Congratulations, Eastern AAA Conference Champs!
2Tli^ tUackhlrh
VOLUIVIE XXV
Published by Journalism Class of Rocky Moujit Senior High School
ROCKY MOUNT, N. G. I'LESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1954
Sorrell School Of Dance,
Senior Hi Choral Groups
Present ‘Nutcracker Suite’
Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite,” long a favor
ite in the music world, was presented to a near
capacity audience in the high school auditorium,
February 12. It was sponsored by the senior high
school PTSA and featured the Valerie Sorrell
School of Dance and the high school choir.
As storyteller, Miss Wlnkie Harris told the story
which concei'ns a girl, Claire, who received a nut
cracker for Christmas and dreamed that it became
a prince. The prince took her to fairy land where,
they visited the kingdom of the Sugar Plum Fairy, i
who shows them the different people and dances
shown in the “Suite.” The nutcracker is the only
thing left of her adventure when Claire wakes up.
One of the most colorful dances was that of the
Sugar Plum Fairy. A select choir of sixteen girls
and four boys were in a powder puff arrangement
in foiTnal clothes at the left side of the stages.
While they sang “Dance of the Sugar Plums.”
Sle^nor Bulluck performed a solo ballet.
Featured dance soloists were
Judy Carr as Claire, Mimi Brewer.
Eleanor Bulluck and Barbara Ann
Moore.
NUMBER 6
rictiired above are new members of the National Honor Society
tapped last Friday. They are, from left to riffht, Vivian Williams,
Betty Ivey. Elizabeth Thompson, Kay Williford, Erwin Robbins, Joan
Mixon; second row. Audrey Kennedy, Mary Lee Fountain Penn
Strandberg, Mimi Brewer, Jane Hatchett. Theo Pitt; third row. Carter
Hedrick. Bobby Savage, Bill Kincheloe, and Julian Aldridge.
The program Included the
Overture. IVIarch, Dance of the
Sugar Plum, Fairies, Russian Tre-
^ pak^ Arabian Cleese
dauce. Dance of th^Flutes and
Waltz of the Flowers. Dancers
wore costumes appropriate for
their individual dances. The choir
was dressed in robes for the first
two numbers and formal dress for
the others.
Practice Takes Time
The choir, under the direction
of Mr. H. T. Parry, had been pre
paring the music since December
and Mrs. Sorrell’s students had
been studying since last fall. The
rhoir was accompanied by Caro
lyn Lowder and Myrna Koonce
and the dancers by Carolyn Ellis.
Twin pianos were placed on the
stage for Myrna and Carolyn’s
use.
PTSA committees included pro
duction, Mrs. L. O. Gupton; pat
ron tickets, Mrs. G, G. Atkins and
Mrs. Gordon Waters; general ad
mission, Mesdames J. G. Lancas
ter, W. G. Cherry and Bart Rit-
ner; props, Mrs. Guy Barnes:
costumes, Mrs. Meyers Ivey; pub
licity, Mr. W. G. Cherry, Jr.; and
program, Mrs. W. J. Whitehurst.
Romonoca Taps 16 New Members
In an impressive candlelight
ceremony the Romonoca Chapter
of the National Honor Society in
ducted 16 new memb£-rs. J ^aiiors
and 9 juniors, into the organiza
tion Friday, February 19. This
tapping marks the last chance for
’54 seniors and the first chance
for the juniors.
Reverend Ellis Oakes, pastor of
the Second Presbyterian Church,
delivered the address which exem
plified the importance of charac
ter, scholarship, leadership and
service—qualifications on which
election to the organization de
pends.
