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THE BLACKBIRD
Friday, Dec. 8, 1967
MitM I
S*2-^
Opportunities Abound
“This land is your land; this land is my land . .
The popular folk song tells about this great land of
ours and what opportunities we have.
There should be a song around that would go like
this, “This school is your school; this school is my
school . . .” It would tell of the pride that each stu
dent should have in this, our school, because of the
many fine opportunities we have here. Within RMSH
there are a great number of opportunities for every
student. There are opportunities to learn skills in a
trade as with the machine shop or the ICT program,
there are opportunities for developing special inter
est as with public speaking, chorus or dramatics, and
there are opportunities for developing mental pro
cesses as with English and mathematics in order to
prepare for college.
Yes, within the walls of RMSH are oppoi'tunities
still un-named. If a song were written as described
above it might continue in this manner: “From the
cafeteria to the auditorium, from he student parking
lot to the many classrooms, this school was made
for you and me.”
But why should we have such a song? There is no
reason to display school pride in this manner when
other ways are so much better. Pride can be shown
in each student’s attitude, an attitude to want to
make the best grades he can, an attitude to want
to keep the scho'ol and grounds clean, an attitude of
wanting to support every school function, be it ath
letics, a publication, or other activity.
This school may be full of golden opportunities for
learning and development, but in order to have a
great school there must be more. Every student must
possess a love and pride in his alma mater along
with a willingness to make it an example of ex
cellence to all.
Teen Drivers At Fault
Last year, 52,000 people died in automobile acci-
'nts. ,T^ndreds of thousands were seriously injured.
grim thought, but you wonder what it has
do with RMSH. Well, drivers from 16 to 25, com
prising less than one-sixth of the nation’s licensed
drivers, are involved in almost one-third of all acci
dents.
This points up one rather unpleasant fact: teenage
drivers are a bad risk. Even worse, many teenage
offenders are repeaters. This is especially regrettable
because teenagers are potentially the best drivers,
with better eyesight and hearing, quicker reactions
than any other age group. They have a far better
chance to have a good driving record. Yet time
after time it is the teen who is at fault in an accident.
Why is this so? Teenagers are young and like
speed, like to take risks, like temptations, like to feel
the power they control. It is hard to stifle these de
sires when one is at such an impressionable age. How
ever, when teens forget their responsibilities to others,
it IS ironically the others who usually pay.
The next time you get an urge to speed, to let go,
to show off—^think . . . and slo*w down!
From The Editor
Around The Campus
With the approach of the holi
day season there comes a time
when evetyone wants to travel,
whether it be one mile or a
thousand miles. Since very
heavy traffic is expected for
the Christmas holiday season,
much emphasis is placed on
good driving habits.
lieutenant Kenneth Sutton,
who has ser\’ed 31 years on the
Rocky Mount Police Force, said
that having the proper attitude
toward driving is the main
safety factor. “Having com
passion and respect for your
fellow man is important in s'afe
driving,” he said.
“Drive as if your life de
pended upon it,” the police
lieutenant suggests, “because
it does.” With the holiday traf
fic being as heavy as expected,
Lt. Sutton said that it was a
good idea not to drive unless
it is necessary.
“On a long trip, leave early
to prevent the need' for speedr
ing and. on long trips do not
drive if you are fatigued,” he
asserted. “At least every 100
miles, stop and get out of the
car for a breath of fresh air,”
he said, “since it is especially
eas-y; to get drowsy in winter in
a warm car.”
“When asked about teenagers
who race, Lt. Sutton stated, “I
think that radng is about the
stupidest thing they can do. It
involves the lives of so many
people.” He said that he “would
rather be a living chicken than
a dead bird.”
SSSSRSSM*
EDITOR’S NOTE; The fol
lowing poem is in memory of
Mrs. Susie Mtoss Winstead, an
employee of the RMSH cafe
teria, who died Wednesday, No-
veml^r 15. Although many stu
dents did not know her person
ally, all appreciated the results
of her fine work. To those who
knew her cclosely, she will long
be missed.
