West Charlotte High School - Lion Yearbook (Charlotte, NC)

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When it rains . . . Despite downpours and the 7-2 loss to Myers Park in the homecoming game October 21, seniors Maria Neely and Alitha Flemming can still smile. After long hours of practice in the summer, the cheerleaders went on to receive the first place trophy at the Spirit Conference Cheerleading Camp. iPhoto by K. Kortl

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Dig tn. Assistant Principal Jim Watts' beauti- fication plan brought to club members weekends of work around the campus. Civitan president senior Brian Murphy and Keyette ju- nior Katie Boyer volunteer their weekend time to set an example for others. iPhoto by C. Crews? Games people play. Sixth period study hall is pushed aside as senior Mike Winstead and sophomore Shawn Wandle program the library computers for a game of Gdyssey. Students are involved in the computer wave at West Char- lotte as they prepare for the electronic future. iPhoto by C. Crewsl Practice makes perfect. Originally from Greece, senior Dinos Beligrinis excels not only n his native sport of soccer, but also as a kicker lor West Charlotte's team in the American Jased sport, football. During a lunch break, he demonstrates his soccer skills that helped the Nest Charlotte soccer team finish the season with a conference championship. iPhoto by K. 'Cortl Making it work doing internships in return for academic credit, received an award of excellence from Governor James Hunt this year. When the AIP started at West Charlotte in 1975, it was the first program of its kind in the school system. Now other schools have adopted the program. West Charlotte is the only high school in the system to have an Open Program. This program allows students to pace themselves and work in a less stmctered environment. The English as a Second Language Program KESLJ, which also received the Governor's Award of Excellence, teaches newcomers to the United States how to speak English and teaches them about American history and culture. The nine junior highs in the feeder system ed with the Open and ESL programs West Charlotte to have students from virtually every economic, cultural and ethnic background. Building a strong family relationship was possible because students respected each others differences and learned from them as well. The strong bonds that were created made for a closer-knit student body and thus provided for an atmosphere of excellence. The unity and excellence that West Charlotte projected set the pace tor otherschools to try to match. ' A ll . A? Pacesetters 5

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Q A melting pot. Students from Alexander Graham. Piedmont. Randolph. Coulwood. Cochrane and J.T. Williams make up the Sophomore Class Council, competing with the traditional Civitan popcorn booth. iPhoto by K. Kortj Working hard for the money. At the cold. rainy homecoming carnival. senior Gary Payne waits to get into the dunking booth, sponsored by the Key Club. Club members worked hard in the booths to raise money for community projects such as weathenzing homes, helping to fund nurseries and nursing homes. and supporting a child in a foreign country. iPhoto by M. Carterl eading the pack. Set- ting the trends! West Charlotte set the pace for Charlotte-Mecklenburg to follow. Coming together from different backgrounds all across Charlotte, students proved that West Char- lotte could excel in academics and sports, but beyond that, they could have a student life. Enthusiasm flourished during spirit week and homecoming, and pep ral- lies provided a chance for students to show pride in their school. Even after traveling to and from school every day, those covering 27 miles and those walking only blocks attended athletic events. Football games were a part of Friday nights, and soccer and basketball games allowed students to show their support throughout the week. Painting the rock was a way for individuals to ex- press themselves all through the year. Other students achieved recog- nition by spending hours during and after school, working on West Char- lotte's award-winning newspaper, yearbook and drama productions. Socializing was a high- light in the lives of the stu- dents, and there was al- ways a chance to spend time with old friends or to meet new ones. Lunch- time meant a break from daily routines, and school functions such as dances provided an atmosphere in which stu- dents could be themselves and have a good time. Students also mingled, grew together, and en- joyed weekend parties. Student Life 7