OCTOBER 1989
THE FULL MOON
Features
EDITOR: ALEX OVERCASH
Education Is Key For U. S. Survival in Technological Work
As you all know, education has been a topic of much concern recently. Although critics have
scorned low SAT scores and high drop out rates in N.C., education, or the lack of it, is a major
problem facing America today. Addressing this issue. President George Bush held an educational
summit in Charlottesville, VA, in late September. He invited the nation’s governors to take part
in an unprecedented gathering to discuss education and to look for any reforms that could improve
the U.S. educational system. As bold, or as liberal as this typ>e of an idea may seem, it is an
extremely necessary step towards raising U.S. educational standards to a desirable, competitive
level. Lack of education affects Americans of all types in many different ways.
One major problem facing America today is the astounding number of illiterate people. People
must be literate for American society to function. All citizens need to be resp>onsible and concemed
in order to elect good leaders, and they should be intellig^t enough to get jobs and support them
selves. Illiteracy strikes people in all walks of life, from the homeless to professional athletes. A
distressing, yet inspirational story of a man’s battle against illiteracy is that of Dexter Manley, a
defensive lineman for the NFL’s Washington Redskins. In 1987, it was revealed that Dexter was
illiterate. Here was a person who had graduated from high school and college without having
learned the basic skillsofasecondgrader! With his career after football in mind, Dexter attended
night school and can now read on a ninth grade level. Dexter then went before national represen
tatives urging them to establish more educational programs and to stress the importance of edu
cation to young people. In a recent television interview, I saw Dexter Manley, a 280-pound
strongman, crying as he talked about his experience. I guess that shows just how powerful
education really is.
On the other end of the educational spectrum, “well-educated” Americans are having to work
very hard to evai compete with successful foreign markets and, thereby, maintain a stable U.S.
economy. On the average, people from foreign countries such as Japan and Germany are
acadonically and, therefore, technologically superior to Americans. Most foreigners are able to
speak two or more languages fluently, and they attain very high levels of knowledge in their
schooling. One reason for this is the long amount of time spent in schools in foreign countries.
AnothCT rearon for foreign academic excellence, and America’s best possible solution to its
ediKJ^on crises, is higher quality teaching in schools. In most foreign countries teaching is a
prestigious, well-paid profession, while in America, teaching is an undignified low paying career.
Amenca’s Wgher level studraits of today must be encouraged to enter the teaching profession and
thiscan only bedonebyraising teachers’ salaries to an attractive level. AU teachers should be paid
well and admired, because no one would be educated or successful without them.
The U.S. educational system is facing many problems in the presait age. Illiteracy must be
dealt with promptly and effectively, aiKi encouraging incentives must be established to attract high
quality students into the teaching profession. Education in Ammca cannot be taken for granted.
It must constanUy be evaluated and upgraded. Amidst all the revolutionary technological
advancement of today's world, we must not overlook the incredible value of a well-developed
American mind.
student Leaders Plan for '89-’90
The student councUof the 1989-90 schoolyear is already hard at work. They havesponsored
a siiccessful candy sale and a great homecoming dance. They are also busy sponsoring a radio
show held each month on WABZ, featuring q>ecial events and activities going on at AHS.
Upcoming plans of the student council for this school year include the annual talent show, the
blood drive, the special Olympics, and, hopefully, another dance. By initiating all of these
programs, the sudent council is showing their effort to make this school year at AHS great
Student council officers for this year are Tim Burris, president; Regina Crowell, vice-
president; Keely Francis, secretary; and Brett Richards, treasurer. Leading the senior class are
Tommy Lockamy, president; Diane Brooks, vice-president; HolU Brafford, secretary; and Beth
Childress, treasurer. Junior class leaders are Lori Maiden, president; Ward Suiratt, vice-president;
Jennifer Cook, secretary; and Pate Butler, treasurer. Leading the sophomore class are Kristi
Johnson, president; Chassity Speight, vice-president; Alicia Swanner. secretary; Jill Huneycutt,
treasurer. Officers for the freshman class are Mimi Austin, president; Kim Smith, vice-president;
Karen Morton, secretary; and Courtney Owens, treasurer.
These students will work hard to make this year a huge success. Regina Crowell sums up the
goals of this year’s student council by saying: “The other officers and I have lots of ideas and are
very enthusiastic about what needs to be accompUshed. All we need now is opinions, approvals
and lots of school spirit!”
