What’s Inside Glass CorridorsJanuary 2014 High School or Prison? p. 14 Westhill’s 50th Reunion p. 2&3 Music Lessons Helpful or Hurtful p. 15 Break-up Advice p. 7 Today’s Trends p. 10&11 Gifts on a Budget p. 12&13 Glass Corridors Westhill from the Ground Up By Liz Klink for informa- to high school somewhere.” This tion about the school was full of new opportu- formation of nities for students. Tim Bunn, the school. the 1964 class president, lived Since it was 50 in Tipperary Hill and was al- years ago, not lowed to attend Westhill if he many people worked off the cost as a custodian. remember, but The 1960s were different our Superin- times, therefore a different way To some people, it is quite tendent Mr. Barduhn was the son of of life. There were different clubs, clear how much has changed since a member of the first Westhill Board sports, fun activities and fashion. the 1960s. Schools were much dif- of Education. The Board didn’t just Some of the clubs at Westhill were ferent fifty years ago. Westhill hasn’t decide which houses would be in- Future Homemakers of Ameri- been around forever; it was formed in cluded and which wouldn’t. Mr. ca, Future Teachers of America, the 1960s. This July, the first graduat- Barduhn said, “They went door to and Future Nurses of America ing class of Westhill is having a 50th There were door with . which were all female clubs. reunion for the first students of this a sheet of school. For alumni, it will be strange different paper ask- coming back after so many years. clubs, sports, ing peo- In the 1950s, elementary ple if they students attended small schools fun activities wanted to closer to their homes. Once it was and fashion. join the time for high school, the schools district. were bigger, so sometimes people They could either say yes or no. who went to different elementary This method is known as gerryman- schools could end up together in dering.” If a person said no, but his high school. People living in Onon- neighbor said yes, it would form very Future Homemakers of America daga Hill could have gone to various strange lines. That is why our school schools, depending on their ad- has such odd boundaries; some The sports were very similar to today, dress. Some could go to Marcellus, houses two minutes away may be a but for boys only. For girls, the only OCS, or city schools. People living part of a different district, but hous- sport was cheerleading. There were in Westvale would go to either West es twenty minutes away could be. still games and dances back then. Genesee or Solvay. When schools When the Westhill Cen- For fun, the students would attend started to cut their numbers, Solvay tral School District was formed, a dance right after the big games. A stopped allowing Westvale residents students came from Westvale and 1964 graduate, Sally Siemoens said, to attend their schools. After this Onondaga Hill, and most of them “We had dances, sports activities, happened the first Board of Edu- probably wouldn’t have known each concerts, plays.” So in that sense, life cation of Westhill decided to try to other. A 1964 Westhill graduate, seems like it might not have been form a school that included West- Ginnie Allen Russo said, “It wasn’t too different… except their danc- vale and Onondaga Hill students. really hard to transition because es didn’t consist of grinding and Thankfully we have a source we would have all been going on twerking. The dances consisted of GC Features 2 Winter Glass even more inappropriate dancing at Tim Bunn explained that most Corridors the time; the twist, the swim and the people just knew how they were pony. At the time these dance move- expected to dress. He said, “’No ments were strikingly inappro- jeans allowed. I had to get a cou- priate. Imagine parents’ reactions ple pairs of chinos, which were the then to the dancing we have now! uniform of the day. Kids at West- Students in the 60s looked hill were very well dressed. Many and dressed very differently from of the guys wore very expensive students today. The hair was dif- mohair sweaters, shirts with ties, ferent, glasses were different, the that sort of thing.” Guys weren’t shoes were different, and the clothes allowed to wear jeans, and girls were… well, you know. The glasses weren’t allowed to wear any type often seen today are large, square, of pants. Girls often wore dress- dark rimmed glasses. These large es or nice skirts with a classic pair ray-ban-like glasses are often worn of clogs. Sally Conklin Siemoens today as fake glasses by people who claimed, “It was just ‘known’ what want to make a certain fashion you should and should not wear.” statement. Unfortunately the peo- In many ways, today’s way ple with actual vision problems are of life is far different from life in often mistaken as wannabe hipsters the 60s, especially in schools. The for wearing these glasses, even if first students of Westhill had a Most Likely to Succeed. they need them. In the 60s, if people much different high school ex- couldn’t see well they had to wear perience, from clubs to outfit glasses because contacts weren’t choices. Ginnie Allen Russo’s re- around yet. The most common sponse to the reunion coming up glasses style was the cat eye. The was, “Where did these 50 years typical hairstyle wasn’t pin straight go . that same question will like it is today. Most girls either be yours sooner than you think!?” had a flip or a bubble. Hair for the The class of 1964 is in for a big sur- boys wasn’t too different. In West- prise when they step foot into West- The “bubble.” The “flip.” hill there was no written dress code. hill 50 years after their graduation. Glass Corridors Staff Journalists: Kayla Wild Ashley Rocker Emily Kessler Samantha Peebles Amanda Morrissey Bianca Surrey Emily Washburn Advisor: Ms. Brown Editor: Elizabeth Klink 12.2013 3 GC Features Glass Corridors A MILE DOWN THE ROAD BY SAM PEEBLES Every year er bubble?” Ac- around this time, cording to an ar- students at Westhill ticle written by are asked to donate Paul Reide from clothes, food, money, the Post Stan- and other household dard in 1997, items. But do these when it comes students know the im- to Westhill, it is pact they’re making? well known that When Westhill spon- the students sors donations, such as are able to get a the St. Lucy’s food drive, students income of around $67,564 and good education in a safe learning are generally bribed with some- a median household income of environment. Not only is West- thing like “free breakfast” for the $60,008 own the households sur- hill a safe school, but also the class that collects the most items, rounding Westhill. This includes average graduation rate is 98%, which really drives students to all ages; however, adults ages and 95% of Westhill graduates want to donate as much as pos- 45-54 living in Westvale have the attend college. However, Fowler, sible. Of course, who doesn’t love highest annual household income along with the other city schools a friendly competition, but there of $77,341. in Central New York, have sig- is more to these donations that The areas surrounding St. most students really don’t under- Lucy’s church also include the than most. The average gradua- stand. city school, George Fowler High tionnificantly rate atlower George graduation Fowler ratesHigh Just 2.5 miles down the School, which is just 1.76 miles School is 48%, which is one of--if road, where St. Lucy’s food pantry down the road from Westhill High not the--lowest graduation rates is located, is one of the poorest School. The households surround- in Central New York. areas in the country. Within the ing this part of Syracuse have an The students of Fowler short distance between the Near average annual household income do not complain about the edu- Westside Syracuse and the areas of $27,823 and a median house- cation they get, but rather what around Westhill, there is a huge hold income of $20,584. Just like happens in the neighborhoods difference in demographics. From in Westvale, the adults ages 45- outside of school (Riede). Most education, to annual household 54 living in Near West Side Syra- kids are not safe walking through income, these two areas live in cuse make the most money with the streets surrounding Fowler very different worlds. an annual household income of High School. These streets are One of the major differ- $24,293. Money is a big difference full of “weed spots,” above aver- ences that separate these two that sets these two areas apart. age crime rates, and above aver- areas is the annual household in- Education is a big deal for age rape risk. With some of the come. According to the website students living in the ‘Westhill highest crime statistics in Amer- Point 2 Homes - bubble’, but how big of a deal is it ica, these neighbors of Westhill ilies with an average household for students living in the “Fowl- do not have the same American , fairly affluent fam GC Features 4 Winter Glass Corridors A MILE DOWN THE ROAD CONT . high school experience as most suburban students across the country.