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HIGH LIFE
May, 1977
Editor of High Life:
There seems to be a new fad
sweeping Grimsley. It’s called
kick Student Council in the
teeth.” I’m not so sure that it is
really that popular, but a few
ignorant, immature, and irre
sponsible students seem intent on
unjustly tearing Student Council
(S.C.) down at any cost. It really
disturbs me and 1 intend to
educate the uninformed about
how it really is.
The one aspect of this whole
episode that really astonishes me
is how these students actually
think that they are in a position to
judge S.C.! Not one, to my
knowledge, has ever attended a
meeting of Pep Board, Student
Affairs, Youth Recreation Coun
cil, School Beautiful or any other
S.C. related organization or
activity, much less volunteer their
.services toward constructively
Jmaking Grimsley a better school.
If 1 am in error, please correct me.
And, after having a S.C. meeting
every Wednesday morning first
peri^ in room 406 (open to any
concerned student) we have had a
grand total of three student
visitors!
Yet, there must be a problem if
students are complaining at all,
right? This is true. One real root
to the problem, if not the problem
itself is what students see as the
purpose of their Student
Government. One common myth
which students have about S.C. is
that it should “pass laws” and
make important decisions affect
ing their school life. And if they
don’t see us doing this, then they
start complaining. That is absurd!
Those decisions are reserved for
the Administration, the School
Board, Raleigh or Washington.
That is how it is, was and should
be. Now this is not to say that
there is no student representation
and input in all decisions made.
On the contrary. S.C. members as
well as random students are
involved with every aspect related
to school life from PTSA to the
Greensboro City School Board
and students should realize that
all decisions include student
opinions and work towards our
best interest. But students should
remember also that S.C. is a
privilege and should always be
viewed in this manner. Be
thankful for what we have.
Now 1 will relate my own
opinion of what the S.C.’s role
really is. Objectively speaking, 1
feel that the S.C.’s major purpose
is to organize and provide
students with all vital extra-curri
cular activities and services. Also,
they are to raise money to pay for
these activities in a variety of
ways. (S.C. pays for each classes
Council, Pro-Con
pictures in the yearbook.
Otherwise, you would have
probably paid closer to $20
instead of $12 for this years
Whirligig.) In fulfilling these
“duties” S.C. should be able to
work effectively and harmonious
ly with the Administration and
Teaching Staff while serving as a
liason between the student body
and faculty. This view is very cut
and dry, but subjectively
speaking, S.C. also expands into
many other school and commu
nity areas while acting in behalf
of the students and school which
they represent. Here is a list of
the major services and activities
the Grimsley S.C. provides either
directly or indirectly: Homecom
ing, Prom, Book Fair, Twirp
Dance, class projects (Womanless
Beauty Pageant, Sophomore
pensales. Faculty Foolies etc.).
School Beautiful workdays, pep
rallies, any assembly, ribbons.
Thanksgiving project, Christmas
project. Student Exchange days
and Human Relations Week
activities. Teacher Appreciation
Week, Muscular Dystrophy fund
raising project. Senior class gift to
school. Little Four basketball
tournament. Graduation plann
ing, Voter registration drive, etc.,
etc., etc. The list is much longer
and 1 will gladly continue if
someone shows enough interest
to ask me. But this gives a
general over view of the major
undertakings; S.C.’s involve
ments are a whole seperate list.
Now this list may or may not
surprise most students, and some
would say, “so what?” But look
at it this way, try to imagine what
High School would be like without
these things and then the purpose
of your Student Government will
take on a new meaning.
The most acute problem
plaguing this school, (and
America for that matter) is
widespread apathy. It is disgust
ing to see just how little concern
the average Grimsley student has
for his own school. A good
example is School Beautiful. Ten
years ago and for many more
proceeding that. Grimsley was
considered to have the most
beautiful campus in North
Carolina. Today weeds replace
flowers and bits of trash
outnumber blades of grass! Yet 1
get constant complaints about
glass and trash in the parking lot
etc. Well, School Beautiful has
held parking lot sweeps and
general workdays as many
Saturdays as possible with each
workday announced several days
in advance, that is. if people
cared enough to listen to
Officers Should
Choose Positions
In the recent election of officers •’
to the Executive Council, not one
of the candidates had any |
knowledge whatsoever of the'
office that they would have
charge of, should they win the_
election. This is a strange
situation, to say the least, and a
severe oversight in that much^
potential talent is wasted.
If a candidate wins the largest I
amount of votes, it does not\
necessarily mean that this:
particular person has the
qualifications for holding the
office of class president. Indeed,
the person assigned to lead Pep
Board may be more suited to
managing Student Affairs or
Youth Recreation Council.
Each candidate should have the
option of running for a particular
office. This way each candidate
has the chance to work at a job'
that puts that person’s particular
talent to its best use, and in many
cases encourage the office-holder
to do his or her best at what this'
person does best.
In addition, more students may
decide to participate in the
student government, since there;
would be the definite need of'
more than one person running for.
an office. |
After all, even the junior high;
school kids at Kiser are allowed to
run for a specific office. Are
Grimsley students moving for
ward in the voting process as they,
move to higher educational
institutes, or ate they regressing?,
announcements. I’m embarrass
ed to admit that out of 1700
students, we were lucky to get
five students there and two or
none were common turnouts.
