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

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Originality Students specialize in prepping for life Plan ahead. Think about your future. For the first nine to twelve years of school, parents and teachers have pounded into their kids ' minds that school should not only be a time to enjoy themselves, but also a time to prepare for the future. The work program is really good way to prepare the students for what lies ahead because they are getting real on the job experiences, Miss Moel- ler,VOE teacher, said. The work program is a class where students can get elective credits while learning secretary type skills that will be useful for the rest of their life. I love being able to work, make money, and get out of school early, plus it is a great experience because you get great advice and learn basic skills that can be used in many situa- tions, junior Michelle Grant said. Sophomores can enroll in the work program and learn basic skills, but only juniors and seniors are ac- tually allowed to work out of school. In Art IV you are able to ex- plore new ideas and do things you enjoy most, I ' ve learned a lot from that, senior Camile O ' Briant said. In Art IV, we were able to explore new ideas and do the things we enjoyed the most senior Camile O ' Briant Art IV, an honors class with only 20 students, afforded artists the opportunity for one on one atten- tion as did the speech and drama classes, which were designed for stu- dents who plan to enter that field. Speech gives me the confidence to speak in front of people and that will really help me in the future because I plan on being a teacher, senior Carrie White said. Students who pre- pared for the future by taking prep courses said they came out ahead. Both parents and teach- ers, again, proved that they did know best. There are a lot of classes and programs at Westlake that are worth taking advantage of, sopho- more Anne Woods said. Spe- cialized classes, I think, are more competitive, and challenging than at other high schools. Most students agreed the spe- cialized programs offered granted them the opportunity to gain insight. Unless you ' re going to pursue and stick with something for all it ' s worth, electives become a waste of time, senior James Morehead said. Let the Sunshine in Sunshine Girls benefit campus through volunteer service projects Five smiling girls, otherwise known as The Sunshine Girls, provided indispensable services and spirit as they volun- teered for projects from early morning flag raising to letter mailing. The girls, Lisa Farnie, Lee Ashcraft, Kathy Law- rence, Cheryl Vieraitis and Anne Studers, rais- ed and lowered the flags daily, put the letters up on the message board, and stamped all report cards throughout the year. Aside from the services they performed for the school, they had work to do for the classes they attend half-days. We have six work stations, Lee said. At these stations, they develop the neces- sary skills for employ- ment. They attend school half days and work for Goodwill Industries the other half, with the excep- tion of Cheryl who works in the cafeteria. Through their smiles and services, The Sun- shine Girls proved a true asset to school. Spic and span Cleaning overhead projector sheets, Cheryl Vieraitis and Anne Studer make conversation to pass the time. The Sunshine girls devoted countless hours to volunteer service throughout the academic year. Thin air While completing an art project, junior Euan Lapus air brushes for the full effect of his design. Students in the art classes paint- ed, drew and sculpted projects for display in the commons and at various art shows. Six Classes For Which Students Don ' t Stand In Line Library Science X Auto Body Repair X Bricklaying X Cosmetology X Laboratory Management X Consumer Math Edited by Lori Fellows I FOUR TO GOl

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Students face scheduling decisions To make ' multiple choices Five months before school started, students spent five minutes to two hours filling out course selection sheets, deter- mining their schedules for the following year. I filled out my choice sheet and then once I got to registration, I decided I didn ' t want some of the courses anymore, junior Whahib Kharrat said. It was a real pain trying to get it fixed. For some, however, pre-planned schedules meant less hassle at the August and January registration. I knew exactly what I needed so I just went in and got all the courses, senior Stauch Schuster said. It was no trouble at all. Whether they chose way ahead of time or dur- ing the last grueling sec- onds of registration, stu- dents made attempts for the right teacher, the right class and the right sched- ule. Even though it didn ' t always work out that way. What did you want to be WHEN YOU WERE LITTLE? AS r t ov r ooc 30% 49% Closed Registration frustration forces sophomore Keri Brophy to take time out for re-evalua- tion. Students experienced several disappointing sched- ule problems each semester, resulting in procedure change. Spike Over the net, students in Coach Cathy Steinle ' s P.E. class hit the ball. With the new two year P.E. requirements, underclassmen took the course offering a variety of sport activities. Steady hands During their chemistry class, junior Ashley Gotten and sophomore Young Choi share lab work Hands on experi- ence with the scientific tools and chemicals allowed for a break from standard classrcxim routines. Fate finds four-year fanatics The bell rang, sig- nalling the start of anoth- er class period. As stu- dents settled int o their seats, thoughts of meeting a new teacher and learn- ing a new course stood in line as last thing on their minds. Four years of the same walls , teacher and f ossi- bly even the same room. This represented the life of the four -year fanatic I joined band because I thought that it would be fun and I really could not picture my high scool life without it, now, senior Thad Holt said. Some students grew My parents said that I should get involved in something at school to keep me out of trouble at home senior Ryan Davis regret their decisions to keep me out of trouble at become four-year fanat- ics, but many did not be- come so by choice. I stayed in the band program because at that time I could not picture what else I could possibly do in high school. Now that 1 have done it, 1 really regret it, senior John Blanton said. My parents said that I should get involved in something at school to home. That ' s why 1 decided to join choir, senior Ryan Davis said. However, many stu- dents had no prior knowl- edge that they would ever become four-year fa- natics; fate did take its course. This option presented itself because of the desire to get accepted to a highly competitive college. I have taken four years of difficult math courses and aside from putting me ahead in col- lege , I also feel that it has made me a better person, senior Karl Dal- ley said. This, however, did not imply that seniors were the only ones to fit the four-year fanatic mold. Logic demanded the possibility for any student, regardless of course preference, to become a four year fanatic. 1 fully intend to fol- low through with my jour- nalism courses all through my high school career, sophomore Dane Reese said. HEAVY METAL As he prepares for a band march, senior Kevin Buttery shines both his shoes and his tuba. Before all contest performances, band members filled the band hall cleaning equipment, shining shoes, ironing clothes and waiting. Take a Number ACADEMICS

