Severely handicapped class arrives - The Lowell

jMondale wins!
BJAJQUU
If Limll High School -etc l/>
chow* the nation* j nol president.
Walter Mondile would be In-
>ti|tintedoniimui720,19*6
Walter Mondale loujdl,
(Mea'cd Irxumbent President
Rooald Keaiu In . recent. Inbrnal
poll of tn> hundred and ten
students Iran djht registries (two
from ach class).
Although Mondale defenled
Proldtnt RmjUT by a nlher Urge
nuntln. 493% to 35.7%. with
14.«% undecided, he Irai among
the males sho panidpaled la the
poD by 5.9 percenuge points (47.6
>O4I.7, with 10.7% undechM).
Mcnda*c's dace o[ Cenldine
Ferraro as his running mats seemed
to be the deciding factor for
many of the females in support of
Moodale. Oerall. 42J% of the
Mondale lupperlers felt that Ferraro
was a deciding factor for
them.
Tne other questions In the poll
concerned topics such as fr.'.ial
funding for abortiom. a Cbnstttutanul
Amendment requiring a
balanced budget, religious
meetings on school grounds and a
passible tastalie.
Even though Mondale was
clearly more popular than Reagan,
rtiidcnts wen: critlcid of hb stands
on the bsues staled above.
Students dbacrecd with MonxMe'*
belief that taxes mutt be
rahrd in Truer to cut the budget
deficit JOS% to 20%. with 29.5%
undedded. His stand against the
Balanced Budget Amendment was
(Melted by a margin of 47.6S to
12.9%. with 39.5% undecided.
Senior Kai Mandcr staled, "I
fed safer with Mondale in ofOca
' becamc'wtuV^um. there will be leu
chance fu war."
Junior Robert Kim agreed.
"Rcagaa seems much too interested
In the military aspects...
There h no need lo Increase our
ancr.ll of these (nuclear) weapons
when we !
destroy the earth many times
owt-r.**
. Some people were totally
' disinterested In the Presidential
race. An unidentified Junior commented.
**. . . Reagan and Mondale
are all the same. The? promise
and tell you things that sound
so beUcrable that you rale for
'tbem. but once President, they go
.'- back oo their promises/*
Some others were discounted
because the candidate they were
hoping for didn't make it Ihroum
the primaries.
One Junior. John Vidarer. wrote
"Jesse in W
Many people commented that
they would rather have Cary Hart
running against Reajan In the
November elections.
"I support Mondale by default.
I'd hoped for Hart to become
Democratic candidate, but of
course, he lest." lamented Kim.
Another junior added. "I would
support Mondafc because Gary
Han isn't on the ticket."
Several others were outspoken
In their support of Reagan.
Rlchird Weeks, a senior, had
this to say. "Reagrn is awev.-nr.
As an economic President, (hel cut
down inflation and rabed the
O.N.P. He's not the war monger
people harr called him. There
haven't been any wars.
"Hiving a woman Vice President
should not be toe luge. People
should not vote lor Mondale
Just because Fcrraro n a woman.
Ouallficallons should be the
iuue. °
The feeling among Reagan supporters
seemed to be that he ciucTes
confidence aid charisma,
while Mandate is boring and lacks
charisma.
Senior Philip Kwong agreed.
"Roiald Reagan is just better
qualified. There's an optimbtle.
patriotic feeling running through
Ihecountir.**
Yet the fact still remains thai
the majority of Lowcllites stand
with Mondale. but are split on the
political him*!
Although mott were undecided,
thotc who gate an anvfter were In
favor of federal funding for abortions.
An overwhelming amount sided
with Reagan on th*. Amendment
issue, saying that there should be a
law that would require a balanced
budget.
A vast majority of those polled
disagreed with the Supreme Court,
stating thai there shouldn't be
religious meetings on school
d
Senior Tina Perricone summed
LDwellllcs* feelings best wben she
said. "I'd jut! tote for Mondale
because I absolutely don't want
Reagan In office."
(reported by Dan Purser)
Poll reveals sentiments
U Whkhcarrlldale do you support In
the presidential clectionsT
a.) Reagan
b.) Mondale
c) Undecided
Z) Uyourchoiccis Mondale, did
Us chcJce of Ferraro influence
your do-felon?
a.} Vtl
b.) No
" c) Undecided
X) Arayoulnfat-orot federal
tandtog for abortions?
a.) Yes
b.) Mo
> c.) Undecided
4.) Do you favor a Constitutional
' -, Amendment that would require
2-> • balanced budget?
s.*^ «•) Va
i • b.) No
' " e.) Undecided
S5.) Dojoa [eel rdlgVms rootling!
*••" should te held on public school
•Ya
b.) No*
„-. cj -Jnderided
b-M Doyca fed ils rate 'a
**" necessary U)cut Uiefederal
•cVUdt? ,
S» "no
f,-c)" Undecided
Males Females
47.6%
41.7%
10.7%
60%
5.7%
2i6%
27.4%
50%
38.1S
17.9%
44%
11.9%
son
38.1%
20.2%
44%
35.7%
34.9%
54.8%
IOJ%
46.4%
50.7%
2.9%
40.S*
27%
54%
9.5%
3t-5%
22.2%
57.1%
20.6%
19.8%
54%
26^%
Total
40%
42J%
53.8%
3.8%
33J%
27.1%
39.6%
47.6%
18.1%
S4J%
27.4%
20%
50%
30%
"Hie Until. October5, HH, Ptf IS
,IN DEPTH
Apathy plagues youth
"Hcilno—wewon'tgo!'*
Over a decide has passed since
UXMC «ordi UK echoed across the
nation's campuict. In the altcrma'h
of the Vietnam era.
