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

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Top Left: Janet Yabroudy and Kerri Ward relax in Commons on Green and White Day. Top Right: The Commons tends to be most crowded during lunch periods. Above: Lori Heller and Steven Kirk await customers to buy pretzels. trees. During the day, the glass walls permit the open space to be flooded with natural light. The Commons was origi- nally intended to provide students with a gathering place where they could spend their free periods, eliminating the need for tra- ditional study halls. Stu- dents are virtually unrest- ricted in the Commons and its surrounding areas, which include the library, bathrooms and cafeterias. This induces a completely uninhibited atmosphere, which is a pleasant relief from the classroom situ- ation. In the Commons, one can observe a lot about human behavior — as senior Jack Abuhoff put it, I just watch the crazy people walk by.” A discernible phenomenon seems to be the decline of distinct social categories. In the past, students had bro- ken themselves up into vari- ous social subdivisions, each staking out some part of the Commons as its pri- vate territory. Recently, however, the student popu- lation has allowed itself to become less segregated (with one rather large ex- ception!) There are a few pastimes that are unique to the Com- mons, such as chucking pennies across the floor, and a rather annoying prac- tice in which someone has his name called from across the room, but as he looks up the caller looks aways and the victim is left throughly confused. The Commons is more than just a daytime haunt for students, however. Its sheer size makes it the ideal location for a number of activities. Dalerette and occasional cheerleader practices are held there, and it is the traditional site of the Inaugural Ball and Dress Down Day. Serving a large variety of purposes, the Commons stands as a symbol of the freedom granted by the ad- ministration, and as an area set apart for the students to talk to friends in a relaxed atmosphere. 21

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Students Seek Free Period Haven H Above: A student utilizes a bench in the Commons as a free period nap site. A particularly impressive part of the school building is the Commons, a spacious area created for the sole purpose of “hang- ing out.” It is a handsome conglomeration of numer- ous materials and geomet- ric shapes. Its walls are fre- quently plastered with cam- paign signs, play advertise- ments, or colorful holiday decorations. The triangular enclosures on either end of the Commons make perfect display areas for Christmas LEGAL LOITERING “I like the Commons because all my friends are here. This is where all the jocks hang out — Scott Oggeri, senior. “ You walk into the Commons and all you feel are eyes looking at you” — Rich Guarino, senior. “If you hang out in the Commons you get classified as belonging to a certain group — Barbara Camp, junior. '7 don't hang out in the Commons; I stay in the cafe- teria where it’s safer — Frank Gannon, senior

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Latest Fashions Reflect Style and Comfort Above Left: Nancy Johnston reposes in denim overalls. Above: Kelly Lowasa lies comfortably in the sun reflecting the basics of today s fashion. Above Right: The vogue of today as portrayed through Darlene Easton. “Narrowness is in and shapes are simple, styled to follow the curves of the body.” “Skirts are shorter, with more leg showing.” Seasonally, sometimes even monthly or weekly, the fash- ion designers from Seventh Avenue, New York, show new collections. The more fashion-conscious people continually change their wardrobe. But for the ma- jority, this constant shop- ping is costly, and some- what impractical. Many high school stu- dents don’t care, and many are unaware of the con- stantly changing styles pop- ularized by Vogue and Sev- enteen. A majority of the in- dividuals are comfortable and quite satisfied just wearing Levi’s denims or cords, pullover sweaters, and Adidas sneakers. Some of the most popular, but not necessarily fashionable styles worn by many stu- dents are concert tee shirts. The over-priced black tee shirts are worn, most fre- quently, the day after a rock concert. Although most students prefer to dress in comfort, many have discovered that the styles of 1979 have satisfied this desire as well as their desire to dress in style. Plaid wool skirts and boots, topped by loose sweaters are in fashion. Ve- lour tops and Indian prints are other frequently seen styles. When bundling up on cold days, many choose to wear down vests and parkas, offered in various stores in a variety of styles and colors. There is also a small por- tion of the school popu- lation that enjoys indulging itself in chic apparel in- cluding accessories. This group discovered that dis- co fashions suited their needs. Danskins, wrap- around skirts, and spiked heels are the uniform of dis- co crowds. For guys, tight high-waisted pants and Quiana shirts are in vogue. The focal point of the fashion scene is that people become identified with the things they wear. It’s great when people dress to suit themselves,” Dawn Murphy, a social studies teacher, commented. They don’t worry about conforming to fashion uniforms.