Blachbirh
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VOLUME XXV
-PgbJfshed by J^oumalism Class of Rocky Momt Senior High School
rocky mount, N. C. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1953
214 Lists Outstanding StudentgjSf. Class EfscSs
In Many School Organizations |Eig|,t g^yj gjj,jg
Homeroom 214 has 29 members - - 1-13111 ^11
For Superlatives
i/'lBER 4
Homeroom 214 has 29 members
and one teacher!
Nothing’s unusual about that
you say, that’s correct! But just
listen to this. Of the 29 students
9 hold important offices in school
groups and many more are mem
bers of outstanding organizations.
Valentine McMillan and Pats?
Pearce are co-editors of The
Blackbird. George Knight is busi
ness manager, Peggy Searcy Is
circulation manager. Ruth Farm
er is advertising manager, and
Anne Proctor is exchange editor—
all on The Blackbird staff. Gordon
Wilkinson is circulation manager
of the Hi Noc Ar.
Carolyn Lov;der is pianist for
the choir. Elizabeth Vann is presi
dent of the Musettes. Lee Parker
is the winner of the Billy Smith
Trophy and is chairman of the
' Fire Drill Committee. Peggy
Searcy is chairman of the Stu
dent Store. Kay Sanders' writes
Hi-Lites for the Sunday Tele
gram.
Gordon Wilkinson, Elizabeth
Vann, and Kay Congleton are
members of the Good Sports Club.
Elizabeth and Kay are also mem-
the Service Club.
The National Honor Society has
si-T members in this home room.
i Knight, Goi'don
Wilkinson, Elizabeth Vann. Anne
Proctor, Patsy Pearce, and Kay
Congleton. George is president and
Gordon is secretary of this organi
zation.
Mrs. VanBuskirk, the teacher
also has an important position.
She is president of the local ClasS'
room Teachers’ Association.
With so much talent and ability
in one group, big things can al
ways get done. What a challenge
these people must offer to each
other!
So Make Plans
For Animal Dance
starting the holiaays with a
bang, students will celebrate the
closing of school and the beginning
of the season with the annual
Christmas dance in the senior
high cafeteria, December 18, from
8 to 12 p. m.
Plans for the dance are being
carried out now. About 600 invita
tions in the shape of Christmas
tree ornaments with Santa in the
middle are to be issued to those
who plan to attend.
The cafeteria decorations will
include a large Christmas tree
around which decorations will be
centered. Music is to be provided
by a juke box.
The student organization has al
lowed the social committee fifty
dollars to help defray expenses. As
the dance is the first to be held in
the cafeteria; a big turn out of
foi'mer students as well as the
n7 esent ones is expected.
Vivian Williams is chairman of
the social committee with the help
of Miss Jean Riddle, the advisor
s urging that all students attend
even if they are unable to remain
for the entire party. Anyone want-
mg to obtain guest bids may do so
by atijiiig Miss Kitchen tomorrovv.
To give recognition to those stu
dents who are outstaniiing in 'c.ieir
iiigli school academic and extra
jurricular activities, the Hi-iSToc-
Ar sponsors an election of a nuin-
jer of top seniors. This is the sec
ond year such has been done here.
Seniors vote for tliese students.
Last jear twelve seniors, six
boys and six girls, w'ere elected.
This year, however, the Hi-Noc-Ar
staff decided to have sixteen out
standing students picked. The staff
said that since there are so many
students in the present senior
class who have done excellent work
in high school, it vva^ difficult to
pick just twelve.
Girls chosen on the basis of in
dividual accomplishments are
Janet Spain, Elise Williams. Eliza
beth Vann, Kay Congleton. Ruth
Sides. Margaret Daughtridge. Gor
don Wilkinson, and Sue Gregory.
The boys are George Knight, Jim
my Daughtridge, Baxter Savage.
Theo Pitt. Jimmy Selby, Eddie
Booth, John Marriott, and Bobby
Deans.
A special section in the Hi-Noc-
Ar will be dedicated to these top
studentb.
NEWSEES
C!”-olina Playmakers of the Uni
versity of North Carolina present
ed “On Borrowed Time”, Tuesday,
December l. This- was the first
play to be performed in the senioi
high school auditorium.
The Kiwanis club sponsored the
play and all proceed* were turned
over to their children’s fund.
Rejristration has been held
in preparation for the electon
of class officers. The votingr is
to take place soon after the
Christmas holiday.
Mr. Charlie Still, the local P. B.
I. agent, during a December 4 as
sembly told the students that the
major causes of crime are the
failure of people to recognize other
people’s rights to live, and the fail
ure to live by the Golden Rule and
the Ten Commandants.
Oliver’s Story First Choir Tours Chibs
First place winner of the T. B.
essay contest, sponsored by the
national T. B. association and the
C. S. P. A., in which the Blackbird
staff annually participated, was
Lucinda Oliver with her article “A
Christmas Story.”
Julian Aldridge placed second
with, “The Life of a Christmas
Seal,” and Peggy Searcy, third
wiriner wrote “I Learned the Hard
Way.”
Mrs. Brothers, the executive
secretary of the Rocky Mount Ki
wanis T. B. Committee, came to
the class during the latter part of
November and gave facts about
causes, symptoms, care, and care
of T. B. First year staff members
then wrote articles which included
as many of the facts about the dis
ease as they could reasonably get
in. Their articles could be in the
form of essavs. stories or noems
Mrs. Brothers read ah the ar-
and chose tho winners on
np bases of originality of presen
tation. fact, and correctiveness of
journalistic form.
During this Christmas sea,son
the RMHS chrir under the direc
tion of Mr. Harold T. Parry ha.'^
sung for many civic and school
groups.