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Perfect practice Late registration procedures for the SAT forced senior Mazcn Defillah to send his sign-up forms by rush mail. For quick results, some stu- dents applied for rush-return service. Students face costs of college as well as Harsh reality Tuition, books, hous- ing, transportation— dis- tant college jargon for most— until the senior year when UT ' s $6593 a year to Harvard ' s 817,695 a year suddenly became a stark reality. My parents encour- aged me to go to in-state schools because out-of- state tuition is so expen- sive, senior Wendy Grossman said. With UT ' s yearly rates for a non-Texas resident jumping to 510,163 (reflective of those across the nation), stu- dents more carefully weighed their decisions on costs as well as oppor- tunities. I could use the mon- ey not spent for being a resident on a car or something, senior Diana Boyd said. That ' s why I ' m going to UT. When students faced the financial facts of a college education, many looked at out-of-state op- tions, but most decided to stay right at homc-swcct- home . Heads above the rest College-bound seniors try to get a head start by completing advanced level, college courses Lectures. No busy work— just listening, taking notes and passing tests. With the exception of small class sizes, college-bound students in honors government, economics, honors English and other like courses prepared themselves for more education by taking coUege- likc-classes. I took economics because it was a really great way to ready myself for college. The course helped me get a grip on myself about what college may really be like. I also took it because it ' s easy for me, senior Carl Dallcy said. In addition to the idea of self- improvement and preparing for college, those interested in higher education discovered that these same courses made the required course list. Because I had to take gov- ernment before I could graduate, 1 learned a great deal about how college will be like. I am grateful that I was forced to take it instead of taking something else, senior Isabel Wilson said. During the course of the years, seniors took advantage of college visitation days and travelled to in and out-of-state campuses while others initiated their college experience early by taking courses at local colleges and universities to get a head start. I take courses at UT during school hours because I am fortu- nate to be a real smart person. I ' ll be able to take another course that normally I wouldn ' t be able to take because I will have already taken the course in high school, senior John Blanton said. Chit chat Not just for information, senior Julie Beal visits with counselor Mr. Bruce Campbell in his office. Counselors cn- ouraged student appointments. SATisfaction With three short hours on a Saturday morning determining the next four years of their lives, seniors prepared themselves for the pencil- chewing experience by taking SAT prep courses. 1 took the course of- fered at Westlake High School by Mrs. Shelton and Mrs. Glanz. It cost 560, but was worth it, se- nior Liz Falbo said. The course improved my SAT scores considerably. Others relied on self- preparation or the assis- tance of tutors to improve their chances of scoring high on the SAT. I was tutored for it last year after school, se- nior Dana Weedon said. I ' m not sure that it helped my score, but it made me more aware of the test ' s importance. Test TALK During an after school computer tutorial, junior Jason Watkins prepares for his SAT on a specialized program. Various SAT courses, books and computer programs fa- miliarized students with the test. Catch 22 1 2 In counselor Jon Ratcliff ' s office, junior Scth O ' rell re- ceives information about sche- dules, college visitations and career day. Where DO YOU WANT TOGO TO COLLEGE? Ivy League 30% Big university 46% Small college 24% 1 Th ' m Take a Number J ' M ACADEMICS