Thornwood High School - Thunderbird Yearbook (South Holland, IL)

Page 158 text:

Board problems cause tensions Immeasurable tensions seemed the primary words to express the feelings between the Board of Edu- cation and the teachers. The situation began in the fall with a nine-day strike. Contracts, programs, and monies concerned both teachers and board members. An amicable agreement finally end- ed the strike, and, on the surface, things seemed calm for the moment. Then, the referendum for an audi- torium again came into question. Teachers, students, and various con- cerned parents met with the School Board and placed the referendum on the ballot. A few weeks before the voters were to cast their ballots, the Board withdrew the referendum. An insufficient amount of funds and ris- ing inflation caused this action to be taken. Our students deserve a bet- ter place to display their talents, and with costs the way they are, it seems almost impossible, remarked Mrs. Celeste Mazor. A policy concerning field trips then rose into the picture Not one of my classes took a field trip all year, stated Al Minne. The new dis- trict policy created by the School Board decreased the number of field trips in each department. The policy stated, The class that wishes to go on a field trip cannot raise their own money for bus transportation and for the trip itself. As a conse- quence, educational experiences dropped to a minimum. Those and other minor items kept the Board busy until spring. The Board then decided that due to in- creased expenses and declining stu- dent enrollment, fifty-four teachers in the district should receive RIF notices. Again tension mounted. Parents, students, and teachers met with the School Board for a possible reevaluation of the dismissals. Mr. Larry Brandon, a chemistry teach- er, felt The administration is not telling the Board everything, they're revealing only what the School Board wants to hear. Some teachers expressed their displeasure with the Board's decision and wore black arm bands in mourning for their fellow teachers and for the pro- gram cuts that would severely affect the curriculum for students. Tangled communication lines throughout the year caused many bitter feelings on all sides. It's sad that cooperation and communication lines were not at their best during this past year, stated one faculty member. T In We i E ' sn.. 154 FEATURES

Page 157 text:

Diverse students ublend inn Psychologists have found that one's environment affects his per- sonality. If this is the case, Thorn- Wood houses an enormous amount of diversity in personal traits due to the fact that nine different commu- nities filter students into the high school. As a result of worlds collid- ing stereo-types develop regarding students from certain areas. Social- ite, burnout, and jock are com- mon catagories teenagers are placed in by their peers, though these pi- geonholes may be inaccurate. It seems like girls from one communi- ty are stuck up and people from an- other are burnouts, observed one freshman. Like a painter who mixes colors to produce the correct hue, Thornwood blends the many diverse people into one unit. Although everyone is dif- ferent in his own way, school be- comes a place where young people with common goals and interests can work together to achieve their goals. As a girl in the band described it, We're all one big family. We have to be to play together as well as we do. We're all very different but all share a common love: our music. Sports often brought together groups of athletes who might never have played together. Coaches com- bined the talents of athletes from all parts of the school district in hopes of finding that winning team. This team spirit proved evident with the football team's victory at Homecom- ing, and the baseball teams' S.I.C.A. championships. It's really an excit- ing feeling to have the whole school behind you, commented a team member. All the people in the stands supported us and made us want to win! When students disregarded the various stereotypes they often found that high school gave way to many new friendships. Prejudiced opinions often stopped many teen- agers from becoming friendly even though they shared many similar qualities. As one girl explained, If you don't try to get along you're really, missing out on so much. There are so many great people to meet and have fun with. QW' FEATURES 153

Page 159 text:

-2?.'f..1'. Thornwood enters computer age Often many students wondered what type of school Thornwood would resemble in the year 1990. With the added wings and the ever declining enrollment, Thornwood could possibly become a dustbowl or ghosttown. Imagine walking down the halls seeing cobwebs in corners, and dust-covered lockers. Old faded posters and signs of previous events and activities would stand as re- minders of the good times shared by students. Perhaps the future is not so gloomy. The age of computers, as some students believe, may become a reality. Less teachers will be seen and more television screens will be noticed. More individual attention may be developed, but not the per- sonal manner. As one Thornwood student put it, the computers would be leading us astray of emotional feelings including friendliness and love. Progress will most likely involve physical education classes also. A P.E. class activity may include fish- :ll ing, rollerskating, ice skating, ski- ing, and perhaps even sky diving. There's no telling what type of sports will be popular in ten years. Historians project that soccer's pop- ularity will grow to become as popu- lar as football. Football games may be a sport of the past with soccer as the main fall sport. Girls may also be a part of the team. Instead of girls' sports and boys' sports, the two would combine to make one team of mixed sexes. Clubs such as a Computer Associ- ation and a Universal Orbiting Soci- ety may be two of the most popular clubs of the future. Taking trips to the moon or into space may be the spring vacation event for the soci- ety. It is difficult to speculate on stu- dent life and environment at Thorn- wood even in ten years. As Chris Ca- sey added, Thornwood will prob- ably prosper and keep up with the advancing technology of the fu- ture.