THE BLACKBIRD
Published by Journalism Class of Rocky Mount Senior Hieh School
Congratulations
Miss Print
VOLUME XXVII
ROCKY MOUNT, N. C. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16. 1955
NUMBER 4
Superlatives
Seniors Choose
Top Members
Outstanding seniors, whose pic
tures will appear in the Hi-Noc-
Ar, have been picked in a senior
class election and another honor
announced.
Fred and Ray Joyner, president
and vice-president of the student
body respectively, are two of the
senior boys chosen for their out
standing service to the school.
Harold Gilbert, president of the
National Honor Society; Tommy
Vaughan, treasurer of the student
body; and Fred Harris, editor of
the Hi-Noc-Ar, can add to their
list of accomplishments a job well
done on this year’s Blackbird
squad.
James Ezzell is a credit to the
school as treasurer of the senior
class and co-advertising manager
of The Blackbird.
Mariah Parker, Pay Batts, Cacky
Atkins, Joyce Harris, and Norma
Savage have held class offices
and are well-known for their
school spirit
Another honor bestowed on a
local student is the selection of
Kathryn Batten as the DAR girl.
This choice was made by the fa
culty on the basis of dependa
bility, patroitism, leadership, and
service. The members of the senior
class, however, acted as the no
minating committee.
Adviser Announces
News of Sock Hop
On Last Exam Day
■‘Hard student participation de
serves recreation” was a portion of
the announcement given by Mrs.
Gladys Robbins, advisor, as she
issued news of a Sock Hop, to be
.sponsored by the senior class the
last day of mid-term exams.
Music will be furnished by a
juke box and a small admission
fee will be charged. This fee will
go into the senior class treasury
to help defray expenses of the an
nual “Senior Day.”
Mrs. Robbins said the dance was
set for this particular date because
both the students and teachers
would need a morale builder after
a hectic week of mid-terms.
Santa Crowns Miss Print
Norma Bulluck Wins Contest
With Santa Claus presiding,
Norma Bulluck was crowned Miss
Print and Banks Currin, her cam
paign manager, was named Mr.
RMSHS by Jimmy Moore, editor,
who was the M. 0. in disguise
during the annual coronation ser
vice combined with the Christmas
assembly program this morning.
Noi-ma won the title by accumu
lating 6,488 votes of a total 25,858.
Jean Williams was loinner-up with
Boys Reach Finals
Fred Harris and Dan Boone
have reached semifinalists posi
tions in the National Merit Schol
arship Corporation contest.
They placed in the top 4,000 of
64,000 students who took the pre-
ti
they must take an aptitude test
of the College Entrance Examina
tion Board.
Finalists will receive scholar
ships according to actual finan
cial needs. Awards will range from
$100 to the complete cost of col
lege.
Kudos Spread Sale Of Ribbons
To Promote Interest In Sports
Kudos Klub, senior high school’s
newest service club, has ventured
to carry on the sale of ribbons to
promote interest in sports other
than football for the first time in
the history of the school.
This particular project has
been sponsored for football only
heretofore by the Service Club.
Although the Kudos are the “in
fants” of RMSHS clubs, they are
making themselves well-known
through their services to the
pchool and by introducing new
projects and activities.
Originality seems to run high in
the group, since the Kudos intro
duced another “first” in the form
of a luncheon meeting during club
period only recently. Lunch was
prepared by the cafeteria staff
and served to the students at the
beginning of activity period. At
the end of the meal business was
attended by Mrs. Young, the ad
viser, and Mr. Edson.
Suggestion for the luncheon was
made by Mr. Edson who added
that other RMSHS Klubs (pardon.
clubs) might follow the same sug
gestion.
■1
h X
Selling ribbons for the Kudos
Klub, Pat Johnson, club presi
dent, is shown making her first
sale to Henry Warren, senior.
Photo by Barringer
Noiroa Bulluck with Banks Currin as her campaign manager
^ pictured above after winning the 1955 Miss Print campaign.
She w^cr^ed fn a» assembly »fter wlnrbig the contest with
' e,48S votes. ' ■ ,, , —
Photo by Barringer
.Christmas Dance.