Ideals Explained
Representing the four basic
ideals of the national organization
were Patsy Pearce, character:
Jimmy Davis, scholarshrp; Jimmy
Selby, leadership: and Ruth Sides,
service. George Knight, president
of the local society, presided over
the service and Elise Williams,
vice-president, and Larry Gupton,
a sophomore presented the devo
tion. I
In the picture above seniors
tapped were Carter Hedrick, Bet
ty Ivey, Joan Mixon. Theo Pitt,
Wheeless Stars In EDO Play
Phil Wheeless, a first year ^
dramatics student, has the male ]
lead in “The Enchanted Cottage”
by Arthur Pinero, a fantasy in
three acts. This is the Edsonians
second major production of the
year and it will be presented
March 5 at 8:15.
Phil plays Oliver Bashforth, a
war casualty, who has gone into
seclusion because of battle scars;
Christine Hufman, a Black Mas
quer, plays Laura Pennington, a
young but ugly girl of the village.
Christine has been active in dra
matics the past two years.
Mrs. Minnett, a hideous witch
like person, is played by Valentine
McMillan. Val is a Black Masquer
and has participated in several
productions. Major Hillgrove,
played by Eddie Booth, is another
war casualty. Hillgrove lost his
sight in the war and is assisted by
Rigg, a man-servant, played by
Bobby Chesson.
Edith Ann Johnson plays Mrs.
Smallwood, flighty mother of
Oliver. Jimmy Lancaster plays Mr.
Smallwood, Oliver’s step-father.
Jimmy Selby plays Mr. Corcellis!
rector of Fittlehurst church. Wil
ma Campbell plays his wife. Inci-
dently, Mrs. Corcellis is expecting
her eighth child.
Barbara Ann Moore, Mimi
Brewer, Patsy McAuley, Newsome
Maples, Gordon Wilkinson, Gar
land Chick, Sue Yelverton, Sis
I^veti'jood. Mollie Spruill. Ma-i-y
Jo nloars. Peggy Pettitt, Janice
r>'ii Brooks :Iinson are
'nei ibers of tlir- dramatics depart
ment who rnrtiripate in the
c'—i:-' r-cane at the end of the sec-
on:! act.
Penn Strandberg, Elizabeth
Thompson and Vivian Williams.
Juniors inducted were Julian
-AklndSJi. Mimi HTgr,. T on
Fountain, Jane Hatchett, Audrey
Kennedy, Bill Kincheloe, Erwin
Robbins. Bobby Savage and Kay
Williford.
Other members of the society
are Gordon Wilkinson, secretary,
John Marriott, treasurer, Emily
Ryals, Anne Proctor, Stanley Still,
Sue Gregory, Pat Pittman, Mar
garet Daughtridge, Kay Congle-
ton, Elizabeth Vann, Janet Spain,
Jean Thorpe, Lloyd Hedgepeth,
Jimmy Davis. Billy Colston and
Jimmy Daughtridge.
State Convention Here
The local club Is host to the an
nual National Honor Society con
vention. April 1-2. Approximately
three hundred delegates are ex
pected to attend and they will
come from the four corners of
North Carolina.
At the present time members of
Visitors Rate
RMSHS Favorably
Mr. Otha Holland, in compar
ing the schools of Rocky Mount
with those of Duplin County, said
that one outstanding difference
was in the machine shop. “While
the local shop has six metal
lathes, there is not even one such
machine in all of Duplin County.”
he said. He stated further that
the difference is about the same
as thLs in all departments.
Mr. Holland was one of fifty
Duplin County citizens who visited
the high school in order to obtain
ideas for establishing new con
solidated schools similar to Rocky
Mount’s.
Arriving at 11 A. M. on Filday,
February 12, and remaining until
tlie cl^sn of school, the quests
were conducted to the different
cinc^oo ijv stuc^ent ’m?ts Rnd host-
'^'hP’' wc-e Vivian Williams.
Jean Stephenson. Lenore Brown,
Brttv Ivey, and Marvin Ward, of
tl'.e social committee.
Bayar Visits Rocky Mount,
Receives Hearty Welcome
From Citizens and Students
Waving small flags and shouting greetings, local
j students helped to welcome President Celal Bayar.
