EXTRA!
JUNIOR ISSUE
THE BLACKBIRD
Published by the Journalism Class of Rocky Mount Senior Hljh School
EXTRA!
JUNIOR ISSUE
VOLUME XXXX, No. 8
ROCKY MOUNT, N, C.
FRIDAY, MARCH 7. 1969
MISS PRINT winners are (left to right) Jane
Morgan, second runner-up; Kay Belcher, Miss
Print; and Anne Pittman, first runner-np.
Standing are Steve Morgan, Skipper Great
house, BLACKBIRD editor; Jay Bobbitt; and
Jerry Powell. (Photo by Killebrew)
Senior Homemaker Wins Award
Amanda Robbins, a senior
at RMSH,, was named the
1969 Betty Crocker Homemak
er of Tomorrow for the school
during an assembly by Princi
pal V. J. Colombo. She was
chosen for the honor based on
a homemaking test given to
senior girls on Dec. 3.
Amanda is now eligible for
staite and national scholar
ships. A special charm was
also presented to her by Mr.
Colombo on the behalf of Gene
ral Mills which sponsors the
scholarships.
, Now in its fifteenth yeai- oi
competition, the examinations
serve as a basis for the Betty
Crocker Search for the Ameri
can Homemaker of Tomorrow
for 1968-69.
The state Homemaker of To
morrow and her runner-up will
be selected from the school
winners. I'he state winner will
receive a $1,500 college scho
larship, while the runnei^up is
awarded a $500 grant. The
individual schools receive a
set of the Encyclopedia Bri-
tanica.
The state winners plus one
from the District of Columbia
Distinguished Rating Given
To RMSH Drama Students
The Dramatics Department
of RMSH, under the direction
of Mr. William Rawls, pre
sented two plays in competi
tion with twelve other high
schools and colleges Feb. 22 at
Campbell College and achiev
ed distinguished ratings. Both
productions will go to the
state competition at Chapel
Hill, March 13-15.
The Edisonians presented
“The Martydom of Peter
O’hey’ directed by assistant
director Drille Carter.
ITie cast consisted of Laurie
Thorp, Chris Young, Jan Ho
well, Frank Elliot, Gary Mat
thews, Brian Lamm, Shelley
Wilgus, Brent lyndall Doug
Prince, Martha Guzman, Su
zanne Winston, Susan Sharer,
Isla K. Hill, Lucy Mayo, Deb
bie Odom, Martha Moore,
Mary Lou Buchan and Cathy
Wolf.
The Black Masquers present
ed their jriay “Conquest of
Everest” with Anita Clark,
Norman Chambliss, and John
Harris making up the cast.
Jeannie Cherry was the as
sistant director.
Difficulties Wm Confront
Schools As They Converge
Principal V. J-. -Colombo
has given two announcements
to the students concerning a
matter of policy and a daily
problem.
The consolidation of the two
city high schools has resulted
in a rash of petitions submit
ted by concerned RMSH stu
dents involving school, policy,
rules and regulations for next
year’s term.
Mr. Colombo commented
that petitions are the proper
way to file a complaint or sug
gestion. He said he would ac
cept any petition and evaluate
it, based on its contents, in the
best interest of the school.
However, if the petition con
flicts with policies established
by the Rocky Mount School
Board, Mr. Colombo has no
jurisdiction in these mattei-s,
for the board is regulated by
the State Board of Education-
Mr. Colombo said he would
gladly accept and consider any
petitions concerning school
rules and regulations, if they
warranted change
Plans are now in the mak
ing for improvement of the
parking lot on the Nash Street
side which presently is crowd
ed and disorganized- Two de
signs have been proposed,
both of vifhich contain approxi
mately 250 cars-
Two drawings have been
made with the spaces sketch
ed out- One ^an is to have
lanes perpendicular to Nash
Street but the preferrd plan is
to have lanes parallel to the
street- Both lots can contain
almost twice as many cars as
are now in the parking Jot.
Mascot Deliiiima
A special assemby was call
ed Tuesday by Student Organi
zation President John Kinch-
loe who presented the nomina
tions for the new mascot for
next year’s school term-
Jolin explained the procedure
taken in screening out the sug
gested names , and reasons for
their rejection. He said the
names were rejected if they
were connected with a bird or
a lion, if they were unsuitable
or were the name of a school
or pro team. The names were
either rejected by the Student
Involvment Committee, the
administration or the school
board membei-s.
