BE A
GOOD CITIZEN
THE BLACKBIRD
Published by Journalism Class of Rocky Mount High School
HELP
PREVENT FIRES
VOLUME XXIII
ROCKY MOUNT, N. C., TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1951
NUMBER 2
Newsees
Lost And Found
Becky Griffin, chairman of the
Student Activity department, re
ports that kerchiefs, books, foun
tain pens', notebooks, a locket,
windbreaker and numerous other
things have been turned into the
Lost and Found Office.
Students wishing to turn in arti
cles or to inquire about lost articles
should check by the Student Acti
vities Office between the hours of
i) and 4.
Girls on duty are Jean Hoell,
Catherine Magee, Janet Williams,
Charlottee Leonard, and Margaret
Eason. Girls on duty after school
are June Denson, Kitty Friar, John
nie Shelton, Pat Ryan and and
Aileen Griffin.
School Spirit Week Observed
School Spirit Week was celebrat
ed at Rocky Mount high school
September 24-28. Again the bulletin
board outside room B was used to
display and promote the theme of
the week.
During the regular assembly
period of that week Coach C. C.
Cleetwood and three members of
the Varsity football team, Dicky
Taylor, Charles (Nappy) Robbins,
and Bobby Owens, gave a demon
stration of football maneuvers to
help spectators to understand and
enjoy football. Coach Cleetwood
pointed out that school spirit is
vital all year in all activities. The
Week vfus cliniaxeti
by the Blackbird's victory over the
Goldsboro Earthquakes at Golds
boro.
Students Subscribe To Publications
For the past two weeks students
of RMHS have had an opportunity
to show their school spirit through
participation in subscriptions cam-
I>aigns of two of the school’s publi
cation—The Hi-Noc-Ar, yearbook
and The Blackbird, newspaper.
The Hi-Noc-Ar campaign started
. last Tuesday and the final results
of the campaign are not known at
this time. From all reports, how
ever, it was successful,
The Blackbird campaign was
conducted during the preceding
week. The final number of sub
scribers fell a little short of the
goal set, but was still large enough
to consider the sale a success.
‘School For Lovers’ Presented
“School For Lovers,” an opera
sung in English, was presented to
the school' children by the Grass
Roots Opera Company on Monday
afternoon of last week.
D. E. Officers Elected
Officers elected at the first
meeting of the school year for the
D. E. Club are president, Edgar
Joyner; vice-president, Cavelle Bat
chelor; secretary, Julia Robinson
and treasurer, Dick Hart. Miss Jean
Riddle, distributive education
teacher, is the advisor of the club
Test Schedule
Tuesday — Health, dramatics
foreign language, art.
Wednesday — English.
Thursday — Social Science.
Friday — Natural Science,
Homemaking, Vocational,
Commercial.
Tuesday — Mathematics.
SO Cabinet Gets Ready For Busy Year
mm»
President’s cabinet for ’51-’52 are, seated from left to right, Emily Baker, Tommy Slater, Kay Finch,
Gene Williams, Preston Bradshaw, Billy Cooper, George Patseavouras; standing are Jimmy Davis,
Becky Griffini, Johnny Johnston, Clay Daughtridge, Fred Patton, Janet Fulcher, and Albert Rabil,
—Photo by James Reid, Barringer Studio
Freshman Guidance Program
Stresses All Phases Of H. S.
Planned by Gene Williams, presi
dent of the student organization,
the freshmen orientation program
is off to a good start. .For the first
eight weeks, of the school year,
guidance hours are being used to
instruct th^ newcomers about every
phase of high school life.
The first the four meetings
held so far was on September 18.
At this time the presentation of
the handbook was made to each
freshman. The handbook is publish
ed by the student organization and
is very important to first year
students. Kay Finch explained the
school seal and motto which are
on the cover. Miss Kitchen, dean
of girls and adviser to the student
council, told them about adminis
trative regulations. Others on the
program were Gene Williams, who
explained the Student Organization,
and Preston Bradshaw, whc’told
of the various activities of RMHS.
School Spirit Stressed
The second meeting in the orien
tation had for ' its theme “School
Spirit Through the Support of
School Activities and Publications.”
The first fifteen minutes of the
program were spent practicing the
school song. The cheerleaders were
then introduced and led the group
;n some cheers. Representatives
'.rom The Blackbird gave a pre
view of the subscription campaign.
Albert Rabil, editor of the school
yearbook, introduced the staff and
announced the dates for the Hi-
Noc-Ar campaign.
“School Spirit Through Good
Scholarship” was the title of the
program given September 24.
George Patseavouras used as his
topice “Why We Should Study”
;uid gave three excellent reasons.
Julia Jordan used “How to Study”
as her subject and gave ten specific
rules. Mary Wilkinson spoke on
“Attitudes.”
