Severely handicapped class arrives - The Lowell
Severely handicapped class arrives - The Lowell
Severely handicapped class arrives - The Lowell
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Seniors await graduation<br />
By Stephen Abraroowlb<br />
•udToa>*.Vlue<br />
It's true: Seniorhis at <strong>Lowell</strong> will<br />
end on June 1.<br />
Why? On trot diy, nearly 7w<br />
members of the dais of 1985 will<br />
meet In N large audiirriura. wear<br />
cap* and (owns, and rece-'.c their<br />
diplomas.<br />
To many seniors, however,<br />
graduation means a lot more than<br />
just a ceremony. Some tec a symbolic<br />
meaning in the event. Andrea<br />
Jee relates graduation to "...doting<br />
all the old doers and exploring into<br />
new ones."<br />
Peter Marcoputoi alto calls<br />
graduation an entrance into the adult<br />
world, where, as he says, "You<br />
havr to expect the unexpected."<br />
Seniors reveal r wide range of<br />
emotions at Juce 17 approaches.<br />
For Henry Wotf, ihe ceremony<br />
"...is a time of depression...you<br />
compile your thought* ovc. the<br />
yean and think about alt the things<br />
you coutd have done differently."<br />
On the other hand. Peter<br />
Kurlander looks forward to th- occasion,<br />
which will mark the beginning<br />
of hi> independence. After<br />
graduating, KurUndcr wants'*...the<br />
opportunity to put norc time into<br />
career choices." 4^<br />
Cindy FOP envisions graduation ><br />
as a "bittcrfweet" event, but adds.<br />
"We all deserve it; we put a lot into<br />
tt ano now we're setting something<br />
back."<br />
Many students, including David<br />
Botkin. have mixed emotion* about<br />
graduating. Botkin. who will attend<br />
UC Berkeley, is "...happy to get<br />
away after four yean of hard<br />
work," but is also ud because<br />
many of his friends will leave to at*<br />
tend eastern colleges.<br />
MOM seniors questioned have<br />
noted thai they have a lot to took<br />
forward to in college. Calvin Lee,<br />
frrr cuippk. Li >ci> confolcnt «buul<br />
his. career in higher education.<br />
When asked if he is wared ot what<br />
liei before him at UC Berkeley, Lee<br />
replies "Naaah!" Uc feds he has<br />
"the power to control (hit) own<br />
destiny." but his top priorities in<br />
college a.e still "...(getting:) good<br />
grades, good money, and •» good<br />
girl friend."<br />
Foo'i main concern at UC Santa<br />
Crux b "...developing tmy) individuality,'-'<br />
although she alw<br />
recognize* the inootunce of<br />
"...suiting over" with her social<br />
life. She realizes thai it will tr hard<br />
10 keep up relationships *hh <strong>Lowell</strong><br />
Mudents and faculty when sh* cruen<br />
the "real world." outsid.' the<br />
"...lutle world at Unveil."<br />
Unlike Foo, Botkin puts great importance<br />
on establishing new friend)<br />
in college. He plans to have an<br />
"awesome locial life" and meet<br />
"...VERY good-locking girls."<br />
While others arc already concen-<br />
trating on their new lives in<br />
September. Jee is still thinking<br />
about June. She hopes the will<br />
"...feel norms!" when she<br />
graduates.<br />
Lee summarises the feelings of<br />
most <strong>Lowell</strong> wtuotj when he isyi.<br />
"I want to have alt the fun now<br />
while I still can."<br />
After all. on June 17, the Class of<br />
IVH5 will no longer be union; they<br />
will again be freshmen.<br />
Parents comment on end of high school<br />
By Carrie Nbhlraoto<br />
