‘ABE’ WAS HONEST
ARE YOU?
CTHE BLACKBIRD
DON’T FORGET
YOUR VALENTINE!
Published by Journalism Class of Rocky Mount High School
VOLUME XXIII
ROCKY MOUNT, N. C., TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1952
NUMBER 7
Local Talent Featured
In Mohammed Grotto
Minstrel And Follies
“There’s no business like show
business!” This is the sentiment of
the many high school students who
participated in the “Minstrel And
p’ollies” produced by the Moham
med Grotto.
All talent featured in this min
strel was local. It consisted of
many unusual song and danca
routines.
The troup traveled to Nashville
last Wednesday and to Wilson
Thursday to present the show.
Rocky Mount citizens had a chance
to see it Friday and Saturday
when it was held in the high school
auditorium.
Civics Class In Court; 4 strOIl^ To Head Seniors
Pupils Gel‘Know How’ Arill&UUl g, ^
Other Officers Picked
For Second Semester
‘‘Miss Mill’s class went to court!
Boy! What a reputation this’ll j
brin? to Rocky Mount high.”
Members of Miss Mill’s second
period civics class took off in cars j
furnished by their parents and
headed to Nashville to hear a
court case on the last day of Jan-
i ary.
No, they didn’t have to go, but
to start off a study of court pro
cedure, Miss Mills decided that
they would enjoy and profit if they
could actually see a case being
tried. Many of the students saw
their first case and even though it
wa.s nothing outstanding they en
joyed it.
Band Members Attend
All-Stale Music Clinic
Neil Williams, Dicky Collins,
Nancy Parry and Ann Dennis went
to Greenville, N. C. as official dele
gates to participate in the Eastern
All-Star Band Clinic, February 1
and 2.
The students enjoyed a full pro
gram, starting Friday morning
with group practices. Friday night
they were the guests of E. C. C.
at a concert with the E. C. C.
Band playing. After the concert
there was a dance, at which Bob
Lee and the Collegians played.
Saturday was devoted to practice.
The concert was held Saturday
^ night. tJw best
bElnd since the war. Professor
Pfohl, of Davidson college is direc
tor of the band.
Service Club Officers
Elected For Semester
Officers of the Service Club have
been elected for the second smes-,
ter. They are Thelm^ Lancaster,!
president; Donald Rx>oker, vice-'
president; Sylvia Crocker, secre-|
tary; Tommy Avent, treasurer;.
and Marian Harris, chaplain. j
With the induction of Beryl j
Peters as a new member, the club’s
membership quota has been reach
ed.
The latest project to be plan
ned by the Service Club is its an
nual Suni’ise Ss'^Jce which is to
be held the Thursday before Easter
holidays. The club also sponsors
special devotional services in
school by visiting speakers each
morning during the week preceding
Easter Sunday.
Trampoline Act Here;
Acrobats Give Thrills
Displaying great skill and much
practice the Flying Sandersons
thrilled RMHS students with a
routine of acrobatic hand-to-hand j
balancing and tumibling together
with sensational trampoline ex
hibitions last Wednesday, in an
other program of paid assemblies.
The trampoline, a bed-like con
struction with springs from the
frame supporting a net from all
sides, proved to be an intrnment
of importance to ones of “great”
skill. It throws one high into the
air like a sling-shot, where he
might do a somersault or twist and
return to “hreafr neck.” The
jpandersofis, however, showed stu
dents how it should be done with
out injury. They gave a comedy
tumbling act and demonstrated
triple somersaults, flips, twists,
bounces, swans, gainors, side somer
saults, jac'k-knives, and half gain
ors. '
AN ALL BOY TEAM of class presidents was elected to take the bur
den of the four classes on their shoulders this semester. From left
to right standing are Johnny Hammond, freshman
Patseavouras. juniof; and John Marriot, sophomori. Sitting is the
re-elected senior president, Jimmy Arm^torng^
Rocky Mount Reaches Goal;
Citizens Do 'Heap Big Work’
Tri-HI-Y Girts Plan
Student Directory
Do you want to know a student's
or a teacher’s address or phone
number? If you do, the place to g0‘
is the “Student Directory.”
Although th*.’ dirtctory is not
completed the Senior Tri-Hi-Y
girls are diligently gathering the
names, addresses and phone num
bers of every student in high
school.
When completed the directory
will ibe a small compact book. The
type of cover has not been decid
ed upon but the cover is expected
to be original and carry out the
theme of the directory.
“Help-um Rocky Mount to
reach-un heap big goal.”
Tht words of a local citizen dis
guised as an ancient Indian tell
'the story of Rocky Mount’s prob-
: lem during the month of January.
