Page Two—THE GRYPHON—Thursday, October 28, 1976
STUDENTS IN THE MUSIC CLUB: Shown here are the
members of the Music Club before a meeting. It is not one of
the better known clubs at our school. [Photo by Bullucli]
EDimSEM
The purpose of the Gryphon is to examine events in the school, the community and the world which affect the
lives of the students of RMSH. It is the Gryphon’s aim to stimulate awareness of issues, to promote a better
understanding of others, and to bring about positive action where change is needed. Student, faculty and
community response is welcomed and may be sent to the Gryphon, room 110; however, the editor reserves
the right to withhold libelous or profane letters.
Jobs Show Effect
The recent GRYPHON survey on student employment revealed many in
teresting things. About 30% of those responding have jobs with the majority of
their ea rnings being spent on clothes, gas, tapes and records. But beyond the facts
and figures, what effect does student employment have on education?
Most of the students polled worked between 15 and 30 hours a week. This is a lot
of time considering 35 hours a week is spent in school. What does the student give
up to work? Where does the time spent on the job come from? Study time is the
greatest victim. This is evident in the steady decline of Scholastic Aptitude Test
scores.
Student jobs, because of the time they consume, are the biggest factor con
tributing to the drop of SAT scores. A person who is working has less time to read,
study and do homework carefully. Because this valuable time is lost, reading
comprehension as well as knowledge of basic verbal and mathematical fun
damentals is lowered.
Grades also suffer because of student jobs. Decreased study time leaves many
students ill-prepared for tests or projects. Another by-product of student em
ployment, lack of sleep, also hampers grades. A student may work late or stay up
late trying to catch up with time lost in an afternoon job. Many such students
spend their days in school like zombies, or are so exhausted they fall asleep. It is
obvious, how this affects grades. How can a person do well in something he hasn’t
learned in the first place?
Yet besides their monetary value, jobs have an educational value. Through jobs
students learn to inter-relate with people, apply concepts taught in schools, and to
live in the “grown-up” world. Jobs play an important role in the development of
young people. However, jobs are only one phase of a student’s life; they should be
put in their proper place.
Young Music Enthusiasts
Recognized By Gryphon Staff
Most clubs at Rocfey Mount High receive much publicity. Most of them, but not
all of them. Have you ever heard of the Music Club? The Music Club is a group of
students who appreciate different kinds of music, classical, folk, jazz and rock.
Two years ago Alison Biggs and Babs Brown started the club and asked Mr.
Larry Gupton to be their advisor. Later, when Mr. Al Baldwin came to Rocky
Mount, he became their co-sponsor. Alison Biggs said, “Our major aim is to make
the students at Senior High aware of the many different kinds of music and to
inform them of local musical opportunities.” She also mentioned that they
stressed behavior at musical events noting that some people talk too much.
The music club enjoys going to many concerts. They’ve heard violinist Eugene
Fodor perform with the N. C. Symphony several times in the last few years. Last
year, along with ushering for “The Messiah,” performed by the Senior High
Concert Band, and The Bicentennial Program, they went to hear Joni Mitchell in
concert.
They plan for an even busier and better program. They plan to attend the
Maynard Ferguson concert, and a concert featuring folk singer Ju^ Collins.
They also intend to have guest artists perform at meetings. Their two biggest
projects for this year are a planned trip to New York and a craft fair, both in the
spring. The craft fair will be a fund-raising event for the trip.
The Music Club at Senior High has long been overlooked! During the two years
it has functioned H has never had a place in the publications with the other clubs.
The GRYPHON feels the time has come to give them the recognition they deserve
and will in the future promote their activities.
Males Turn To Cheers
Attention Girls' Now you have a good reason for attending football and
basketball games. Have you ever had to suffer at a game while your date hungrily
stared at the cheerleader of his choice? Now you can join in this popular pastime
yourself.
No, you don’t have to stare at the girl cheerleaders. Now, two boys are on the
varsity cheerleading squad. Kenny Edgerton and Alton Edwards are the two
cheerleaders with the long pants and the low voices you’ve been hearing at the
Pep Rallies. They help the girls do stunts and cheers. Although you girls don't
have as big a selection as the guys do, you can now, for the first time in years,
idolize a male cheerleader.
You’ve always heard about the macho-captain of the football team type going
with the feminine-head cheerleader type. Now the captain of the girls basketball
team can go out with a cheerleader.
These two guys perform their duties faithfully. Instead of waving pom poms,
they yell through megaphones to urge the crowds into a frenzy in support of the
Gryphons. But n^ost important of all, when the game gets dull, and the
cheerleaders become the main center of attraction, the girls can now join in the
fun, too.
By Billy Carroll
The question of capital
punishment has been passion
ately debated by the American
people for many years. In June
of 1972 the United States
Supreme Court abolished the
death penalty as it was then
imposed under present statutes.
The nation’s courts concluded
that a constitutional ban on all
executions was implied. How
ever, in March, 1976 the
Supreme Court expanded its
1972 decision to sanction
specific laws with mandatory
death sentences for certain
crimes. Since then confusion
and controversy have arisen as
to what state laws on capital
punishment are constitutional.
I shall attempt here only to
clarify the two basic arguments
which are derived from legal
and philisophical thinking. It is
the opinion of the practical
faction that capital punishment
is a necessary deterrent
accessible to the convicted is not
enough to prevent the crime. A
recent article in the American
Economic Review claimed that,
“an additional execution per
year may have resulted on the
average in seven or eight fewer
murders.” Many feel that if
capital punishment was to be
virtually invalidated, human life
would be cheapened. Since the
crime that takes a life is
irrevocable, so must be the
punishment.
Those taking a more hum
anitarian view of the issue
denounce the right of any man
to put to death another by legal
methods which are imperfect
Some argue that only God has
the right over life and death,
that human life is too valuable.
Perhaps the arguments are
only of objective and subjective
natures. Louis B. Schwarts,
Professor of law at the
University of Pennsylvania
stated, “If you take a poll, you
find people overwhelmingly in
favor of the death penalty. But
when you ask a person to sit on a
jury and vote to execute a
defendant, you find a great
reluctance.”
THE GRYPHON
Rocky Mount Senior High School
308 South Tillery Street Rocky Mount, N.C. 27801
Member of Columbia Press Association
Member of Quill and Scroll
PUBLISHED MONTHLY
News Editor
Managing Editor
Copy Editor
Photography Editor
Advertising Manager
Business Manager
Circulation Manager
Staff Writers:
Billy Carroll
Jackie Wilde
John Gilmore
Trey Bulluck
Kevin Maurer
Cathy Kilpatrick
Debbie Mosley
Clifton Barnes, Neeley Blanchard,
Kathy Carroll, Mary Davis, Mary Fleming, John Gilmore,
David Goff, Leslie Locke, Beth Hutchisson, Jennefer Jones,
Frieda Jordan, Keith King, Robby Noble, John Smith,
Cyndi Strickland, Dan Thorpe, Kareii Walston
Advisor
Principal
Assistant Principals
Mrs. Henrietta Barbour
Mr. Elton Newbem
Mr. Charles Davis, Mr. Robert Miller