Po parents think fnuiulion Ujiui<br />
"r*omp and CircunuuiKtt?"<br />
Whether gradating magna cum<br />
lauje from some prestigious law<br />
schnol in 1983 or just squeaking by<br />
•n high school aomt thiny vein age.<br />
htudems still share with their<br />
cUssmales * instinctive experience<br />
OraJuaua, Aen, evokes various<br />
fcclinjs. if no; pandbtiul, in both<br />
parents and their children.<br />
When reqoestnd to describe these<br />
feelings, parents came up with<br />
••depressed." and "lonely." and on<br />
i more positive note, "relived."<br />
"ecJUtic," aful "proud." One<br />
mother cicUimed. "I felt so happy<br />
to rove managed to complete high<br />
Kloof, and yet. h was upsetting to<br />
ire that this (graduation) was really<br />
the end...after graduation. I no<br />
longer Ml the same way.<br />
This relative ambivalente OTBS to<br />
be characteristic of graduates.<br />
However, "coaftnion" is often a better<br />
description. One parent apress.<br />
ed,**! didn't kKr* whether iityemo-<br />
Uoot (at that tine) were genuine or<br />
those I ilw»ghl were cjpected of<br />
me.. .sometimes! thought If* I was<br />
the only gra£nde who didn't know<br />
her Iwure plum."<br />
Generally, though, this confusion<br />
clean up when their own children<br />
graduate. <strong>The</strong>n, thr .jtdcrabinl fed-<br />
~mg of die parents towards flirtation<br />
b mostly one of optimism, raging<br />
from ultimate exaltation to contra<br />
satisfaction. "I wasted my ion u enjoy<br />
Ms graduation mole than I did at<br />
my own." comment-d one father,<br />
"and a.'so reflect on what he had accomplished."<br />
Not surprisingly, spire patent*<br />
become reflective and scuimemal as<br />
high school graduation approaches,<br />
somelLnes as early as their child's<br />
freshman year. <strong>The</strong>y may constantly<br />
sith and »ay. "I car't believe my<br />
baby's graduating soon." rr<br />
something which seems equivalency<br />
degrading in Ihe opinion cf Ihe<br />
graduate-to-be. Ostensibly, these are<br />
the parents who plan tr gather as<br />
many graduation bids as possible so<br />
they can invite all the relatives to the<br />
commencement exercise.. While the<br />
graduate may not nectssarilv appreciite<br />
this gesture, at Iran there is<br />
coraolalion that his pareJls do care.<br />
Commencement<br />
<strong>The</strong>se parents want to vicariously<br />
enjoy their children's "commencemeat."<br />
Invariably, they may seem to<br />
be more energetic and enthusiastic<br />
than th: senior himself, who is not<br />
only exhausted from comrJeurg<br />
rcuntle- \ college applicauons but aljo<br />
has contracted a lerrib'e case of<br />
••seniority." Thus, while Ihe senior<br />
vegetates, hii partna are the ones<br />
win make Ihe preparaicm for Ihe btj<br />
event.<br />
In the other hand, some parents do<br />
rot experience tMuma with the ouet<br />
of > graduation, 'iiplalned ou<br />
parent. "I see graduation as a supping<br />
stonr to bigger and belle:<br />
dungs.. .mere's rsJy (little) rascn<br />
•o see it as a criminating point when<br />
theic's • futare ahead."<br />
Another parent reasoned, ..no<br />
matter if it's graduation from middle<br />
Khool. high scfconf, or college, it only<br />
seems more important than it actually<br />
b. (Such events) arc emphasucd<br />
more than daily accomplishments<br />
which happen to be just as imponani.<br />
Why do you think so many students<br />
are disappointed by graduation<br />
anyway?"<br />
One fnuhcr viewed graduation as<br />
