THE BLACKBIRD
Friday, Feb. 12, 1937.
THE BLACKBIRD
Published by the Journalism Class of
ROCKY MOUNT HIGH SCHOOL
Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Member of QiiUl and Scroll
EDITORIAL STAFF
E(3itor Mary Lee Daughtridge
Assistant Editor Elizabeth Lo'W
News Editors Annie Braswell, Martha Longest
Sports Editor Frances Henry
Exchange Editor Billie Oliver
Literary Editor Joyce Powell
Feature Editor Georgine Murphrey
Reporters—Joseph Jones, O. D- Andrews, Rebecca Barnhill, Charles Edge.
Bill Greathouse.
BUSINESS STAFF
Business Manager - Prank Lee Greathouse
Advertising Manager Jane Spruill
Assistant Advertising Managers — Bill Leloudls, Reece Thomas, Carrol
Gardner. Ella Mae Lane, Betty Knowles, Mildred Thorp, Elizabeth
King, Rose Wilson.
Circulation Manager D. D. Andrews
LIEUTENANTS
Subscription Lieutenants — Charles Harris, Emily Royster Burton, Edith
Wood, Edith Mizelle, John Dozier, Dorothy James, James Griffin.
Ann Stinson, Jack Gravely, Richard Parrish, Ben Bennett, J. D.
Richardson, Norma Pittman, Jim Saunders. Betty Jacks, Rose Carl
ton Dunn, Roy Thurmond, Frances Keel, Dick Daughtridge, Nancy
Hicks, Dorothy Weeks. Thad Webb, Arnold Hollingsworth, Alice
Irla.
Faculty Advisor Miss Hazel Griffin
TYPISTS
Doris Robbins, Helen Saunders, Elizabeth Low.
For S*Ue
Extra Copies of the Blackbird—Five Cents per copy
See 0. D. Andrews, Boom 9, after 3:10
Friday, February 12, 1937
FLUNKING FEES
Eight per cent of the students of Rocky Mount high school
failed mid-term examinations. This percentage of failures is
lower than noiimal, as the average for the state is nearly
twelve per cent. However, the situation here could be bettered.
The report of the state school commission s§ts the cost of
eductaion for North Carolina at $20,160,148. The average
daily attendance is 769,936 children. Juggling the numbers
about, one finds that a pupil’s education for the year takes
$26.62. By repeating the course, a student takes that amount
again.
Tough on the state treasury, eh? No—that money comes
out of the pockets of tax-paying parents.
In a few schools and colleges, students are required to pay
a flunking fee. That is one way to cause a decrease in failures.
What should be done about them here?
GREAT, GRAND, GLORIOUS GYM
Not much more must they mope; Centralites will soon
have a gymnasium.
Legal difficulties standing between Central High and the
gymnasium have been met and smoothed. Students may now
feel assured and grateful that this building will be constructed.
It will stand as a tribute to the cooperation of the school
board and of the city officials. Through their efforts the issue
and, a year later, the necessary bill were passed. Not once did
these loyal citizens stop working in behalf of the school, al
though prospects were dark.
Gone is the gloom; coming is the great, grand, glorious
gym!
IS IT HARD?
Have you ever heard a student say how hard school is ? I
have. I dare say not many of them here thought to compare
their work with that of twenty years ago.
In 1918 there were only eighty freshmen in high school.
Think of studying they had to do, for these pupils were called
upon several times in each class. Today our classes are so
large that each pupil seldom gets a chance to recite each day.
Also pupils had to attend seven classes and prepare their home,
work, whereas our eighth grade girls and boys have only five
subjects.
The high school student of today has a choice of subjects;
he can take what he wants and has only a few required courses.
Our teachers, when they were back in their school days had no
choice; English, Latin, Ancient History, algebra, arithmetic,
science, writing and spelling had to be taken. That was for a
college preparatory course or as it was called in “the good ole
days”—a classical course.
The next time you hear a student complain, remind him
of the fact that he is by far better off than our teachers were
when they were in high school, for then they did not have a
large library, student government, various clubs, student
dances and all the delightful side dishes that you get.
student
opinion
AMBASSADOR
Dear Editor:
During the recent election of stu
dent government officers for the sec-
cmd semester, the student body gave
me their vote of confidence by re-elect
ing me President of the Student
Body, and it is toward the end of
making the student government as
near the point of efficiency and per
fection as possible, which is my ulti
mate goal.
We students hav^ invested the au
thority in our student assembly to
act as the legislative branch of our
student organization, which means
that the practicability and the sound
ness of our student Ipules and regula
tions depends upcm the wisdom our
student assembly; therefore, if in any
way we can aid our assembly toward
greatei- wisdom and judgment, then
it is a matter which affects the gen
eral welfare of the students and should
be considered seriously in such a
light.
