Page 2
THE BLACKBIRD
Friday, Nov. 12, 19«5
‘OA Say Can You See’
“And now, ladies and gentlemen, our national
anthem.”
“OH, SAY CAN YOU SEE” . . . Hey, Joe you
irot any gum? “BY THE DAWN’S EARLY LIGHT”
Ooooh, Melvin, your hands are cold . . . “WHAT
SO PROUDLY WE HAILED” ... and so I says to
him, I says . . . “AT THE TWILIGHT’S LA^T
GLEAMING” ... did you hear the one about the
traveling . . . “WHOSE BROAD-STRIPES AND
BRIGHT STARS” . . . well, v^hat’s her phone num-
l)Gr • . . •
“THROUGH THE PERILOUS FIGHT” . . • is it
a stick or an automatic ... “O’ER THE RAMPARTS
WE WATCHED” ... did you know the worlds
highest recorded kangaroo jump was ten feet
“WERE SO GALLANTLY STREAMING . . .
I busted him once and sent two dozen ros^ to the
widow . . “AND THE ROCKET’S RED GLAR^’
Oh,' Ringo’s so cute . . . “THE BOMBS BURST
ING IN AIR” ... oh, look who Agatha s with . ..
“GAVE PROOF THROUGH THE NIGHT THAT
OUR FLAG WAS STILL THERE” . . •
over here . . . “OH, SAY DOES THAT STAR-
SPANGLED BANNER YET WAVE” . W^at aj*e
your views on the dignity of man . . . O i
LAND OF THE FREE’’ . . . honey, haven
seen you somewhere before ... AND THE HOME
OF THE BRAVE.” .
“Hey, what’s everybody cheering about
“I don’t know, did somebody score a touchdown.
Believe it or not, the national anthem is played
before every football game. Have YOU ever tried
listening to it? stampede, Wichita. Kan.
»
Vietnam: A Big Question
Editor’s Note: The following panel discussion of the war in Viet Nam
should be of vital importance to all RMSH students, seniors particularly.
These young people will soon have to determine the policy of the United
States li viet Nam and, if the war continues, they will be the ones who
^^^Participating in the discussion are six seniors: Hugh Shearin, Anne Wat-
.snrr ^tPve Horne Tommy Gurley, Susan Kovarco, and Bobby Fuerst. Any
letters relating to’ this article will be welcomed in the Blackbird room or
in room 110. leading power in the world.
have taken it upon our
Question: What right, if any,
has the United States to be in
Viet Nam?
Shearin: We’ve learned that
to preserve peace within the
nation, we must make it th®
business of every person. Simi
larly, before we can have world
peace, we must make it the
business of every country to
protect it.
Gurley: The United States is
Lack Of Spirit At RMHS
Is Protested By Readers
Dear Editor:
As an alumnus of Rocky
Mount Senior High School, I
was shocked and perhaps
ashamed when I learned that
not enough enthusiasm and sup
port was generated to charter
a Blackbird Special train to
Fayetteville.
Of course, I expect the re
buttal that I was not in school
when the footbaU team was
losing, and therefore, we had
no trouble generating school
Bpirit. However, these special
trains were being chartered
long before I entered Senior
wigh I can remember hearing
about the Blackbird Special
when I was in grammar
school and junior high.
thipk that a look at a few old
Hi-Noc-Ars will verify my
hypothesis. I think also that
these same Hi-Noc-Ars will
show that all was not a bed of
roses for Blackbird football in
those days.
The irony is that the Birds
played perhaps their best game
of the season against Fayette
ville. I do not know, but the
game might have come out dif
ferently if the team could have
looked up into the stands and
seen a few hundred cheering
Blackbird fans, especially in
the fourth quarter.
Boys like Fred Barden, War
ren Broughton, Jack Collins
and 'the other lettermen are
the same boys who helped win
a conference championship last
year. They are probably try
ing harder this year than last
but apparently Rocky Mounts
school spirit, previously recog
nized throughout the state, fits
into the “fair weather” cate
gory. Blackbird football for
tunes will probably rise to the
top again, maybe before the
sophomores graduate, if they
are not drowned by an indiffer
ence spreading through the stu
dent body.
This letter may be a waste of
time. It may just prove how
easy it is to support a winner;
but, I hope I see a stadium
full of proud Rocky Mount fans
when the Birds play Durham.
Sincerely,
Bruce Lea
eluding the Wilmington flood)
and faithfuUy cheer and play
while their schoolmates laugh
and enjoy the game.
From now on, leVs continue
to praise the team but also let s
remember, appreciate, and sup
port our band.
Lyn Joyner
Senior
From The Desk
Of The Editor
Editor’s Note: Bruce Lea
was editor of the Blackbird
last year. He is now attend
ing the University of North
Carolina at Chapel HiU.
Dear Editor,
What has happened to the
RMSH “School Spirit” of which
we used to be so proud?
The students attend the ball
games, so why don’t they help
the cheerleaders yell? The
cheerleaders work 'hard to learn
the cheers and the students act
like a bunch of morons sittmg
around having a social meeting
at the games.
The bonfires are also dis
appointing—particularly the one
that was held Thursday night,
October 21. I was sure there
would be a large turnout since
we did not have to go to school
on Friday, but it was mostly
Ike cheerleaders, football play
ers and tlieir dates, and a few
scphomores.
