PAGE TWO
THE BLACKBIR0. SOCKT 9IOUNT SENIOR HIGH 8CBOOL
(VEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1955
A^merican Education Week, Nov»6-12
f
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Schools—Investments
“jchools—Investment in America,” the general topic
for Ajterican Education Week, November 6-12, offers food
for thought to students as well as to adults.
Schools! What makes a school? Buildings? Equip-
mert? Teachers? Pupils? All have some part in schools,
bu actually those who want to learn—the students—
nHke schools. Then if students make schools, they are
tie schools. They ARE the investment in America.
Investments—What is an investment? Any business
man will acknowledge that it is some material put to
work with dividends expected in return. A good invest
ment pays off in good dividends.
How then is the school paying off? What dividends
is this investment bringing in? Here are only a few of
them:
Building character by safeguarding the heritage of
moral and Christian ethics.
Mastering the fundamental subjects of English,
mathematics and history in order to progress to the more
advanced subjects.
Encouraging better education as the key to better
living in harmony with our fellow man.
Students Give Opinions
With this issue, the Blackbird is initiating a column,
“Students Speak Up”, to give all students (and teachers) a
better opportunity to express their views and opinions.
Undoubtedly, much humorous and educational infor
mation may be obtained if the student body will only
respond to this novel medium in RMSHS.
Ask any questions about the history of the school,
problems in everyday school life, how many clocks, steps,
and window panes in the school, and give suggestions
about any matter that you think needs correction.
The Blackbird truly believes that this will be one of
the most interesting and widely-read columns in this
paper if it only receives support. It has worked in other
schools and has proved this theory true.
Please give all correspondence to the editor as soon
as possible so it can be compiled for the November issue.
Example of a humorous letter;
Dear Editor:
I find it difficult to ci'oss from mv locker on the right
of the corridor to my first period class on the left, be-
pfluse of the heavy flow of traffic at this time of day.
What do you suggest to avoid confusion?
“Perplexed”
Dear Perplexed.
Why don’t you dig a tunnel?
Ed.
Wliat’s In A Name?
We-11 Just Read!
Kay not morning
Kay not noon
Kay Knight
Anne not robin
Anne not sparrow
Anne Dove
Tiommy not ice man
Tommy not wood man
Tommy Coleman
Clayton fell down
Clayton got up
Clayton Hurt
Peggy not wolf
Peggy not bear
Peggy Lamm
Elaine not horn
Elaine not gong
Elaine Bell
Ray not white
Ray not green
Ray Brown
Glenn not mountain
Glenn not valley
Glenn Hill
Adam not fir
Adam not oak
Adam Maples
Ciinton not pointed
Clinton not dull
Clinton Sharpe
Bobby not scrimmage
Bobby not duel
Bobby Battle
'We Lead Three Lives’
Teacher, Advisor, Friend
Musical Tunes
1. “Hard to Get” — Straight A’s.
2. “Longest Walit” — Down to
Mr. Edson’s office.
3. “Feel So-o Good” — Friday
afternoon at 3:25.
4. “Ready, Willing, and Able” —
Football team.
5. “Why Don’t You Write Me?” —
Lee Newby and Barbara
Davis to Johnny Brown and
John Fisher.
6. “If I May” — Stay in tomorrow
instead.
7. “Beware” — Of teachers on the
warpath.
8. “Maybe” — I’ll pass the test
this time.
9. “All By Myself” — Pixies of
junior class.
10. “Birth of the Blues” — Exam
time.
11. “This Is My Confession” —
I don’t have my homework.
12. “Suddenly” — There stood the
teacher.
13. “Never Look Back” — During
Exams.
14. “'Tutn Back I he Hlands of
Time” — On Monday A. M.
15. “Wake the Town and Tell the
People” — Of our football
victories.
16. “Later, Lriter” — To get up
my homework.
17. “Learning To Love” — Algebra!
18. “Teach Me Tonight” — Tests
tomorrow.
19. “My Heart Goes A Sailing” —
Right before a test.
20. “ Day By Day” — Same “ole”
routine.
“We lead three lives — teacher,
adviser, and friend” might well
be the slogan of all instructors,
but especially so of Mr. Ralph
Gorham and Mr. A. M. McGregor,
two of Rocky Mount’s tip top
teachers.
Local Boy Enters UNC; Pays for
Education — Several years ago
that could have been a headline
for the first faculty personality
with three lives.