The program Included “Birth
day of a “King”—W. H. Neidlin-
ger. “Carol of the Birds.” Nobel
Cain, “Christmas Night.” Dorothy
Jarhes and Edith Tatum. “Carol of
the Bells,” ‘Peter J. Willouskv,
“Amish Carol of the Hills.” Har
vey Gauls, “Catique De Noel,”
''dolph Adam. “Silent Night,”
Franz Gouber, “One Little Can
dle;” George Mysela and T. Mal
loy Roach, and “The Hallejujah
Choris,” Handel-Bhss.
Throughout this Yule-tide sea-
'■■on the choir sang for Current
Topics Club, and the Senior high
school student body. They are
scheduled to sing for the Evening
Telegram party. December 21.
It is pointed out thnt this year
the choir had to be condensed in- tmu rsrooKs urn
erouD special picked sou were in charge of the arrang*
^ rnents for the affair.
Edsonians Present 'Lost Horizon'
Shangri-La Entrances Audience
From start to finish the play “Lost Horizon” held
the audiencc spellbound last Friday night in the sen
ior high auditorium. This was Edsonians’ first pro
duction of llie year.
The cast of characters was Myra, Gordon Wilkin
son; Eiizaoeth, Edith Ann Johnson; V/yland, James
Chandler, iiutn.-rford, Jimmy Lancaster; Chang,
Kobert Daughtridge; the Tibetan, Bobby Chesson;
Conway, Newsome Maples; Mallison, Ken Brinson;
jjaiiiaid, Bill iiouse, iviiss Bi’iiiKiOvv^^ GiixisLjiiie 'Ki
ham; Ai-Ling, Kay Sanders; Helen, Patsy McAule>^^
LoSen, Nancy Leehane; Tashi, Rose Booth; and the
High Lama, Eddie Booth.
Cast Gives Lighter
To Director Harris
Miss Winkie Harris was present-
e-1 a Ronson cigarette lighter and
ca.se at the party immediately fol
lowing the production of “Lost
Horizon” last Friday night.
This party held at the Teenage
Club is an affair given after each
play, by the cast, production staff
and their dates.
At this party the group present.-^
tbe director and Miss Lou Williams
gifts of appreciation for their
work.
Each member brings some type
of food to make up the refresh
ments and each person brings his
own drink.
Mollie Spruill and Brooks Hin
One’s Loss, Other’s Gain
Dr. Chester Swor, an out-
standingr lecturer and noted
educator, spoke to the senior
hifirh students on the different
k‘"_ds of labels people have.
This talk was given in assem
bly, December 1. He especially
^tressed the importrvnce of
everyone’s trying to make for
himself a label he would not
be ashamed of and would be
proud to have.
Gardner Moves To Henderson
The hard work back stage was
done by student director, Barbara
Ann Moore; prompters, Mary
Proctor and Myra Floyd; stage
crew, Nicky Shine. E. L. Daught
ridge. Phil Wheeless, Bart Ritner,
and Eddie Pennington; properties,
Janice Gray and Garland Chick:
Make-up, Elizabeth Thompson.
Mimi Brewer, and Connie Taylor;
and costumes, Carolyn Lowder.
Peggy Pettitt. and Sis Livengood.
“Lost Horizon” was written by
James Hilton and dramatized
from his novel by Anne Coutter
Martins and Christopher Sergei.
Miss Winkie Harris,, a graduate
of Rocky Mount High School, is
the director. She received college
training at Salem and taught a
year in France before coming back
to teach here this year.
“Lost Horizon” deals with the
supernatural and superstitious.
Its .setting. Shangri-La, is a place
where people never grow old.
This was originally a novel but
has been cast as a movie as well
as stage productions.
She hesitated a moment to make
certain she had heard correctly
as George Knight said, “Will Caro
lyn Gardner step forward, please?”
Carolyn was being given an in
vitation to the National Honor So
ciety by its president in assembly
that Friday. December 4.
The student body was delighted
to see this happen to Carolyn
since she was moving to Hender
son the following week. She would
have been tapped in the regular
ceremony next semester but be
cause of her moving, she was taken
in early. This was the first time
anything of this sort has happened
in the NHS.
Two important positions in stu
dent activities were vacated at her
departure—those of business man
ager of The Blackbird and mana
ger of the student store.
In a complicated election,
George Knight .was chosen to fill
the business m9.nager position of
the paper, Peggy Searcy to take
George’s old place of circulation
manap'er and Carole Morgan to re-
sunje Peggy’s job of assistant busi-
rio'^s manager.
Baxter Savage, president of tl;e
Rtudent Organization, appointed
t'eggy Searcy to succeed Carolyn
as store manager. Peggy has
worked with Carolyn in the store
this year and is thoroughly famil-
■ar Vi^ith all of its aspects.
^ Carolyn’s father. Mr. G. E.
Gardner, is associated with Caro
lina Power and Light Company
and been manager of the sub-sta
tion here for about seven years
He was transferred to Henderson
as superinterdent of a larger sta
tion there. During this time, Mrs.
Gnv-’tirr taught the seventh grade
at Fann'e W. Gorham and R. M.
Wilson Junior high.
Booth Wins Contest
For the firjst time ir^ three years
Rocky Mount High has produced
a winner in the “I Speak for
Democracy” contest sponsored by
the U. S. Junior Chember of
Commerce. Rose Booth, a popular
senior girl, von over representa
tives from Benvenue, West Edge
combe and Booker T. Wfi,shington.
On December 28, a recordins of
her speech, mode by radio station
W. C. E. c.. will be judged in the
State contest. The State winner
v/ill receive a radio or T. V. receiv
er.
The purpose of this contest
to give youth nn ooportunity
consider seriously, and to speak
on, the blessings, freedoms and op
portunities of this nation'
is
to