National Merit Scholars chosen
Toni Strickiftndand_DiuddGoft have been chosen as National Merit
Scholarship Winners. Photo by Hutchisson
Four units now necessary
tor junior class status
The Rocky Mount City Board
of Education recently adopted a
new Promotion-Retention Poli
cy requiring sophomores to
have foiir units before promo
tion to a junior home room.
“it’s an incentive program,”
said Principal Elton Newbern.
“Some people come here and
they have been passed from
*** ““ ^me
senior high level. It’s not un
reasonable to expect a student
to pass something as a sopho
more.”
The high school graduation
requirements for a diploma are
fourteen units, including three
units of English, one unit of
science (Biology), two units of
social studies: World Studies
and American Studies, one unit
of mathemattics, one-half unit
of physical education and six
and one-half electives.
For the first time in the
memory of administrative per
sonnel, Rocky Mount Senior
High has two National Merit
Scholarship Winners. David
Goff and Toni Strickland have
both landed scholarships to
Duke and East Carolina Uni
versity, respectively.
The National Merit Scholas
tic Corporation, established in
1955 with grants from the Forol
Foundation and the Carnegie
Corporation of New York, is the
largest independently financed
scholarship program in the
United States. The scholar
ships are based on one’s Preli
minary Scholastic Aptitude
Test/National Merit Scholar
ship Qualifying Test (PSAT/
NMSQT) scores.
Scoring a 1380 on the PSAT
and a 1450 on the SAT, David
Goff explained, “home environ
ment can either impede or
speed-up a person’s academic
growth. If your parents don’t
stress doing work it can make a
difference—but a lot of high
test scoring has to do with
using what you already have
and doing well with it.” Toni
Strickland, with an equally
impressive 1300 on the PSAT
and a 1220 on the SAT stated,
“I think scoring high on the
tests helps if you have studied
hard and taken college prep
courses. A home where good
grades and hard work are
encouraged is also an added
benefit. Also, I don’t think that
not working affected my scores
any more or any less.”
"Grade Point Averages and
SAT scores usually go togeth
er. Some people,” shared David
Goff, “claim that a student can
test well and do better than the
Grade Point Average would
indicate; but for the most part,
the two would follow naturally
one from the other. A lot of
people don’t learn things until
they have missed it on a test.
Often they go back and learn it;
which is good for their SAT
score.”
“Sometimes behavior,” re
ports Toni Strickland, “might
affect your grades. Often teach
ers give an objective grade but
many adjust the grade slightly
to show how they feel about
you. The SAT, however, is
strictly objective. Nobody’s
feelings enter into it but your
own.”
“If I was going to take it
again, my plan would be to
relax and not be so tensed up
that you can’t do your best.”
said Toni and David.
The new addition of one-half
year of physical education was
necessary because of the driv
ers education program in junior
high. In the ninth grade stu
dents take only one-half year of
physical education and one-half
year of drivers education. The
other one-half year must be
made up in senior high to fulfill
requirements for the ninth
through twelth grades.
“Some'stuieiitSM piatM m> '
the junior class with only one
unit,” said Mr. Newbern. “I
don’t think those students have
much of a chance of passing the
required competency test.’
Those students who complete
the Rocky Mount City Board of
Education requirements for
graduation but fail to pass the
North Carolina Competency
Test will be granted a certifi
cate. A certificate only means
that a student has attended
senior high.
THE GRYPHON
May 11. 1978
Rocky Mount Senior High School, Rocky Mount, N. C. 27801 Vol. 4, No. 13
The 1978-79 Gryphons Cheerleaders are: Jana Lucas, Cynthia Lloyd, Dorothy Brown, Kate
Gloria Barnes, Dorothy Joyner, Beth Berry, Lisa Home, Donna Jackson, Holly Kelly, Mary BuUuc
and Kathy Callahan. (Photo by Joyner.)
SRA officers chosen
The new SRA officers are as follows: President, Tina Ricks; Vice
President, Darns MiUer; Secretary, Cassandra Thorpe; and
Treasurer, Donna Vestal. (Photo by Joyner.)
After a week of voting, four
students won office seats in the
Student Representative As
sembly. They are President
elect, Tina Ricks, Vice Presi
dent-elect, Darius Miller, Sec
retary-elect, Cassandra Thorpe
arid Treasurer-elect, Donna
Vestal.
Tina Ricks said, “I ran for
the office of President because
I have always wanted to run
things, and I like to have my
opinions heard. I’ve learned
new ideas from other school
student organizations, and I
would like to put them into use
here so different activities can
be planned rather than repeti
tion of activiteis prevously
used. I also would like for the
minutes of the student organi
zation meetings to be put on
the bulletin so students would
be more aware of what is going
on in student government.
Vice President-elect Darius
Miller expressed several views
of his newly elected position.
“The old rumor that the Vice
President’s job is a nothing job
is untrue unless the Vice
President makes it a nothing
job. The use of the office really
depends on the person holding
it. Many people pick this office
because they think there is
little to do, but the Vice
President has some responsibi
lities that require a lot of work.
I plan to offer my assistance to
the president in any way I can,
and I will be willing to do any
job to the best of my abili
ty,” states Darius.
Cassandra Thorpe, newly
elected secretary, sought the
job of secretary because she
thought it was the best way
she could serve the school. “I
can handle the responsibilities
of secretary, and I want to be a
part of student government.
Some of my responsibilities
will include issuing credetial
cards to the student represen
tatives, keeping the minutes of
the meetings, taking roll call
and making a seating arrange
ment for the representatives if
possible,” said Thorpe.
Donna Vestal will act as next
year’s student organization
treasurer. “I hope the four
officers can work together and
accomplish a lot next year. My
main desire is to get the things
done that the students want
and to get students involved.
But often it is hard to get
people moving so the student
organization will have to work
hard on that. Overall, I’m
looking for a good year,” said
Donna.