare the obstacles of a blind student to those of a left hand- ed student, to compare the steepness of their hurdles. The physically impaired students' A FOOTBALL INJURY was an obstacle for Frank Gorski, who broke his nose playing in the away game against Riverview. The metal and tape made breathing a little difficult. 46 I OBSTACLES successes using braile books, sign language, and motorized chairs were indescribable and uncomparable. These students were pillars of strength, an in- spiration for those working to overcome smaller obstacles. These smaller obstacles were more universal. A large number of students wore ar- thodontic braces and endured the rubber bands, which got in the way of talking, and fre- quent orthodontist visits, which got in the way of going to classes. Broken bones were another of the common, small obstacles. Physical education and typing classes were virtual NOT ONLY BRACES but also orthodontic head gear was o nuisance for Dale Summerford. Braces and rubber bands mode talking and eating difficult for many students. Summerford used a straw to bypass the metal bar of his headgear. ly impossible for some injured students. Left handed students faced daily inconveniences. Desks, pencil sharpeners, and water fountains all seemed to be constructed backwards. Amazingly, most students overcame their obstacles. The hurdles didn't seem as steep when others were overcoming larger obstacles. That was the success of a large high school. Students were able to see all kinds of obstacles overcome, from hearing impairments and blindness, to broken legs and left handedness. NO HURDLES were in the media c for visually impaired students Ani room filled with volumes available. twin'- . , .ts- L ntl, f msrip. . rv-'V

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481 2:00 DISMISSAL BELL STRAIGHT TO THE LOCKER ROOM, Lori Collins left closs to go to bosketboll proctice until about 5:00. Collins open- ed her gym locker to get out her clothes for proctice. A MOB of students exited the doors neor the gym, which led to the bus cir- cle. This wos the most popular exit, oftenjommed with students filing to the buses or concession oreo. FROM WALL TO WALL, students crowd- ed the moll ofter the 2:00 dismissol bell. The lock of order in the direction of trof- fic mode it common for students to step on the heels of other students.