Basketball Schedule
Feb. 21 Durham H
Feb. 24 Wilmington T
Feb. 28 Fayetteville H
THE BLACKBIRD
Important Events
Sadie Hawkins Dance
Red Heads play here
March 13.
VOLUME XXVII
Published by Journalism Class of Rocky Moimt Senior High School
ROCKY MOUNT, N. C. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15,
1956
NUMBER 6
Newsees
Auditioning has become quite a
fashion with local students during
recent weeks.
PTSA Council
Plans Workshop
To Begin Soon
Installations Complete
Officers Face Full Semester
Eleanor Bullock received word
from M. G. M. studios in New
York that they wanted her to try
out for a new TV program, center
ed around dancing.
Singing though is where Peggy
Jones’ ability lies. When the
Grass Roots Oprea performed
here, Peggy was applauded by the
directors and given a script to
look over. She was told she would
be contacted if it could be worked
out with the school board for a
performance in March.
Homemakers of Tomon'ow Award
Out of thirty {'iris participating
in the Betty Cracker Homemaker
of Tomorrow Contest, Kathryn
Batten placed first. Her paper will
be submitted fi-om this school to
compete for the state winner.
N. H. S. Convention
Rocky Mount’s Chapter of the
National Honor Society was chosen
fis one of the five chapters in N.
C. to have discussion leaders at the
N. H. S. Convention, March 15-
17 in Salisbury. Members—of the
??roup w-lll discuss Juvenile de
linquency.
Angler B. Duke Finalists
Prom this district Fred Ruben,
Fred Harris, and Kathryn Batten
were selected as finalists for the
Angier B. Duke Scholarships.
They will go to Duke University
for the weekend, of Febmary 24-
25 where they will again be in-
terievwed.
Parent - Education Workshop
sponsored by the P. T. A. Council
for all local P. T. A.’s will take
place Pebi'uary 28 from 4:00 to
9:00 P. M.
Four ijanels composed of parents
and teachers will meet in .sepa
rate classrooms. In each group, a
principal will discuss the curricu
lum and aims of the curriculum
and how character and personality
development are fused in the
school program. Two teachers will
discuss aims of and methods used
in particular subjects. Two parents
mill evaulate school and home-
school relationships.
Air. Ray Wilkinson and Miss
Millie Moore will speak at the
second meeting and a film on N.
C. education will be shown.
At the dinner meenting in the
cafeteria a program will be pre
sented by a group of parents,
teachers and students with Mr.
Jack Murchison as emcee.
Mental Health is the Topic for
the evening meeting in the audi
torium. Mr. Douglas Branch, pas
tor of the First Baptist Church,
will speak on “Christianity and
Mental Health”, Dr. John R. Mes-
fiick president of E. C. C., will ad
dress the group on “The Con-
: ^JKJtisrss^sr ^utrsiiC'ii Mr-
Health”. Dr. James Proctor of the
Memorial Hsopital in Chapel Hill
will speak on “How to be Mentally
Healthy”.
General officers for the work
shop are Mrs. J. J. W. Looney,
Jr., president; Mi-s. D. J. Rose,
Jr., vice-president; Mrs. E. L.
Daughtridge, Jr., secretary-trea-
surer; Mrs. H. 6. Bell, chairman of
Parent Education Committee.
Prin. C. M. Edson’s New Home
Display sHiddenF amily T alents
ffi'
Sophomore president, Allen Cronenburg enjoys his leisure time
while Adam Maples, Junior president, and Dan Johnson, senior
president, find plenty to worry about. Photo by Barringer
Principal C. M. Edson’s talent
for woodworking is used to ad
vantage in the furnishing of his
new home on the corner of Pied
mont and Marvel Avenue.
Upon entering the living room
I
Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Edson
unlock the front door of their
beautiful new home in West
Haven.
one’s attention is attracted by a
unique coffee table constructed by
Mr. Edson, who also created an
Early American breakfast table
with matching benches for his
new home. Edson talent was a-
gain displayed by Mrs. Edson who
drew the floor plan for their ‘dream
house”, located in a setting of tall
pines just the right height for
their two children to climb.
Built of brick the house contains
t:even rooms_two baths, thS-ee
bedrooms, living-room, dining
room, kitchen with breadfast
area, screened in side porch, foyer,
and hall. An oversized mantel
topped by a huge mirror sets off
the living-room, which has a
picture window facing the front.
Cabinets are plentiful in the
kitchen, which is decorated in
pine and gay wallpaper. The al
ways needed closets are plentiful
throughout the house. Another
useful feature is baseboard heat
ing in all the rooms.
Mrs. Hugh May, the Edson’s
interior decorator, has employed
bright colors throughout which
make for cheerful spirits in the
new home of the Edson family.
Locartyiris Tie
For Elks Award
Fay Batts and Kathryn Batten
tied for Rocky Mount’s first place
in the Elk-sponsored Youth Lead
ership contest recently.
