a:
BEAT
WILSON
THE BLACKBIRD
WELCOMK
GRADS
VOLUME XXVill
PuMished by Journalism Class of Rocky Mount Senior High School
ROCKY MOUNT, N. C. I'UESDAY^ NOVEniBER~i3, 19M “
number 3
Homecoming Plans Exciting
Kitty Thurman, with her campaign managrer Jimmy Thorpe, is
demonstrating the techniques that paid off in the Miss Print
contest.
Miss Print Coronation
Editor Crowns Kitty Thurman
mk
Til ati
Miss Print of 1956-57, Kitty
Thiirman, walked onto a gaily red
and ambei’ lighted stage, repre
senting the Cinderella Home,
where she received a sparkling
gold crown from the King of the
program, Edward Riner, Editor of
the BLACKBOARD.
Kitty had a total of 13,805. Cin
derella and her Prince Charming,
Jimmy Thorpe, were escorted to
the throne where the Pages, Gwen
Currin and Pat Bell, assisted Ed-
Trard in presenting the crown and
toouquet of mixed flowers to Kit
ty. Runnerup Duchess with 10,871
votes was Gloria Nelson and her
Duke was Richard Taylor. Gloria
received a nosegay of ned car
nations.
Members of the court were
Lady Jane Bradley and Charles
Edwards, Lady Celia Brake and
John Baggett, Lady Brenda Bur
nette and Prank Brake, and Lady
Nancy Coggins and Mac Hines.
High School Elects
Stevenson Prexy
By a Lead of 97
In the mock national election,
iponsored by Miss lola Parker’s
government clajss and third period
American history class on No
vember G, Rocky Mount students
elected Adlai Stevenson as presi
dent with 319 votes over Dwight
Eisenhower’s 222.
Purpose cf this “straw ballot”
was to create mors student in
terest in national politics and to
plant the “voting habit” into the
lives cf future voters.
The government class was in
charge of registration and vot
ing, and the history class did the
campaigning. Joyce Burgess act
ed as chainnan of the Democa-atic
National Committee; Gwen Currin
Republican Naitional Committee
chaii’man; Clare Davenport, State
Board of Elections chairman;
Clayton Hurt, County Board of
Elections chaii-man; and Kitty
Thm’man, publicity chairman.
^Excitement and enthusiasm are in evidence around Senior High
as students an^ticipate Homecoming Day by preparing for a gay parade
thiough the downtown business district, a football game the crown
mg of Campus Sweetheart, and a schoolwide dancj No’vember T
Participating in the tratiditonal parade will be approima eH
SLxty cars or floats from school and comm-unity organizations ^r
teen homerooms have already signed up for the parade as have also
the K,ophomore, junior, and classes. THE BLACKBIRD tv, mi
NOC-AR staffs, the Cheerleaders, the Nati^a^™ IZZ the
sociation, The SOS Club, the Bible Club the Mono!
organizations in the past have entered cars
and the sponsoring group is expecting them to do the same this yeai-'
Ann Sweetheart are Barbara Davil Bet^e
Ann Whitehuist, Ellen Joyner, Kitty Thurman, Judy Capps Lee New-
Prnm f Charmichael, Betty Lou Savage, and Sylvia Updegraff
hamm beautiful girls one will be croAned during the
I T Combo will finSh
music foi the big dance following the football game.
Everyone is working hard to make this Rocky Mount’s best
homecoming. Invitations to attend the festivites were sent^r. fnrm
er RMHS graduates. Good Sports Club members rrsSorTnftwo
ei^It ?s hoSd thaf® «°w-
eis. It is hoped that many people will be at the game and dance.
cr, XjcUiy Suii.ira AIcl-
Cecil Marks, Lady Vir-
and Mitchell Col
ton and
ginia Norment
lins, and Lady Jo Dare Williams
and Tommy Whitley were the
other members of the court. Fol
lowing this the couples waltzed
to the Merry Widow Waltz.
The Miss Print campaign has
been conducted by THE BLACK
BIRD Staff for the past eight
years.
Kegistration took "place“ Wed-
nesday, Thursdiay ,and piriday
before the voting, November 6.
The election was schoolwidej and
no student was allowed to vote
if he failed to register.
Of the student body, 90.3 per
cent registred and 92.4 percent
of these students went to the polls
on election day and cast votes
for the candidates of their
choice.
I Speak for Democracy’
Contest to Start Monday
Edsonian Production Promises
Murder, Mystery, and Comedy
Lady Jane Fountain and Dale
8t«vens, Lady Luanne Hobbs and
Hi-Noc-Ar Gets ‘7’
Hi-Noc-Ar, 1956, won a first
place grade at the Columbia Press
Association according to a recent
report received by the Yearbook
(steff.
This publication has been a
member of the CSPA since 1947,
and during those years has won
four first place ratings. This year
the staff is working for a medal
ist award.
If you like comedy and mystery,
don’t miss the Edsonian’s first
production where you’ll meet the
“Stranger In the Night”, in a
hotel gift shop where a murder
just might occur, Friday night,
December 7.
Anne Battle, Jackie Jackson, San
dra Hardesty, and Puddie Gold are
(see Play, page 5)
Close for B. E. Day
Schools close tl^ afternoon at
■ ajoiv teachers to ’par
ticipate in a Business-Education
Day program, at which time they
will see business in action and
talk with top executives of the
host firms.
Some twenty busines and in
dustrial firms in the city. Includ
ing manufacturers, bankers, build
ing contractors, wholesalers, and
others, will cooperate and act as
host firms to the faculty.
B-E Day ^ now In its fourth
year. Its main objectives and pur
poses are to afford busineemen
^ an opportunity to explain the
risks, the costs, and the achieve
ments of their particular enter
prises so the teachers will be bet
ter able to inform students of
local opportunities.
l^e committee sponsoring this
project hopes also to plan activi
ties for students and classrooms.
American history students are
preparing to enter the “I Speak
for Democracy” contest, which
begins next Mondav, Noverobei*
19.
Competition at present Is be
tween Mr. Ralph Gorham’s his
tory class, and on Monday all
the students who have entered
will give their speeches. During
that week there will be several
eliminations until the finalistis
are selected, winners go through
district, state, and national com-
petions.
Speeches are judged on contest
■with a possible 40 points; delivery,
20 points; and originality, 20
points.
An interesting fact about this
contestis that some of the essays
competing for national recogni
tion are used as material for
Radio Free Europe.
The contest is sponsored annu
ally by the Junior Chamber of
Commerce. Kathryn Batten was
last year’s local winner.
This is Play Practice?!
Though the picture on this page
(taken at a recent play practice)
shows the cast in all kinds
moods, the rehearsals have usual
ly been more serious. However,
the play in hilarious as well as
mysterious.
Twelve delightful and intrigu
ing characters are portrayed in
“'Stranger In the Night.” Sylvia
Lee (Frances Gay) and Mable
Crain, (Jane Pamgren) are the
youthful owners of a hotel gift
shop. Grant Teny (Stan Reed) is
a young newspaper columnist; J.
T. Rutledge, a retired executive,
is played by Larry Warner; Velda
Stevens, j, T.’s secretary, is por
trayed by Retha Kerman. Audrey
Glover plays the part of Clifford
Nejwkirk, a law student.
Marie St«tcher, Tommy Reece,
Fun naturally accompanies hard work, and this cast hopes to prove it with V
d««i.n r„ ... N„hf. The aW p,c,„„ *0^ .T.S“.S
Photo by Barringer