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HIGH LIFE
January 29,1981
The Moral Majority
By Marty Leary
Recently the North Carolina chapter of The Moral Majori
ty compiled a list of textbooks it wants removed from the
state’s public schools.
The group primarily abhors science textbooks which teach
the Theory of Evolution or deal with human reproduction. In
its enthusiasm and determination to advocate fundamen
talist viewpoints, however, it strayed from mere criticism of
textbook selection to attacks on great works of literature.
Fortunately, the Iredell County School Board did not suc
cumb to the wishes of the fundamentalists who favored the
removal from Iredell County English classrooms Aldous
Huxley’s Brave New World. The group failed to recognize, or
at least to appreciate, the satire employed by Huxley in his
1932 novel exposing the evils of totalitarian government.
To a certain degree, there is a valid argument for the re
screening of school textbooks and even for a closer look at
the teaching of Evolution in high school biology classes. But
if other county or city School Boards do not follow Iredell’s
example, but rather interpret the Moral Majority’s views as
gospel, then the situation would have gone beyond healthy
criticism to outright religious persecution.
The teaching of the Creationist viewpoint in biology cur
riculum defies modern interpretation of science, and belongs
only in the home or church. By the same token, however, text
books which present the Theory of Evolution as in
disputable fact instead of one of many theories, is unhealthy
and detrimental to the purpose of education.
Greensboro School Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Newbold,
in a recent High Life interview, expressed his belief that a
local branch of the Moral Majority would confront him in the
near future with a list of books it found objectionable.
Perhaps Dr. Newbold will realize, should this occur, that
despite the increasing popularity of fundamentalist
philosophy, the Moral Majority’s views do not serve as a
cross-section of public opinion, and do not justify, in any
form, the censoring, or removing of books from public
schools and libraries.
'Letters To The Exlitor"
Opinion
Clubs Provide Service
To the Editor:
Recently the purpose of
the Grimsley service clubs
has been in question. It is
only fair that the other side
of the issue be represented.
The purpose of Grimsley’s
service clubs is to learn by
working with others, to
expand one’s knowledge and
experience, and to gain new
friendships.
Every year the Key Club
directory has been used and
enjoyed by Grimsley stu
dents. One club helped han
dicapped individuals to shop
at Christmas and held a
party for rmderpriviledged
children. Another club is
planning a party at a nursing
home. Still others have
participated in the following
activities: School Beautiful,
GGO, the cleaning and dis
tribution of over 40,000
Christmas toys, the enter
tainment of the elderly,
sponsorship of a needy fami
ly, collection for Muscular
r* %
M11
^8
■
Grimsley Key Club members Chris Payne and Ira Sheldon
participate in recent United Cerebal Palsy Telethon. (Rabold
Photo)
Distrophy and Cerebral
Palsey, working the Greens
boro Haunted House, the
Empty Stocking Fund, and
numerous other beneficial
community services.
Unfortunately, many
times the students and ad
ministration criticize the bad
aspects of an organization
and fail to commend its
— Comment—
benefits. Should
sands of people
benefitted from
munity projects
the thou-
who have
the com-
of Grims
ley’s service clubs really
suffer because of unwarrant
ed complaints?
Sincerely,
Jennifer Dietz
Catherine Evans
Student Representation: Just A Dream?
By Becky Silver stein
Abraham Lincoln empha
sized in his Gettysburg Ad-
Newbold Predicts Bright Future
By Lisa Kamenetz
The career of Superinten
dent of the Greensboro
Public School System is a
demanding one, but Dr.
Kenneth Newbold likes it.
“Everybody is turned on by
different things, arid some
people think I’m crazy with
all the pressures I live xm-
der, ’ ’ he admitted in a recent
interview. “I like working
with diverse parents, tea
chers, and groups
people,’’ he continued.
of
Dr. Newbold
Before coming to the
Greensboro system in 1978,
Newbold had served as prin
cipal of two schools in two
different systems, as an
assistant superintendent in
the Greensboro system from
1966-1969, and as the super
intendent in the Scotland
County, N.C. system. He has
received both Masters and
Doctorate degrees from
Chapel Hill.
Newbold has also had 35
years of experience in
uniform. He feels that his
active Army service and his
31 years in the National
Guard have provided him
with a great amount of
experience in leadership and
administration.
Despite the controversy
some of his policies and
suggestions generated last
spring and earlier in his
administration here. New-
bold emphasizes that he
wants Greensboro ‘ ‘to be an
exciting school system where
students feel free to dissent
and to voice their points of
view, and where teachers
feel they are not restricted in
any way by Board policies.
Superintendent policies, or
principals’ policies.’’
Another reason Newbold
likes the job of superinten
dent is the opportunity it
offers to set goals and see
those goals achieved. There
are four basic goals Newbold
wishes to see accomplished
in the Greensboro schools.
The first is a revision of the
curriculum in grades seven
through twelve. The second
is to see effected the proper
use of the money allocated
for staffing and guidelines
guidelines which set mini-
miun and maximiun class
sizes and determine the
ntunber of assistant princi
pals, guidance counselors,
and secretaries.
The third goal applies
more directly to Grimsley.
He wishes to improve the
wiring in the older buildings
on Grimsley’s campus. In
deed, Newbold sees a need
for improvement in the
plumbing, heating, and elec
trical systems for all of the
old buildifags of the public
schools in Greensboro. Fur
ther, if the State Bond Issue
is passed, Newbold will
seriously consider air condi
tioning for all the schools.
An immediate priority of
this active Superintendent is
to solve problems with com
puter scheduling. He feels
the problems can be alleviat
ed; and he prefers to try the
system for a third year
before considering requests
for a return to arena schedul
ing.
With all these goals in
mind, it is certain that
Newbold will strive to make
the Greensboro Public
School System the best in
North Carolina.
dress that a government ‘ “of
the people, by the people,
and for the people’’ was an
important part of our na
tion’s heritage. Can we not
use this idea and apply it to
other governing powers? For
whom does the School BoMd
work? It is not for the benefit
of businessmen, house
wives, merchants, or physi
cians. School Board actions
primarily concern the stu
dents who attend the public
schools.
It is not legal in North
Carolina for students to be
represented on the School
Board. However, any quali
fied voter (18 years or older)
is able to run for election to
Greensboro’s School Board.
This is too late. Many high
school students are mature
enough to serve on a board
that creates policies which
directly affect their educa
tion.
What can be done now, to
ensme student representa
tion on the School Board?
Change cannot occur in
Greensboro imtil a state law
is passed. Letters to our
legislators would be the first
step.
In the meantime, it is
possible for students to at
tend and be heard at School
Board meetings which are
scheduled on the third Tues
day of each month at 7:30
PM at the Administration
Office Building on N.
Eugene Street. Large atten
dance and cooperative input
by the students could lead to
legal student representation
in the future -- a representa
tion that should be our right.
HIGH LIFE
Grimsley Senior High School
801 Westover Terrace
Greensboro, N.C. 27408
Special Edition - Journalism I Issue
Editor-In-Chief Marty Leary
Managing Editor Mark Robbins
News Editor Deirdre Harshaw
Feature Editor Lisa Kamenetz
Sports Editor Brian Herndon
Reporters Tom Albanese, Rob Gay, Anne Henry
Trisha Houser, David Jones, Vicki McHugh,
Becky Silverstein, Steve Soltesz, Fran Tuberman,
Chuck Tutteror, Stephanie Wilson
Business Managers Amy Anderson, Gina Vance
Photographers Kevin Carpenter, Susan Rabold,
Beth Sykes
Advisor. Lynn Wright Tanner
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