Mr. Gorham, who came to this
city in 1947 after having taught
in Elizabethtown, said, “Well, I
try to teach, but sometimes I’m
not sure whether I do or not,”
when asked how he felt about
teaching.
Several simimers Mr. Gorham
worked for the Department of
Agriculture, with the pest control
unit, looking for the white fringe
beetles. Other summers carried
him to the beaches, but recent
huricanes brought him back home.
After his college graduation in
1935, Mr. Gorham accepted a
teaching position in Elizabethtown,
v/here he met his wife, Miss Nancy
Taylor of Wilmington. He taught
in other schools also before com
ing here.
Mr. Gorham, now a teacher of
history with his master’s degree,
teaches American history, world
history, driver training, and is
adviser for the debating club.
Mr. McGregor, better known as
Mr. Mac by his pupils, leads the
lives of a mathematician, a Bafos
adviser, and a friend t oall those
who know him well enough to
break thomgh the wall of dignity
which characterizes him as the
Southern gentleman he is.
“I could’ve left and never set
foot here again,” Mr. Mac remark
ed when asked of his first year at
RMHS. “The boys were big and
rough; I didn’t think I could teach
’em a thing.” But he decided to
try it again. Having taught here
for 21 years, he says that there is
more discipline now.
One of Mr. McGregor’s fondeet
memories is of his early life as a
“little South Carolina country boy”
who ein-olled at Davidson and later
entered the University of South
Carolina an dwent on to become
a math teacher. Head full of tri
angles, squares, and a few parts
of a tabulator is a good description
of Mr. Mac, who now makes his
home in Asheville, N. C., where
he lives in the privacy of bachelor
hood.
Mr. McGregor doesn’t stop work
at the close of school but con
tinues to labor, benefiting himself
as well as those for whom he
works during the summer months.
He has sold stamps, and has as
sorted mail in a post office in
Columbia, S. C. Recently he has
served as a hotel desk clerk in
Montreat, near his home town.
Chief Nelms And Crew Choose
First Yell Of Current Year
After much thought and deliber
ation, the cheerleaders, led by
Chief Bill Nelms, have come up
with their first new yell of the
current year.
'rhe Blackbird, also after a great
deal of thought, decided to thor
oughly explain this so that every
one in school would understand
and be sure of the words and
meaning.
First, “Head Man” Nelms, at
the opportune time when the Birds
are leading (and they usually are),
blare.s out in the hushed silence
of the football field with, “Is every
body happy?”, which catches the
spectators so suddenly that they
holler out, “Yeah, man!”
“Chief” Sent
Now this really sends the
“Chief,” so he tears loose with,
“Anybody b’ue?” Well, the whole
cheei'ine section is wild with
amazement and anticipation at
what is coming next, so they hur-
rienly release, “No, man;” with
.so much enthusiasm that it slays
Nelms.
After Nelms is aroused once
,ns:ain, he, being the only carried-
aw'ay person, sets about the task
of putting everyone in the same
predicament, by saying,
“Then if everybody’s happy and
nobody’s blue,
Fifteen cheers will pull us
through!”
Dazed by this sudden master
piece, by which “Head Man” ac
complished his mission, the stands
quickly rattle of a meaningful ....
RAH, (one) RAH, (one) RAH,
RAH, RAH, (one)
RAH, (one) RAH, (one) RAH,
RAH, RAH, (one)
RAH, (one) RAH, (one) RAH,
RAH, RAH!!!!!
(The “one’s” are for the sake of
getting the right tempo and are
not to be uttered aloud.)
By this time, the game is over,
and all students hurry to their
dens to find out how bad the Birds
beat ’em.
Bad Situation Brought About
And so, a bad situation has been
brought about by the conscien
tiousness of the cheerleaders. The
fault cannot be pu‘6 on them
though, because several members
of the cheering body, speaking for
the entire lot, take the blame for
it all, explaining “I guess we’re
just wild, man, wild!!!!”
In case some of the cubes in
school were unable to pick out
the yell, new yell, that is, here
it is!
THE BLACKBIRD
EDITOR JIMMY MOORE Published monthly by the
BUSINESS MANAGER NORMA BULLUCK Senior High School Journalism class of Rocky Mount
ADVISER "MRS. T. D. YOUNG Subscription Rate . . $1.00