Everyone likes to be thanked
for their accomplishments, so
I say a big thanks to the cheer
leaders. We’ll thank the stu
dent body when they regain
their school spirit.
Debbie Odom
Junior
We
selves to be the protector of
democracy.
Kovarco: In order for us to
prevent the spread of Com
munism, we must step in and
fight—we waited too long in
Cuba, Korea, and the Congo.
Question: How do you feel
about the situation in Viet Nam,
as it now stands? What about
the future?
Home: I think it’s going to
turn into another Korea and
we’re going to fight to a tie.
I’m not a war monger, but
every time we fight to-a-tie
with the Communists, we lose
a little bit more prestige and
respect at home and abroad.
exemption laws s'hould stay as
they are?
Horne: I .think it would be
much better to have voluntary
enlistment rather than the
draft. The armed services
should be made more attractive
so that an army career would
be beneficial. But, right now,
who wants to join?
Fuerst: I’ve already signed
up for NROTC. If they draft
me, I’ll go. At any rate, I
won’t bum my draft card.
Question; Wliich brings us to
the question, should protest
marches be held? Also, what
do you think of the anti-U.S.
demonstrations at Barkley?
Kovarco: They’re disgusting.
Young people could find some-
After a few more ties, we’re thing better to do with time
Dear Editor,
It seems to me tiiat we have
a habit of praising only part
of those who have raised RMHS
to its present high standing. Of
course our athletic teams are
great and our scholarship is
high, but What about our band?
The band members work every
day in the sun, practicing a
new routine each week. They
Too often people accept
Too often people accept-things
they should change and they
eventually wiU suffer. If stu
dents are wise they will see
that ithye must not accept the
present parking lot situation
and hat it must be changed.
If we do not change it we wiU
suffer. How? The privilege of
eating lunch in the parking lot
will be taken away from us.
The House and Grounds com
mittee and Traffic committee
are taking measures to im
prove the present conditions.
However, without the support
of the entire student body they
wiU fail. And from their fail
ure we wiU suffer.
What are these committees
doing?
.(1) They are securing more
trash cans for ttie parking lot.
(2) They are distributing lit
ter bags to drivers of auto
mobiles.
(3) They are trying to secure
railroad ties to dovide the park
ing lot into individual parking
spaces.
What should we, the students,
do?
(1) Put trash in the trash
cans, not throw it on the ground
beside them.
(2) Put trash in the litter bag
of the car in which you sit. If
the driver has not obtained one,
ask that he do so. If you drive,
ask a member of the House and
Grounds committee to give you
a litter bag.
3) Park in an orderly fash
ion, being sure to leave your
self and other plenty of room
to enter, park, and exit safely.
If you are a responsible stu
dent you will change what you
can change—the appearance of
going to be standing alone,
think this time we’ve got to
fight and WIN!
Fuerst: I can’t see us back
ing out, but, as far as South
America goes, they would ra
ther see us back out than fight.
At least, that’s what I gather
from the newspapers.
Question; The bombing raids
by the U. S. have been coming
into the spotlight more and
more. Do you think these bomb
ings are right or wrong?
Watson: I think it’s unfortimate
that innocent people who aren’t
involved have to be killed'.
Horne: Yes, but, we’ve got
150 thousand troops over there.
The bombing is necessary to
protect them.
Siearin: The original treaty
about partitioning Viet Nam
said all who wanted a free,
democratic government were
to come to South Viet Nam,
while all who wanted a Com
munist government were to go
to North Viet Nam. I think
that we ought to fight to pre
serve that free government,
however, we shouldn’t try to
take over North Viet Nam and
break our part of the bargain
Kovarco; If they broke the
treaty, they broke the agree
ment on Itoth parts.
Question; Do you think draft
as valuable at it is. These de
monstrations often do not a-
chieve their purpose; they tend
to help the Communists. Peo
ple ought to have the right of
free speech, but they’re using
it wrong.
Fuerst; Everyone should have
the right to voice his opinion
as long as he’s orderly. I don’t
believe they’re right, but . . .
Watson: I think they’re doing
us more harm than good. They
focus world-wide attention on
themselves and us and they
are probably misunderstood by
foreigners.
Horne: It shows poor patriot
ism, even though these people
are a definite minority. Some
of these people burn their cards
because they are cowards, but
some burn them because they
are conscientious objectors. Still
burning draft cards is against
the law — it seems like they
would be more effective if they
stayed inside the law.
Shearin: If someone doesn’t
want to fight for his country,
he should deny his citizenship
and the protection that the
country offers.
Gurley: The war over there
has gotten out of hand. The
United States was too late get
ting there and sent too little
aid. But, we’re in it now and
we have to fight to the finish.
go to aU possible games (in-' the parking lot.
llarkbtrli
Member of Columbia Scholastic Press Association
53DITOR David Williamson
ADVERTISING MANAGER Anm Robertson
BUSINESS MANAGER Miargarette Alford
CIRCULATION MANAGiER Butch TMiomipson
ART EDITOR Betsy Shuff
1ST PAGE David Wiilliamson
2ND PAGE Betsy Shuff
3RD PAGE Mairgareltte Alford
4TH PAGE i. Ann Robemtsom
5TH PAGE MaiTy Fond Daughitridge
6TH PAGE ; Butch Thompson
7TH PAGE Vanoe Grady
8TH PAGE Chuck Ooley
ADVISOR Mrs. Margaret WiUdiams
PRINCIPAL Mr. Viniceout J. Colombo