Attitudes Important
The Fourth meeting on October
1 began with a continued talk
about “Attitudes” by Mary Wil
kinson. Miss Jessie Johnson told
the class the importance of the
school records. Freshmen teachers
and homeroom officers were intro-
(Continued on page 2)
Rutan, Dinner Speaker
At English Meeting
Creative writing—word pictures
.—will be the subject discussed by
Mr. E. J. Rutan, at the annual din
ner meeting of the English depart
ment 'tonight. This meeting will
he held in the Red Room at the
Ricks Hotel.
Mr. Rutan is an linguist and his
speciality is" Semantics, the study
6f the meaning of words and word
changes. Since there are two cours
es taught in school especially in
terested in this work, journalism
and creative writing, it is expected
I hat the talk will have much to of
fer.
Miss Jesse Johnson, chairman
of the English department, has ap
pointed two committees: decora
tions, Mrs. T. D. Young and Mrs.
W. H. Robbins; meal tickets. Miss
Rubie Vause.
The English teachers of high
school, the eight grade teachers,
the principals, and Mr. and Mrs. D.
S. Johnson, are expected to be pre
sent at this dinner meeting. A few
guests from Benvenue, West Edge
combe and Nashville, and Miss
Millie Moore, supervisor, and Mrs.
R. T. Jeffreys are expected also.
Student Hear Litov
Talk On Communism
“Yes, I believe in miracles,” said
Rev. Litov in- an interesting and in
formative talk to the student body.
Litov escaped from behind the Iron
Curtain through the help of dif
ferent people and organizations.
He lived in Bulgaria and played an
active part in the Methodist Church
there. The people in Rocky Mount
were able to hear Rev.' Litov
through an arrangement with the
National Committee for a Free
Europe.
He stated that it took six mira
cles to get him from behind the
Iron Curtain. The miracles started
with World War II and would be
too lengthy to tell during the time
alloted the interview. Because of
these miracles he is able to tell the
free worlds about the evils of com
munism and what life is like in the
communistic dominated nations,
thus warning them of this political
party.
Learning the English language
as Rev. Litov did was an untold
miracle. It took Rev. Litov only five
months to achieve knowledge of the
language. While in Georgia he ask
ed one of the professors for the
(Continued on page 4)
Chairmen Named;
Duties Outlined
Student Organization Committee
heads have been appointed and are
malting plans for a busy year. The
ten standing committees help make
up the president’s cabinet.
These committees and their
chairmen are Board of Finance,
Tommy Slater; Traffic, Clay
Daughtridge; Social, Emily Baker;
Prograwi, Preston Bradshaw; Fire
Drill, George Patsavoreaus; House
and Grounds, Jimmy Davis; Lost
and Found, Becky Griffin; Pub
licity, Janet Fulcher; Red Cross,
Johnnie Johnson; Elections, Bobby
Owens. Other members of the pres
ident’s cabinet are Editor of the
Hi-Noc-Ar, Albert Rabil; Editor
of the Blackbird, Fred Patton; and
President of the G A A’s, Margaret
Eason.
Two Committees Appointed
The two appointed committees
are Bulletin Board, Mary Ann
Brasewell and Sanitation
The Board of Finance is made
up of the treasurer of each class
and is headed by the treasurer of
the Student Organization. It han
dles all funds of the S O, budgets
and authorizes money spent.
The traffic committee has a ro
tation plan aand rot!>.tes iis mf'ir-
bers every twelve weeks. It sees
that there is order and good be
havior in the halls during recesses.
It is the duty of the Social Com
mittee to promote a feeling of
friendship among the students and
to cooperate with the social direct
or in scheduling and planning all
school social activities.
Programs Planned For Year
The Program Committee is made
up of the vice-presidents of each
class and is headed by the vice-
president of the Student Organ
ization. It arranges a schedule of
assembly programs throughout the
year and cooperates when necessary
in putting on a scheduled program.
It is the duty of the Fire Drill
Committee to plan, supervise and
hold fire drills once each month.
The chairman may determine the
exact time for the drills. It is also
this committee’s duty to maintain
order during the fire drills.
It is the duty of the House and
Grounds committee to see that the
building and grounds are kept neat
at all times and to suggest plans
for beautifying the school grounds.
(Continued on page 4)
Edsons Select ^o’s Boys’
‘Jo’s Boys’, a comedy in three
acts adapted from Loui.sa M. Al-
cott’s book of the same name, is
to be the first presentation of the
Edsonian dramatic organization
for the 1951-1952 school year.
Thi^ drama, under the direction
of Mrs. Mildred P. Kramer, teacher
of speech and dramatics in Rocky
Mount high school, is to be given
in )the high school auditorium,
November 30, 1951.
The scene of the comedy is laid
in Plunifield, Jo’s inheritance from
her aunt March. Here, all of her
sisters have come to stay with her
and her husband. Emil, her hus
band’s nephew, returns from a long
sea-voyage. Upon his arrival, how
ever, contentment is broken with
the news that Dan, an orphan, has
been injured in a mine accident.
It is around these incidents that
the plot develops into an interest
ing story.
The cast for this presentation
is to be selected sometime in the
immediate future.