The blackbird
Published by Journalism Classes of Rocky Mount Senior High School
VOLUME XXXII ROCKY C. TUESDAY. FEBRUARY 27. 1%2 J
Juniors Appoint Committees for Junior-
During the past week, members
of ttie junior-Seniior Oommittees
have been busy planning discussing
plajis for the annual prom sdie-
duled for May 11.
Under tihe direcfen of dhjainmaji
Bryan Daley and ajdwisor Mrs. Ora
VaniBusklrk, the music commdittee’s
job is to furnish a dance band for
the dance. MemberB of this commi
ttee are Mooney Sltotesbury, Caro
lyn Swain, Marion Bames, Bultdi
Fergusson, Sue Sihearin, Ziee Outh-
rell, Greg Low, and Sldpiper Tuit-
tle.’
Obaiinnan Tom McAuley, Ginraa
Aldridge, and adyisor Mrs. Evelyn
Walston head the puc^ram com-
mittee, which is in charge of pro
viding en/teritadnment for tiie dance.
Serving on -this committee are An
nie justa, Jackie Redding, Caro-
leltta Jorden, Wrennie Pitt, A. G.
Smi’th, Bec!^ Edwards, and Jan
McCrary.
The responsibility for the prepar-
a/tiirons for ‘the Junior-Senior Ban
quet falls on the shoulders of the
banquet commiittee, which is under
the' direction of chairman Becky
V/hOber and’ adfviEjor Mr. Henry
Trevaithan. The members are Gaye
Pitit, Dtoae Tanner, Judy Council,
Rutih Oates, Jim MoChesney, Thre-
esa Haggerty, Tim Shearin, Jay
Dauglhitridge, and Ru(th Ward.
Headiing the invitaitions commi-
tee are Steve WrigOit, Dwight Tho-
for the banquet and dance, are
chairman Linda. Dickson and ad
visor Miss Rubie Vause. On the
oomtnittee are Suaanne Arie, rane
BeU, Bernie Capps, Linda Cunning
ham, Margaret Dofherty, Diane
smith, Anne Vanderslice, and
Brack Townsend.
Chairman Glenn K'emmerle and
Shelly Stallings, under the direc
tion of advisor Mr. Earl Privoitt,
head the decoratio'ns commiittee,
Which is responsible for deciding
upon a theme and to carry it out
iior
in decorating the gymnasium for
the dance. Serving on this commi
ttee a erSteve Wrighit, Dwiglvt Tho
mas, Nancy THson, Judi Felton,
Anne Nelson, Bartera Swinlson,
Sondm Shelton, OaroJyn Felton,
HUItion Barrett, Stephanie Matt
hews, Mickey Souitherland, George
Ramey, and Richard Harmon.
Chairmen for the Clean-up com
mittee, which will clean the gym-
naeium the morning afiter the
dance, are Terry Britt and Martha
Jane Oarson. It is under the guid-
dence of Mr. Ralph Gorheun. The
members of this committee have
nioit been anncfunoed ait this time.
It has been annoamced tha/t a
date bureau wUl be sat up for those
students who have nnit already got
ten daites for the festivlWes, Presi
dent of the Junior Claiss, Greg
Low, urges aU students to come to
the dance and the banquet.
Above is Mrs. Ora VanBuskirk giving advice to (1-r) Charles
Threatt. Anne Gower, and Lynn Casto concerning their science
flrproJeoU. pho,„ by KlH.b«»
Science Department Will Hold
Its First Annual Science Fair
Outstanding Science Students Selected
To Attend Junior Science Symposium
Two ouitatanding science studenrts
have been seieoted by their teach
ers to represent Senior High, in
the 1962 Junior Science Symposi
um to be held in Durham, March
15, 16, and 17.
Larry Il'lgh, represenlting the bio
logy departmenit, and Bebo White,
representing the ohiemdstry depart-
niuit, are to aittend the symposi
um wiJbh Mrs. Ora VanBuskirk,
who wUl serve as advisor.
