Prescott High School - Hassayamper Yearbook (Prescott, AZ)

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28 The price of gas rose drastically during 1980. This encouraged many to cut back their driving and to spend vacation time closer to home due to the price and the availability of gas. The rising cost of fuel not only changed the American driving habits but also had a direct effect on what type of car people bought. The larger models have been replaced with fuel efficient compact cars. Due to our depen- dance on foreign countries to sup ply oil, the (J.S. is never really con- fident of a lasting supply of crude oil. GNP, CPI, prime interest rates, inflation rates, unemployment percentages—all are indicators of the struggling econo- my of the 1980 s. Perhaps the most dra matic, and in some ways the most ro- mantic, indicator has been the fluctuat- ing price of gold and silver. New inves- tors have offered top dollar for recycla- ble gold, jewelry stores take old class rings in trade, individuals are selling their heirloom sterling silver and bur- glary of silver items has surpassed the previous leader, electronic equipment. The gross national product (GNP) and the consumer price index (CPI) figures touched every family as rising prices of goods and services stretched the pock- etbook of all. The U.S. was not suffering alone: other countries fared worse than we with soaring inflation. Inflation has been a major story in the United States for years now and 1980 was no exception. The price of food rose right along with everything else as people continuously searched for the best bargain. Because food is such a necessary item, people were forced to pay outrageous prices and they searched for alternative menus in attempts to ease the cost. U f Ol ■ M

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The Olympic games of 1980 were short nearly 30% of the countries who usually participate. Among the boycotting teams, protesting the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, was the United States. The decision to protest, made by the U.S. Olympic committee at the urging of President Jimmy Carter, caused a great deal of controversy within the coun- try. Many of the athletes were in favor of the decision but there were many others who felt that it was unfair to mix politics with the games. In the U.S. Olympic trials, gymnasts Kurt Thomas and Bart Connor, reached the zenith of their amateur careers, each receiving a perfect score of 10 during the individual events. Had the U.S. participated in the Olympics, these gymnasts as well as members of the diving, swimming and track and field teams were expected to take many medals. 27

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Muhammad Ali chose October of 1980 to make the greatest comeback of his career. After retiring from the boxing scene two years ago. a 38 year old AM faced Larry Holmes in an outdoor ring at Caesars Pal- ace. AM had prepared for the fight by losing nearly 40 pounds and in doing so lost a great deal of his former strength. At 30 years of age and in top physical form. Holmes soon realized that AM was no long- er The Greatest. A crowd of 25.000 watched as the former heavyweight champion, out boxed by a man eight years his junior, lost the fight in 10 rounds. The summer of 1980 was filled with controversy. The hostages. Mount St. Helens and inflation were all gaining worldwide attention but the question most asked by many people was. Who shot J.R.?” The hit TV show Dallas ended its season with everyone's favorite villian J.R. Ewing lying on his office floor presumably dead, after being shot by an unknown assailant. Due to an enormous amount of publicity connected with the shooting and who pulled the trigger, the series and actor Larry Hagman who plays J.R.. captured the imagination of people across the country and around the world. The villainess was discovered in mid-November before the eyes of a record tv audience Kristin, J.R.'s sister-in-law and his former mis- tress. shot him but her motives were not immediately made known The public is still watching closely, waiting for any new develop ments in the Ewing family. Many photos used in the world news section are used by permission of the Prescott Courier and the Associated Press. 29