Weldon E Howitt High School - Hi Life Yearbook (Farmingdale, NY)

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Changes and Events Make School Year Unique Dark tans, sun bleached hair, physically fit bodies, and rested minds entered the school building on Sep- tember 6th. The sophomores seemed lost and naive. The juniors were confident as they walked through now famil- iar halls, and there was the usual air of superiority about entering seniors. The common belief that another ordinary school year was beginning was merely a myth, since every year is unique. During the first week of school the students were greeted by demonstrating teachers. For the first time in history, members of the Farmingdale Federation of Teachers began the school year without a contract. The controversy between the school board and the teacher’s union, which con- tinued for two months into the school year, caused un- certainty for students and parents alike. The teachers demonstrated their feelings to the parents on open school night by wearing buttons which read, “I am working without a con- tract. Above: Announcers and camera men aid fans in cheering on football team. Top: Varsity cheerleaders spark enthusiasm among spectators. Students were also greeted by a revised set of rules and a changed calen- dar. The rules, which con- cerned cutting, truancy, and loitering on school grounds, had evidently been made more stringent and intentionally more bind- ing. There has been less cutting because of the new rules, and even less truancy since the penalty for two

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Left: The school's entrance is one of the many facets of the building's stunning architecture. Lower Left: The multitude of windows provide a beautiful place to study for Diane Molloy. Below: The auditorium serves as a center for entertainment in an attractive atmopshere. troom. Although these subtle ex- tras have been i n- corporated into the school for an overall improved aca- demic atmosphere, often the student only appreci- ates them subconsciously. A student is more apt to learn in pleasant surroundings, but few recognize this and the benefits our school offers. r EXPLORING CORRIDORS “Aesthetically the layout of the school is really nice. It's different, but when you have one class in the third hall and the next on the other side of the school you may have trouble getting to class on time” — Cathy Ringewald, senior. It's so big; there are at least three or four different ways to get wherever you want to go.” — Debbie Bauer, senior. This school is too Georges, sophomore. big and cold. — Thomas 15

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Above Left: Marching Band members Frank DeFiore and Andy Segale add music to Dress Down Day festivities. Above Right: Security guard Bernie attracts a crowd in bus parking lot. truancies is a five day sus- pension,” Patrick Healy, 12th grade dean, explained. Students were prohibited from sitting in the fields where they would be unsu- pervised. “This rule has helped us, not the kids,” Healy commented. In pro- test to these new rules, sev- eral petitions were signed by large numbers of the student body. Their efforts were unsuccessful, how- ever, since the adminis- tration refused to meet the students’ requests for more Top Left: Signs reading 'Your children need our contract are carried by demonstrating teachers. Top Right: Teachers express dissatisfaction at their work situation. lenient rules. The calendar, which in the past had offered a Feb- ruary recess, now consisted of a longer holiday season break. Students could only hope for snow storms to break the long monotony. In several nearby high schools, Halloween caused an upheaval of rowdiness, in students. However, the traditional Dress Down Day helped prevent the on- slaught of the ghastly be- havior which usually emerges on Halloween. This year the traditional af- fair was accompanied by members of the school band which helped create a party atmosphere, prompt- ing the Seven Dwarves to dance with the Dallas Cow Girls. Football games are foot- ball games regardless of whether the team leaves the field victorious or de- feated. However, there was a certain excitement in the stands when fans realized they were watching the un- defeated, unscored upon Dalers of 79. These events, in addition to the arrival of new stu- dents, changed the atmop- shere of the school and made 1979 unique. CHANGES “Dress Down Day was really fun; I think that it was one thing that made the year speciar’ — Audrey Hyman, senior. 7 don’t like the fact that there was no February re- cess. Your mind just goes haywire after a point. Too much school in one streak is not good — Clayton Hughes, senior. v J 17