THE
VOLUME XXX
BLACKBIRD
PubUshed by jOTimaJism Class of Rocky Mount Senior High School
Hi-Noc-Ar Campaign Begins
Subscription Goal—650
Hi-Noc-Ar subscriptions for this year will be on sale
for two weeks beginning Monday to all Senior High
students with an anticipated goal of 650 subscriptions.
Selling for $3.75, the Hi-Noc-Ar can be purchasec
by paying the full amount or by using the installment
plan; paying a deposit when the sale is made and the
remainder before the book is issued in May
Beginning last w&ek and extending [
tlirough this week Charlie Killebrew
madia individual and group pictures
for the Hi.Noc.Ar with individual
pictures costing $1.50
Clubs and organizations have a
choice of buying one-third page for
$7.50, one-half page for $10, or a
complete page for $20.
During the two weeks of tlie cam
paign the staff members have home
rooms from whioh to take orders.
They go to their assigned home
rooms each morning during home
room period. They can also contact
students personally outside of school.
'imough thg" comijiner iiiete K
the group, the staff has decided on
th,e theme, color, and dedication
for this year’s annual with the aid
of fheir advisor. Miss Alma Murchi.
son. This remains a secret until the
book is issued. However, reports
say the theme is entirely different
from last year, and more on the
lighter side.
Heading the Hi.Noc.Ar are Char,
lolte McIntyre, editor; Turner Co-
Icy, business manager; Jenny Fields,
advertising manager; and Dennis
Barnes, circulation manager. Other
staff members include Mike Livesay,
Mayo Stancil, Linda Ruffin, Nancy
Wells, Nannie Hussey, Helen Strick.
land, Garry Garris, Lucy Aldridge,
Sandra Weller, Parks Cobb, Kirby
Ward, Allice liovarco, Bobby Branch,
Gene Cherry, John Fleming, Sue
Daughtridge, and Eva Berg, with
Miss Alma Murchison, advisor.
ROCKY MOUNT. N. C. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1959
NUMBER 2
Edsonians Present
Three Act Comedy;
‘Quiet Summer’
Quiet Summer, a three act com
edy, written by Marrijane and Jose
ph Hayes, with a cast of 18, will be
presented by the Edsonian Drama^
tics Organization on December 5 in
the Senior High auditorium.
Betty Sodeman, Wayne White,
Wayne Bridgers, Posey R«eves, Linda
Blackburn, Judy Sorrell, Carolyn Ez.
*ell, Judi Tayor, Marie Tilson, Pat
Tnbmas,
Linda Barnes, Ed Vann, Clarence
Ayscue, Toy Eggleston, Mickey Ez.
Zell, Ray Bryant, and Joe Warner
v/ill compose the cast for this play.
This play concerns a sedate law.
yer, played by Wayne Bridgers, who
has to put up with two teen-agers,
Betty Sodeman and Wayne White,
who are rudely thrust upon him for
the summer months.
With all the Edsonians working
hard decorating and building sets,
all will he in readiniess for the up
coming pr)oductio(n.
Runner-Up—Miss Print
Sandra Weller, was crowned Queen or the Masquerade Ball in the
annual Miss Print assembly with Jenny Tyner as first runner-up.
Photo by Killebrew
TV Classes at Work
“Betty and Wayne have of the
hardest parts playing the part of
teen-agers” Mrs. Ada Hobbs, direc-
tor, stated.
Journalism Class Hears Talk
On TB by Dr. Margaret Battle
Dr. Margaret Battle, guest speak,
ei, spoke to the journalism class
about tuberculosis prevention and
control at the regxilar class period,
Tuesday, October 13.
Students were told the different
symptons of tuberculosis and var
ious methods used to detect the di
sease. Dr. Battle stressed the fact
that everyone should have yearly
checkups. She also talked a great
deal on the treatment of TB and
the TB Associations throughout the
United States. She Informed the
students how to take care of them
selves in order to resist the TB
germs that might enter their bodies.
Someone in this country is stricken
every six minutes with this di
sease and in 1957 over 13,000 Ameri
cans died of it. 100,000 have the
disease now in its Infectious form
but do not know they are sick.
For those who have contracted the
disease the annual selling of Christ
mas seals provides money for their
care.
Each student of the journalism
class will write an essay, editorial,
or draw a cartoon on tuberculosis.
