Ysleta High School - Otyokwa Yearbook (El Paso, TX)

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Some things change, Our pride never will As the days and weeks rolled by, school-wide is- sues and happenings became foremost in importance to the Indians. On September 19, school history was made when a pep-rally was dismissed because of poor conduct on the part of a few. In the true spirit of unity and love for school, each Indian contributed in some way, be it with petitions, pleas, and promises of no more misbehavior, to resurrect the pep-rallies, and to dis- pel the myth that Ysleta and its proud traditions were slowly dying. A new feeling of pride began to pulsate through the school, reviving old traditions and begin- ning a new era of Indian Pride. Students were not the only ones affected by the 'changing winds' pervading the school, teachers throughout the district united to seek a 16.8 pay increase, a fully-paid health insurance program, and a maximum class limit. Growing discontent over these and fifteen other teacher demands nearly resulted in a teacher strike in September. As of November, none of the teacher demands had been met, but school board and teachers' associations meetings continued in the hopes of finding a compromise acceptable to both administrators and educators. School board members and school officials became the target of students who were displeased with the switch from quarters to semesters, and from letter to numerical grades, thus making it more difficult to earn and maintain passing grades. To cut down on chronic absences, a ten-day absence policy was put in effect. Under this rule, a student who was absent more than ten days of a semester lost all credit for that semester. In addition to the changes that were occurring on the school and national level, all Lower Valley resi- dents watched as the familiar cottonfields were re- placed by stores and shopping areas. Once known as a fertile farming valley, the Lower Valley was trans- formed into a busy 'City within a City' which grew rapidly to accomodate the influx of people. Perhaps the single thing that remained constant in the lives of most Ysleta students was the family. This stemmed, in large part, from the Mexican culture which was still deeply rooted in the minds and cus- toms of Lower Valley residents. The emphasis placed on a close family relationship by the Mexican culture continued to be practiced by Lower Valley residents. This closeness was clearly Band Major Melody Hutchins leads The Pride of the Lower Valley through the streets of El Paso during a parade. Under the direction of Mr. Richard Burton, the marching Indians were awarded a rating of superior at the November 6 band contest. Opening 8

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l Fuel, and the lack or high price of it, broke the extravagant driving habits of many drivers. As gas prices reached 51.10 a gallon in late November, weekly excursions to Juarez became a must if the luxury of owning and maintaining a car was to be feasible. Although oil and its scarcity continued to be a world problem, it seemed that the only oil that Americans began to think about was the fictitious Ewing oil. Below: Varsity football player Ray Macias applauds the action on the field during the Riverside pep-rally. Bottom: During one of the many Marimba Band engagements, Kathy Margerum remains oblivious to all but her music. , ..-WM N sim! 5 3