PAGE TWO
THE BLACKBIRD, ROCKY MOUTVT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
FBrDAT, SEPTE>mER 19, 1958
Your President Speaks
I want to thank the student body from the very bottom of
my heart for responding so heartily to my plea on the opening
day of school for support of your Student Organization. I thought
the response by attending the football game and staying behind
your team, even when the situation didn’t look good, was simply
great.
I want to publicly thank the cheerleaders and everyone else
who had to do with selling the “Boost Kocky Mount” buttons,
and I want to thank the people who bought them even more. The
money went into your Student Organization treasury, where we
need five hundred dollars to even start to operate, and to have
your social functions such as the Cliristmas Dance and the Spring
Dance.
Once again I want to ask your continued support. Without
you, the Student Organization doesn’t have a reason to exist.
The Student Organization and the student body are one. On you,
everything depends. Our pep rallies, our aims and the success
of them for the school year, as I said, even our very existence
is entirely in your hands.
At our age we are in a growing period where our horizons
are broadened, our ideals and aims are formed and shaped. The
things we do, think, and live today have a great deal to do with
molding us into what we will be tomorrow.
This idea has to do with our concepts and beliefs of what
God is, and His place in our lives. Whether you realize it or not,
it also has to do with what we have come to generally call “school
spirit”. Give it your best. No one can ask for more. (R. N.)
You Were There!
Or Were You at The Pep Rally?
Setting ? A dark field with only the stars for light . . . Char
acters ? A crowd of enthusiastic people, rather silent, but waiting
anxiously. Then when a flame burst forth, joyous yells could be
heard around the field and everyone was happy and excited as
they joined the leaders in cheers and chants for the season’s
first pep rally.
_ You were there Thursday night, September 4, for this oc
casion ... or were you? If you were, you might have heard a
student from out of town remark about the enthusiasm of every
one. You would have heard several graduates reminiscing about
the past rallies and the fun they had had.
If you were present, you would have had fun and would
have marveled at the beauty. Yes, even beauty had a part in the
pep rally for as the fire burned, it sent smoke, dotted with tiny
sparks, into the black sky. The cheerleaders, dressed in gold
black, and white, had a glory all their own.
As the cheers were offered, you would have been thrilled
to be a part of it all. You, along with your friends, would have
helped to boost the spirits of the team.
However, if you were not there you wouldn’t have seen or
heard those things. By not being there you missed out on the
fun pd good times everyone had. It lasted only a short while,
but m that time a great deal was done. Not only would you
have taken pride in your football team and cheerleaders, but
also you would have made them proud of you. For they would
know that you are behind them. (B S )
Wise Pupil Sets,
Keeps Study Habits
Throughout the nation andin
Rocky Mount Senior High School
today, there are students, normal
teenagers in every respect, who are
determined to make above average
grades during the coming school
year, and they start off reasonably
enough to reach that goal.
These pup Is have a regular time
•set aside tor homework, a comfor
table d;;sk with sufficient light,
and most important of all, con
sistent study habUs.
Then comes tlie night wl;en an
exceptional movie is playing up
town. A good friend calls and the
usually hard-working students say,
"Heck, I can get my homework
tomorrow in study hall. After all,
what are study halls for?” This
attitude may produce a condition
that could become a deep-rooted
habit. A marked dive in grades
would then usually appear.
Lucky is the student who has a
good schedule and the will power
to stay with it, word for word, for
this student’s homework problem
is alleviated. (H. A.)
IVJ
Ben Blackbird Sez
Letter From Annie
I Was So Homesick'
To Clint Andrews
Don’t Delay
Subscribe Today!
Faculty Sketches
Seniors Cite Mistakes
As seniors look back over their
high school days, they see many
things that they would like to
change; however, with only nine
months left, there’s little they can
do except to hope tliat sophomores
and juniors will profit from their
mistakes.
