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THE BLACKBIRD, ROCKY MOUNT SENIOR HIGB SCHOOL
TUESDAY, MAY 29, 1962
• Should seniors have to take mid-term
and final examinations? Should students
maintaining an “A” average on a course be
excused from the exam?
In almost every subject, daily tests are
given which do not yield a satisfactory
measure of a student’s knowledge. The
Topic For Discussion
Should Seniors Take Exams?
same applies for weekly tests, students us-
lally waiting until the night before the test
to study the material. Memorizing, rather
than actual learning generally prevails on
such tests. Six-weeks tests would help
to encourage regular studying, but some
teachers seem to omit them. The exami
nation determines what has actually been
learned, not what has been memorized
prior to an exam and only what is actually
understood will be remembered.
Anyone can memorize simple dates and
facts, but this does not satisfy the purpose
of a history course — to understand the
history of a country and the causes and
effects in its history.
Mathematics and science exams are not
IS valuable because they are really a repe
tition of daily work, involving stated rules
and laws. However, they remain necessary
because they force the student to review
the semester’s work, and thereby increas
ing his comprehension.
Many students’ averages
are aided by the examina
tion, which counts as one-
fourth of the semester’s
work. A difference of one
letter-grade and sometimes
two letter-grades are made
Finally, and this is especially true for
seniors, the two-hour exams give the stu
dent experience in taking long tests, such as
college placement tests and similar exams.
In summary, exemption of seniors would
deprive them of three opportunitties: (1)
to show their actual knowledge of a sub
ject; (2) to help their semester average;
and (3) to gain experience for college
exams.
Certainly honor students should be re
cognized, but there are many other and
better ways. An exam gives the “A” stu
dent a chance to show that what he re
ceived is really what he deserved.
Grads To Present Gift
At Awards Assembly
• Few men had as great an influence
in establishing the spelling and pronoun-
ciotion of our language as did the man
whose name has become synonymous with
the word dictionary.
In the twenty years preceding his efforts
on the dictionary, Noah Webster had ac
quired a thorough know
ledge of writing and of
words as a teacher, author,
and politician. He then spent
seventeen years of direct preparation,
studying the English language and its con
nection with other languages. He consulted
European books and scholars, and when
he began writing in 1824 he had completely
absorbed every aspect of the language at
that time. His two volumes contained
12,000 words and 35,000 definitions that
had never appeared in a previous dicition-
ary.
Webster considered the special needs of
his countrymen while compiling the dic
tionary. His words often varied from their
English forms as he chose the simplest
spelling while using the best possible
American usage. For example, he used
WAGON instead of WAGGON, and' COL
OR and HONOR rather than COLOUR
and HONOUR.
Webster’s work brought about a strong
‘Tamous for Arts as for Arms”
national feeling at that time, which drew
the American people into a closer union. It
molded an American language distinct from
the British. As Webster said, “America
must be as independent in literature as she
is in politics; as famous for arts as for
arms.”
The American Dictionary of the Eng
lish Language was undoubtedly a work of
determination and art. Not only did it serve
as the sole authority of words at the time,
but has indeed been a standard for all Eng
lish dictionaries to follow.
At the annual Awards Assembly
on June 6, there will be many
awards and honors given to many
deserving people. None, however,
will be more deserving than the
honor which has been bestowed
on our principal, Mr. C. M. Edson,
and which will be presented in
the form of a gift to the school
by the Class of 1962.
It ds to be a portrait done in
heavy oils and mounted in a deep
jade leaf frame. The dimensions
of the portrait are twenty inches
by twenty^four inches and it is to
to be a Ukeiiiess of a proof selected
previously by Mr. and Mrs. Edson.
Since this September marks Mr.
Edson’s thirtieth yoar in the Rocky
Mount City Schools System, and
his thirteenth year as high
school principal, the presentation
could, not have come at a more
appropriate time. He assumed his
duties as principal in the old
Rocky Mount High School in 1949,
having taught previously since
1932.
Since then, he has been our over
seer, director, “snoopervisor,” and
friend. He has reprimanded us,
warned us, denied us, and praised
us, and it is our hope that the good
far out-weighs the bad.
Mr. C. M. Edson, RMSH prin
cipal, is entering his thirtieth
year with the Rocky Mount City
Schools.
Our feelings of thanks for the
many things Mr. Edson has done
for us are surpassed only by our
desire to excell in his sight. We
aU regard him with profound
respect and admiration and hope
that some day, in some way, our
lives wiU reflect the fine example
he has been to us.
Enjoyment of Poetry Dependent
Upon Approach of the Reader
Poetry is one of the forms of
writing by which man expresses
himself. As a rjle, poetry is com
posed of verses and stanzas, where
as prose consists of sentences and
paragraphs.
Modern poetry, however, tends to
veer away from this rule. Poets
like Walt Whitman, Robert Frost,
and Carl Sandburg have introduced
a form of poetry which in structure
resembles prose more than poetry,
but which, because of pepetition
and the thought patterns it pro
vokes, is recognized as poetry and
has taken its place in literature.
Modern verse corresponds with
modern art in that abstract paint
ings are to conventional art as
modern verse is to conventional
poetry. Both are quite different
from their predecessors, but both
are equally enjoyable if they are
approached in the manner that
they were meant to be.