There is a matter being discussed
which In the course of events, is
very probable will add to the wisdom
of our student assembly. The gen
eral idea Is this:
That the size of the student assem
bly shall be doubled of its present en
rollment; thereby giving each home
room two representatives In the stu
dent assembly. That the term of of
fice for a student assembly represen
tative shall also be doubled; thereby
making it for two semesters instead
of the present one semester. After
the changes have been done, there
shall be institutated what is common
ly known as the "staggering system",
that is to arrange the elections so
that one half of the student assembly
representatives will be completing
their term of office, and the other half
shall be in the next semester’s stu
dent assembly.
The purpose of the "staggering sys
tem” is always to keep some of the
semester reprelJfentatives in the
assembly. Such a system will elimi
nate the tedious work, and the amount
of time wasted in breaking In a new
assembly every few months.
This plan Is by no means new or
original in practice, because it is
used in the Congress of the United
States today. _, highly ap
proves the idea as well n-s both of
the student assembly advisors, Miss
Kitchen and Mr. Justice.
For all .the students who are the
least interested In the management
and the policies pursued by the stu
dent government, the foregoing plan
should be discussed at length with
other students so that at the oppor
tune time the student body can make
an intelligent decision on the niatter.
BILL WILLIAMS.
Dear Editor:
The board of trustees of the Rocky
Mount graded schools has been gen
erous enough to donate money for
the purchase of new books for our
sjphool library. It certainly seems that
the students could cooperate with
the board to the extent that they do
not harm the books or take them dis
honestly.
A large amount of the appropria
tion last year goes to replace books
which have been stolen or badly dam
aged. This seems to show that the
students do not have the proper ap
preciation for the efforts being made
In their behalf. Many books which
the library really needs could
bought instead of those which have
to be replaced.
The few students who take the
books in this manner do not realize
that they are depriving the entire
school of the use of them; they do
not realize how selfish they really
are!
, The majority of the students do ap
preciate the efforts being made by
the school to build up the library.
I hope that this letter will reach the
few selfish ones who seem to have
lack of interest in the well being of
the school.
ELIZABETH LOW.
NEW CENTRALITES
With each new semester we find
among us strange pupils—The Black
bird wants to take this opportunity
to welcome our newcomers, all of
whom are from our state—Many, too,
are students that have at one time
been enrolled here and have now re
entered.
[ , Welcome!
■ Lillian Bass, of Nashville; Emma
Bryant, of Elm City; Grace Noble, of
Kinston; Elease Pullen, of Nashville;
Joseph Bass, of Nashville; Bill George,
of Greensboro; Erie Griffin, of Nash
ville; Herbert Griffin, of Nashville;
Jasper Harper of Wpst Edgecombe;
Charles Mulwee, of Charlotte and
James Smith, of Kelford—and to all
the re-entered students welcome back.
ioflsravi PANIBU
Josephus Daniels. Ambassador
Mexico and president of the News and
Obsei’ver, has consented to lend his
name to the local chapter of Quill and
Scroll.
Members of the club voted to call
their organization the Josephus Dan
iels chapter in honor of the veteran
newspaper editor. The fact that he
is an honorary founder of the journ
alistic society made them tfeel that he
interested in its work and would
endorse its program here.
Ambassador Daniels has sent his
picture, which was requested by the
school, and members of the Quill and
Scroll were proud to receive it along
ith his good wishes.
Ambassador Daniels Is one of the
first leaders in the newspaper profes-
of North Carolina. He has writ-
“1 cannot remember the day
when It was not my desire to become
i editor."
The first recitation he delivered at
school was in line with this early am
bition and as nearly as he can remem
ber was in these words:
“I want to be an editor,
I really do indeed
It seems to me that editors
Get everything they need.
"They get the biggest and the best
Of everything that goes
And get in free to circuses
And other kinds of shows."
While yet a school boy, he con
cluded to go into journalism on his
account. He and twenty-five am
ateur editors from different towns
met at Goldsboro and organized the
North Carolina Press association. Am
bassador Daniels says, "We thought
we were ‘some pumpkins’."
The secretary of the State Press As
sociation invited the boy editors, all
about fifteen years old, to go to Ca
tawba Springs to attend the conven
tion of the editors. He furnished pass
es there, but the youthful editors fear
ed they would end the jaunt by
counting cross-ties home. However,
the older men finally arranged the
transportation, after keeping the
youthful editors worried all day.
The ambassador in 1880 became loc
al editor of The Wilson Advance.
