The Prowler Through the Decades
The 1960s
During this time period, a lot was happening in the country outside of Central High School. The black Civil Rights Movement was pushing forward at full speed, reaching a milestone with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which ended all segregation in public facilities and racial discrimination in employment as well as education. This was also an era of folk and rock and roll music. The Beatles were notorious in this time period as they ruled the rock and roll age. Folk music was about political idealism as the music in the time period is almost always related to the political moods. It also marked the start of the hippie era, a time period in which young adults grouped together in their own communities to listen to their own type of music and expressed the ideas of peace as well as love. This went in accordance with the Civil Rights Movement. These factors influenced the style in which the Central High School Prowler was written as well as what was included within the editions. Formatting: The format of the Prowler within this decade resembled more of a newsletter then a newspaper. It was rather basic without much effort put into it. There weren't any sections that each article or story would be divided into. Sports and opinion pieces could be seen on the same page as well as students poems. There were student-drawn arts produced with each article in relation to what that article was discussing. Ads from local community businesses covered parts of the pages, with some ads discussing inappropriate topics for a school setting such as smoking and alcohol. The bylines of the articles weren't present. Style: The Prowler was written in a more basic form. There was a lack of creativity present within the articles as it basically gave an overview of the topic. The headlines just presented the topic of the article without any real creativity involved. With a lack of censorship present, articles discussing topics like liquor and smoking were included. When political issues were being discussed, there wasn't much emphasis on the overall correctness. Grammar errors filled the pages. Major Topics: Although there were various topics discussed within the editions, the most common topics present were race discrepancies, Russia, Betty Crocker homemaker competitions, and the hippie movement. |
The 1970s
This decade marked a new age for women and the disco. The Equal Rights Amendment was passed in Congress 1972. This amendment declared that there should be equality of rights under the law no matter the gender of the person. However, it was never ratified into the Constitution. Unlike the 1960's, this decade's music was revolved around the disco movement. Played mainly at clubs around the country, disco music was derived from soul style and funk music which was the complete opposite of rock and roll. The hippie age was also continued throughout this decade.These factors influenced the style in which the Central High School Prowler was written as well as what was included within the editions.
Formatting: The format of the Prowler within this decade was still rather basic, but included more elements. Letters to the editors filled the sides of the pages in an edition. Ads were still located on the pages and some were still inappropriate for a school setting. There were bylines at the bottom of the article and there were typically two authors for each article. There weren't any sections for the articles to be sorted into. For the December editions, the paper was done in red or green ink rather then the usual black ink to represent the holiday time period. Movie reviews and fake parody stories were also included in some editions.
Style: This decade of Prowlers brought touchy topics of the era to light. This was done with less censorship then the previous decade, where curse words and other offensive comments were made. It was almost like the paper consisted solely of sarcastic comments. The article titles provided hints towards what the article was about, and were more creative. Religion topics were included as they weren't censored. Discussing various religions was allowed. Some articles included in the paper were full of false information and stories which was stated at the bottom of the article with a disclaimer that said, "This article is not true in any way, shape, or form." Grammar errors were still present within the editions.
Major Topics: Although there were various topics discussed within the editions, the most common topics present were Homecoming, hippies, and rights as a whole.
The 1980s
This decade came with many events and cultures that drastically impacted the Prowler and it's contents. The Cold War (1979 - 1985) plagued the US and the draft was reinstated. A movement of rock and roll, heavy metal, and soft rock swept across the country. AIDS, an STD, was identified. The space shuttle Challenger exploded after take off. These are just some examples of events that influenced the way the Prowler was written and its contents.
Formatting: The format of the Prowler was still basic, as no section titles divided the articles. Letters to the editors still filled the sides of the pages. Ads were still located at the bottom of the pages and still consisted of some inappropriate content for a school setting. The bylines were located at the top of the article, but underneath the title. There was usually only one author. Red ink was used for the February edition to represent Valentine's Day. Red or green ink was used for the December edition to represent the holiday season.
Style: The Prowler brought controversy topics to light again. This time, these topics involved world matters as well as the issues occurring at Central High School. Religion isn't censored within these editions. There are still spelling and grammar mistakes within the paper.
Major Topics: MORP, Mardi Gras,the draft, first amendment rights, and political disputes were common topics discussed within this decade of Prowlers.
The 1990s
This decade's events and cultures around the world influenced The Prowler. Bombings erupted across the country, including the Oklahoma City and the World Trade Center bombings. The Columbine School shooting shocked millions across the country as 15 were killed and 21 were wounded. The Rwanda genocide and Operation Desert Storm also took place. Rock, pop, and heavy metal music ruled the age. The youth wore t-shirts, jeans, and hoodies.
Formatting: The format of the Prowler's within this decade was completely different then the years previous. The articles were split into different sections. The sections were sports, news, opinions, features, social issues, and outlook. Letters to the editors weren't the only things filling up the sides of the pages. Nez's corner, filled with book reviews, and riddles also filled up the sides. The bylines were located at the top of the articles.
Style: The Prowler was written in a complex form. The article titles were creative and interesting, without revealing the entirety of the article's focus. Controversial topics were discussed like teen pregnancy and diversity. Religion wasn't censored. There were still spelling and grammar mistakes, however, there wasn't as many as there were previously. More effort towards spell check was noticeable.
Major Topics: Hate groups, vandalism, teen pregnancy, and culture were main topics.
The 2000s
This decade was one full of devastating tragedies and new wars. The September 11, 2001 attacks erupted the country in deep depression as 2,996 people died. The Iraq War forced troops to be deployed into Iraq and Afghanistan. Hurricane Katrina stroke Louisiana, destroying buildings and killing people in it's way. These are just some factors that influenced the Prowler. Formatting: The Prowler's format was complex and creative. There were still sections that divided the articles. The sports section was usually 2 or 3 pages long as it took up majority of the room for other sections. Another big section was the opinions. Controversy topics were discussed within this section. Letters to the editors were still done on the sides of certain pages. The bylines were located at the top of the paper, and only consisted of one author. There weren't any student drawn art presented within these editions. Style: The Prowler was written creatively. Word twists were used within the articles. The titles were written creatively and the hardly revealed the overall concept of what the article was about. Major Topics: The draft, September 11 attacks, first amendment rights, and the Iraq war. |