Valparaiso High School - Valenian Yearbook (Valparaiso, IN)

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UJhot ' s neuu? It was like mixing a cake. Sophomores, juniors and seniors were dropped in the “bowl,” Valparaiso High School. But in 1986, a first-time ingredi- ent, the freshman class, was added to the mixture. Students and faculty members wondered: Would the freshmen destroy the batter? Could they adjust to life in an overcrowded bowl? Some freshmen felt the transition from junior high to high school was, liter- ally, “a piece of cake.” “I had no trouble adjusting to life at VHS,” said Jessica Dunn. “The staff and upperclassmen made the freshmen feel very warm and welcome in a time when we were all very apprehensive.” Another freshman described her ad- justment to VHS more bluntly: “I thought it would be so exciting . . . but it complete- ly bored me,” said Susan Law. Two orientation sessions — one oc- curring in the spring of their eighth grade year and the other on August 26 — were intended to help freshmen adjust to the VHS environment. At these sessions, stu- dents were given tours of VHS. However, frosh according to freshman Maureen Sullivan, the maps of VHS distributed at orientation left some students feeling rather disoriented. “I knew where all my classes were, but the map drawer forgot to include the bathrooms,” said Sullivan. Familiarity with VHS was not solely ac- complished through orientation, however. Par- ticipation in extra-curricular clubs and organi- zations or participation on freshman athletic teams also helped freshmen become more at- tune to VHS life. “Sports helped me adjust be- cause I met upperclassmen, and they told me who and what to look for,” said Janine Rose. Though orientation sessions and familiar- ity with the building may have eased adjust- ment, some freshmen encountered problems as VHS students. Lockers, measuring six feet from the floor to the top, proved to be an unlikely nemesis for Kim Dennington, who commented, “It’s hard for me to reach the top shelf of my locker.” Even the red-carpeted VHS library was not immune to the confusion. “No one told me that the library had two floors,” said Becky Stanier. Problems with upperclassmen, rather than with physical facilities, haunted others. “These seniors come in to the lun- chroom and get right up in front of the line, and it ticks a lot of people off,” said Jeff Gordon. Hallways, which often were packed wall-to-wall with students during passing periods, also showed no mercy to many VHS freshmen. “I’ve seen seniors knock a freshman down in the hallways and just keep on walking,” said Gene Corneil. At VHS, the 427 freshmen were the missing ingredient that gave “the mix- ture” consistency. And it was a mixture Betty Crocker would’ve been proud of. by Pete Yelkovac ELECTIVE FIRST-YEAR foreign language clas- ses enabled freshmen to learn Spanish, French, German or Latin. The large number of freshmen taking a foreign language necessi- tated a total of 16 first-year classes. 9 Freshman Feature

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Just another The clock reads 2:31 p.m. Students rush to their lockers grabbing what books they “intend” to study that night. After gossiping with friends for sev- eral minutes, some go to places like Burger King to grab a bite to eat and talk some more. Some go over to friends houses to watch shows like “The Dating Game” and relax, and some go home to unwind from the strenous day, eat, maybe take a nap, then watch “The Cosby Show” or “Moonlighting.” In simpler terms, their af- ter-school lives are at a relaxed pace. At the same time, however, many VHS students sacrifice their spare time for af- ter-school jobs. According to these work- ers, free time is scarce, and sleep time is welcomed. “I leave school at 2:45, go straight to work, and get home about 9:30. I’m so ex- hausted I rarely finish all of my home- work,” said senior Jodi Frailey, who works at Philips Ace Hardware approximately 25 hours per week. Many others agreed their jobs get in the way of homework. After working in school and then at their places of employment, re- laxation was desired, but homework and odd jobs at home often stood in the way. “My job takes up so much of my time that my grades suffer. I don’t know if it’s worth having a job during the school year,” said senior Jeff Osterhout, who is employed at Wendell’s Marathon. “It would be great if money grew on trees, but that’s not the case. We have to give up fun time for work time,” said se- nior Jim Schroeder who delivers pizzas for Dominos. After-school employment became a ne- cessity for many VHS students seeking to find new sources of money for saving or spending. According to senior Melanie Kolczak, after-school employment helps ease the fi- nancial burden of attending college. “I plan to waitress at Schoop’s for one more year and then go to college with the money I’ve saved,” said Kolczak. Osterhout, though, said he worked mainly to gain spending money. “I admit I need money for dates, concerts, gas for my car and other things,” he said. Though the school day ended at 2:30 p.m., these employees found the work had just begun. by Lori Sier TWENTY HOUR WORK weeks were the norm PLANT WATERING IN Schultz Floral shop’s for senior Carrie Ronneau who shows a dress greenhouse was one of the many duties relegated to a customer. Ronneau was employed by Mil- to senior Lance Lemon, ler’s Mart. 11 Working Feature