President of the Republic of Turkey, to Rocky
Mount last Friday morning. The motorcade contain
ing the official party, led by the high school band,
traveled down Main Street to Hammond Street.
Then unescorted the Presidential party continued up
Hammond Street to Tillery Street where they turned
Nortn and passed the Senior high school. Students
were dismissed so they could greet this celebrity as
he passed the school.
After parading by Braswell and Wilkinson
grammar schools, the official presidential party
continued to the Caromount Division of Sidney
Blumenthal Incorporation. Here the large party was
divided and led on a tour of the plant, where they
met the workers and personnel. They also visited the
Rocky Mount Cotton Mills, the oldest textile mill In
Eastern North Carolina.
Turkish flags were placed
throughout the city in recognition
of the important visit. Many of
the students of the schools along
the parade route waved small
the society are busy with several
projects connected with the con
vention. Foremost is the campaign
tc- oiatain homag _£or tlva
delegates. “So far response has
been rather slow from the student
body,” stated Sue Gregory, chair
man of the housing committee.
She continued, “If offers do not
increase, we shall approach the
PTSA for aid.”
Working on the scrapbook for
the local organization are Aime
Proctor and Patsy Pearce. They
are preparing the book for judg
ing in the state contest, which
will be held during the conventon.
Gregory, Knight State Officers
This convention was held last
year at Winston-Salem, N. c. At
that time Sue Gregoiy was elect
ed vice-president of the state or
ganization. Other state officers
ar.; prerident. Bob Hankins, Win
ston-Salem; secretary, Jean Stan-
back, Salisbury; and treasurer,
George Knight.
This is the first time Rocky
Mount has ever entertained the
state convention and the Rocky
Mount club hopes that “it will be
a most successful one.”
Turkish and American flags and
held welcome posters with pic
tures of the president on them.
The visit to Rocky Moxint oon-
cluduU K tour of America by the
President and his party. This was
the smallest community visited
while in America, and North
Carolina was the only Southern
state in which he stopped.
Schells Give Reception
Friday evening at Dormelihy
House, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert H.
Schell entertained at a reception
honoring President and Madame
Bayar. Dromelihy was the only
private home in which the couple
was entertained.
Mrs. Schell presented two large
teddy bears to Madame Bayar to
give to her two granddaughters.
The bears are red and white, the
Turkish National colors, and have
the name of each child on the rib
bon.
Sunday morning, February 14.
Mr. Nizih Manyas, the assistant
director of the Turkish Informa
tion Office in New York, held a
press conference. At this time all
arrangements concerning the visit
of the President were disc\issed.
(SEE MAYAR PAGE 6)
‘Newsees’ Show Busy School
Katherine Batten, Linwood
Pittman, Harry Gray and George
Knight represented Rocky Mount
Senior high school in the Eastern
Division All-State Band Clinic
held in Greenville. February 6-7.
The band, in excess of one hun
dred pieces, was conducted by Mr. \
Herbert L. Carter, director of the
East Carolina College band.
Among the selections played in
the concert were “Americans We.”
“Suite in F” by Holst. “Largetto,”
“Broadcast From Brazil,” “Voice
of the Guns,” and a medley of
Gershwin .seloctions.
ler. chairman, are serving as
hall monitors this semester.
New faces now are seen at
th«- traffic committee posts.
Freddy Turnage. Stan Leg
gett, Berry Lamm,, L. M.
P^v.nes. Bi»l Toler, and John
Marriott, with James Chand-
Worship services sponsored by
the Interdeminational Youth Fel
lowship to observe Youth Week
were held In the General Purpose
room at 8:15, February 8, 10, and
12.
Hot chocolate and doughnuts
were served by one of the
churches each morning before the
services at 8:00 in the cafeteria.
The programs were conducted
each morning before the services
at 8:00 in the cafeteria. The pro
grams were conducted each morn
ing by various church fellowships.
"Even though the attendance
was very small.” said Elise Wil
liams. president of the organiza
tion, “I am sure that those who
did come received a blessing.”