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

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Left: Chris Studdert observes Barbara Begeal's reaction to a buttered bagel before she tastes her own. Below: Tom Myer is skeptical of Matt Cambell s hot lunch. Left Bored with the taste, Peter De Above: Billy Quinn. Pat O'Brien. Szalay casts a cold stare at his and Robert Bernstein enjoy a Farm Egg. conversation over orange drink and french fries in the sunny cafeteria. Cafeteria 13

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Below: A meal of French Fries and Below: Mark Demus studies the Wise Potato Chips is a typical Middle: Pizza, the cafeteria s most composition of his cafeteria teenage lunch enjoyed by Andrea tasty and popular lunch brings a hamburger. DeMayo and Debbie Hein. smile to Audrey McNulty’s face. When asked what their favorite classes are, stu- dents’ answers will vary, but many will immediately respond, lunch.” Whether they are serious or not, the fact remains that when the school day is dragging on endlessly, a lunch break is a welcome and needed re- lief. Back in elementary school, students either brought their own lunch or had the meal specified on the menu. The high school cafeterias, however, offer a wide variety of a la carte foods that can be combined to make a satisfying lunch. Rolls, bagels, cheesebur- gers. heroes, pizza, french fries, and farm eggs are available. There are fruit drinks, milk, and except during periods four, five, and six, soda and coffee. There are also cookies, cakes, potato chips, do- nuts, and ice cream for stu- dents more interested in taste than nutrition. If you’re a junk food junky it’s terrific,” Kara Dougherty, senior, commented. Many students find the choice of three places to eat very convenient. Cafe- teria B is usually busiest, while Cafeteria A has a rep- utation of being a quieter place to eat. The snack bar is popular among students who want to eat quickly and then go on to do something else. There are also those who say the food is superi- or. I always eat at the snack bar because the hamburgers and french fries are much better there, Rosemarie Kenney, senior, said. The faces at the tables may change from year to year, but the comments on the food are always the same. Although, some stu- dents insist it isn’t bad at all, quite a few refer to the food as awful, terrible, stale, and the pits.” You never know what you are going to find in it,” Laura Eberling, senior, stated. For those who don’t have time to eat at home, the cafeterias are open before homeroom so a quick breakfast can be eaten. And during lunch periods, there are always plenty of students eating, relaxing with friends, catching up on work, and restoring their sanity before heading back to classes. 12 Cafeteria

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Below: Set in elaborate brick work Middle: Graffitti on the pool wall the school's name stands out emphasizes students' musical proudly on the front of the building. tastes. Campus Provides Aesthetic Atmosphere. The little red school house may still exist in some tiny rural commu- nities, but in Farmingdale it is gone forever. The stu- dents here have the privi- lege of attending one of the most modern and spacious high schools on Long Is- land, situated on a large piece of very scenic proper- ty. The building itself has many special features, the most prominent being the Commons. The arrange- ment of the halls, although confusing at first, is really very simple to follow. It isn’t as hard to get around as people think. From the Commons you can get any- where, Patti Pennino, sen- ior, stated. And almost everywhere you turn there are windows, most of them with a pleasant view of the surrounding grounds. The courtyards between wings provide an attractive view for students more in- terested in staring out the windows than at the black- board. They are also among the areas where smoking is permitted. Even on very cold days, the courtyards are full of students catching a quick smoke while talk- ing to friends, and anyone crossing from one wing to another is very likely to en- counter a great deal of smoke. The pool is probably the most interesting aspect of the school's architecture, but it has a reputation for something other than its design. The phrase, be- hind the pool” is familiar to all students of Farmingdale and brings to mind thoughts of pot smoking and drug dealing. The pool is also the one spot out of the whole exterior of the school where there is a lot of very noticeable graffiti. This has become a part of the pool’s image by now, and most students accept it as such. The adminis- tration persists in having the cement wall sand blasted each year, but their efforts are in vain; for the graffiti always returns im- mediately. The grounds around the building are probably the best part of Farmingdale High School’s appearance. The school has a nice set- ting in the woods, Ronnie Heller, senior, said. In pleasant weather many stu- dents like to go outside for a little fresh air and a change of pace. There is plenty of room in which to relax, and the fields provide ample space for athletics. Behind the football field is the lake, something some students don't even know exists. I was really sur- prised by the size the first time I saw the lake, Donna Swift, junior, admitted. I hadn’t even known it was there.” Although it is slowly becoming polluted and overrun with marsh reeds, the lake is a very peaceful spot, and few high schools have anything like it. Of course, many students don’t notice the school’s appearance, and to anyone who really hates school, what it looks like won’t mat- ter. As long as so much time must be spent within the school grounds, how- ever, it helps boost the spir- its of at least some students to be in a pleasant environ- ment. 14 School Grounds