March 10, 1977
Rocky Moant Senioir High Rocky McHut, N.C. 27801
Vol. 3, No. 6
March 19 is the date for the
annual meeting of the Eastern
District North Carolina Associa
tion of Student Councils in
Edenton. This convention will
involve all schools in the
Eastern District.
Three official delegates from
Rocky Mount Senior High will
participate: Joseph Williams,
Emerson Harrison, and Tony
Williams. Terry Berry and
Angela Winston will go as
unofficial delegates and Paul
Mayberry will lead a workshop.
Elisa Gonzalez will also attend
the convention as AFS student.
The convention serves as a
group effort, one of sharing
ideas. “The purpose is to
benefit one’s own student
council through workshops,
lectures, and conversations with
others,” says Mayberry.
Delegates will stay in the
homes of students from the area
high school while they are in
Edenton. They are scheduled to
tour Edenton on Sunday before
they return home.
Physical Changes Taught
Physical and emotional
changes no longer frighten fifth
and sixth graders at Holland
Elementary. For the past three
years Holland Elementary
School has been presenting to
the fifth and sixth graders a film
based on growing up. The film
is titled, “There’s A New You
Coming.” The movie is about
the physical changes of the body
during the beginning of
puberty.
Wednesday, Feb. 23 the film
was shown separately to the
fifth and sixth grade boys and
girls. Before the film was
shown, a letter was sent home to
the parents giving explanation
of the film and a guidance
session following the film.
Mary Fiddes, the guidance
counselor at Holland School
feels the film should be shown
to the pre-teenagers because
they should be completely
aware of their body when the
changes take place. “It’s not
really sex education films. It’s
more a part of their education or
apart of life,” says Ms. Fiddes.
The copyright on both films is
1975, and they are compiled by
nurses and doctors. Ms. Fiddes
says that the films are great
because they deal with the
emotional side of growing up
instead of just the physical
aspect.
DECA District Awards Given
As First Place winners in
Public Speaking, Sales Demon
stration, and Display at the
February 16 District 3B DECA
contest, Phillip Page, Denny
Vierheller, and Carl McNeil will
compete with other district
winners across the state at the
Thirty-Third Annual State Lead
ership Conference in Charlotte
beginning March 24. Thirty-five
additional members of the
Rocky Mount/DECA Chapter
will compete in career catego
ries of Apparel and Accessory,
Food Marketing, Food Service,
and Petroleum.
DECA was formed in 1948
with only 800 members in 17
charter states, it has grown to a
total of 225,000 student
members in 1976.
Governor Hunt Pushes
Senior Competency Test
STUDENTS ATTEND MEETING: Angela Winstead, Enunerson
Harrison, Tony Williams and Joseph Williams. Not pictured is
Terry Berry. [Photo by BuUuck]
Students Attend
District Meeting
■ All students must meet
minimum standards in essential
skills such as reading, writing,
and mathematics if a bill
introduced in the General
Assembly is passed. Represen
tative Dwight W. Tflinn and
Senator D. Livingston Stallings
introduced the bill.
The bill endorsed by Gover
nor James B. Hunt Jr. provides
for the adoption of a competency
test which all juniors in high
school must pass. Each student
must score on at least the ninth
grade level. If a junior fails the
test, he can take it again in his
senior year. Governor Hunt said
while there is no prohibition in
the bill, he feels a student
should not repeatedly take the
test in hopes of passing saying,
“That’s wrong, that’s almost
fraud.”
The legislation would set up
a commission which would be
recommended by State Superin
tendent of Public Instruction A.
Craig Phillips and appointed by
Governor Hunt. The commis
sion would consist of five
teachers and principals, five
interested citizens, two profes
sional educators from institu
tions of higher education, two
persons knov.’ledgeable about
psychological measurement,
and one local superintendent.
The State Superintendent of
Public Instruction would serve
as a non-voting member. The
Commission would recommend
the tests to the State Board of
Education, who would choose a
test for administration to all
11th grade students in the*
spring semester of 1978. After
reviewing the results, the
Commission would again make
recommendations to the State
Board concerning adoption of a
test or tests and formulation of
minimum standards. The Board
would then select a test or tests
and minimum standards.
Beginning in 1979, the test or
tests would be administered
annually to every junior. An
estimated $271,750 would be
needed for the first two years of
the program.
The Association of Classroom
Teachers conducted a statewide
poll on the subject of a senior
competency test. Of the 551
teachers responding, 73%
agreed that a test should be
established, 20% disagreed,
and 7% had no opinion.
However, two local guidance
counselors disagree. Miss Kate
P. Kitchen commented, “I think
it should be totally unnecessary.
I think a child who has earned
passing grades in high school
should be able to function as a
literate adult.” Mr. William
Hutchisson asked, “What’s
going to happen to those that
don’t reach the ninth grade
level? After we pass them along
for 11 years, do we say
‘Sorry?’ ”
Seniors Honored
“It makes me happy that my
classmates of the Class of ’77
thought of me as an Outstand
ing Senior. It’s really a
meaningful distinction.” *^1
was very surprised, but
honored, that I was chosen as an
Outstanding Senior. We have so
many outstanding people in our
class that I thought it was all a
joke when I was notified.”
These two statements by Kenny
Edgerton and Lanie Powell,
respectively, best summed up
the attitudes of this year’s 20
Outstanding Seniors.
The class of 1977’s Outstand
ing Seniors, in alphabetical
order, are: Denise Alston,
Stephen Barnes, James Bynum,
Martha Cash, Mary Sue
Cummings, Kenny Edgerton.
Amy Fisher, Natasha Matkin,
Paul Mayberry, Danny Mac
Donald, Cynthia McKnight,
Richard Oxendine, Kyle Pitt
man, Lanie Powell, Dee Rich,
Amy Rodwell, Susan Thome,
Mike Upchurch, Denise Ward,
and Joseph Williams.
The criteria used in selecting
an Outstanding Senior include
the following: He (or she)
should represent his class in the
finest way possible. He should
have had responsibility and
discharged it efficiently. He
should have character above
reproach. He should be one who
puts service to others above
personal gain. He should be one
who is school-spirited and
dedicated to the high ideals of
the best in American youth.
The Hi-Noc-Ar sponsored the
selection of the Outstanding
Seniors. The selection involved
the following process: Every
senior received a nominating
blank for 20 people (10 boys, 10
girls). Then, about a week later,
a yearbook representative re
turned to each senior homeroom
with a ballot containing the
names of the boys and girls
receiving the most nominations.
From this list, every senior
voted for the 20 seniors (10
boys, 10 girls) that he or she
thought were most deserving of
the title, “Outstanding Senior.”