Whose fault is this? Certainly not
S.C.’s. The blame rests squarely
on the shoulders of the student
body and especially on the ones
who have gaul enough to
complain about trash that they
threw down but won’t even come
to workdays to help pick it up! Not
everyriiing is as bad as this, out
that seems to be the general
attitude. It is embarassing and a
total disgrace.
Grimsley has long stood on its
proud and glorious reputation as
being a leader in academics,
sports and its contributions to the
community. 1 would hate to see
these things collapse, but if the
classes to come don’t improve on
the present situation, then the
school has a bleak future.
There is hope. One of the best
places to start with is Student
Government, right? 1 mean, it is a
group of concerned students who
are in a perfect position to
organize a move towards
improving any aspect of student
life and overall school conditions.
We try, believe me we do! But it
is virtually impossible without the
respect and support of the
student body. Instead of criticizng
and tearing down Student
Government, students should join
and work with it to try and correct
the problems and faults they see.
Students should realize that their
hypocritical and attitude is really
the root to the problems they
complain about.
Students should realize that
S.C. is not a well oiled machine.
We make mistakes and have
noticeable faults, but under such
adverse conditions, 1 feel that the
Grimsley Student Government
has done an admirable job.
Students should realize the limits
to what their Student Government
can do and what tremendous
potential it has with student
support behind it. 1 hope that
students will stop and ask what
they can do to improve Grimsley
instead of complaining about it
while they sit idly by. 1 have great
confidence in this school and its
ability to overcome these acute
problems. I hope that students
will take a more active part in
school activities in an attempt to
make Grimsley the school it can
be. Grimsiey’s past thrived on it,
and those not so long ago days
were glorious. But now Grim-
sley's future depends on it.
John R.Hepler
Chairman Executive
Council
“Student Government is a
Farce” is not at all verbally
abusing; nor is it intended as an
insult. “Student Government is a
Farce” is not a criticism of any
one or two people either. It is the
entity itself that is being
criticized; the election itself is
being criticized; the achieve
ments and worth of the student
government, as it is now, are
being criticized.
The student government at
Grimsley is not a governing body.
In reality, it is a group of people
who happen to be popular enough
to get elected. If the government
is a governing body designed to
help students, why does it not put
its talents to the questions of
possible exam policies or school
calendars in conjunction with the
other three Greensboro high
school student governments?
Why not have the four student.
governments get together and
have a say on these things. After
all, they are supposed to
represent the student body and
we have to go to school and take
exams.
Shouldn’t the student govern
ment initiate changes in Grim
siey’s Constitution, which, by the
way, has never been approved by
the student body? Why should
the principal and/or administra
tion have total and almost
unconditional power over student
government? What is the use of
the student government if it
cannot make decisions?
Obviously, an alternate plan is
in order. 1 think 1 have one. Now,
if 1 were as apathetic as some
people say 1 am, 1 would not be
taking my time to do this. 1 would
accept student government as a
group that appoints committees
to do things. 1 realize that 1 can
expect no miraculous changes,
but anything is possible, so 1 will
outline my proposal. Since the
student government does very
little except appoint committees
to do things, it is really not
needed. 1 have not witnessed
anything being done that a
committee could not do on its
own.
But what can student govern
ment do? It can’t make laws. It
can’t lower taxes. Now some
where in the three classes at
Grimsley there must be some
students interested in politics for
the sake of politics. To make a
long story short (and if anyone
asks, 1 will gladly elaborate), why
not make politics at Grimsley an
educational experience, like the
‘independent study’ courses
available. Teach the students how
the actual United States govern
ment works so if they enter
politics they will have a basic
understanding of it.
This may not be the answer,
but anything is better than the
government now. “Student
Government is a Farce” and 1
believe you know it. 1 want to
make it clear that 1 am not
speaking as a Playmaster, but as
a concerned Grimsley High
School student.
David Wilson
A Thought
On Graduation
By David W. Bulla
We-the seniors-now come to
the time of year for which the idea
of public education is consum
mated, and it is the time to go
forth in the world - one does this
often in life. But one would think
that the commencement exercises
would befall at a place that
encompassed a facet of the
experience, education, but this is
not the case this year. Instead we
will try to graduate at the
Greensboro Coliseum, a well
known place indeed, but not a
part of Grimsley. And here is my
argument, wouldn’t it be more
adequate, more proper, to have
commencement exercises closer
to home? I think the answer is
yes, but since the gymnasium
floor is down to its last splinter,
this seems impossible. But let us
look to another direction.
In August of ’76 Mr. Glenn
announced that graduation would
take place in the Greensboro
Coliseum; there were few who
cared, objected - general apathy!
Since I have heard many
arguments against. I have talked
in Study Hall with three seniors
who were disgruntled. Other
seniors have expressed similar
opinions. Now the procedural
stratagem would be to complain
to Mons. Balance, Gwynn, and
Glenn, but for this year it is too
late. So let this experiment be.
But let me leave an alternative to
posterity.
Here is my remedial proposal,
and it is simple; let’s have it in
the Jamieson Stadium. We could
have it in that great ball field for
which we all are familiar. We
could sit in one group on the GHS
side of the field (at the 50 yard
line) march in, hear the
salutatory, receive the degrees,
march out. The parents and
relatives could sit elsewhere; the
orchestra would flank the
rostrum. We could start a
tradition with the exercises on
Saturday morning (in order to
avoid afternoon thunderstorms)
and the prom could be held that
night.
This proposal seems to be an
adjustment that could be
subscribed to perforce, but the
idea of the Coliseum may not
meet with such antipathy as I
expect.
HIGH UFE
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