West High School - Westward Ho Yearbook (Madison, WI)

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1985 saw the passing of another So- viet leader, Konstantin Chernenko. President Reagan and the new Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev set up the first Soviet-American summit under Reagan's administration. Neither side was willing to concede to much, espe- cially on the star wars issue. Mexico suffered an earthquake which killed nearly 10,000 people. The area of damage was concentrated in Mexico City's downtown district that is built over a marsh. Terrorism was at a high this year, taking 782 lives. TWA flight 847 was siezed in Beruit. Hostages were taken and eventually released. The cruise- ship Achille Lauro was highjacked by PLO members. Leon Klinghoffer, an elderly American, was killed. The terror hit closer to home this year, when.. Rome and Vienna were subjected to attacks by the PLO.'Four- teen people were killed during the bursts of fire aimed at Israel's El Al airline in both cities. A Madison man, Robert Gage Jr., was among the vic- tims in Rome. The Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Columbia erupted in November, caus- ing mudslides that destroyed the town of Armero. The mudslides swallowed 50,000 acres of farmland and claimed 25,000 victims. AIDS was a major problem in 1985. There were 6,406 new cases with a to- tal of 8,122 deaths to date, including actor Rock Hudson. Cancer also re- ceived attention this year due to the cancerous polyp found in President Reagan's colon. This year was the worst in history for air travel. Between public and pri- vate airlines, 1,948 people lost their lives including Ricky Nelson and Sa- mantha Smith. Winnie Mandela and Bishop Des- mond Tutu have been key leaders in the fight against apartheid in South Africa. There were over 1000 deaths due to racial tensions. moss IN REVIEW RE IEW

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I guess you could say I've been around, and in all these years I've seen a great deal. Due to my prominent position and strategic perspec- tive, it was suggested that I would be uniquely qualified to give this introductory overview. Over the years I've witnessed passing fads from poodle skirts to minis, and have seen students evolve from Richie Cunninghams to Flower Children. Now we've arrived in the 80's, a mad conglomeration of all of the above. Individuality has become the new wave, and just about anything goes. This has led to an incredibly diverse student body. Walking down my halls, for example, one can hear dis- cussions of every topic from soccer to SADD, sex to Socrates. Despite this diversity, there are a few things that most students seem to have in common, such as feeling intensely pressured to succeed. For better or for worse, they have managed to maintain my history of high standards for over 50 years. My rank among the top five secondary schools in the nation by college re- cruiters this year can be partially attributed to excellent staff. Five teachers, including Gary - A Craper, Elizabeth Palmer, Grace Waggoner, Raymond Quant, and Karen Zuraski received awards from the Bassett Foundation this year. I'm also extremely proud to display the award for excellence given by the United States De- partment of Education. - Although students of the 80's have become extremely liberal and independent, they still have to comply with mandates of authority. I've always been flexible for students, and my doors have always been open, but it looks like they won't be for long. Due to a new legisla- tion, students from 1987 on will have to adjust to having a closed campus. Yes, I've changed with the times - at least on the surface: an addition a few years back, landscaping on Ash Street, and a few new coats of paint and varnish - but the real me is still here. In a day of intense international struggle and internal strife, I'm proud to think that the structure and stability I offer has re- mained a steadfast element in students' ever- changing lives. For it is these lives, with their hopes, fears, frustrations and achievements that make me what I am: West High School.

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- 5 Xl' gg .A i t' 'E ' :- '. if- , V .' A ff , , sf, 1., ' 5 ' f ' ,g - TA. S, 1 at .. 15, 1 . ,,.. , .1 it i X 5 rx 1-rm, . s W igs: 3 L 4 I fr x On a happier note, 1985 saw hunger relief aid from rockers around the world. Bob Geldof was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in setting up the Live Aid concerts in Philadelphia and in England. The concerts raised over S100 million for hunger relief in Africa. Farm Aid was also organized in an effort to help America's farmers. 1985 was the year of new Coke - to the displeasure of most Americans. After major complaints, the Coca- Cola Company reinstated the Old Coke as Classic Coke. Now Amer- ica has a choice of something new or something classic. The Kansas City Royals won the World Series this year, and Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb's record of 4,192 career hits. After a vicious tryout session, Lynette Woodard became the first woman to join the Harlem Globetrot- ters. Also, the Chicago Bears had a 15- 1 season as mania over William The Refridgeratorn Perry caught on. BITS AND PIECES OF 1985 Madonna married Sean Penn. Yul Brenner died at age 65 after 4,625 performances of The King and I. Orson Welles, best remembered for his creation of the War of the Worlds and his performance in Citizen Kane, died at age 70. Halley's comet reappeared in 1985, causing frenzy among scientists and students alike in spite of the fact that it wasn't as spectatcular as ijvyyas ir3l2lQ1f'N-Kffseese The 'Cosby Show topped the Nieb sens this year and helped NBC-il e up in Qlajings. Steven pielberg's movie ack to the Future was the big hit of the year, grossing 5190 million. I Time's man of the year: Deng Xiop- mg Karen Ann Quinlan died after hav- ing been in a coma for 10 years. Ruth Gordon, actress, died at age 88. if Il' Il- 1985 IN REVIEWX7