West Leyden High School - Shield Yearbook (Northlake, IL)

Page 25 text:

Pushing carts, bagging groceries, stocking shelves and ringing up merchandise beconne routine for many students employed by the Jewel Grand Bazaar. One of the newest chain restaurants to come to the Chicagoland area, Wendy ' s has become an increasingly popular eating place, especially with their famous Frosty ' s. Keeping up with the increasing prices, students can ' t seem to afford the rising cost of such items as gasoline, snacks and clothing, and are often forced to budget carefully. M$ney where does it all go? - a common question about that green paper that is so hard to hang onto. A major investment of many teen-agers is the au- tomobile. With the initial act of buying a car, also comes the responsibility of paying for insurance, repairs, tune- ups, tires, and gasoline. Keeping up with the latest styles is another ex- pense for people today. An outfit for every occasion seems to be the case for some students. School clothes, work clothes, around- the-house clothes . . . and the list goes on. Stereos and accessories are a large output of a student ' s budget. New records and tapes come out each week and right there waiting for them is the American teen- ager, ready to purchase his favorite artist ' s latest tunes. Entertainment is another source which aids in the draining of funds. Waiting in line at Ticketron for hours is a common experience among many students. Fast-food joints are flocked with teen- agers on Friday and Saturday nights. Theatres are another popular diversion from the week ' s school and work. What would be a weekend without a movie, concert, play, or dinner out? With these demanding costs many teen-agers are forced to find part-time employment to support their extra expenses. But, students are finding that no matter how much they tighten the belt there never seems to be enough. As the old saying goes, easy come, easy go. It ' s just too bad that it always seems to go a little ea sier than it came. 21

Page 24 text:

I can ' t I have to work I can ' t, I have to work. Those are the familiar words of the number one excuse given from students to fellow students, teachers and coaches. With approximately 65% of the student body involved in the working world, the frequent excuse is not surprising. Students are employed by a great variety of department stores, grocery stores, fast food restaurants, gas stations and factories, with K-Mart, McDon- ald ' s and Jewel being the top em- ployers. Jobs are relatively easy to find, either by a student alone or with the assistance of the Cooperative Educa- tion Program, which is designed to place students in positions suited to their individual skills and interests. Although there is an obvious advantage to working, many students have encountered difficulties. Many clubs and sports suffer from student employment. Potential athletes can not fully develope their skills because they work. Students interested in clubs are forced to limit their activities because of work schedules. Homework and studying time often suffer because of the student ' s job. The choice to work is up to the student and the question basically is this: What do you value the most - money, time, sports or academic excellence? Located in the Grand Plaza, K-Mart is one of the busiest stores in the area, which makes for more opportunities for students to find part-time employment. Big Macs and Quarter Pounders with cheese are two of the many choices available at the nearby McDonalds ' restaurants, a popular place to eat for many students. 20

Page 26 text:

Keeping the races alive The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. This phrase not only applies to sports, it applies to politics as well. This year saw many winners and losers during the election of many national, state and local officials, as well as an Increase in student involvement. Students were encouraged to volunteer their time and to exper- ience first hand the running of a national campaign by working at various headquarters around the area. Meanwhile, others were actually participating in the voting process by remaining at the closed polls, observing tallying procedures, and then reporting the results to the National Election Service, as part of a program sponsored by the League of Women Voters. Still others went to the source, traveling to Springfield to get a closer look at the workings of the state government by attending committee sessions, touring courts and the capital building, and meeting with state representative Ted Lever- enz. Illinois voters showed their approval of the way officials have been doing their jobs, by re-electing Governor Jim Thompson, Secretary of State Alan Dixon, Attorney General Dave O ' Neil, State Senator Thomas Hynes, State Representative Ted Leverenz and U.S. Congressman Henry Hyde. Voters also gave veteran officials something to think about, as Senator Charles Percy narrowly defeated new-comer Alex Seith by the smallest margin Percy has ever had. The importance of the individual vote became evident this year when Percy had to unexpectedly make a last minute public appeal for votes. Consider this, it will not be long until West Leyden students will be able to vote. As one can see, elections are no small business, and just as the school has, students too, shall soon come of age - voting age. Running for his second term in office. Governor Jim Thompson defeated his opponent Michael Bakalis by a substanciai margin in the November seventh election. Going for his first gubernatorial election, Michael Bakalis smiles in hope of becoming Illinois ' next Governor. Despite his successful campaign, Bakalis was defeated. 22