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The Gryphon
RMSH Band Marches
In Mardi Gras Parade
VOLUME III
Rocky Mount Senior High School
SEPTEMBER 30,1974
The president’s cabinet presided over by President Nancy Davis.
SRA Cabinet Begins Work
Eleven committees partly
compose the SRA this year in
order to give needed attention
to specific activities at Senior
High. They have been
working on plans and goals for
the 1974-75 school year.
The Social Committee,
headed by Phyllis Goffney and
each.
Another important
committee is the Human
Relations Committee.
Chairman Eva Bartley has
said that it will create a new
image this year by going out
into the community and by
doing work there instead of
is working on the publication
of briefolios for students and
the Elections Committee
whose chairman is Bryant
Aldridge.
The Rocky Mount Senior
High Marching Band has
received an invitation to at
tend the Mardi Gras Festival
in New Orleans, Louisiana in
February.
The festival lasts for ten
days. The band plans to stay
from February 4th until the
9th. During their stay, the
marching Gryphons will
participate in parades and
other competition.
The trip will cost ap-
Parade Planned
For Homecoming
Homecoming has been
designated for October 11,
1974 at Rocky Mount Senior
High School. The Mighty
Gryphons will be trying to
defend their title against
Greenville Rose.
To promote school spirit
and unity for the school, there
will be a Mini-Parade,
sponsored this year by the
Service Club in the gym. The
club is hoping for greater
participation in decorating the
floats, making posters and
just showing school spirit.
Every homeroom, club, and
individual is encouraged to
participate in some way. A
prize wiU be presented to the
homeroom or club with the
best float.
Following the Mini-
Parade, the Cheerleaders will
I»^ent a pep rally.
on September 17. “Boundary
Breaking” was a method
implored to acquaint the
participants with one another.
Another active committee
is the School Spirit Committee
whose chairman is Sally
Davis. This year, it will send
Thank-you Grams to all
deserving recipients. This
committee will also be
responsible for making
banners and antenna flags
supporting the Gryphs.
Cammy Rierson of the
Hwse and Grounds Com
mittee has announced that no
posters are to be put up on
The Student Store, headed
by Susan Kitts, is opened this
semester every morning
befwe school and during the
latter part of second lunch.
This committee is presently
exploring money-making
projects. It is considering
selling football jerseys at $4.50
Boon McGoe, held a Hey Dav^ limiting work to the school.
Myron UdringsUn of the
Fire Drill Committee iias
asked that homerooms report
to the guidance office if they
need a fire exit map. If any
person desires use of a
bulletin board, he should
contact Laura Davenport of
the Publicity Committee.
Chairman Stephanie Branch
of the Lost and Found Com
mittee has reported that found
items should be turned into
the guidance office.
To other committees
which aid in carrying out
school activities are the
Publications Committee
headed by Sharol Boyd which
freshly pained walls but on tile
only. Dale Potter, chairman
of the Traffic Committee has
reported that stickers are now
required in order to paric in
the RMSH parking lot and that
students who have not
registered their cars may do
so in the guidance office.
RMSH’s assistant principal, Richard Hicks, who replaces
Carl Edge, who left the Rocky Mount School Systems to work for
the Mental Health Clinic.
Coach Hicks Takes Post
proximately $18,500. Ten
tative plans for raising the
money are in the making.
Contributions from civic
organizations will be ac
cepted. Clubs interested in
supporting the band should
contact Mr. Sykes or Prin
cipal Elton Newbern.
On February 4, buses
carrying band members will
leave for New Orleans
arriving on the 5th. Their
performance is scheduled for
the 6th.
The invitation to the
Mardi Gras is the highest
grade of recognition that the
Rocky Mount Band has
received. In the past seven
years it is the most lengtl^y
trip ever taken by the group.
R.M.S.H. Seniors
Gain Privileges
The Senior Privileges
Committee, 1974-75, would like
to announce the accepted
Senior Class Privileges for the
forthcoming school year.