The symposium will be attended
by 180 outstanding sophomore and
junior boys and girls who have
done well in mathmaltics, physics,
dhemiatry, biology, or other science
courses. Sponsored by the North
Carolina Academy of Science and
the Unalted Staites Army Research
Office (Duitoam) wilth the coofpera^
tion of Duke University, the sym
posium has as its tiheme: “Re
search in Pnogress-Science in the
Making.”
Students attending will face a
varied and interasting program —
lectures, demonatritions, and tours
of the vairiouis facUiities ait Duke.
Housing wUl be at the Jack Tar
Hotel in diownltown Durham.
The primiary objeotives of the
1962 Symposium is to search out
poteatiaJly taleniigd youth of high
sohool age In the state- and to en
courage tihe development of their
scientific interests and abilities.
Logistic management, transpor-
tion, housing, and subsisbance for
parUcipanlts is provided by the
United States Army Research Off
ice (Durham).
Ocdnciding with the symposium
the annual Duke Engineers Fair
win be seen by participanits.
TTie symposium has been held
annmlly since 1958 and Senior Hig'h
has been represenlted every year.
Journalism Class To Journey
To New York for Convention
Nine members of the Blackbird Helms, Lee CuithreU, Dell Harris,
Staff and theair advisor will jour- and advisor Mrs. Zeno Williams,
ney to New York City, for the pur
pose of attending the Columbia
Press Association convention and
siglDtseeing March 15.
The Columbda ScholasUc Press
AssocSaltion is seat high school pa
pers from all parts of the coiuvtry
and ra/tes them according to the
size of the school. Senior high is
in tihe 750-1000 atudenft cartagory.
They will attend as many meet
ings at OolumbSla Unlveraity as
possible, and tihe highlighit of the
trip will be on Saturday, when
they aittend a luncheon at the Wal
dorf Astoria.
They plan to tour Manhalttan
Island, the United Nations Build
ing, Raddio City Music Kail, Coney
Island, and the Statue of Liberty.
They also plan to attend such
Broadway piUays as “Carnival”,
“Gift of Time”, “Camelot”, and
“Shot in the Dark”. Pictured above are (1-r) Jon
Members of the Blackbird Steff Wiggs, ^rilyn Spencer, and
attending the convention are Judi Deli Harris busy malung plans
Felton, Katrina Kobylarz. Jon for the JournaUsm classes an-
Wiggs David Lamm, Stephanie nual tnp to New York,
M«s Marilyn Sp^r, Nancy Photo by Killebrew
Two Seniors Named
Nat. Merit Finalists
Judy Riley and Robert K. Smith
h/ave recenltly become finalists in
the National Merit Scholarship
compcititiion. They are among 10,000
high school students in the United
States who have earned this cov
eted hortor. CJollege soWoliaiiishipa
will be awarded to around 1000 of
the finalisrts.
The competition for the scholar
ships began in the latter part of
the 1961-62 school-year when all
interested juniors were given an
oppori/unilty to take the Naitionsu
Menlt Qualifying Test. Judy, Ro
bert, and Linda Blackburn ach
ieved the high test average re
quired to become semd-finalists. A
recommendiation from their high
scores dettennined Judy and Robert
as finalists.
They are now eligible for the
sohotoships that are awarded by
the National Merit CJorporation to
many of the finalists. These schol
arships range in size from $100 to
$1500 a year and are applied to the
winning student’s college expenses
while he is attending a college. The
amount of these grants is determin
ed by the financial need of the
Student receiving them. Scholar
ships are ailso offered by many
corporations in the United States
to some of the finalists.
The science department will soon
sponsor the firsit science fair ever
held at Senior High. Science pro
jects are now being completed by
many who plan to enter the fair.
Present dates for the fair are
March 7, 8, and 9.
Under the guidence of Mrs. Ora
VanBuskirk, the science fair will
give many studenibs a chance to
show the results of numerous hours
spent developing and experimentuig
with his own hypathesds. Students
in both the physical and bixjlogical
sciences have been encouraged to
exhilbiit any individual research
projects with which they have been
ejcperimeniting; however, no Stu
dent will be required to prepare a
Junior Issue
In order to gain experience
for puWiishinig next year’s
Blackbird, the junior members
of the Blackbird Staff are edi
ting this issue.