Its purpose is to inform th« public
as to the severeness of the disease
and the importance of helping to
support the TB Associations. The
student writing the beat article and
wmning in the Rocky Mount Chap
ter will then compete in the state
contest.
Experiment Again This Year
Rocky Mount Senior High’s two teacher, is also teaching the class
TV classes, American and World
History, are studying again this year
with thie aid of telecasts coming
through WUNC TV, the University
of North Carolina station.
For the past two years, American
history classes have participated in
the TV experiment and this the
third year will provide enough evi
dence to determine the advantage
and disadvantages of this method
of teaching.
It has been found that students
in North Carolina who have taken
part in this program have scored
higher on the standard achievement
American history tests than those
in the non TV classes. These tests
are sent by the Princeton, New
Jersey testing systm. In Rocky
Mount, the TV and one of the non
TV classics take these tests to de-
termme how much each class learns.
These tests ar© given in the faU
and again in the spring.
for the tiiird time. September 25
she surprised the students in Rocky
Mount with her arrival.
Mr. Ralph Gorham is teaching the
World history TV wihich is unoffi-
cial and consists of only seventy-
five students. This class is in its
second year.
Replacing last year’s studio World
history teacher, Mr. Marcus Floyd,
is Mrs, Ruth George Dobson. Mrs.
Dobson has traveled abroad on seve
ral occasions. She formerly taught
World history in Fayetteville.
Sandra Weller
Top Candidate
For Miss Print
Sandra Weller, the new 1959-60
Miss Print, was crowned today most
beautiful girl at the masquerade
ball with runner-up Jehriy Tyner.
Heading the campaign for Sandra
was Buck Roney and for Jenny,
Jim Speight.
Other candidates with their cam
paign managers were' as follows:
Margaret Carmichael escorted by
Koger Waters with 2955 votes; Eva
Berg escorted by Dennis Barnes
with 2861 votes; judi Weller escort
ed by Bud Joyner with 258S votes;
Dottie Warren escorted by Dickie
Moore with 1766 votes; Pam Daniels
escorteti by Double Snow with 1621
votes, Donna Ramey escorted by
siiivf voicij, 2^1.
tie Jane Munden escorted by Gus
TuIIoss with 1103 vot^; Patsy War.
ten escorted by Joe Warner with 814
votes; Nannie Hussey escorted by
Bobby Branch with 691 votes and
Mary Alice Ray escorted by Bruce
Strickland with 795 votes.
This contest is sponsored annually
by “The Blackbird” staff as has
been the custom for the last ten
years. Its purpose is to raise money
for “The Blackbird.”
Twenty five thousand seven hun
dred and ifourteen votes were col
lected by the girls together with
their helpers. Each gkl had four
helpers and every penny counted
aa a vote.
Annual ‘Mag’ Campaign Ends
John Fleming High Salesman
An official class consists of ninety
or more students according to the
official flguresi.^Seniotr Higl^’s Ameri
can history TV class is official for
the third year and is taught by
Miss lola Parker. She has an assist
ant, Mrs. Jim M. Wilgus, who cor
rects tests papers and takes over
tlie class wihen Miss Parker is ab
sent.
Miss Lois Edinger, the TV Studio
Falling short of the desired goal,
the annual magazine campaign end
ed with John Fleming from the
senior class being top salesman with
a total sale of $121.38 October 1,
1959.
Mary Ellen Elmore was the junior
class high salesman with Skipper
Sprye following close behind as the
sophomore high salesman.
Leading the school in highest
total sales was the junior class vrith
$2,011.81. Following close behind
was the senior class with $1,789.78,
and following in line next was the
sophomores with $1,535.54, thus
bringing to a close the magazine
drive with a total of $5,336.13 for the
entire school.
In thie school the three high home
rooms were Miss Alma Murchison’s,
Senior homeroom 106, with $577,776^
Miss Helen Grant’s junior home-
room 204, with $316.33, and Mrs.
Hiram Cuthrell’s, junior homeroom
115, with $315.81.
Proceeds from the campaign drive
furnish money for the Student Or.
ganization and help to defray ex
penses that each class encounters
during the year.
Diue to the tremendous' expenses
of the junior class for the «nTiiiai
Junior-Senior banquet and dance
the juniors give 10% of all their
earnmgs. The senior and sopoho-
more classes each give 25% which
is also an added incentive to work
hard during the campaign.