THE BLACKBIRD, ROCKY MOUNT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Open Letter To The Student Body ' Expected These Results'
Fellow Students,
I am sure that it is obvious to each of us
that the more we put into our Student
Orgaiuzation, the more benefits we our
selves will receive, both directly and in
directly. This is why I don’t hesitate to ask
for your interest and co-operation in the
programs and new plans wlich the Student
Organization will undertake this year. With
the complete support of you, the student
body, Rocky Mount Senior High can easily
become the top school in the state.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote,
“Nothing great was ever achieved with en
thusiasm.” This statement must be applied
here at Senior High to insure the success of
the Student Organization. We must all show
a tremendous amount of enthusiasm this
year and make a supreme effort to put
school spirit in Senior High at its peak.
Remember, too, that school spirit is not
simply attending pep rallies and supporting
athletic teams, but consists of many other
equally important factors. We demonstrate
school spirit by taking pride in our school
building and keeping it clean, by helping to
maintain order in the halls, by practicing
demwracy through voting in the school
elections, and by numerous other actions.
School spirit will be a determining factor in
the success of our athletic teams. In fact,
both our football teams and our basketball
squad might each bring home a state cham
pionship if the entire student body will get
out and show true support.
Take an interest in the Student Organi
zation and co-operate with its programs.
The Student Organization is established to
serve the students, but it cannot give us this
service unless we will give it our suuport.
Support it by taking part in its activities, by
giving it fresh ideas, by discussing the re
ports your representatves make in home
room. Sell your share of subscriptions in
the magazine campaign. The more maga
zine subscriptions we sell, the more inoney
our classes and the Student Organization
will receive, and the more funds the classes
and the Student Organization have acquired
to work with, the more benefits will be
passed directly on to us.
One last thing. Let’s all begin- an entire
new slate and make this year an honest year
at Senior High. We are attending school to
get an education. Cheating will deprive us
of that knowledge we would have gained
by studying.
Now let’s get the old bandwagon rolling,
and make this year be in every way possi
ble “The Year Of The Blackbird.”
Sincerely,
Greg Low
S.O. President
STUDENT ®
.OT^SANIZATION
Tut m HeTft
deceive 'Benefits
Logical Reasoning Would Help Us
Master Many Problems Of Living
Entire Student Body To Be Commended For Rne Effort
The student body is indeed worthy of
praise for the fine effort put forth in be
ginning the school year. When classes began
the Tuesday after Labor Day weekend,
school truly started. The usual horseplay
that takes place during the opening week of
.school was absent, and students actually
began studying the first day.
Traffic was kept in relative order in the
halls. The lack of congestion at the comers
and crosswalks was held at a minimum due
to the fine work of the Traffic committee.
Also noticeable was the desire of most
students to keep the building and grounds
clean. Little trash and paper was to be
found in the halls and on the school yard.
In the parking lot, however, there is still
room for improvement. Homeroom com
mittees had to be organized to pick up the
trash. These committees have done a good
job, but if the students will make an effort
to keep the lot clean, we can do away with
these committees.
Sophomores and other students new to
Senior High quickly adjusted to our school.
They are surely due compliments for the
speed with which they became familiar with
the school.
School spirit was also at an extremely
high level, "nie attendance at the first pep
rally was good, the enthusiasm in the audi
torium pep rally was commendable, and the
support behind the football squad was ter
rific. It is indeed a remarkable feat that four
buses were sent to Henderson for our open
ing game. This grade of support for an out-
of-town game is tremendous, and the fact
that this was our first game of the season
makes this accomplishment even greater.
Hat’s off to the student body for their
fine effort during the first week of school.
Let’s keep up the good work.
Logical reasoning has been
the key to the advanced state
of civilization today. Indirectly
applying the philosophy of
Aristotle’s “Organon”, Kant’s
“Critique of Pure Reason” and
“Critique of Practical Reason”,
or works of great philosophers,
the men who have guided
society have been able to suc
cessfully determine the most
appropriate and logical goals
for which we should aim.
Though philosophers differ on
the essence and divisions ot
First Fire Drill is SuecMsfully Conducted By Students
Congratulations to the stu
dent body and the Fire Drill
Conunittee for their fine effort
which made the first fire drill
of the year a great success.
Students are to be compli
mented for the sliort amount
of time it took them to evacu
ate the building, their quick
reaction to the bell, and the
smoothness of the traffic flow
during the first drill.
At the “B” building cross
walk, however, a hazard was
created, as the pathes of Mr.
Julius Abernathy’s and Mr.
Angus MacGregor’s rooms
crossed. At the Hammond
Street exit there were about
six lines going out, while at
the exit across from the shop
there were only one or two.