Seniors will leave assemblies
first; will have Senior Doors
at Gym and Auditorium en
trances; will have a Senior
Patio between 100 and 200
halls with smoking allowed
before school and during both
lunches (ashtrays provided);
will be exempted from all non-
academic courses (according
to teacher’s ruling) and from
academic courses in which a
Senior has 90 or above
average; will have a Senior
Day; will have one College
Day as excused absence; will
have Senior Parking
Privileges (only in yellow
parking spaces and with a
senior parking sticker).
The committee’s genuine
purpose is to give up
perclassmen advantages over
lowerclassmen, somewhat as
an honor and a reward for
being Seniors. Frank Jolley
served as Chairman of the
committee with Jimmy
Apostilaris as Co-Chairman.
Other committee members
are Lynn Goodsell
(Secretary), Shelley Sullivan,
Beverly Brinn, Ronnie Far
mer, Wayne Alston, Walter
Ricks, Tony Williams,
Richard Lea, and Terre
Kilpatrick. Mr. John Woolen
is serving as Senior Class
Advisor.
Girls May Play Football
Sex Bias Ends
Football teams may soon
have girl members, and P.E.
classes may no longer be
segregated according to sex.
The U.S. Department of
Health, Education, and
Welfare has issued a proposal
to enforce the law banning sex
discrimination in schools. It
will be reviewed and talked
about until October 15 when it
will become effective 30 days
from that date.
The law states that all
schools must treat their ad
mitted students without
discrimination on the basis of
sex.
All students must have
access to and participation in
ex
course offerings and
tracurricular activities,
Mmpus organizations, and
competitive athletics.
Where athletics is con
cerned, equality may be
provided through separate
teams for males and females
or through single teams open
to both sexes. If separate
teams are offered, there must
be no discrimination on basis
of sex in the provision of
necessary equipment or
supplies or in any other way,
but equal expenditures are not
required. The goal is to
secure equal opportunity for
males and females.
Coach Richard Hicks has
replaced Carl Edge as
assistant principal.
Mr. Hicks is a native
resident of Rocky Mount. He
attended the Rocky Mount
schools. While attending the
former Booker T. Washington
High School, Hicks was
elected President of the
student body. He played three
sports in high school: foot
ball,basketball andtennis. He
specialized in football and was
able to attend college because
of a scholarship for football.
Hicks attended North
Carolina Central University in
Durham and graduated “cum
laude”. From 1963 through
1966, Hicks taught and
coached football, baseball and
basketball in Winston-Salem
before he returned to Rocky
Mount. He had partial suc-
c^s with the baseball team in
Winston-Salem. The school
team, while only four years
old, reached the state
playoffs.
In Rocky Mount, Hicks
was the head basketball coach
and a teacher of biology. He
helped coach football, also.
Through his dedication to
Rocky Mount and to Senior
High, Coach Hicks gained
much popularity with the
students and faculty and
earned a reputation of
honesty, fairness, and a high
desire for his team to win and
succeed. Coach Hicks will
remain head basketball coach
along with assuming his new
duties. His job will include
distribution of textbooks,
checking attendance,
assisting Mr. Miller with the
general discipline problems of
the school, maintaining order
in the school cafeteria, and
aiding in other areas.
Hicks stated that he had
encountered no in
surmountable problems; only
those of being in a different
and new situation.
Hicks is married to the
former Miss Geraldine
Hargrove. They have two
sons. Hicks and his family
attend Immaculate Con
ception Catholic Church.
When questioned about
his emotions in accepting the
job, he responded, “The
classroom has always been a.
rewarding experience. I felt
my decision was to be made
with mixed emotions.
However, I see it (the
position) as a way of being of
greater service to the staff
and the great student body at
Rocky Mount Senior High
School.”
Carl Edge is also a native
of Rocky Mount. He
graduated from Booker T.
Washington High School and
has a B.S. Degree from South
Carolina State College. He
has been with the Rocky
Mount School Systems eight
years.
Edge has accepted a
position with the Nash-
Edgecombe Mental Health
Center. He hopes to continue
his work with young people
through counseling.