Valparaiso High School - Valenian Yearbook (Valparaiso, IN)

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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.

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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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Diplomas set seniors free at lost Under the glaring light of the artificial night lighting, in the space of a few seconds each senior walked across the stage, received his di- ploma, shook hands with Mr. Johnson and found himself a full fledged graduate of Valpar- aiso High School. With instructions to walk slowly and keep four feet away from the person in front of them, the seniors file to their seats to the familiar strains of “Pomp and Circumstance.” 26 — Graduation