Students Recieve Invitations
Sparkling, glittering invitations,
made by the social committee of
the Student Organization, have
been given to evei’y student in
school for the annual Christmas
dance tonight in the school gym
from 9 until 12 midnight.
Special invitations are available
for any guests that might attend.
Students v/ere requested to register
the names of those guests and ob
tain their invitations from
Kate Kitchen, social director.
The social committee mombers
have spent much time and ef
fort in preparation for this dance.
Other than making the invitations,
they have worked hard in decorat
ing the school gym.
Girls Enter Exams
Betty Crocker Scholarship
exams were given in the art
room to twenty-two senior
girls on December 6.
General Mills Inc. sponsor
ed the contest which consisted
of two parts. Thirty-five min
utes were devoted to objective
questions on home-making
with ten minutes for an essay
question.
Tests were mailed to Science
Research Association which
promised the results in Jan
uary, giving the winner for
the school who is also eligible
for the state and national
awards.
Music will be played by the
East Carolina Collegians. The
PT'SA is helping the Student Or
ganization with refreshments for
everyone. Games and other in
terest activities will be conducted
in the gym for those who do not
want to dance.
Rules that are applicable to all
school dances are (1) no wandei'-
ing in and out of the gym during
dance hours, (2) no smoking on
dance floor, (3) admission to
dance by invitations only, and (4)
no parties after the dance.
5,666 votes. Her campaign mana
ger was Lyman Whitehead.
With Christmas music in the
background. Santa Claus and the
Christmas Spirit (Eleanor Bul-
luck) came from the chimney and
called the candidates and their
managers to the stage. Each con
testant was presented a gift do
nated by Baldwins. Rosenblooms,
Penney’s, the Center Theatre,
Belk Tylers, or W. C. Reid Music
Company. The campaign mana
gers were presented a small gift
from the staff in appreciation for
their work.
Final gift from Santa was the
beautiful arm bouquet of flowers
and the Miss Print crown as he
announced the winner. Miss Pi’int
took the throne and her court
gathered around for the Christ
mas program.
Miss Print campaign is sponsor
ed annually by THE BLACKBIRD
to supplement the funds for the
publication. Each contestant sets
up a plan to solicit funds, and
eucll p^^iy coli(;cL^5 vuuiiua a Vuitt
for her.
Girls who participate are no
minated by the students and they
in turn choose their campaign
managers. This year the girls and
managers are Alma Daughtridge
and Bobby Southerland with
5,385 votes: Norma Savage and
Jimmy Davis with 1,903 votes;
Jean Williams and Lyman White
head with 5,666 votes; Norma
Bulluck and Banks Currin with
6.488 votes; Sylvia Updergraff and
Bradley Dozier with 4.124 votes;
and Tonya Pennington and Ray
Joyner with 2,292 votes.
This project has been conducted
by THE BLACKBIRD for the past
seven years. Last year’s winner
was Erwin Robbins.
TV ‘Celebrities’ Display Ability
In Teen Talent On Channel
TV “Celebrities” of senior high
school will display their talent
over channel 9, WNCT. in the
Teen Talent Program under the
.supervision of James Ezzell and
Foy Bradshaw, Saturday, Decem
ber 31.
Talent will include Eeanor
Bulluck, doing a toe dance; Peggy
Jones, singing “The lord’s Pi-ay-
er”; Davide Barney, presenting
his version of “Sennon of the
Psaltre”; selections from “Show
boat” by selected members of the
choir; and a piano solo by Pay
Batts.
Foy Bradshaw and Mr. Charlie
Graham, adult adviser, are helping
James. Fay Batts and Minnie Wil
liamson are handling the music.
As art director, Jean Williams is
going to draw posters to be dis
played on the program. Aaron
Matthews is in charge of trans
portation.
Future Teen Talent shows will
be televised every six weeks If
possible. In addition to talent
from the local schools, Benvenue
and West Edgecombe High Schools
may be called on for their “talent
ed teenagers.”
Teen Talent began last year un
der the direction of Ronnie Fel
ton. Though only two programs
were given, they proved to be
quite successful.