Fire Drill Chairman Brack
Townswid has informed us
that these faults will be soon
corrected. It looks as though
our fire drill system will soon
be near perfect.
THE BLACKBIRD
offlelal pnbliefttlon of
Rocky Mount Senior High
of tlio
ColnmMft gdhohrtto Tnm A^ialiUap
EditM* DWifht Thoinas
Assistant Editor J. C. Kermon
Circulation Manager Mike Floyd
Business Manager Dell Harris
Advertlsiiif Manacer Nancy Helms
1st Pare Marilyn Spencer
2nd Pare Gre» Low
Srd Pa«e Jimmy WlUiams
*th Page Carlton Edwards
5th Pace j. c. Kermon
tth Page Da^d Lamm
7th Page Mike Floyd
«h Page IMl Harris
Art Editor Betty Armstrong
Iteporiers Barbara Swlnson, Cheryl Andrews, Ellie Watson,
Betty Armstrong, Laurie Collins, Nancy Peyton,
Sherry BoUuck, Jeff Kincheloe, Linda Edwards,
Ann Chandler, Jean Joyner, Jay Kridei, Bob Sides
AdTtoor Mrs. Z. L. Williams
....I C.
From The Desk
Of The Editor
As can be seen by this issue,
THE BLACKBIRD has been
changed in many new and ex
citing ways. More and better
things are yet to come as we,
the members of THE BLACK
BIRD staff, serve you, the
student body of Rocky Mount
Senior High.
Although there has been
much improvement in our
School paper, there remains
much to do. This future suc
cess will depend primarily on
you, the readers. We know
that the paper is not perfect,
ljut we do know that we can
.improve it, and only through
you.
With your co-operation, we
can print the best paper ever
published in high school at
Rocky Moimt.
Dwight Thomas, Editor'
Editors note: While reading
through scMne old magazines
I discovered several slips
which the magazines had
found printed in newspapers
across the country.
(1) HEADLINE in the Ban
gor, Pa., News: “Air Force Fires
Atlast Missile”
0 FROM the Syracuse Uni
versity Orange: “The Univer
sity Symphony Orchrastra will
have its first rehersal Wednes
day in Crouse Auditorium.
Louis Krasner, conductor, will
be available for consolation
from 6:30 on.”
(3) FROM the Chaffey Col
legiate Press: “Club pictures
are being taken now, whUe fol
lowing exams the faculty will
be shot.”
(4) AD in Erie, Pa., Times:
“New mufflers INSTALLED
FREE! Or do it yourself and
save up to 30%.”
(5) FROM the Plainview,
Texas, Herald: “He then read
the names of known deceased
Kiwanians, pointing out that
the list is not complete and
that additions will be wel
comed.”
(6) HEADLINE in Ridge
wood, N. J., Herald-Times:
“Public Asked to Meet on
Light Poles.”
(7) FROM an AP dispatch
datelined Lubbock, Texas:
“Steady downpours swept the
western half of the state into
north-c«itral Texas.”
(8) FROM a restaurant ad
in the York, Pa., Sunday News:
“Good Food Takes Time, Yours
Will Be Ready In A Second.”^
logic, all recognize the effec
tiveness and importance of
common sense and both de
ductive and inductive reason
ing.
Though we need not enter
a complete study of logics, it
would indeed be helpful to
acquire a basic understanding
of the principles of reasoning.
Today it seems that many peo
ple plunge into new tasks with
out previously analyzing the
situation they face.. If we ap
plied more common sense and
simple reasoning in our every
day thinking, we would com
plete any assignment much
more efficiently. Our genera
tion should establish a pre
cedent. If we would put more
logical reasoning in effect,
some of the problems of the
world might indeed be lessen
ed or removed in the years to
come.
Editor Explains
Editorial Policy
Fixed By Paper
Mrs. Williams, our advisor,
and Mr. Edson have establish
ed certain policies regarding
tils; editorials which are to be
published in THE BLACK
BIRD. Ag editor of the second
page, I should like to give you
a general idea as to what to
expect in the way of editorials
this year.
We must limit our editorials
to issues involving the school
itself, to problems concerning
you, as students of Rocky
Mount Senior High, and to
.suggestions which we think
may help you as a student and
as a citizen of tomorrow. Also,
we may not print editorials
involving controversial public
matters.
All editorials will reflect the
opinions of the entire journal
ism staff, not just the writer.
Vv:e shall endeavor to make
our editorials of a constructive
nature, unpredjudiced, logical,
and appealing to all student.
Editorial Editor
Greg Low
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