Dates For Your ^Big Date*?
Date Bureau Encourages Boys
To Secure Dates For May 8
Joe Warner and Tony Eggleston (seated) co-
chairmen of the Date Bureau Committee, are
taking Eugene Cherry’s and Mark Daley’s names
from the file. These boys are removing their names
because they have alrea^ly secured Junior-Senior
dates.
Photo by Johnnie Harper
Junior boys may now secure dates
through t)he Date Bureau set up by
the junior class to encourage aa
many people as possible to attend
the Junior-Senior banquet and
dance, May 8.
Tony Eggleston and Joe Warner,
co-chairmen, state tha.t the names
of all juniors have been placed on
file in Miss Kate Parks Kitchen’s
office and as the students receive
dates their cards are removed. Ap
proximately three weeks before the
event, boys not having dates are
asked to consider inviting one of
the remaining girls. There is no
thing mandatory about this, the
committee stresses.
The Embers, a reportedly great
dance band from the University of
The Blackbird
Published by Joumalism Class of Bocky Mount Senior High School
VOLUME XXX
ROCKY MOUNT. N. C. TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 1959
NUMBER 8
Seniors Busy Planning
'Big Moments, May 24-29
Baccalaureate, Commencement,
and Senior Day activities are keep
ing seniors busy as they complete
jjlans for their big moments. May
21-29.'"'
liimited budget and the large
lunnber of seniors have made the
planning hard for committees, wlio
have been given the power to act
as they see fit.
Baccalaureate and Commencement
are two solrinn ceremonies for dig
nified seniors. Senor Day is a day
tiiat IS reauy ineirs and they can
have their last “fling,”
Gail Walker, ciiaii’man of the
Breakfast Cammittee, announced
that the Rio Restaurant is the lo
cation for this affair. May 25.
After the breakfast the seniors
return to school where they may
“take over” classes with the teach
ers’ permission, and skip study
hall and have both lunch periods
free. Underclaissmen must stand
when a senior enters the room, if
the senior is wearing his cap.
Vesper Service ■ starts at 4:45 p.
m. at the West Haven Presbyterian
Church with the Reverend John
Miller as speaker. Usually the sen
iors are guests of the PTSA at
John Bulluck’s on this day.
After the supper, seniors are the
guests of the Center Theater. The
street dance on the parking lot of
the school from 9:30 to 11:30 brings
this big day to an end.
Senior Calendar
Senior Tea AprU 30
Junior-Senior May 8
Senior Exams May 18-22
Baccalaureate Sermon.. May 24
Senior Day May 25
Commencement May 29
SH Chooses Virginia Norment
As Exposition Hostess May 18
Virginia Norment, senior, is to
reprcECnt Senior High at the Four
th Annual Better Living Exposition
in Works Warehouse, May 18.
She is to be hostess to girls com
ing from different sections of Nash
and Edgecombe counties. These
girls will compete for the place
of queen of the Exposition in a con
test on the night of May 18. Vir
ginia will not be permitted to com
pete for this honor because she
is from a city school
During the afternoon all of the
representatives will sit in a special
display booth in the center of the
hall so the vistors may be able
to get a better look at them before
the final judging.
Classmates chose Virginia from
a group of 19 girls. Others com
peting for the honor were Bonnie
Baker, Ann Battle, Kay Beach,
Janet Bulluck, Nancy Coggins, Nan
cy Carr, Anne Crowe, Jane Foun
tain, Betty Gail Fuller, Mildred Lan-
dcn, Ann McCarver, Honey Mc
Intyre, Bonnie Murchison, Gloria
Nelson, Vicki Odom, Susie Street,
Ann Sugg, and Roberta WiUiams.
North Carolina, will play for the
dance scheduled for 9-1 in the
gym. Foi-mal dress will be worn
to this.
Highlights of thfe cance ai-e the
coronation of the queen and the
presentation of her court and the
figure. The figure consists of 80
people, outstanding leaders of the
two classes. It is directed by Mrs.
C. D. fliclntyre and Mrs. Bundy
Harper. The figure follov.'s the
theme which, as is traditional, re
mains a secret to the seniors.
“You’re going to have the most
fabulous decorations ever!” replies
Miss Alma Murchison, advisor to
the Decorations Committee, when
inquisitive seniors repeatedly ask
for hints.
Prior to the dance the juniors
and their guests will attend the
banquet at the Ricks Hotel at
7:00 where a turkey dinner with
all the trimmings will be served.
The attire for the banquet is party
dresses for girls and suits for boys
Wisdom of Solomon?
Paladin Picks Prom Queen
You needed Solomon not Pala- Blackbird, of his decision for the
din. They are all lovely girls. Con
gratulations and ttianks,” stated
Ati«jUam Boone wnen ne notifleU
Mrs. T D. Young, advisor of The
Junior-Senior beauty court win-
nenSirfWK*
Mr. Boone, Better luiown to most
people as Paladin on the popular
TV show “Have Gun, Will Travel,”
is also playing the lead part ol
Abrahfl.m T.'ncnln In the Broadway
play, “The Rivarly.”
After the staff asked Mr. Boone
to act as judge, he wrote immediate
ly thanking them for asking him
and saying he would be happy to
judge the contest. Tlie staff feels
that it i made a good choice in that
Mr. Boone seems interested
young people.
Backstage talking to Mr. Richard Boone are Hi-Noc-Ar staff
members (L-R) Miss Alma Murchison, advisor, John Hines, Jenny
Fields, Mary Brent Elmore, Charlotte McIntyre, Frannie Harrison,
and Dennis Barnes. Mr. Boone is seated In center.
Photo by John Fleming
in
He illustrated this interest by
taking out time to judge the con
test, by answering the staff per
sonally, and by talking to students
on his own time. Members of the
Hi-Noc Ar staff saw him in “The
Rivalry” while they were in New
York in March and also had a per
sonal interview with him after an
afternoon performance.
Pictures and statistics were sent
to “Paladin” from which he select
ed one senior girl as queen, and
a maid of honor and five other
girls from the remaining fifteen
contestants to represent the beauty
court at the dance, May 8.
Juniors Take Exam
Today, No Charge!
All juniors took the National
Merit Scholarship Qualifying Exam
free of charge today.
In the past, only juniors de
sirous of taking this exam paid
the required one dollar to do so.
This year the entire class was re
quired to take the test by a com
mittee composed of faculty mem
bers and other adults. The cost
of taking the 3-hour exam was
financed under the auspices of the
National Defense Education Act.
Students breathed many sighs of
relief as they completed the test.
They declared that it certainly was
not an easy one!
Baccalaureate Plans Complete
Dr. Elbert Edwards, Speaker
Dr. Albert Edwards, pastor of the
Raleigh First Presbyterian Church,
will deliver the Baccalaureate ser
mon in the Senior High auditorium
at 5 p. m., May 24, stated Miss
Louise Parker, advisor to the Bac
calaureate Committee.
The music for the occasion will
be furnished by the Senior High
chorus and band. The band will
play the ti’aditional “Pomp and
Circumstances” for the processional
and recessional, and the choir will
sing special songs “One God” and
“With a Voice of Singing.” Theyi
will also lead the selected hymns.
Other speakers for this occasion
are the Reverend Clarence God
win, pastor of the Lakeside Bap
tist Cliurch, who will give the in
vocation and benediction; and Re
verend Math McCowan of the Sec
ond Presbyterian Church, who will
read the scripture and give the
prayer.
“I think this is going to be a
very inspiring service,” commented
Sandra Hedgepeth, chairman of the
Baccalaureate Committee,