Rogue River High School - Ro Hi An Yearbook (Rogue River, OR)

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Following is the poem that accompanied the gory slide show presented by state trooper, Dan Durbin. 'PLEASE, GOD, I'M ONLY 17' The day I died was an ordinary school day. How I wish I could have taken the bus! But I was too cool for the bus. I remember how I wheedled the car out of mom. Special favor, I pleaded, all the kids drive. When the 2:50 bell rang, I threw all my books in the locker. I was free until 8:40 tomorrow morning! I ran to the parking lot, excited at the thought of driving a car and being my own boss. Free! It doesn't matter how the accident happened. I was goofing off—going too fast. Taking crazy chances. But I was enjoying my freedom and having fun. The last thing I remember was passing an old lady who seemed to be going awfully slow. I heard the deafening crash and felt a terrific jolt. Glass and steel flew everywhere. My whole body seemed to be turning inside out. I heard myself scream. Suddenly I awakened; it was very quiet. A police officer was standing over me. Then I saw a doctor. My body was mangled. I was saturated with blood. Pieces of jagged glass were sticking out all over. Strange that I couldn't feel anything. Hey, don't pull that sheet over my head. I can't be dead. I'm only 17. I've got a date tonight. I am sup- posed to grow up and have a wonderful life. I haven't lived yet. I can't be dead. Later I was placed in a drawer. My folks had to identify me. Why did they have to see me like this? Why did I have to look at Mom's eyes when she faced the most terrible ordeal of her life? Dad suddenly looked like an old man. He told the man in charge, Yes, this is my son. The funeral was a weird experience. I saw all my relatives and friends walk toward the casket. They passed by, one by one, and looked at me with the saddest eyes I've ever seen. Some of my buddies were crying. A few of the girls touched my hand and sobbed as they walked away. Please . . . somebody . . . wake me up! My grandparents are so racked with grief they can barely walk. My brother and sisters are like zombies. They move like robots. In a daze, everybody! No one can believe this. And I can't believe it, either. Please don't bury me! I'm not dead! I have a lot of living to do! I want to laugh and run again. I want to sing and dance. Please don't put me in the ground. I promise if you give me just one more chance, God, I'll be the most careful driver in the whole world. All I want is one more chance. Please, God, I'm only 17! 16

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'84 Pep Assemblies '85 Show that R.R.H.S. Spirit!!!! Sophomore Spirit Come on Seniors let it out! Shuffling info the Rogue River gym to sit through another boring assembly has definitely become a thing of the past. With the student council bringing in exciting new kinds of entertainment. Even the most pessimistic of students couldn't help chuckling at the wacky imitations of Mick Jagger that comedian and magician Steve Russell performed and certainly couldn't help stomping a foot and clapping a hand to the music of Freedom Jam The special appearances brought something unusual to the Rogue River assemblies- involvement- as students and of course Ms. Beardsley ran down the bleachers to display their talents to the Bird The Twist . These new assemblies certainly gave a boost to the Rogue River Spirit. Keep smiling Deanna! 15

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'Happy New Years? Drinking and driving can kill a friendship! Many people have heard this slogan on television commercials. To back up this statement, Chief of Police, Earl Shamblin, organized an assembly that showed students the effects that alcohol has on a person's driving ability. State trooper Dan Durbin showed two graphic slide presentations of accidents in which drunk driving was a main cause. Dennis Hitch, an insurance dealer, and Robert King, a Gold Hill judge, spoke on the financial and legal consequences of getting a DUN. • CHIEFTAIN Gail Umsheid takes sobriety test. Mr. Thompson addresses the student body on drunk driving. ALCOHOL CAN KILL............. Summer tun????? Three former Rogue River High School students drank alcoholic beverages and performed the sobriety tests and the breath test. Gail Umscheid, Dan Morgan, and Robert Moore all failed sections of the sobriety tests and recorded a 0.13 or above on the breath test. The legal driving limit is 0.08. Students and faculty agreed that the assembly helped them to realize the dangers of drinking and driving. Mr. Schlecht said, The professional people and the volunteers were brought together by Earl Shamblin, and they proved without a doubt that reasonable behavior includes not drinking and driving. Robert Moore is used as a good example. 17