President Kinchloe read out
all the discarded names, much
to the enjoyment of the stu
dents, and then went on to
name the selected nominations
from the ballot and reasons
for their choice, if there were
any.
i'he students then were dis
missed to their homerooms to
\'ote for one of the twelve
names. Booker T. Washington
Senior High School along with
tihe three junior high schools
of the city also voted for the
now mascots.
The winning name will be
announced sometime next
week after being officially ac*-
cepted by the city board-
Blackbird Editor
Crowns Kay Belcher
Miss Print For 1969
will make an expense paid
educational tour of Washing
ton, D- C. and Colonial Wil-
iamsburg, Va- this spring.
The national winner will be
announced at a dinner in Wil
liamsburg where she will be
awarded an additional $5,000.
Other Homemakers of Tomor
row will be granted $4,000,
$3,000, and $2,000 respectively.
Staff Sweats
With Jr. Issue
The past two weeks have
proved to be trying ones for
the junior staff of the BLACK
BIRD at RMSH, because this
publication was chosen as the
first of two issues which they
will publish.
I’he juniors have worked
digiligenty on this issue to
show the school and advisor,
Mrs. Williams, what kind of
work to expect from them next
year.
Kay Belcher, a senior at
RMSH was crowned Miss Print
for 1969 in the schod auditor
ium Valentines Day, in the an
nual beauty contest open to
any senior high girl. This con
test was sponsored by the
Blackbird staff.
Anne Pittman and Jane Mor
gan also seniors, were select
ed first and second runers-up
by a panel of three judges.
Prior to the pageant, theji^,
were interviewed by the judees
and judged on personality,
poise and beauty. These inter
views were conducted during
the evenings before the con
test.
The judges selected by the
Blackbird staff were well qua
lified to make decisions as to
which girj had the most plea-
ing combinations of beauty,
oharm, and grace. Chosen to
serve as judges were Don Wil
liams, radio anouncer for sta
tion WEED, William Bracey,
a sales manager for Belk Tyler
Department Store, and Mrs-
Victor Bethea, a saleswoman
for the Chic-A-Tique Shop at
Serotta’s in Tarn^own MalL
AU three were delighted to
accept and had a difficult lime
in selecting the three winners-
I'he young ladies, attired in
evening gowns, were escorted
by various young men from
HMSH. They proceeded from
the rear of the auditorium and
upon reaching the stage Denise
Boswell, Mistress of Ceremon
ies announced the name of each
girl, her escourt, and the spon
soring club, organization or in
dividuals- They then walked to
the center of the stage with
their escorts and gave a bow
^*the jM^ges.
While-^^e judges were mak
ing a dwision, the situdents
were entertained by Ben Park
er, who sang and accompanied
himself on the guitar-,
After the entertainment, the
judges returned and Denise
announced the first and second
place winnere and then Miss
Print for 1969, Kay Belcher.
Kay was presented a bou-
qet of roses and crowned by
Skipper Greathouse, Editor of
the BLACKBIRD. She was
sponsored by the Service Club
and escorted by Jay Bobbitt-
Anne Pittman, the first run
ner-up was sponsored by
Homeroom 213 and escorted
by Jerry Powell-
Ja,ne Morgan, the second
nmner-up was sponosored by
the Good Sports Club and her
escort was Steve Morgan.
RMSH Delegation Attends
DE District Conference
On February 10, a Distribu
tive Education delegation
from RMSH traveled to La
Grange for another District
Leadership Conference at
North Lenoir High School
Participating in their respec
tive divisions were: Leigh
Wheeler, pubic speaking; Gin
ger Resico, DECA Sweetheart;
Charlotte Nash, job interview;
Gail Williams, advertising;
Judy Davis, DE Girl of the
Year; and Randy Gardner,
sales demonstration and DE
Boy of the Year.
Upon arriving at North lie-
noir, the group was registered
and then directed to their
respective divisions where they
were met by a screening com
mittee. At 5:30 when all com
petition was over, refresh
ments were served to these
eager students in the cafeteria.
Following the refreshments,
the judges retired to their
quarters in order to select the
winners. The Rocky Mount
Dis^ibutive Education Depart
ment’^s a^hole won five out
of a possibk eight first place
positions, ^e RMSH group
won three of these. Randy
Gardner won double honors,
winning first place trophies in
both sales demonstration and
DE Boy of the Year. Ginger
Resico won first place honors
in the DECA Sweetheart com
petition, and Judy Davis cap
tured second place in the riva-
ry for DE Girl of the Year.
DECA District Conference winners from RMSH are (left to
right) Judy Davis, Randy Gardner, and Ginger Resico. (Photo
by Hl-Noc-Ar Photographer James Allen)