The March of Dimes had a big
goal—$20,000. Although it seem
ed impossible for a while, local
citizens did their part and the
Rocky Mount-Nash Cha:pter came
through with approximately $20,-
300.
With a goal of $400 facing
I Rocky IViount high school, stu-
i dents dug deep. By lunch time of
Uhe last day of their two week
' campaign they barely made it, but
that afternoon these students
; cleaned every pocket, purse and
“shoe” and wound up with $579.50.
Five high school organizations
donated $25 a piece.
Indians’ March For Dimes
Rocky Mount citizens helped by
dressing as Indians and parading
down main street collecting
“dimes,” by cleaning up polio with
vacum cleaners and by pulling
other stunts.
“The Mothers March Against
Polio” brought an end to the cam
paign when on January 31, mothers
went around to residences with
lighted porches indicating dona
tions within
The planning and hard work of
a committee, headed by Mrs. Dillon
Rose, are responsible for Rocky
Mount’s going over the top in this
1 important drive.
Elections for class officers for
the second semester were held Feb
ruary 2. In the senior elections
Jimmy Armstrong was elected
president and Neil Williams, vice-
president. In a revote for secretary
Janet Mellor was defeated by Jer
ry Daughtridge, and in revote
for treasurer Marian Harris was
defeated by Mary Jo Goodwin.
There were two revotes in the
junior class. George Patseavouras
defeated Edwina Jones for the
presidency and Ed Braswell de
feated Mary Wilkinson for the of
fice of vice-president. Beryl Peters
was elected secretary and Fred Lee,
treasurer.
Officers of the sophomore class
are John Marriot, president; Lloyd
Hedgepeth, vice-president; Anna
Kay Mac Donald, secretary; and
Billy Colston treasurer.
Jane Hatchett was defeated in a
revote with Johnny Hammond for
president of the freshman class.
Bobby Savage was elected vice-
president; Erwin Robbins, secre
tary, and Doris Cooper, treasurer.
Voting Booths Installed
Voting booths built by Mr.
Chapman were used for the class
elections.
Mr. Chapman hud th« booths
built upon the request of Bobby
Owen, chairman of the elections
committee. Some of the boys who
helped build them are Bennett Lind
sey, Robert Lindsey, Doc Arnold,
and Arbie Odom.
These booths are made from
screen door material and beaver
board which cost approximately
$30.
“We made them big enough so
even the fat boys and girls can
vote,” Mr. Chapman told this re
porter during an interview con
cerning the building of the booths.
He also said the bcotlis were not
fully completed before rhe elctiona.
A writing shelf is to be built in
later.
Dance Dates Set For Spring
JIMMY GARDNER WAS UP
IN THE AIR as his turn came
around in a contest held by the
“Flying Sandersons” to give
RMHS students a taste of tram
poline acrobatics. Others in the
contest were Gator Braswell,
Nappy Robbins, Waverly Smith,
Preston Bradshaw, and Billy
I’ierce.
Dates for the Freshman Frolic,
Sophomore Hop, Sp^'ing Dance, j
and annual Junior-Senior have been
set by the social committee,” says
Emily Baker, chairman. These
names and dates are temporary and
subject to the approval of their
respective advisers as soon ss
class elections are completed.
Students of the freshman class
will have their first closed dance
on February 29. This dance is
known as the Freshman Frolic and
heretofore most of the classes Have
had a square dance with numbers
for round dances too.
Sophomores will enjoy their
Sophomore Hop on March 14. There
has been a mixture of types of
dances in the sophomore class and
the plans for this year have not
been completed.
One of the biggest events in a
high school student’s days is at
tending the Junior-Senior. This
dance is only for the junior and
senior classes, and at this dance
, the beauty queen and court are
'announced and crowned. The date
I set for the Junior-Senior is May
21.
Quiz Program Ends
Freshman Orientation
“Where are the steps known as
the ‘senior steps’? “What is the
motto of our schcool?” Are some
of the many questions which were
asked the freshmen experts on
the Freshman Quiz program last
Friday during the assembly.
Julia Jordan acted as Mistress
of Ceremonies, Mr. Earl Privott as
judge, Kay Finch as scofekeeper,
and Albert Rahil as timekeeper.
Ths contestants were all freshmen,
two from each homeroom. They
were Mimi Brewer, Bobby Savage,
Audrey Kennedy, Charles Harris,
Carolyn Rich, Wiley Shearin, Jes
sie Pittman, Marvin Barnes, Joyce
Hudson, Johnny Hammond, Kat
herine Rose, Betty Webb, Edwin
1 Robbins, and Bill Kincheloe.
j '
The questions were first asked
the freshman contestants. If they
weren’t able to answer, it was giv
en to the freshmen—then to the
upper classmen.
Each contestant received a small
j prize.