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

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Left Wearing two high school rings is both a sign of devotion to a steady boyfriend and a status symbol. Middle Left Wayne Cisco and Sharon Cahill say goodbye before heading to class. Below: Derek Penn and Donna Frollanger share a few moments between classes. Bottom Left: Maria Maione and Bernie Haibich walk across the school grounds. Left: A couple walks together to their next class. Romance 9

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Below: Tom Quinn and Tricia Goodwin find a place to sit and Right Sue Moran confides in a talk. friend while waiting for the buses. High School Romances Flourish Everywhere In the hallways and the stairwells, in the Commons and by the pool, every- where you look there are couples. Some have been going strong for months, while others change so of- ten they’re easy to lose track of. But whether they’re permanent or just for a day, high school sweethearts are alive and well, and very much a part of daily school life. It is not uncommon to see couples walking hand in hand or with their arms around each other, nor is it unusual to see them kis- sing, often quite passiona- tely. Most students don’t mind these displays, for they realize it may be the only time the two get to see each other during the day. It really doesn’t bother me as long as they’re not in my way, Sue Moran, senior, commented. There are a few students, however, who are embarrassed or an- noyed by these public em- braces, and wish they could be done somehwere else. I don’t think it’s the proper place for it,’’ Patty Bates, senior, said. Teachers, too, get upset by the lack of pri- vacy in their students’ love lives. “I have nothing against kissing, but I think it’s in poor taste to do it in public, Mr. Seymour Kopi- low, Chairman of the Sci- ence Department, stated. Yet the couples continue in their activities, regardless of the controversy. Often it is difficult for onlookers to determine just where a relationship stands, especially if they don’t have the terminology just right. There are varying opinions among students as to whether going out with one person is preferable to dat- ing different people. I think dating different people is better because you don’t tie yourself down and you can experience different per- sonalities, Mike Avallone, senior, commented. Most students agree, however, that it is important to have some sort of dating ex- perience before leaving high school. Those who don’t ever have a date can suffer a great deal of envy and depression seeing hap- py couples. Occasionally high school romances develop into life- time commitments, but more often they end after only a short while. They are not forgotten, however, for they provide valuable ex- perience and emotional growth that most students wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. 8 Romance

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Commons: A Showcase For Students There is no debate that the Commons is both the architectural and social center of the school, but it also has another more in- teresting role. It is the school’s biggest showcase, where the students, wheth- er they are conscious of it or not, are constantly on display to one another. The art of people-watching thrives in the Commons more than anywhere else in the school. Many students are reluc- tant to walk through the Commons because they feel they are being scruti- nized. Ann Marie Grief, jun- ior, admitted, I feel a bit insecure walking through because everybody is look- ing at me.” For the most part this examination of passers-by is not done to intentionally bother people, but rather to catch up on the latest romantic devel- opments. observe fashion trends, or make private ap- praisals of personalities. This can be so nerve- racking for the subjects, however, that some of them go out of their way to avoid crossing the Commons. Of course, there are other stu- dents who don’t mind being inspected. “It’s fun walking through the Commons; it makes me feel important knowing people are looking at me,” Tom Gennaro, jun- ior, stated. It is just as easy to stare at someone on a bench in the Commons as it is to stare at someone walking through, but most students don’t feel scrutinized when they are just sitting or standing around. The atmo- sphere is open and relaxed, and students can talk with friends, do homework, eat candy and pretzels, or pitch pennies across the floor. Yet, if anyone drops their books or laughs too loud, something normally only mildly embarrassing, sud- denly all the eyes in the Commons turn, and sinking through the floor becomes a very appealing idea. A few years ago, the Commons was character- ized by extreme segrega- tion, which increased its psychological effect on people. Different groups such as the Rockos, Freaks, Jocks, and non- conformists each had their own corners. Fortunately, however, this stereotyping has been on the decline in recent years. “Some people think they have an image in the Commons, but they really don’t,” Bruce Eisen- berg, senior, commented. The only obvious segrega- tion which exists today is in the corner by the boys’ bathroom where all the ath- letes and their friends gath- er, the spot Harry Jackson, junior, calls, “Jock City.” After school hours, when there are no students around, the Commons seems like just another large room. During the school day, however, it be- comes the most fascinating room in the building. There is no other place that at- tracts as many students, nor is there any place that plays on the emotions of the students the way the Commons does. Above: A new student in the school makes a new friend in Andy Kramer. Above: Joe Perettine observes Ronnie Heller as he enters the Commons. 10 Commons