In addition to the evol’jtion in
structure, there has also been a
change to selectivity. No longer
does knighthood and kings serve
as a basis for most poems. Mo
dern poets use nature, ideas, and
everyday things as bases for their
poetry. Realism has replaced fan
tasy and social problems have
been put into verse.
Poetry now is not only enter-
taindng, but it 'is informative, in
teresting 'and though provoking.
The change is for the good,
don’t you agree?
Fellow Students
Soon will come the end oi
another year at Senior High
I sincerely hope, however, thai
this has not been JUST anothei
year.
I salute you for your accom-
plishments this year; you have
much to be proud of! However
there are no laurels HJKGH
enough for any memjber of the
“Blackbird Team” to rest upon.
I challenge you to continue to
work harder to make RMSII by
far the best in the state.
Robert K. Smith
S. O. President
However, when the child reaches
the age of three and a half, he
will howl with laughter when tick-
led in the same manner.
Then with age, the response be
comes more suMued and thus the
individual becomes less ticklish
than before. Therefore, it seems
that everyone rectives the same
nerve impulses, and the way in
which a person reacts to tickles
is directly determined by his self-
control and his emotional stability.
THE BLACKBIRD
official publication of
Rocky Mount Senior Htgh
Through the reading of several
magazines I have come across
some rather comical laws prevail
ing in various states.
For instance, the legislature in
Maine once passed a law which
authorized the Society for the Pre
vention erf Cruelty to animals to
put old cats, dogs, mice, and peo
ple out of their misery.
In Texas, the s'ame legislature
that passed! a resolution declaring
that Texas skies were bluer than
Oklahoma skies, passed a bill on
peeping toms. The bill had only
three exceptions; one-eyed peep
ers, peepers over 50 years of age,
and members of the legislature.
Lawmakers in Masisaehusetts
fought long and hard but finally
voted down a bill forbidding hens
to wear trousers.
Last, and certainly least, if you
accidentally or intentionally fire
an unloaded gun in Kentucky,
you’re liable to be arrested.
Ticklishness Tests
Tell Fickle Tales
Hoping to obtain information use
ful in understanding skin disorders,
a research team in Chicago’s Mic
hael Reese Hospital has, for seve
ral years, been observing tickle
reaction.
From these tests, conducted by
lightly grazing foreheads with
pieces of cotton wool, conclusions
were drawn that tickling a baby
under the chin is a waste of time.
Advice To Seniors
I watched a teammate rjnning,
Swift and graceful was his stride;
He won the race as he broke the
tape,
His eyes were filled with pride..
Then I saw a lone old man
Trudging slowing down the street^
And I knew that the road ahead
Can’t be run with flying feet.
We’re young and we want to move
with haste
To find where our destiny lay.
But I think we’re in for a race
That’s uphiU all the way.
So, as we leave Senior High behind.
Let’s work bard and try to give
Ourselves, to help to make this
world
A better place to live.
Adapted from a poem by an
unknown autihor
SO SHALL HIS GRADES DECLINE
Freshman
Ambition _ _ To graduate
with a 95
average.
The 3 R’s ..Headin’,
Ritin’,
Rithmetic.
Member of the
Columbia Scholastic Press Association
Editor Sandra Sultan
Assistant Editor Mike Warner
Circulation Manager Betty Jo Bryant
Business Manager Sylvia Hutto
Advertising Manager Jackie Ashby
Assistant Advertising Manager Becky DeRatt
1st Page Faye Hamrick
2nd Page Jon Wiggs
4tb & 5th Pages Betty Jo Brant, Sandra Sultan
6th Page Patsy Greene, Cheryl Hallaman
7th Page Mike Warner, Lee Parrish
8th Page Ann Millar
Advisor Mrs. Z, V. Williams
Principal Mr. C. M. Edson
Thank You!
We would like to express out
appreciation to the staff, the
students, and the faculty of
Senior High for their support
during the 1961-62 school year.
The task of putting out the
paper has been made much
easier because of your co
operation, and we thank you
sincerely.
Sandra Sultan, ISditor ;
Mike Warner, Asst. Editor \
Teachers -.
Excuse for
Tardiness
Homework
Fail’jre
•They know
everything.
I didn’t
leave home
in time.
They say to
do 45 min
utes, so I’ll
do an hour
.'The world
has come to
an end.
Late Bell - A signal to
be in my
seat.
rre.shman
.-Aren’t we
wonderful
Sophomore
To graduate
with an 85
average
Recitation,
Red tape.
Report
Cards.
They know
a lot.
I missed
the bus.
They say to
do 45 min
utes, so I’ll
do 30.
I can still
gradaute
with my
class.
A signal to
run to my
seat.
mere
children.
From
Junior
Senior
To graduate
To graduate.
with a 75
average
Records,
Relaxation,
Rapture,
Romance
Rec. Club.
Remorse.
They know
To err is:
something.
human.
The bus
The bell
was late
rang too
early.
I’ll do it
She won’t
in study
caU on me.
hall.
What,
ru see
Again!
you next
•
term.
A signal to
When I get
leave my
there, I get
girl and
there.
run.
They’re
Did I look
smaller
like that?
each term.
the Raleigh,
N. C. HI-TIMES