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1981 John Jay knew how to have some fall fun

The 1980’s were a time of iconic movies (Pretty in Pink, Stand By Me, Ferris Beuller’s Day Off etc.), interesting fashion choices of denim on denim and neon galore, and some pretty explosive hairdos. It is hard to picture yourself in the 80’s, as much as you might wish to spend a day in Molly Ringwald’s famous Breakfast Club boots. Many people were embracing a new political, economic, and social conservatism in culture, led by the policies of Ronald Reagan. But this conservatism and the rise of the New Right was met with resistance from popular culture. MTV became a forum for those who went against society and wanted to vent their frustrations, and is one of the best ways we can observe today what mattered back then.

How else can we see what mattered back then? Luckily, Dr. Hefferon saved up copious Focus newspapers from when she was the club advisor. Before she retired, she passed these archives down to me. Looking through these newspapers felt surreal, considering how far the Focus has come and how important it really is to our school. These newspapers show you what was important, specifically what was important in the Katonah-Lewisboro community. A lot has changed, and a lot hasn’t. We still report on our great high school sports, but problems with smoking, drugs, and alcohol tend to not take up so much space. These articles reflect a community concerned with the well-being of its students, school spirit, and the new, changing culture of the 80’s. Look for yourself! What do you notice? What do you think these newspapers say about John Jay then and John Jay now?