a type 01 "imcrmiuior." She<br />
argued. "It's not as if you stop learniong<br />
after you graduate ..butwhen<br />
you're a senior you deserve lo relax<br />
and celebrate a little.<br />
Most of the parents concurred on<br />
one thing — that graduation is one of<br />
the unique events of one's life.<br />
HAPPY EARLY<br />
BIRTHDAY<br />
ARABELLA<br />
&<br />
SAMANTHA<br />
rmm:<br />
Ashley NjM Alimna<br />
Curia \] Tong<br />
Celeste<br />
Nl 7m<br />
Laura Sophia<br />
Ite Anna Uxu<br />
Stephanie Tina<br />
Michelle Sarah<br />
Cccrf Trudi<br />
Jenifer<br />
.FEATURE<br />
JU trwtU. Jw be<br />
looked on A\ nh^ppy lime. Afli-'f all.<br />
}car. »c »c,graduates<br />
go. ami we mm ihnn. hut<br />
then MKiKbod) cUc nil* ttut vpax<br />
ajptn."<br />
WanJa'tne Pcrclli, truth teacher<br />
and a Lm*ell goAutc benelf, thin>A<br />
iimibrty- "It's !i r our life. <strong>The</strong> funny<br />
thiny u that uudem* come and go.<br />
and we always vrc IX" same types of<br />
indents — ^< frcsl.nun looking<br />
tyy.etc —but the toilers get older<br />
cscry year. It K&ns ar. if teachers get<br />
older while students are always the<br />
Teacher* are very eater to see<br />
rraduates come back and vhit. Ptrtfli<br />
noud, "What really rruticrs io<br />
leachen. b when we rcaliw that we<br />
have touched torrruoc — maybe<br />
helped him to tovp certain itood<br />
metnoriea of hUh ichool or helped<br />
h im to n*£-t n good cMce of study<br />
fkld.... Btt then you will never<br />
know whetrvr or nu you have touch*<br />
"5d someone's heart uoless he comes<br />
back and tells you."<br />
How do teachers regard the Clais<br />
of *83 io term of actrveoeM? Granucci<br />
commented, "Over &.'), [ would<br />
"omider the <strong>class</strong> in b^ most active<br />
— slow to get st*;ied but extremely<br />
"Every year,<br />
we see graduates<br />
go, and we miss<br />
them, but then<br />
somebody else fills<br />
that space<br />
again."<br />
active as final deadlines approach.<br />
<strong>The</strong> number of people involved in<br />
Spirt V.'edt. PUtt Night Faculty-<br />
Student Game, and Prom all attcu to<br />
this."<br />
Otcar Hollander, science leacltcr.<br />
Jjrecd: "<strong>The</strong>v jtn irrv artnv c.»mpc.e-J<br />
IO ihe CIav» of 85 I abandoned<br />
at WaUiingttM, High Sthcol."<br />
HOWOTT. some teachen fed othcr-<br />
-*i%e. Frederick Slark. phyiii*\<br />
teacher, claimed. "No, I don'i consider<br />
the cU\% to be active. Actuall>.<br />
they ate ver> npithelic."<br />
With the ^er- increjiinp number of<br />
scr.i3rv *-h*: Ui |*c> io the annual<br />
May-Juiw epulcmic stniariiii as the<br />
day of the graduation approaches.<br />
teacher* are the people who arc mott<br />
affected by the symptoms of the<br />
students. Granucci declared. "It is an<br />
insidious paralysis of the brain. Il i\<br />
akin tu an automobile In neutral or an<br />
airplane on wto-pilot. It has reached<br />
plague proportion*."<br />
Donald Baker. Math tccchcr. emphatically<br />
stated, "<strong>The</strong> more talked<br />
about, the more it become* an acceptiblc<br />
mode of behavior. It could be<br />
a tot worse!!"<br />
SUMMER JOBS<br />
through<br />
Enterprise for High School Students<br />
If you are registered with us • come In lo updale<br />
* your card K> soon as you kdow you sumxer plans<br />
OR<br />
• !ryou are NOT registred - and wish lo be, you<br />
must<br />
1. Take a workshop<br />
2. Be Interviewed<br />
BEFORE JUNE 17th<br />
C&I1 us for an appointment now!<br />
921-6554