Fay and Kathryn were chosen
on the merit of scrapbooks they
had compiled of all their accom-
lishments in leadership. These
scrapbooks will be sent to the
state competition, where the tie
will be broken, and the state winn
ers will be declared.
On Wednesday night, Februai-y
1, the girls were entertained at a
barbecue supper at the Elk home,
where they and the Nashville win
ners were presented twent-five
dollar Defense bonds and plaques
by the local Elk chapter.
League Chapter
Purpose of the Junior Classical
League chapter formed recently is
to encourage interest in and ap
preciation of the civilization, the
language, the literature, and art
of ancient Greece and Rome, and
to give an understanding of the
debt of American culture to clas
sical antiquity.
Classical clubs chapter differs
from regular activity school clubs
only in that it belongs to a nation
al organization.
Local officers are Allen Cron
enberg, president; Jane Bradley,
vice-president; Dorothy Sykes,
secretary; Barbara Southerland,
treasurer; Nancy Harlow, parlia
mentarian; Anna Spruill, reporter;
and Miss Louise Parker, adviser.
Plans have been made by this
chapter to attend the North Caro
lina State Junior Classical League
convention in Chapel Hill, March
17.
Pleasant Training
Little Symphony and Gi-ass
Roots Opera provide cultural en
tertainment for Rocky Mount
students.
The Grass Roots Opera Com
pany, annually sponsored by the
P. T. S. A. Council, presented to
all grades Rossini’s Barber of
Seville, an Italian opera, in the
cenlor high school auditorium,
Febi-uary 1-2. Student tickets sold
for forty cents and everyone was
urged to attend. Some English
teachers gave thei rpuplis extra
credit for seeing this performance.
Dr. Benjamin Swalin will again
conduct the N. C. Little Symphony
for grades one through three on
February 23.
Committees Set
Gift, Jr.-Sr. Take
Top Spot In Plans
Of Two Classes
Second semester class officers
installed by Fred Ruben, president
of the student body, in their re
gular class meeting from Jan
uary 26 to Febl'jary 6, face a
heavy semester, with plans for a
gala Junior-Senior and an original
senior gift heading the agenda.
Senior Dan Johnson, president;
Jimmy Davis, vice-president;
Minnie Lou Williamson, secretary;
and Charles Sanders, treasurer;
were administered their oaths of
office January 26,
Junior Adam Maples, president;
John Pearson, vice-president!
Jane Palmgren, secretary! and
Ronald Smith, treasurer, were in
ducted on February 7.
From the sophomore class, Al
len Cronenberg, president; Pat
Thurman, vice-president; Brenda
Burnette, secretary; and Martha
Sutton, treasurer, were installed
February 6.
Ronald Smith, treasurer of the
junior class, and Jimmy Davis
vice-president of the senior class,
were untuiiinouily electtd. i>iiice
they were the only candidates for
their offices, though spaces were
provided on the ballots for write-
in candidates.
Voting was conducted January
17, at which time most of the of
ficers were elected. However, run
off elections were needed for the
offices of senior president, be
tween Dan Johnson and Adam
Yelverton; senior treasurer, be
tween Charles Sanders and Luke
Landin, and for junior president,
between Adam Maples and Roger
Gregory. Runoffs were conducted
January 19.
Fred commended the out-going
officers for a job iwell-done, and
the new officers were challenged
to do even better.
Groups Get Adviser, Chairmen
Mrs. Gladys Robbins, senior ad-
iviser, and the Executive Com
mittee met with Dan Johnson,
president, last week and set up
the commencement committees
with student chairman and faculty
advisers.
Miss Louise Parker, adviser, and
George Daughtridge and Norma
Bulluck, co-chairman, head the
Baccalaureate Committee.
Senior Day Committee, Mrs.
Gladys Robbins, adviser, and Dan
Boone and Harriet Burnette, co-
chairman, has the big task of
scheduling all the activities for
Senior Day.
Miss Rubie Vause with Jimmy
Moore and Gretchen Zabawa as
co-chairman, head the Gift Com-
mitte. Their job deals with select
ing a present for the class to pre
sent to the school at the end of
this year.
The Invitation Committee is ad
vised by Mrs. Corinne Landis, and
Rodney Pittman with Norma
Savage as co-chairman.
The last two Commencement
Committees are the Cap and
Gown, with co-chairmen, Harold
Gilbert and Mariah Parker, and
adviser, Miss Wita Bond; and
Graduation Day with Tony Turn
er and Joyce Farris, co-chairmen,
and Miss Lola Parker, adviser.
All members of these committees
are scheduled to meet soon in the
General Purpose Room, where Mr.
C. M. Edson will brief each group
on what is expected of it.
Each of group, except Senior
Day Committee, consists of six
students. In furture issures of
The Blackbird more stories will
appear on the work of each and
the students that are working on
it.