PAGE 2-THE GRYPHON, OCTOBER 13, 1977
The Gryphon will inform its readers of matters of school, community, and world interest and concern.
All departments, activities, personalities, and organizations will be given full coverage in proportion to
their interest and relative importance to the entire school.
The Gryphon will be student expression. However while exercising freedom of the press. The Gryphon
will also assume the responsibilities of an ethical newspaper.
Letters from students, faculty, and other citizens are welcomed and may be sent to The Gryphon, room
110. However, the editor reserves the right to withhold libelous or profane material from publication.
Many Teachers Neglect
Homeroom Responsibility
Staff members of TJIE GRYPHON recently
surveyed representatives of Senior High
concerning homeroom teachers who may be failing
to fulfill their responsibilities.
The reWilts ol this survey varied. Some students
stated that the teachers are concerned about their
students welfare and that the homeroom displayed
enthusiasm provoked by the teacher. However,s
others complained that teachers did not know the
names of students they have had for two years, and
the teachers are apathetic.
Principal Elton Newbern tol«LTHE GRYPHON
that the duty of a homeroom teacher is to act as a
counselor by helping her students with problems
concerning school. If this is not possible, the
teacher should refer the student to a guidance
counselor. Mr. Newbem said that homeroom
teachers should be cheerleaders for school spirit. A
display of enthusiasm and school spirit by the
teacher would probably be mirrored by the
students. He stated that the homeroom teacher
should convey all information regarding school
activities to the students. When there is a club to
join or a scholastic event to sign up for, students
should be able to rest assured that what they are
interested in receives attention.
. Although it waS^pparent from the survey that
some teachers displayed qualities of leadership and
guidance, it was equally apparent from a majority
of the students survey^ that there was room for
improvement.
POLICE WORK: Polke have directed traffic to prevent traffic jams
since school began. (Photo by Hutchisson.]
Editors Echo Echo Echo
By KEITH KING
Policemen Control
Wild School Traffic
Many of the students at Senior High have been
curious why the police are here everyday before
school, during lunch, and after school.
Assistant principal, Robert Miller said the police
have been assigned to work at Senior High to
control the traffic situation. The police are
patroling near the school since many of the
students have been careless when leaving in the
afternoons and have created serious problems.
Students could easily hit an innocent pedestrian or
cause an automobile accident. Since the students
have not been “safety minded” while driving, the
police are attempting to prevent any such mishap.
Along with traffic direction, the police have tried to
reduce the speed of most drivers.
The results from this traffic control have been
good in organizing the traffic in an orderly fashion
and decreasing the speed of most drivers to a safer
speed limit says Mr. Miller. However, the police
will continue throughout the year or until
unnecessary.
Students have no reason for any complaints since
the traffic direction is only an effort to help the
students. Students cannot complain of “wWce
harrassment” when their driving lirmi^lEhe police^'^®'
to school. Furthermore, the police will gladly
return to other duties if the students will drive
safely.
Smoking Areas Needed
To Eradicate Fumes
During the past years, smoking in the bathroom
has been a big problem.
Not only is it against school policy, but also it is
offensive to many people, smokers and
non-smokers. The bathrooms at Senior High aren’t
properly ventilated to withdraw large amounts of
smoke.
However, students that smoke feel they have a
right to smoke and they do. The one smoking area
on Nash Street is not adequate for all students. It is
located out of the way, not near the majority of
classrooms. Not all students have time between
classes to go to the smoking area. Therefore, they
head to the bathrooms.
This could be eliminated if more smoking areas
are added. Setting them up along Hammond and
Tillery Streets would prevent a lot of people from
smoking in the bathrooms. The new smoking areas
would be convenient for more students, thus
eliminating most of the smoking in the bathrooms.
It seems to be the vogue as of
late for people to blame the
press and the media in general
for their problems, Fm talking
about people who have not been
given “favorable” coverage by
the media.
The latest instance arose
during the Bert Lance afiair. It
seemed that the ethics of the
media became a major quest
ion, rather than the ethics of
Mr. Lance.
When Lance went back to
Calhoun, Georgia last week
amidst bands playing fanfares
and cheering crowds, citizens
displayed signs asking “News
media, who’s next?” The press
was charged with using “lynch
mob tactics” to bring about Mr.
