Westlake High School - El Paisano Yearbook (Austin, TX)

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Paper Caper Struggling to finish a research paper before class, sophomore Mike Nilsen works assidu- ously in the library. Students used the few minutes before the bell to their advan- tage. 0)i L ifesaving Library h ' .1 Q Research □ Flirt with girls ill □ Talk Q Flirt with guys JL 1 □ Take a test Q Get out of class Hy Q Get a book a Loudly whisper TmC □ Photocopy Q Clear up fines The eyes have it Massive reading courses result in visual fatigue Word by word, phrase by phrase, sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph and page by page, eyes tired and patience wore thin as stu- dent readers focused on the words which they lived or died by. I read almost an hour a night, but only because it is absolutely required for my English IIIH class, junior Amy Tesar said. Even though students had to read from 30 minutes to three hours nightly, the books assigned each month in preparation for reports and tests resulted in teachers spending up to 12 hours a weekend grading. One test in the class takes 10 to 12 hours to grade, so I end up spend- ing my entire weekend grading essay tests. I could just have scantron tests, but you cannot learn persuasive writing skills without practice and you need writing skills like that to do well in college, Kay Orell, head of the history department, said. Students also used books as an escape from other assignments, seeking adventure from the frightful corridors of Stephen King books, the most popular ones chocked out of the library, or the harsh realities found in History of World War I , the most read book in the library. I like the way Stephen King frightens you with his writing style and makes it interesting at the same time. A lot of stories that scare you are not interesting at the same time, junior Jay O ' Meara said. Stephen King is my favorite author. Most students spent minimal time reading, with only 8% reading more than one book a month for fun. EYE-STRAIN With one day left to complete her book, junior Trudi Donaldson quickly reads The Grapes of Wrath in the commons which provided a place for studying. WEWMlSmnMHSl Passed out After receiving back graded homework assignments from English teacher Mrs. Connie High, freshman Jason Hoo- ver figures his three-week average. Progress reports hit home mail boxes every other three weeks. Good news Maintaining an understanding of current events, sophomore Jason Brice reads The Wall Street Journal every day. Under cover To protect her textbook according to state require- ments, junior Julie Famie fol- lows the directions and makes her American History book look generic like all others. up Slipping Covers show bookowners ' personalities Fold here, cut there, slip cover on book. Tea- chers distributed class textbooks and students covered them. Mandated by a state law, texts took on a personality as book borrowers creatively went undercover. I had a book this year and I could tell at one point it went without a cover and the hardback cover of the book got wet and was expanded and had bubbles on it, junior Wade Beard said. Approximately 12,000 book covers, given by the state, protected the books throughout the semester. Creative covers, when uti- lized accordingly, main- tained the textbook ' s life- span for five years. I think they stink, but I like the blank ones bet- ter, junior John Mueller said. Edited by Heather Morris MQil THREE TO GET READY I

