Woodbridge High School - Valhalla Yearbook (Woodbridge, VA)

Page 8 text:

RSM Lack of additional classroom space prevents use of specialized language lab. Viking fans take refuge at MacDon¬ ald’s after a game. The average class-change mob weaves its way through the hall. An aerial view of the situation might have brought the conclu¬ sion that W.S.H.S. was actually the makings of a beehive in dis¬ guise. In reality, it wasn’t a bee¬ hive at all—merely your average, everyday two thousand capacity high school crammed with thirty tivo hundred students, faculty, and administrators. It got so bad that during class changes you were almost tempted to break into a chorus of “Aren’t you glad you use DIAL?” Lunch wasn’t much better. You were lucky if you found a chair after the tardy bell had rung. The mad scramble for a place to sit left many a student stranded at a table with two or three total strangers. After a while, a few groups got it down to a system. The person who got to the lunch- room first was re¬ sponsible for finding a table and gathering as many chairs as nec¬ essary (or he could get his hatids on) around the table. It was his duty to guard the table and risk life and limb if necessary to maintain the set-up. Another member of the group was often expected to pur¬ chase the “guard’s” lunch— inasmuch as leaving the table unattended would re¬ sult in “rapid depletion of sitting facili¬ ties” (i.e., someone would swipe your chairs.) The situation was such that many chose to abstain from lunch (at least until they got home) rather than fight the crowd. Others waited until the latter portion of the period when the cafeteria was comfortably evacuated. Still others took their chances at sneaking off the school grounds to grab a quick bite at MAC’S or HARDY’S. All too unfortunately, the crowded conditions were far from limited to the cafeteria. It wasn’t an uncommon sight to see classes spilling their contents to the perimeter of the pod hallway. There were even situations of students without desks. It was obvious some¬ thing had to be done and this necessi¬ ty brought us to a discussion of an optional year-round school program. It was one alternative to help relieve the overcrowded situation in which we found ourselves. Our school—bare¬ ly three years young— was bursting at the seams. 4

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As summer neared its end, we faced the start of school with varied degrees of relief and reluctance. Those who had found summer em¬ ployment had their time occupied well enough, whereas others had to content themselves with the likes of swimming and vacation travel. Speaking of travel, however, a few of us had our share of disappoint¬ ments— what with the gas prices what they were—and had to spend our vacation right at home. Bore¬ dom enevitably set into our sum¬ mer, and, after a while, school ; j didn’t look half bad. We knew there would still be the same old tests and homework, but we had a few new things to look forward to. For one thing, the school day had been, trimmed thirty minutes and classes were only for- ty-five minutes long. We also faced a change in our lunch schedules. As opposed to last year’s five lunch shifts, we now had only three- each extended to forty-five minutes instead of the usual thirty. On the academic level, new class¬ es were being added while a few of the more archaic ones were seen for the last time. One new addition was offered to seniors only. It was called Senior Science and was devel¬ oped basically as a college-prep course for those continuing their studies. The English department also added several courses ranging from “The Bible” to “Literature of the Bicentennial Celebration.” In regard to the athletic portion of the year, we expected additions such as a girl’s tennis team and the return of last year’s novice soccer team. Perhaps as a repercussion of the changing of previously male or fe¬ male oriented roles, the school also reacted with position changes. Re¬ placing Haynes Davis as assistant principal,, we found our first female administrator, Dr. Sarah Jerome. Another first for women was in the position of football manager, with Joe Beaty out-maneuvers a G-F defender during the District Championship match. Kimberly Winkler doing the honors. On the other end of the spectrum, men took a big step forward with Rick Corbin as the first male cheer¬ leader in the history of W.S.H.S. To the happy surprise of a great deal of students, the administration began a new policy of early release. Formally for those students with job committments or participating in a vocational curriculum, the ear¬ ly release was extended to the rest of the student body. The primary effect ivas o n those students who completed their graduation require¬ ments ivith only a class or two. Instead of packing their schedule with unnecessary courses, those stu¬ dents were permitted to leave. It all came down to the idea that slightly overcrowded was better than dras¬ tically so. i 3

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A LITTLE TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT Buses line the horizon to accomodate the throngs. It’s wall to wall students at every pep rally.