Poynette High School - Pauquette Yearbook (Poynette, WI)

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Meeting our energy demands is the most difficult prob- lem that must be faced. Our dependence on imported oil has led to crisis in the Mid-east, inflation, recession, and threaten peace. Perhaps the answer is demand less and conserve more. In a related issue, last March the nation's worst nuclear accident occurred at Three Mile Island near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It has been leaking radioactive gas ever since. The accident has cast a shadow of doubt over the safety of nuclear power and the future of the nuclear in- dustry. On a brighter note, America celebrated it's bicentennial this decade. Above is a picture of the celebration in New York harbor July 4, 1976. 7

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The Seventies Crowing up in the seventies has certainly taught us that we live in an unpredictable world. The class of '80 will face many challenges and several difficult decisions will have to be made. Possibly, by looking back, we can learn from the past to help plan for the future. The two biggest events of the past decade were Viet- nam and Watergate. It must be agreed that the effects of the Vietnam experience still affects the country. Many lives were lost; from the 58,000 Americans who had to fight to the students killed at home. The undeclared war has brought division to our society, apathy, hesitancy, and a change in how we are perceived by ourselves and other nations. Watergate stunned the country. The corruption never seemed to end: Agnew, Connally, the Attorney General, and even the President. They were public servants whose job was to represent the citizenry. The distrust of the gov- ernment still remains. Maybe we have learned that we have to inform our- selves on future issues in order to make educated deci- sions. In this way, it may be possible to avoid similar tradgedies. And I get on my knees and pray We don't get fooled again —The Who 1972 6

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The photographs on this page re- present some of the decade's big- gest events. Perhaps Richard Nixon's most important achievement was opening relations with China. Rela- tions have improved ever since. After Nixon resigned, Gerald Ford became the first appointed Presi- dent, only to be defeated by an un- known ex-governor from Georgia. One of Carter's greatest achieve- ments is considered to be the peace summit with Sadat and Begin, even though the UN has voted its disap- proval. Three religious leaders accounted for a great deal of the news in the last few years. In 1978, Rev. Jim Jones led over nine hundred people to suicide in the jungles of Guyanna. Ayatollah Khomeini led the revolu- tion which overthrew the Shah of Iran. In the ailing leader's attempt to find Utopia for his people, he was at the eye of the storm during the Iranian situation. No doubt, he has been the topic of much conversa- tion over the past year. Pope John Paul II visited the United States in 1979 to urge united effort among the religions to work toward peace on earth. It is a wonderful goal, especially in the wake of a possible draft. Everyone remembers the past in his own way. There were good times and bad times; happy moments, sad moments. And if you thought things changed quickly in the past, try to imagine how fast things may change in the future. 8