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;r ' ' ' ' Help Wanted Although most places sold out before she could get there, se- nior Meredith Stroth and a friend carefully looks for Cliff Notes on A Passage to India . A popular aid. Cliff Notes provided readers with the plot without the pages. 8 Alarm alerts librarians to stolen books Stop that thief! Shortcuts do the trick Those who didn ' t find a friend in their English teacher turned to Cliff. From Cliff Notes to rental movies, outside resources proved helpful, if not reli- able, in getting the almost priceless details needed to make the grade in any number of classes. I watched the movie version of 1984 in an hour and a half instead of tak- ing the four or five days to read the 200 pages, and I still made a good grade, sophomore Mark Kastner said. Although bookstores sold Cliff notes for 60%, or 16 of the 26 books a four- ycar English student must read, and local video stores rented movies sim- ilar to the books, keenly interested novel readers managed to pass without BOOKWORM Overstocked shelves create a refuge for senior Diana Boyd as she reads during some spare time. Assigned books didn ' t prove the only reading in which students par- ticipated in. In 1984 Big Brother controlled lives, thoughts and actions, but his image continued haunting as the new security system in the library caused many stu- dents to think twice before entering. I think it is a pretty good idea because it will cut down on thefts, but it ' s not worth the money spent on it because if someone really wants to steal something they can pull it off, senior Robert Wells said. Indeed it appeared that the new security sys- tem had actually reduced the number of disappear- ing books, but did its ef- fectiveness justify the es- timated $5,000 sticker the unnatural resources . During the second semester of my sopho- more year, the only pages I read were those of a small excerpt from Julius Caeser, and I still made all A ' s, senior Kevin But- tery said. I relied on Cliffs notes to get me by in that class during that whole time. Even the tormentor, the teacher that assigned the novels, noticed that their victims used short cuts. I think it ' s a crutch for the students. They should spend their time thinking of their own ideas instead of reading the ideas of another English scholar. We keep a copy of the Cliff Notes in the office that I can read, so I know when a students thoughts are their own, English teacher Martha Adams said. What WAS your favorite REQUIRED-TO-READ book? price (not induing main- tenance )? It has been very use- ful from keeping people from accidently walking out with things. , Sarah Widener, head librarian, said. Many felt that this proved an unnecessary precaution. Over 75% of the library ' s patrons didn ' t appreciate the addition of the security system to the i library. I only go to the li- brary to check out a book or do a report. When I do the presence of the secu- rity system makes me feel like they (the administra- tion) don ' t trust us any- more, sophomore An- drea Shone said. Time-out Exhausted from studying, sophomore Lori Sanders rests hei head on her books. Although not as comfortable as her bed, gyir locker benches provided a preferred improvement over desks. §41 Take a Number ACADEMICS

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Deadline doom days Last minute cramming causes stress As the minutes ticked into hours, clock watchers fought the dread of dead- lines and due dates when procrastination took its toll and cramming took its role. 1 usually begin to work on a major assign- ment a night or two before it ' s due because I don ' t like to write or have to look up information. I just put it off until I really have to do it ' junior Jenny Ross said. Many exhausted stu- dents turned to a variety of stimulants such as No Doz, Vivarin, or high caf- feinated drinks to give them a quick pick-me-up in order to meet their assigned deadlines on time. No Doz or Vivarin helps to keep my eyes open. I usually take them the night before exams or the night before I have a research paper due, sophomore Marta Teegan said. However, several lazy students often found themselves blowing off assignments until the day they were due. At times Study of the sun Taking advantage of free time, junior Sabre Howard prepares for a lest. Many students camped out in the courtyard so they could b oth sun and study. like these, students took advantage of their spare time in other classes to desperately try to finish their homework. If I have an as- signment due that I didn ' t complete the night be- fore, I work on it either at lunch or during my free time in other classes, sophomore Tracy Walker Kick back While stretching his legs, ju- nior Joel Robison finishes his homework in art class. Many found that assignments done before class or in other classes allowed more free time after school. Teamwork Before their government test, seniors Mark Mangum and Kim Maddux compare notes, and study guides. If assis- tance could not be found with classmates, students also sought help in tutorials . said. Despite deadline pressure, procrastination even caused teachers concern as they graded papers until eleven o ' clock at night. At times such as the end of the six weeks and end of semester, no matter how carefully we plan, I think teachers, like students, undergo periods of staying up late, losing sleep, working through lunch, etc. in an effort to get their work in on time, English teacher Mrs. Martha Adams said. No matter how hard people try to finish things on time, another deadline always loomed just over the horizon and no matter how hard people tried to put it off, one always managed to catch up with them and then the only solution was a late night cramming session. When I put off a deadline till the last minute, I first organize my ideas which is the hard part, use lot ' s of B.S., and then I throw everything together, senior John Taylor said. Do YOU PREFER A PEN OR PENCIL FOR WRITING? Pencils 18% ( fENS82%| Tapping away To the tunc on the record player, junior Micky Rose completes his typing assignment. Music kept rhythm for students as they first learned the home base keys and then perfected their skills. Writer ' s block To finish her data processing home- work, sophomore Elizabeth Davis taps away at her computer terminal at home. For a more professional look, students chose typed papers instead of handwritten. Take a Number ACADEMICS