Tenafly High School - Tenakin Yearbook (Tenafly, NJ)

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riage, in an effort to honestly test their relationship without the pretensions forced upon them by a Pu- ritanical society caught up in a web of hypocrisy and deceit. Certainly, not everyone agrees with the new mo- rality, and perhaps this is as it should be, for today an individualcan choose tofollowalzfestylethatsuits his particular moral code withoutfear ofostracism. The willingness of society to accept varying life- styles with an open mind is reflected in the schools, a microcosm ofthe larger society. School once was a place for learning facts, discipline, and respect. Stu- dents attended flag-raising ceremonies, dressed within a strict code, and had notes sent home detailing misbehavior. Fear was used to induce respect and memorization was used to impel learning. However, today emphasis is on theformation ofindividual val- ues and opinions and on the expression of original ideas. Frequently courses or seminars are relevant to present-day problems, allowing the student to think, for himseM ofsolutions to moral questions that con- cern him personally, thus diminishing the gap be- tween school and reality. Nevertheless, the College Entrance Examination Board tells us that scores on its Scholastic Aptitude Test KSA Tj havefallen stead- ilyfor thirteen years. Many Americans see this as a sign that we are on the way to becoming a nation of semi-educated weaklings, doomed to inferior status in the world. And they blame it on 'progressivef' modern, open, education in which reading, writ- ing, and arithmetic have virtually been abandoned. But perhaps the decline in scores is merely an indica- tion of the continuous revolution in education, and consequently, the obsolescence of these tests. Perhaps they are no longer an accurate measure ofwhat is be- ing taught and learned in the classroom, since empha- sis is now placed on original, creative, and logical thinking. Tenafly High School, involved in the modern revo- lution in education, emphasizes learning, yet student responsibility is concomitant to that learning. We are encouraged to learn, not only by exposure to chal- lenging academic courses, but also through exper- ience. Duringthe past four years we have participated in experiments such as Independent Study and Indi- vidual Decision Time. These revolutionary programs have not only prepared us to choose how we want to spend our time, but also to accept the consequences of our choices. By accepting this responsibility we are securing the bond linking us to our heritage.

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i V r ix' l X il! If T . ll 1-0 To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive. - Robert Louis Stevenson The role of women in American society has been effected by today's revolution. The founding fathers conceived of women as inferior beings, and in many respects, they were legally on a par with criminals, insane people, and plantation slaves. Women's legal rights in American society have improved. The right to vote, followed by recent abortion, divorce, and equal pay legislation, gave women at least legal equality to men, and reflects society's consciousness and recognition of the needs of women, and by im- plication, all minority groups who are by statute or practice deprived of their rights. Morality, another area very much in the con- sciousness of people today, has undergone revolu- tionary change. Two hundred years ago accepted standards defned what was proper and what was improper, however, these standards in practice were more apparent than real. Men had affairs with women, only then the women were called harlots and the meetings were clandestine. Today the sub- ject ofsex in no longer taboo. Children are encour- aged to ask questions about sex, and parents are urged to respond honestly so that their children will not grow into neurotic, inhibited adults, ashamed of their own sexuality. Morefrequently today, couples are living together, without the sanction of mar-

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