This year, for the first time,
the jimior members have been
putting out the Babybdrd, a
sujpipQIemeiiit to the Blackbiird,
whEe the sentiors have been
publishing the Blackbird. This
month, the junior members wiU
be publishing the Blackbird,
and the senior members will be
working on a journalism re
search paper.
project for the fair.
The projects wiU be divided into
two claisses. Those projeots per
taining to any of the physical
sciences, such as matlieanatics,
chemistry, and iihysics, will be jud
ged separaJtely from those perltain-
ing to the biological sciences. Top
v/inners in each of these classes
will then attend the district csience
fair at Hast Carolina College in
Greenville, March 23. Winners in
the disitricit fair are senit to the
state science fair in Cluapel Ii!ill.
An all-expense paid trip to the
naitional sdenoe fair in Seattle,
Washington, will be awarded to
the top student in each division
ait the staite fair.
Ihree distinguished judges have
been selected to judge in the local
science fair. Dr. A. W. Sharer, the
head of the biology depoxUnent at
Wesleyan College; Mr. Alan Ds-
Ratt an employee of the city health
service; and Mrs. Mae BeU, direc
tor of the Children’s Museum, have
consented to lend their time and
service to the fair.
The projects wiU be sot up in
several of the scdence rooms. Non-
partidpaiting students are invited
bo visit the fair both before and
after school. Interested parents are
encouraged to view the extiibdts on
Thursday night or Friday after
noon until 5:00. Judging of the
projeots win be completed before
the Thursday might opening.
Annual Leadership Award Presented
To Robert K. Smith By Local Club
An announcement of those re- Robent K. Smiilth was recently
ceiving scholarships will be made named winner of the Elk’s Youth
about April 26. Leadership Award, which is given
Student Organization Has
Valentine’s Dance Feb. 17
The Student Organization sipon-
sored a Valentine Dance in the
school gymnasixmi from 8:30 to 11:30
Saturday night, February 17.
Decoraibed in tihe holiday theme,
the gymn was transformed into a
festive hall. A red and whiite cano
py, draped from the ceiling, added
to’ the hoiMidlay atmosphere. The
alttire of the studenlts aittending was
semi-formal.
During the inltermissdon a com
bo, the Blazers, was presented. The
newly farmed group has as its
manager. Skipper Sprye. It is com
posed of Ilenneth Braswell, a stu
dent art; State College; Marvin Pike
a junior at this school; Ike Ander
son, a senior; and Graham Herring,
also a seniior. Kenneth plays the
gmibaa' and sings; Marvin, the gui
tar and piano; Ike, the guitar, pia
no, and trombone; Graham, the
drums.
The Social Committee, with Polly
Reynolds serving as chairman, was
in charge of the planning of the
diance. The dance was originally
Ibo be tihe Spring Dance; however,
the Valentine theme was adopte.
Refreshments were served by the
P. T. S. A. to the students and
several teachers who served as
chaperones unltU the dance was
over.
The Valentine Dance was the last
school daaice the Student Oirgam-
zaltion will sponsor this year.
to a deserving sejiior each year by
the local Elk’s Lodge.
President of the Studenit Organi-
aaition, high salesman in this year’s
magazine campaign with subscrip
tions amounting to $125.02, and a
past president of his homei'oom are
only a few examples of his ouit-
Standiing leadership. He also is a
inemebr of the National IiV>nor So
ciety, a finalist in the National
Merdit scholarship competition, an
outataniding senior, and a former
Kiwanis Boy of the Month.
Six students were originally noml-
naited by the faculty for this award.
Each compiled a brochure on their
personal achievements which was
given to the Elk’s Club where it
was graided on neatness, origina
lity and content by local citizens.
These judges selected Robert as the
winner.
As recepient of this award, Ro
bert will be presenlted wiith a $100
Lodge. His brochure wiU be sent
Lodge. His brochiu'e wil Ibe sent
to the Staite Elks’ Associaition to be
judged. The winner of the state
contest will then compete on a na-
itional level.