Rock Island High School - Watchtower Yearbook (Rock Island, IL)

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The Prince and Princess of Woles kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following their wedding. President Anwar Sadat of Egypt who brought Arabs and Israelis closer to peace than ever before died in a hail of gunfire on October sixth. Leaders Die - Di Weds On October sixth, Americans listened to the conflicting news reports that flooded the airwaves and remembered the not so distant past: the assasination attempt on President Reagan. Unfortunately, the bad news was truth: Anwar Sadat was dead, the victim of an assassin ' s bullet. A gang of Muslim fanatics erupted from a Ciaro parade and murdered Egypt ' s president, who received the Nobel Peace Prize after the Camp David peace treaty was signed. No more war, he said in Jerusalem in November 1977, Ring the Dells for your sons. Tell them that those wars were the last wars and the end of sorrows But all news was not bad in 1981-1982. In search of happier, less troubled times, everyone turned to the fairy-book wed¬ ding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana as a royal blessing. Many Americans, so not to miss the celebration, set alarm clocks for four a.m. so not to miss any coverage, when it began via satellite. Quad Citians got in the swing of things with full dress parties and an aura of peace and hope prevailed throughout the world. In sports, the asterick season in baseball finally ended. Marred by a seven week strike that cost pro baseball fifty-nine days and seven hundred and fourteen games, many baseball fans turned to farm and community teams to fulfill the baseball fix. Even after the strike ended, some didn ' t return to watching pro ball, for they had found local ball to be more like True baseball. The Dodgers finally learned how to win the big one. With an infield that was too old, and a pitching staff that was too young, the Dodgers put it all together to beat the quarrelsome damn Yankees in six games. After losing the first two the Dodgers proved they had mi les and miles and miles of heart, sweeping the next four games and the championship from the Yankees. The Cincinatti Dengals faced the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl. Local t.v. sets tuned in and Quad Citians rooted for local favorite and Augustana College gra¬ duate, Kenny Anderson. The Bengals put their act together a little too late, though, and were defeated by the 49ers. 26 Student Life

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Graduation Decision Creates Conflict Say one word ond most seniors will an¬ swer with eagerness, anticipation and panic. For many, a high school graduation will be the only graduation, due to high tuitions and less scholarships. So, after twelve years of schooling, seniors felt that they had the right to graduate where they want to: outside, in what is considered to be one of the finest bowl stadiums in the country. Usually, graduation is scheduled to be outside in the stadium, with an alter¬ nate, set up in the field house, in case of rain. Last year, however, the administra¬ tion decided that all future graduations would be held inside. The seniors protest¬ ed, for they had not been consulted in the matter. Superintendent James Hopson overruled the administrative decision, and plans for outside graduation were drawn up. It was decided, however, that the res ¬ lut of graduation 1981 would decide the fate of all graduations to follow. Less than perfect planning resulted in a graduation plagued by the early sunset, and overall poor visibility. The announcement hit the Argus by late July,- all future graduations would be held in the fieldhouse. The 1982 graduates, facing their final year at a drastically different Rocky, felt that indoor graduation was just too much to take. As a result, they banded together to think of an outdoor graduation plan that would be feasible for everyone involved. Led by three student school board mem¬ bers, Nancy Nielsen, Tab Smith and Matt Lofgren, and Senate President John Shall- man, the students formulated a plan based on the students ' ideas of a perfect gradu¬ ation, and designed to improve on last year’s problem points. What resulted was a well thought out plan that covered every aspect of gradu¬ ation. The plan called for the seniors to sit on folding chairs on the grass in the center of the stadium: thus highlighting the gradu¬ ates by putting them in the center of at¬ tention. The audience, each of whom would need a ticket to attend, would sit in the west bleachers, with the setting sun at their backs. Each would march through the grass in order to save wear and tear on the all-weather track. This would also create a long enough walk for the graduate to be seen by his family and friends, something that didn ' t happen last year. The student representatives called on the juniors and seniors to support the plan and to show it by attending the school Money Neiisen. a student school board representative, reads her prepared statement on graduation to the board- board meeting on February ninth. The meeting was well attended. Matt Lofgren summed up the students ' feelings in one sentence, I have a picture of my gradu¬ ation and that picture doesn’t include bas¬ ketball hoops. The plan, presented to open-minded and attentive school board members, created little result. A meeting was held with the administration board representatives and student board repre¬ sentatives but the verdict announced on February twenty-third was undecided. The administration stated that they were under too much pressure to make such a hasty decision; so, they announced that a formal decision would be made the week before graduation. Student Life 25

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1 il i World Wide Photos Ken Anderson. A graduate of Augustana College and quarterback for the Dengals. prepares to pass. Fernado Valenzula. rookie standout for the World Champion Dodgers, pitches the ball. World Wide Photos Student Life 27