Mr. Alley Addresses Seniors

Dear Graduates:

You have now come to the terminal step In your quest for a basic education to meet the needs of life. We hope that your experiences at J.P. Stevens have been rewarding and will continue to be the source for the energy which will maintain you In your quest for a successful life.

Livlng the successful life is much more than an accumulation of academic knowledge. It also consists of the accumulation of values, the acquisition of values, the acqul. sltlon of a code of living, and a code of decency. The devotion to the success of others Is also a very vital Ingredient to the good life.

At Stevens we have tried to pre-



sent to you a balanced approach to the future. We have offered you a fine faculty with an outstanding academic program so that you could pursue academics In the manner which you decided. You could have pursued advanced and honors programs or you could have acquired a much more minimal approach to academic achievement. All of It has been here for you. What you have acquired has been your choice.

We have also tried to preach "service above self" with dedication to people and things that need your loving attention. You have responded magnificently. Your record of concern for others will



stand as a tribute to you and your class.

You will now go your Individual ways. You will find that life wlil unfold with a myriad of challenges, some of them so demanding that they will floor you temporarily. What you make of yourself is primarily stili up to you. We hope that your education will provide you with the ability to meet all challenges so that you, too, will "overcome". We wish you the very best In all you do. May kind thoughts of Stevens live with you always.

Sincerely,

Harold R. Alley,
Principal


'84 News
Recapped
Math League Accrues Awards

We began the year amidst rumors such as "School won't start until October" and "We'll have to go to Edison High". The reason was the removal of harmful asbestos from the ceilings. Fortunately, the problem was removed Just In time, and we were able to begin school promptly on September 12. In addition to this disappointment, students were confronted with a revised Attendance Policy which stated that students absent for three or more consecutive days which would previously have been excused are now considered unexcused for the first two of those days. Also, the number of tardles allowed to first period has been reduced from 6 to 5 per semester. Most Importantly, this year began the use of the Infamous "Box" as a new form of "cruel and unusual punishment" for those students convicted of crimes punishable by suspension. The new "In.house suspension" has brought notoriety to its guards, notably stormtrooper Mrs. Harris, and Its live-Ins, who should not be mentioned for obvious reasons.

In other areas, the Debate Club had an "awesome" year, the best year It's ever had thus far. The triumphs began at the Hershey Middle Atlantic Regional Model UN when JPS students won 4 out of a possible 7 offices and 2 out of a possible 3 outstanding delegation awards to South Africa and France. Also, 3 JPS students were selected to represent the program at National. Affairs (Scott Lippe, Michelle Messing, and Mike Bressman), a very prestigious honor. The victory continued at the National H.S. Model U.N. at New York. There, JPS won for the third consecutive year the' title of National Champions by the U.S.S.R. delegations, winning best delegations awards .in the G.A. Sec. Coun., ICJ and. Eco/Soc. In recognition of their superior debating skills they have been selected to participate in The Hague International Model U.N.

continued on page 4

From October to May on the first Tuesday of each month, the members of the school's math league sharpen up their pencils and minds and set to work in a furious display of mental activity. Solutions are discovered, discarded, suggested, and even randomly guessed at within minutes in this highly competitive yet largely silent contest; the grunts and groans are merely mental, and the only Indication of progress Is the occassional scratching of .penclls or the complete destruction of a single sheet of scratch paper.

This team, advised by Mr. Fouratt, regularly consists of George Chen, Ben Tam, Soo Lee, Jennifer Yu, Cary Yeh, Suneet Mittal, Soo Young Lee, David Tabak, and Craig Skolnick. On the second Tuesday of each of the above months, the members of the team are given 10 difficult math problems, often of the "brain-teaser" type, with an hour to solve all of them; no calculators are permitted durlna the

exam. Because the team must go to other schools to participate In the contests about an hour Is allotted for travel. The test Itself ends at 5:00 P.M., but because the team stays behind to walt for results, they often arrive home about 6:00 P.M. The usual high score on one of these tests Is an 8, with very few g's and an occasslonal10. Stevens team members usually score between 3 and 7 correct problems.

The combines team score Is obtained by taking the 3 highest Indl. vidual scores and adding them together. However, only 5 members of the math league can be potential team scorers - these are chosen by Mr. Fouratt. The team scorers usually consist of George Chen, Ben Tam, Jennifer Yu, and David Tabak, with a different fifth person chosen according to Mr. Fouratt's evaluation of their performance and potential. The four usual team scorers are so designated because they consistently do well on the exams, and each one Is amona the

top ten scorers in the school dIstrict. This has placed J.P. Stevens In the first place position in the district, where the team finished out the competitive season last month.

George, the team leader and the top Individual scorer in the district with an average score of 8, was instrumental In enabling Stevens to finish well ahead of all other district schools. Unlike some other teams, however, the Stevens team does not practice for their competitions, but Instead relies on their innate ability, application of classroom instruction, and more often than they might admit, a little luck. .

Although George Is a valuable asset, and the loss of this year's seniors will greatly affect the team, Mr. Fouratt seems confident that the juniors and sophomores will be able to pick up where this year's graduates left off. If they are lucky, they will be able to maintain Stevens' reputation as tops in mathematics.

Candidates Prepare for '84 Election

J.P. Stevens students, while lookIng forward to a season of surf and sun this summer also have presidential elections to be concerned with. November 1984 will be an Important time for many graduating seniors and juniors because of their newly acquired right to vote.

This year's election should be an Interesting one as fierce competition Is already evident In the Democratic primaries. Front-runner Walter Mondale has been able to hold off challenger Senator Gary Hart thus far and Is looking for enough delegates to capture the nomination at the Democratic convention. Jesse Jackson has entered the Democratic race and Is hoping his "rainbow coalition" will have enough strength

to be a force In U.S. politics in the future. Hart has shown much strength In New England and the Mid-West, but Mondale has fared well In the populous urban centers. All three candidates campaigned In New Jersey hoping to gain support for the New Jersey primary held on June 5. The campaign thus far has been characterized by much "mudslinging" as disparaging remarks made by Jackson and Hart have been thrown Into the national limelight. This mudlslnglng may be unintentional, as candidate fatigue has been a major factor In the primary.

The winner of the Democratic nomination will earn the opportunity to face Incumbent Ronald Reagan

In the November election. The major Issues this election year concern the perennial favorites such as the Middle East situation, the federal budget, and U.S. defense and nuclear policy, as well as newer Issues such as the Central American situation and school prayer. With the situation In Central America and the Middle East worsening, and with the recent Moscow boycott of the Olympics, this election could be a critical one In United States history. All eligible voters In Stevens should listen to the candidates' platforms carefully to make an informed decision In the election. But most of all we must remember the old but true cliche that every vote does Indeed count.
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