With his brother he soon establlshefj
the Kinston Free Press and was half
owner and editor of a weekly paper
at Rocky Mount, In 1886 he made his
home in Raleigh, obtained his license
to practice law on Tuesday, and on
Wednesday became editor of the State
Chronicle.
Daniels was elected and re-elected
Slate Printer several times. Not long
after his election The Chronicle ac
quired the Raleigh Call, and he help
ed publish The Daily Chronicle. H*:
sold his interest in that and personal
ly paid every dollar of indebtedness
incurred.
Later, Josephus Daniels gave up a
monthly salary of $5,500 by resigning
the position of chief clerk in the In
tenor Department for the uncertain
income from the News and Observer,
which was losing money every day.
His early struggles ended in suc
cess. The News and Observer is to
day the most widely read newspaper
in North Carolina.
Daniels was Secretary of the Navy
in the cabinet of President Wilson. He
has held other high positions in the
United State.s and is the author of
several historical books.
Ambassador Daniels is still actively
connected with The News and Ob
server.
Rocky Mount high school may feel
sure that no other name would re
flect more credit on Its chapter of
Quill and Scroll than that of
Josephus Daniels.
WE NOTE
i HESPIANS MEET
The National Thespian meeting was
held recently at the home of Nell
ripeight. It was decided that the old
pledges, Saraii Bruce McAfee, Annie
Braswell, Thomas Easterling, O. D.
Andrews, and Carl Atkins, would be in
itiated into the club as soon as i os-
sible and the new pledges were to be
elected.
Nell Speight, president of the local
organization, suggested that a pro
gram be given In the auditorium in
the near future to better acquaint the
students with the work and aims oi
the National Thespians.
Winterset" a successful, play now
Broadway, was Interestingly re
viewed by Frances Walker, chitirman
of the program committee.
After the business a delicious sal
1 course was served and the meet
ing adjourned.
The National Thespian Is an organi
zation found in all the prominent
high schools and colleges in the Un
ited States. The requirements for
membership are for a student to have
been In at least one play and to pos
sess high standards of character, lead
ership, and scholarship,
HOOKER PLANS MORE MUSIC
Mr. Hooker has announced that a
campaign, started a few weeks ago,
in which he is planning to have one
hundred or more students to partici
pate is bringing good results. The
student can rent instruments by the
month and when the student comes
advanced enough he can buy his in
strument. This really is a practical
undertaking for anyone who is in
terested in playing an Instrument.
Students will be taken from the 8,
and 10 grades of the high school,
and some will also come from the
grammar schools.
Anyone wishing to take part In
this class is asked to see Mr. Hooker
soon as possible. He will be glad
to inform one of anything concern
ing the band.
NEW COURSES THIS SEIME^TER
Two new courses are being offer
ed to the Central High students for
the first time this semester.
Beginning with the second term a
class of knitting and one of third
year Latin were added to the lists
of elective subjects. Along with knit
ting, Miss Gladys Rodgers is -in
structing her class in crocheting,
weaving, hemstitching and embroid
ering. The students are allowed to
make something for their home or
their personal use, such as napkins,
tablecloths, handkerchiefs. 67 inter
ested students are enrolled In this
class of handcrafts.
Miss Corniella Ferrell has begun
a class in third year Latin. The stu
dents who are outstanding In scholar
ships are the only ones allowed to
take this course In Virgil. Every pu
pil takes part In the discussion dally.
This is the first time in four years
that on advanced Latin course has
been offered. Both the needlecraft
and Latin courses will certainly be
an addition to the present curricu
lum.
The main interest In dramatics now
is the preparation for the state dra
matics contest to be held in Chapel
Hill the last week-end in March. In
the contest Central High School will
be represented in the play production
contest with "The Devil Comes to Al-
carez," and* by two original produc-
"There's Always Reno", by Tom
Avera, and "The Road to Hell Val
ley", by Reece Thomas. The cast for
"The Devil Comes to Alcarez” has
1 selected, and those playing will
be; Frances Walker, Joyce Powell.
Martha Longest, Ellen Burnette,
Frank Lee Greathouse, Joseph Jones,
Carrol Gardner, Carl Atkins, Tom
Avera.
Since there are so many students
taking dramatics this year a "School
Theatre" has been organized in order
to give the beginning students a
chance to act, and to give the ad-
v&nced students experience in direct
ing. This will be worked by giving
plays, and selecting the beginning
students to take the parts In the
plays and allowing the advanced stu
dents to direct these plays.
The class Is also working on sev
eral one act plays to be given for a
program In chapel, and for other oc
casions. Some of these will be given
at the annual dramatics festival,
which is given every spjring by the
dramatics class of the Rocky Mount
High Seiiool.