Many, like Kay Beach, Dale
Stevens, and Ann Godwin, wish
they had studied harder. Some
would like to have had better stu
dying haibits, as Slildred Laudiii,
and many would change their
grades as Zeno Williams.
A few feel the same way as
Mary Brent Elmore does; she
would have liked to have partic
ipated in more school activities,
and a;s Jane Sutton, who wishes
she had taken on more responsibi
lities.
Gail Kesister sadly stated that
she would have had that last credit
needed for graduation could she do
it over again, while Judy Boyd
said that she would have tried to
fos more intelligent. Sliippy Best
said that he would have had more
fun. Honey McIntyre exclaims, “I
would have eaten more.” But Bar.
bara Pierce wouldn’t change a
thing for she has had fun.
Some w'ould make changes and
others wouldn’t, but in the main,
all have enjoyed these years.
Always ready to repeat any ques
tion even if she’s said it a trillion
times . . . rattling off an unknown
dialogue of Spanish to a bewild
ered group of recruits . . . owner
of the orangiest orange skirt in
Rocky Mount . . . never caught
without a joke on the tip of her
tongue or a crazy antidote up her
sleeve . . . willing to help any
body, and there are certainly plen
ty who need it . . . Guess who?
The colorful little senora herself,
Mrs. Mary Cuthrell.
Ready to teach anybody how to
type ... a pretty little bundle of
joy tied up with a great hig smile .
. . forever telling the girls not to
forget to cut their finger nails be
fore they get too long . . . always
happy when everybody makes
above average on the time test . . .
proud owner of one very loud time
clock . . . Who else could this be
but Mrs. Nellie Winstead?
Laughs almost all the time . . .
has a smile for everybody . . .
happy to get as many grasshopp
ers as possible . . . knows just
about all there is to know about
biology ... a wonderful person
ality ... a friend to everybody . . .
That’s Mrs. Ora VanBuskirk.
Editor’s Note; iFollowing are
fexterpts from a letter’ to 'Mr:
'Clinton Andrews from Senior
High’s 1958 foreign exchange
student, Annie Lechevalier.
Dear Clint,
One week has already gone since
I arrived here and I’m real asham
ed not to have written before. The
reason I didn’t write is that I
tried real hard to readapt myself
to a new way of life and I didn’t
want to think too much about
Rocky Mount. Now, I’m all right,
I guess.
It was a very enriching exper
ience to see other parts of the
states, live with new families, and
to see a different aspect of life in
America. I especially enjoyed visit
ing New York and seeing the AFS
office. It’s just delightful, and I
would love to work thei’e with all
those wonderful people who have
such a strong faith in the APS.
I was real excited to see my
family from the boat in Le Harve.
But Sunday night, I was ready to
go back to Rocky Mount. I was so I
homesick. I felt that I didn’t -be
long here and it was the saddest
feeling. AJthough my iamily was
real patient with me, I thought
I would have to take the next boat
going to the U. S. Now I am more
reasonable and I have decided
ihat after all, I can be just as
happy Avithont a TV, a dishwasher,
American cars, etc.
I get a lot of mail from Rocky
Mount and know everything that’s
going on there. Anna writes a lot
and she says she might come next
summer. I would give anything to
be still with her and Harriet and
the whole family. I love them so.
I guess Penny is about to ar
rive by now. Lucky dog!! I hope
she’ll be as happy as I was.
Thank you for the very sweet
telegram. I was the luckiest one
because I got two telegrams. It
was real nice of you to think of
’ny going away and I certainly ap
preciate it.
Take care of yourself, lear Clint.
That’s all I see now, it seems so
strange. Everything seems to have
shrunk; it’s so small.
Thank you again for everything.
I am yours very truly,
Annie
THE BLACKBIRD
Rocky Mount Senior High
Member of the
Columbia Scholastic Press Association
EDITOR
Advertising Manager
Business Maniiger ...
SUSIE STREET
...Carolyn Jfichols
Judy Smith
Circulation Manager Regina Haries
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