Valparaiso High School - Valenian Yearbook (Valparaiso, IN)

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One of the more severely damaged rooms at Washington Township School was the principal’s office, where vandals ran- sacked the desk, strewing its contents throughout the room, and overturned fur- niture. In recognition of their creativity, the Art Department displayed students’ work in the halls, but after several of the cre- ations were disfigured, curtailed its poli- cy. This painting donated by a graduate, was slashed while hanging in the main hallway. 24 — Vandalism Feature

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Ten years ago, American youth was spaced out on drugs and acid rock. Now, a decade later, American teenagers are still spaced out, but their tastes have ranged to the other end of the spectrum. In today’s modern society, the fantasy world of outer space and intergalactic funk have replaced the previous era of drugs and weird music. Buck Rogers, Superman, and the crew from Batt- lestar Galactica have all created a new image of the heavens in the minds of millions of movie-goers. The junior class preferred to go with the romantical theme of a “Mystical Heaven and decorated the main gym floor with stars, ange l- hair, a terrace, and a spiral staircase. “Reborn” entertained the 243 cou- ples who attended the celestial ex- travaganza. Class officer elections were held earlier this year, so that the new ju- nior class officers could serve at Prom, and see how procedures were handled. Although it earned money through bake sales and the work day, the Junior Class ran into money problems when its car wash was rained out twice. At 11:30, students went to the Valparaiso University Student Union where the junior parents hosted the traditional post prom party, which lasted through the wee hours of the morning. Prom-goers could dance the night away in the “Club 79 or enjoy a quieter atmosphere in the “Speakeasy.” A graphologist and an astronomer were on hand, and bowl- ing and pinball were some of the ac- tivities planned for the evening. Unable to find two chairs in the crowded seating area, seniors Jane Herreha and Greg Beach “double up during a band break at Prom. Parading before parents and other onlook- ers, prom-goers wind around the staircase to the heavens for the Grand March. Loosening up at Post Prom after a iong evening of dancing, senior Jan Chrustowski and her date, Merrillvilie senior Ken Dy- mand, iook more comfortable leaving “Club 79” with tie and shoes in hand. Prom — 23

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IhKpoycf Icui vciAckil lill Imcui They never thought it would hap- pen in Valparaiso. Secure behind the suburban reputation of Porter Coun- ty, most citizens felt they were safe from the destruction typical of the Gary and Chicago schools. It took the fire that gutted four rooms at VHS to awaken the com- munity to the fact that it was not im- mune. Isolated vandalism incidents did not mean too much until the re- ports came more frequently and the damages increased. Grissom Middle School in Portage suffered numerous incidents of van- dalism, but the most serious oc- curred last year when vandals ran- sacked faculty desks and threw cans of paint on the walls. Later captured by police, the courts convicted and sentenced the culprits to help pay for the damage. Although a small system, Washing- ton Township School encountered damages from several break-ins. In December, however, a group broke in and caused an estimated $11,180 in damages. In addition to breaking five typewriters, spraying fire extin- guishers, ransacking the principal’s office and severely damaging the school’s new public address system, the vandals also tampered with the blueprints of a new addition. To aid in the investigation, student commit- tees were formed as liasion with the police, and the school hired a night janitor. Shocked at the damage sustained by VHS, a group of people formed the Citizens Against Vandalism to Schools Committee. After its forma- tion in October, it offered a $1000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the VHS ar- sonist. The committee hoped its ac- tion would encourage taxpayers that something was being done to com- bat vandalism, and to discourage vandals by informing them of the public’s determination against them. Civic and business leaders who set up the reward of $25 per $1000 damage, also hoped that ultimately school vandalism will decrease along with the cost of maintenance and in- surance premiums. The vandals who struck at Washington Township High School gained entrance to the principal’s office by breaking the glass on the door. Once inside they emp- tied drawers onto the floor and caused $300 in damage to the school’s new pub- lic address system. While wailing for a movie screen to be in- stalled in her renovated classroom during second semester, Mrs. Lori Alt used a portable screen from the Learning Center. After the weekend break, she returned to find the screen slashed.