American itudcnu have become,
by and large, more conservative,
marc carcer-oricnted, and more
apathetic.
Increased competition In the Job
market, the absence of an ongoing
war, and a rekindled scroc
of patriotfam — both for the
lcbool and for the country — have
bred a studmt who placet hb
carter and future over global conwet
Ironically, this lack of political
Involvement comes at a time when
many students live In fear of
atomic war. A poll of 2.000 top
high Khool students, conducted
tan fall by iMucitlonal Coromunkallom
of Lake Pore-U, ItlinoK.
revealed that nearly a
quarter apeel nuclear war within
their lifetime.
So what has happened to the
mats protests of the W» and early
70'»?
AccotJint; to Sandra Bird,
Lowell social science teaclier and
Foremics coach, the dissenter*
hare nol disappeired; they have
simply chosen to work through
other avenues.
"During the Vietnam era. tlterc
was a group of students who were
mod awe. or rather, more
'vocal.'* Bird stated, "I'm not sure,
though, if they were well versed 01
the subject. Sow, there still is a
parentage of politically aware
students — but they're not as visible."
Such people include the 1.500
ttudentx and faculty members at
Stanford Unh-enity who have sign*
cd petitions opposing nuclear
research.
Nevtrtbefci* the **iil*inV,and
"Txxadlc petitions of today are a
for cry from the violent. 2,000-
•Urc-ng demomtrations o( 15 years
ago. According to a study whirh appeaml
in US. te*i tad World
Report the Hsues of the 1980's —
nuckar war. America's role la El
Salvador, reduction In student
financial aid. and draft rcgistration
— lack "... the urgency of
the catMe* cf i decade igo.**
Bird coocurnd, explaining.
"Since no one b being drafted at
the present Unu. there b no clear
danger to the studenU."
Increased competition in the
job* mar Let has alto forced
ttudents to be more pragmatic
about their futures. As a result.
Dan J»c]uon, Social Science
Department head, stated,
"Students today arc more carteroriented
than hsuc-oricnted."
"You see that in the computeriuoon
cf society and student
interest in math and science." he
continued. "In social studies, for
example, there arc more
economics and fewer tociology
students."
It is not surprisinft. then, that
there has been a resurgence of confervatlim
among American
students. In a recent poll con*
ducted by the editors of Who's
Who Aatoag American High
School Students, a majority of
ltudcnts surveysil favored Khool
prayer and an amendment banning
abort loot.
Comcnrativc lifestyle* mrc thriving
a* well. At the Unircnity of
California at Berkeley, membership
in fraternities and sororities Is
up 2S0% from the late 60*s.
Hand in hand with conwrvatlim
te a renewed sense of patriotism,
reflected in the booming
cnlistroenu in college Reserve Officer
Training Corps progiims
acrou the country. Patriotism applies
nol only to the nation, but to
ant's Khool as well- ChccHeading
and pep ratlia arc nourishing,
alter falling from favor in the
counter-culture movement of the
60*s.
As Jackson pointed out. "In any
generation there arc some who
push the borders of acceptance,
but on the whole, students are
thinking and acting more comer-
It b often those at the borden of
acceptance who arc trios*, "rilling to
tUgr protests and demonstrations.
During the Democratic Conven*
lion in Sui Francisco, groups of
"perce-punks" staged dramatic
"die-ln's" In front of Mosconc
Center.
An unfortunate side effect of tbe
new. carec-r-orkntcd student b a
declining number of registered 18ycar
old voters.
According to Jackson, The
adoption of tbe 26th Amendrornt
— which gave 18-year olds tbe
right to vote — occurred during
Vietnam era* when young people
Wt a need tc change policy.*'
"No*, since they have no La*
mediate fear," he continued.
BUD BIRKENSEER
"they are perhaps not willing to
accept the responsibility of par*
tldpaling in the politic J process**
Despite the growing talk of
political awareness In oar high
scboob and college*, a number of
students are tryir.c. to'take an act-he
role In pttitics. One such student
b Junior Kathy Ouon Ouon.
a rcpreKntatirc of the Chinese*
American Voter Education Coeamittrv
(CAVEQ, b registering
eligible Lowell students and their
parents to vote. In conjunction
with th? LEC.
Ouck-n, >ho was introduced to
CAVEC by a teacher at the School
for -Susineu and Commerce, feds
that wtlng b particularly important
to youth. "Pcuple are growing
up really apathetic,** she stated.
"They think that one vote doesn't
make a difcrecce, but when
Uka Out.
rtii* elecCon year ha« procntcJ
ttudents with • prime oppottuniry
to participate in political campaign*.
Senior ' lary Jane Sanchez,
who had previous experience
campaigning for 5ala Burton and
Duuinr Fdnstdn, atlenl" Style
HW CMC f Of MEN t IWWI
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