FULL MOON
Published nine times pw year by the journalism class
at Albemarle High School
Member Quill and Scroll
Staff
Bill Snyder - Editor-in-Chief
Beth Childress- Business Manager Tim Burris- Sports Editor
Brett Richards- Entertainment Editor
Alex Overcash - Features Editor Tom Stubbs-News Editor
Jason Wagoner- Art Editor
Susan Hathcock - Advisor
Jiinior Staff
Shelly Austin, Michael Blagg, Meonne Blalock, Mesheka Davis.
Susan Grantier. Jason Hazlett, Rachel Kendall, Leslie Morgan
PAGE 2
Die Laughing
By Susan Grantier
This is the perfect weather for a new hobby,
and I have the perfect hobby for this perfect
weather. Some may say it’s morbid, some may
say it’s just plain weird. But I say it’s fun. It’s
grave reading. No, not ‘grave’ as in serious, but
grave as in cold, hard, and leaning tombstones.
It’s amazing what one can find written on a
tombstone. Sometimes you can learn a lot about
the deceased person from a few words carved in
stone. Here are some interesting and humorous
actual epitaphs, courtesy of Grave Humor by
Alonzo C, Hall
Chest
Here lies one Chest within another;
The one of wood
Was very good.
We can’t say so much for t’other
Ellen Shannon
Aged 26 years
Who was Fatally Burned
March 21st 1870
By the Explosion of a Lamp
Filled with “R.E. Danforth’s
Non-Explosive Burning Fluid.”
Some epitaphs pwrtray sarcastic humor:
(over the grave of one executed by the State:)
“Murdered by the State of North
Carolina”
I came into this world
Without my consent
And left in the same marmer.
In Memory of Cqjtain Underwood,
Who was drowned.
Here lies free from blood and slaughter.
Once Underwood - now Underwater.
One angry soul decided to have the last word
and caused the following line to be inscribed on
the tombstone:
“I told you I was sick!”
Arma Wallace
The children of Israel wanted bread
And the Lord sent them maima.
Old clerk Wallace wanted a wife.
And the Devil sent him Anna.
In Memory of Anna Hopewell
Here lies the body of our Aima
Done to death by a banana
It wasn’t the fruit that laid her low
But the skin of the thing that made her go.
•V • ♦ ^
In an attempt to find out if Stanly County had
any dead comedians, I was sent on an assignment
to cruise the local cemeteries. Fellow joumalist
Tom Stubbs and I were greatly disappxainted to
find that the most original thing the deceased had
to say was, “Gone but not forgotten.” Tom
summed it up when he wittingly remarked, “I
guess no one furrny has died yet.” Perhaps my
search wasn’t thorough enough (forty-five min
utes in one graveyard). Maybe you can do better.
So get out there and find out what the “no longer
living” people of Stanly Covmty have (or rather,
had) to say.
Now I leave you with a quote from the song
“Conetery Gates” by The Smiths.
“So we go inside, and we gravely read the
stones.
All those people, all those lives -
Where are they nowl
With loves, and hates, and passions just
like mine.
They were bom, and then th^ lived, and
then they died.”
"In-Style" Is Your Style
By Shelly Austin
Cash those pay checks, pilfer through the it really look that bad'>
house, and be extra nice to mom, all in hopes for
a little extra shojjping money. Fall is here and the
world of “fad and fashion” is broadening. Defi
nitely in style this year are vests in all colors and
styles. Both guys and girls are wearing them with
Metal is metal, and
different colors of it look good together. Not only
is there silver and gold, but antique (as they are
called) silver and gold, which aren’t as shiny.
Tricolored gold is also a hit in braided bracelets
and necklaces. There are many choices in acces-
1 % . "‘uiKVRiaces. mere are many choices m acces-
«y casual outfit consisting of an unbut- sories. but why be so picky? Wear what you want
toned cotton vest with a , ^
toned cotton vest with apair of old jeans and a T-
shirt, or fancier dress with a fitted suede or silk
vest that stops at the waist and a long pleated skirt
that blows in the wind. Either way you wear it,
a vest will hit the spotl
Remember when you would never wear gold
earrings ifyour bell buckle was siNcr? Butdoes
to wear, but remember, no rule says you have to
wear gold with gold and silver with silver. Fads
and fashions will always be changing, and it is
hard to keep up with what’s in or out. Individu-
aihzed styles make fashion more interesting and
without unique people styles would not change*