Lance’s downfall. House Speak
er Thomas (Tip) O’Neill sug
gested that the Director of the
Office of Management and Bud
get had been hounded out of
office, and Senator James Allen
(Alabama) argued that the me
dia had “gotten his scalp” and
pondered “I am wondering if
that is going to be the fate of
, others.” *
True, there are some over-
zealous news people out there,
hoping for a big story by
jumping on the investigative
“Watergate” bandwagon, each
hoping to be the next Bob
Woodward or Carl Bernstein.
Mr. Woodward’s and Mr. Bern
stein’s works came about from
endless and exhausting re
search, not aimless badgering.
They did not prosecutive or
sentence any public ofHcial.
Only an official’s personal act
ions can damage his career. The
news media only reports these
actions. Most news people re
cognize this and exercise high
ethical standards; they do not
crop up charges for the sake of
a story.
Contrary to what some may
think, the media did not jump
on Mr. Lance all at once.
Stories about Mr. Lance’s flnan-
cial affairs were published be
fore his conflrmation last Jan
uary in the New York Times
and The Washing^n Post.
Quite a few reporters cited
evidence of Mr. Lance’s finan
cial faults. The careful editors
did not emblazen their pages
with stories of scandal, rather,
they kept the stories in per
spective. Says William TTiomas,
editor of The Los Angeles
Times, “We didn’t want to
appear as ^he quick-on-the-trig-
ger hipsh ^ters that some peo
ple have pictured us to be.”
A statement from Newsweek
magazine best captures the
essence of the media’s role in
this episode: “As with the
Watergate case, the media
played the role of watchdog,
barking loud and long enough
to arouse the caretakers of
government.” Let us hope that
the media will continue in the
“watchdog” role, for that is the
only way our democratic soci
ety wDl survive, by having aD
questionable issues brought
forth for public analysis and
discussion.
Carter Values Human Rights
The Carter Administration
has stated that one of its top
priorities will be concern for
human rights around the world.
This is a noble gesture on the
part of the administration and
the United States should take a
stand on the issue, being the
democratic nation and world
leader that it is. Certain aspects
of this stance and its effects
must be examined, however,
concerning the reactions of
other countries to the pressure
from the United States.
The United States must pro
ceed cautiously on this matter.
In its endeavor to insure human
rights for citizens around the
world, the United States must
avoid alienating other govern
ments by coming on too strong
with criticism. Some countries
may be offended by a hard-sale
approach and may impose res
trictions upon its citizens that it
otherwise would not have.
Some Soviet dissidents have
indicated that recent crack
downs directed at them by the
Soviet government may have
resulted directly &om human
rights violations protests from
the United States.
Secretary-of-State Cyrus
Vance has recognized this need
to proceed with caution. “It (the
United States) also must judge
whether its criticism will make
things worse, and it must keep
the issue in perspective,” says
Vance. Vance also cautions
against taking drastic steps
against nations because of a
government’s policies because
the actions may penalize inno
cent, hungry and poor citizens
of the nations.
Rocky Mount Senior High School
308 South Tillery Street, Rocky Mount, N. C. 27801
Member of Cdiimbia Press Association
Member of QmO and ScroD
Published Bi-WeeUy
EDITOR-nf-CHIEF Keith Kine
MANAGING EDITOR Clifton Bamel
PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Beth Hutchisson
Jerry Joyner
JSsS
ASSIGNMENT EDITOR Dan Thorp
-
MANAGER Kathy CarroU
business manager LesUe Locke
CIRCULATION MANAGER - - Mary Fleming
materials manager KaJSwSn
PAGE EDITORS:
P«|te 1: Trary Syk« — Mary Fleming
Pace 2: Hopr Kelly - Clifton Barne*
PaRe 3: Debra Hendrersoo - Steve Felton
PaRe 4: Anj^la Uoyd — Kathy Carroll
Pa^e 5: Sam Ctonts
Pace 6: Gt»R Frederirk - Patinya BaUle
ADVISOR
principal
assistant principals
P»P- 7: I«|ie
5*^0 R*-r«>n
rage S; Melinda Penny. Jerry Joyi»f
P**- (kKa,»nWJ„on
Pam» II. t>:ii
lu: Raren Wabton
P'K' I: Kll Brannon - Kathy CalUhan
"*)?e 12: Donna Ma-ssie — Staw Miller
. Mrs. Henrietta Barbour
■ Mr. Elton Newbem
• Mr. Charles Davis.
Mr. Robert Miller