I had two years of typing (helpful for computer usage), placed 1st at district UIL competition, 4th at regional so didn't go to state. I did go to state in science, tied for 4th or 5th IIRC. Also placed at district in journalism headline writing (which I thought was kinda off-the-wall ... the class was small so everyone who didn't outright refuse was tapped for competition in something).
Whirlpool, once a peer of Maytag and building nearly as good equipment, has systematically destroyed most of the brands we knew. They own nearly all the remaining US brands apart from Speed Queen and Frigidaire, you get more or less the same guts no matter what the sticker on top says. Part of the sacrifice in quality and reliability is due to chasing profits, you can't run any business losing money. The 2nd ingredient is interference by the EPA. Can't use any water, can't use any power, gotta make a profit, so we have plastic transmission gears in a tin housing, with a clock motor to shift into spin, all hanging from a few strands of "baling wire" from a tin housing. As long as they last through the warranty, job done. The Neptune washer and it's "drum splitter" cohort dryer probably was the coffin nail that enabled Whirlpool's purchase of Maytag. Then we got "Maytag" fridges built on a Magic Chef line, about as well made as a 1980's Norge washer.
Neptune was in 1997. The WP Duet was in 2001 (and KM HE3).