The Unknown
For annonymous death
there is, perhaps ,
a pause, a sigh, '
a closing of hearts
to the 'guilt and tihe pain of not
caring.
The service was known,
noit name or face.
She work«i' with care
and shaU be missed
In the ^ilt and the pain of not
knowing.
Dear Editor,
Each year Rocky Mount Sen
ior High School faces the same
trashy problem — litter on the
school grounds. Over and over
again the faculty, administra
tion and Student OrganlEation
has appealed and pleaded to
the student body to give up lit
tering.
Littering comes from laziness
and absentmindnedness. Stu
dents, each one of us, would
use too much energy to walk
ten feet to deposit litter in a
trash barrel; each individual
lacks the pride and conscien-
ciousness to be aware that
every piece of trash defaces,
degrades and dishonors us, our
school, and our heritage.
The conclusion from; this is
that there is no excuse or rea
son for thoughtless and point
less and pointless littering.
We showed ourselves capable
of controlling and destroying
this litter problem; when the
ultimaitum from Dr. Fields
came to us. No more eating in
the parking lot, if trash was
going to be thrown on the cam
pus. Well, almost immediately
the parking lot became spot
less. With this kind of conscious
altitude, the student body could
easily make depositing trash
in barrels a subconscious habi.t
This problem should not exist,
but it does. Let’s clean it up.
Mike Dixon
Senior
A communist East Berlin po
licemen told a Western photo
grapher he could not take pic
tures in East Berlin. “This is
Free Berlin,” he said “and tak-
ing pictures is not allowed
here.”
On a Chicago billboard: “Now
you can borrow enough to get
completely out dlebt. ”
There are two ways to get to
the top of an oak tree — you
can climb it or you can sit on
an acorn.” —Frank Brown
“Shallow men believe in luck”
—Emerson
“It is a mark' of the inexperien
ced man not to believe in luck.”
—Joseph Conrad
‘Nothing is easier than fault
finding; no talent, no self-de
nial, no brains, are required
to set up in the grumbling busi
ness.”
—Robert West
“Lord, grant that I may always
desire more than I accomp
lish.” —Michelangelo
“Obesity is a condition which
proves that the Lord does not
help those who help themselves
and help themselves and help
themselves” —Julian Brown
“Gullibility is the key to all
adventures. The greenhorn is
the ultimate victor; it is he
who gets the most out of life.”
“People say ‘I got over this.
I got over that.’ They are a lot
of fools, the people who say you
get over your loves and your
heroes. I never do.”
—Robert Frost
“Nobody is more infuriating,
frustrating and embarassing
than an aUy who: happens to be
on our side for the wrong rea
sons.” —Sidney Harris
“With the stones we throw at
them, geniuses build new roads
for us.” —Paul Eldridge
My Bedroom
By Samoj
Smells of perfume and powder
and such,
Sorta’ small yet holding much,
Stuffed bears, pennants and
pictures
Decorate my wall with lectures.
Curlers, combs, and brushes,
Left when I’m in rushes.
Rouge, lipstick and powder —
The noise can’t get any louder.
My canopied, bed
Is left unmade.
The floor is strewn.
And I’m windblomn,
And all this makes
Up my bedroom!
“Nothing was ever
without enthusiasm.”
achieved
—Emerson
THE BLACKBIRD
Meml)ers ol Columbia Scholastic Press Association
EDITOR Bob Chapman
ADVERTISING MANAGER Pat Stussie
BUSINESS MANAGER Betsy Heady
CIRCULATION MANAGER ' Betsy Elmore
PAGE EDITORS:
1- Betsy Mann
Page 2 Dina Wilde
Page 3 Dickie Bradshaw
Page 4 Carolyn Bryant, Kathy Matthews
Page 5 Bob Chapman
Page 6 Diane Whitfield
ADVISOR: Mrs. Margaret Williams
PRINCIPAL; Mr. V. J. Colombo