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

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Intelligence breeds academic advantages Not too Geeks, wiz-heads, nerds, brains, or more accurately, intelligent students challenging their minds via more challenging courses. Whatever their course choices, honors students faced more homework, more reading, more in-class discussion, and more earned grade points. Once an honors class size exceeds 20, there is a significant loss of student input in analytical discussion. This critical thinking easily turns into passive listening, honors history teacher Mrs. Kay Orell said. Although the occasionally- high student-teacher ratios affect- ed honors classes, students most often profited from the privilege of small class sizes. It is great to be in a class where all of the students can go at Tarzan two Scholarship winner senior Jay Lucas moves his way through Pedcrnales training. One of the most interesting parts of the experience involved swinging over the petrifying peanut butter pit. square an accelerated rate; my friends are mostly in that class and the teacher ' s great. In that kind of environment, much can be learned! junior Matthew Kaplan said. With the friendly enviroment that a limited enrollment provided, students found it easier to loosen up and express themselves in class. Honors US History was very relaxed, but very interesting. I learned a lot, and had fun, senior Shar Carter said. Unlike the fickleness that most students expressed in regular classes, participants in honors classes said they found most all their classes agreeable, if not favorites. I don ' t think anyone has a favorite honors course— just one that they don ' t dislike as much as the other ones, sophomore Shawn Orell countered. Regardless of what label had been placed on honors students, one descriptor certainly could be applied— smart! Homework overtakes free time Burning midnight oil Homework, home- work, give me a break. A slogan, worthy for an anti- school commercial, filled the minds of students as they spent an average of an hour and a half each night on homework— and that was only in math and English. It ' s a waste of time because I have better things to do. Schoolwork should all be done at school, sophomore Mark Kastner said. In most classes, slack- ing off proved detrimen- tal and with homework grades constituting 50% of a six-weeks ' average, stu- dents faced even more daily demands. To com- bat daily homework fa- tigue, upperclassmen plotted their strategies. The teacher assigns a lot of homework in ge- ometry, but I work ahead, so I don ' t have to do it at home, junior Charlton Perry said. In a poll, 14% of stu- dents said Algebra II en- tailed the most homework and a four way tie at 12% included English, Spanish, German and Geometry. Homework doesn ' t bother me as long as I have time in class to do it, sophomore Briana Bcrezovytc h said. While several meth- ods brought the desired results of avoidance of late-night assignments, many agreed the best route led to an earlier- than-usual, rushed morn- ing homework routine. If it ' s all done at school, then it ' s not home- work anymore, German teacher Mr. Herr Gardner said. Television, music, friends and the mall sub- stituted for doing home- work and provided the most honest excuses for being unprepared for class. My homework inter- feres with most of my free time, freshman Dan Baumel said, reflecting the sentiments of most homework haters. FAKING IT While pretending to read during his library class-time, sophomore Matt White rests his eyes and his head. The quid library created a re- laxing atmosphere for studies and sleep. Open arms, closed campus During a faculty meet- ing. Principal John Ma- tysck discusses open - closed campus issue. As one of the most debated issues of the year, most underclassmen spent se- veral months in limbo. s Synonym s N o u n s For Being Smart Tea Cher ' s Pet St uden t Brain Gee k N erd Pupil A djectives For Being Smart I n te llige n t Sagacious Astute Smart alec Brillia nt Cle ver Ingenious Resourceful Edited by Camile O ' Briant I FOUR TO GOl

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What are the most popular honors courses? v -- © ART IV us Government English s Oo : . ' Take this job and get to work Improvement makes rewards even sweeter As the student fixated on the television set, in- tently blowing on her wet nails, a shreik suddenly broke the silence as mom adamantly screeched the best known of all com- mands- Cet to WORK! I get restrictions if I do not get good grades- like I can get my car only so many weekends a month, and they will watch mc to sec how much 1 use the phone and they will cut down on how much I can get for my monthly allowance, ju- nior Brad Duncan said. If the cutting of priv- ileges and fun outside activities did not result in the improvement of grades, isolating students from anything but school work most often proved effective. If 1 don ' t get a B av- erage, I can ' t watch TV, visit anyone or read books outside of school until the next report card, junior Jeff Little said. Take a Number ACADEMICS W f z Regrets Students view honors classes as stress -filled For two extra grade points, students, who en- rolled in honors courses, often found themselves regretting the move after these classes demanded countless hours both in school and out of school. I had to get out of Honors English simply because the pressure was getting to mc. I never had time to do the things I enjoyed more because I had to concentrate on the English, ex-honors junior James Fcnclon said. Stress, resulting from the added workload of honors courses, took its toll on those students who enrolled in them with ex- pectations of a problem- free experience. The only thing that 1 don ' t like is that whenever you have problems with class work, they tell you ' It ' s an honors course, you have to expect it, sopho- more Anne Woods said. TO THE BEAT Outside in the courtyard, senior Thor Arnibruster finishes his homework assignments. Spring weather provided a warmer cnviroment and an incenlivc for studies. In the case of honors classes, these students applied themselves to the task of working hard with personal and parental approval as the ultimate rewards. I ' m interested in En- glish and my mother real- ly wanted me to take Honors English, but it was more for me than for my mother, junior Kristy Es- teppe said. For one reason or an- other, students completed homework, survived tests, pleased Mom and Dad, kept teachers off their backs, got to work... TirsY Relaxing in his room, sophomore Mark Raster reads aloud hi; German assignment Students in foreign language courses rcac dialogues in class for grades and needed the at-home practice for improvement on accents, rhythm and confidence.

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s 1 After a while, you see that there is a piece of every character in the play inside of you. -senior Sharon B«ynon Straight from the Heart... Playing Babe, the dizzy wife who shoots her husband and then offers him lemonade, senior Sharon Beynon performs in Crimes of the Heart , drama ' s first play of the year. I c s i