School of the Arts
way to launch career
Where would a Hoke County
student, after graduating, find the
best training for a career on the
stage?
According to Melody William
son, a 1984 graduate of Hoke High
School, that student could do no
better than to attend the North
Carolina School of Arts in
Winston -Salem.
Williamson, who attended the
school last year, was a member of
Studio One, a pre-professional
program for North Carolina
students. She found the curriculum
and teachings of that program very
deserving of its growing reputa
tion.
The school, which has continued
to gain national acclaim as an ex
cellent training ground for actors
and actresses, is also very com
petitive.
All prospective students must
audition for entrance to the
school. After acceptance and a
year- of study, the student must
audition a second time. If they
pass muster, they are asked to
return.
Although Williamson was not
one of the two Studio One students
who won acceptance for next
year's program, she is not bitter
about being eliminated.
"I learned so much this year,
and I met so many professional
people," she explains. "And I
trust their opinion of my talent. I
was asked to audition for them
again in two years, and 1 plan to do
that."
For the next two years, this con
fident young lady will continue her
dramatic studies at the University
of North Carolina.
A former member of the Hoke
Hoke
Arts Scene
By Sortya Falls
High Band and Chorus and par
ticipant in the Summer Youth
Theatre, Williamson looks back on
her experiences in those groups as
extremely helpful in building the
confidence that any performer
needs.
However, with all due respect to
these programs, Williamson would
like to see the area of drama given
more attention for the benefit of
aspiring drama students in Hoke
County.
She points to the fact that the
two students chosen from Studio
One for further study at the school
were from Charlotte. She feels that
because that school system has a
strong high school drama pro
gram, those students were better
prepared than others from across
the state, such as herself.
Talent is definitely abundant in
this county, Williamson adds. A
very good example she sees in
Hoke Countian Boris Willis, a new
recruit to the school, who will be
entering the dance program this
fall.
Hopefully, Willis will find his
work there as rewarding as
Williamson's. The wide range of
her studies during the last year
gave her a smattering of many
faces of drama. Acting methods,
dance, jazz, mime, clowning, and
speech classes composed her cur
riculum. Special workshops featur
Relaxing during break
Melody Williamson relaxes during summer break at home.
ing known actors or directors are
also an interesting benefit for
students of the school.
"I mean, it can't hurt that I've
met and worked with the casting
director of ABC, can it?" William
son asks, with a wide grin.
But she is wise enough to know
that such connections do not often
guarantee a quick way up the lad
der.
"I have no desire to go to New
York right now and become one of
those thousand, young, starving
actors, but I've always wanted to
perform. I know that and I will
someday. I just don't know in
what capacity."
For the present, she will con
tinue her studies, gaining those
"life experiences" that the school
maintains is so necessary to the
success of drama students.
The determination to be suc
cessful in her career is certainly
strong in Melody Williamson. No
doubt there will come a day when
we can proudly say, "Melody
Williamson? Oh, sure, we knew
her when..."
Upchurch Alumni reunion to be held this weekend
Jhe Upchurch High School
Alumni will enjoy their second
celebration on Saturday, August
31, beginning at 11 a.m. with a
program in the Upchurch School
auditorium.
Mrs. Dorine Malloy Adams will
be the principal speaker.
The history will again be
presented by Mrs. Kathryn
McPhatter.
From 1 to 4 p.m. a picnic will be
held on the grounds.
At 7:30 p.m. there will be a
Christian Jubilee at Mt. Calvary
Church of God in the Queenmore
community behind the school.
The public is invited.
Cobb receives
FSU Masters
On May 12, Fayetteville State
University held its annual com
mencement.
Of the well over 300 students
who received degrees, Pamela
Smith Cobb was one of those
receiving a masters in education.
While at FSU Mrs. Cobb was a
member of Kappa Delta Pi Honor
Society.
Mrs. Cobb is the daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Freddie Smith of the
Cameron Village Community.
She is the wife of Sgt. Larry
Cobb of Ft. Hood, Texas.
Mrs. Cobb is now residing in the
state of Texas with her husband
and daughter.
Nifty . . .
Matt
is
The dance in the gym will be for
ticket holders only.
The climax of this celebration
will be the banquet Sunday evening
at the Holiday Inn, 1-95 & Hwy.
53, exit 49 in Fayetteville.
John Carey Kelly, son of Mr.
Rufus Kelly Sr. and the late Mary
McLaughlin Kelly will be the
speaker.
The Alumni Chorus will present
music for both occasions accom
panied by musicians, Dr. Willie
McNeill Jr. and Mrs. Pearlie Kemp
Brown.
Cash awards offered
festival craftsmen
Over S800 in awards will be
presented to artists and craftsmen
at the N.C. Turkey Festival in
Raeford on Saturday, September
21.
A $500 purchase award will be
presented for Best in Show and $25
cash awards will be given in 13
categories.
Ralph Steeds, Associate Pro
fessor in the Art Department at
Pembroke State University will
serve as a judge.
Steeds will be joined by Harlan
McCaskill, Dean of Continuing
Education at Sandhills Communi
ty College in Southern Pines and
Gladys Shambo, Home Extension
Agent in Fayetteville.
Many local craftsmen are par
ticipating in the first Turkey
Festival.
Craftsmen from across the state
will also be on hand to offer their
handmade items for sale.
If you are interested in renting a
booth for the festival, call
875-4323 or 875-4087 after 4 p.m.
Hoke farm bureau to meet
Farm leaders from throughout
North Carolina who were
previously appointed to North
Carolina Farm Bureau Commodi
ty Advisory Committees will meet
in Raleigh September 6 to begin
the Farm Bureau policy develop
ment process, according to W.W.
Cameron Jr., president of the
Hoke County Farm Bureau.
Committee members will meet
for the purpose of raising "areas
of concern" to be offered as sug
gested issues for discussion in the
Farm Bureau policy development
process.
Commodity committees are:
aquaculture, cotton, dairy, field
crops, flue-cured tobacco, burley
tobacco, forestry, fruits and
vegetables, ornamentals and
shrubs, livestock, peanuts and
poultry.
General committees are: law and
order, and natural and economic
resources.
Representing the Hoke County
Farm Bureau at the meeting will be
Charlie Pendergrass, flue-cured
tobacco; James N. Maxwell Jr.,
cotton; L.E. McLaughlin Jr.,
livestock; and Neill L. McFadyen,
forestry.
Cameron said that after issues
are surfaced and discussed by the
committees, they are submitted to
the individual counties for con
sideration by resolutions commit
tees prior to the county annual
meetings.
Cameron pointed out that the
Raleigh meeting will begin at 10:00
a.m. with reports on the current
agricultural situation and general
problem areas that will be confron
ting agriculture in the future.
Committees will later begin their
individual discussions.
Cameron suggested that Farm
Bureau members who have ques
tions that need to be considered, or
ideas that may solve current pro
blems, bring them to the attention
of local committee members.
"It is through this process," he
emphasized, "that members can be
assured that Farm Bureau at coun
ty, state and national levels will
work for well-considered, carefully
chosen objectives which the
members themselves have in
itiated, studied, and decided."
McRae completes
police training
Pvt. John E. McRae III, son of
Annie R. McRae of Saunders
Street, Raeford, has completed
training as an Army military police
specialist under the one station
unit training (OSUT) program at
Fort McClellan, Alabama.
Students were trained in civil
and military law, traffic control,
map reading and self-defense.
He is a 1983 graduate of Hoke
County High School.
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