Morehead Nominees
Narrotved To Three
MOREHEAD NOMINEES—These three boys, (left to rights DanJordan, Ernie Murray and Ricky
Gardner are the Morehead nominees from RMSH for Nash County In District I. (photo by Perry)
Four senior boys, three from
RMSH and one from Southern
Nash High School have been se
lected as the Morehead Scho
larship nominees from Nash
County. Dan Jordan, Ricky
Gardner and Ernie Murray
and Thellie R. Ainsley, Jr. from
Southern Nash are the four can
didates chosen to compete for
the coveted Morehead Award
which gives the winners the op
portunity to study at the Uni
versity of North Carolina at
Chapel. Hill.
The winners were selected
from a list of 12 candidates in
Nash County and will be fur-
THE GRYPHON
Published by tiie Journalism Class of Ro^y Mount Senior High School
£1
/
VOLUME L No. 3
ROCKY MOUNT, N. C.
FRIDAY, NOV. 7. 1969
Student Council Congress Big Success
Four RMSH students and their
advisors attended the North Ca
rolina Student Council Con
gress Nov. 9-11. These stu
dents were Earle Abernathy,
Betsy Strandberg, Alvin Ar
rington and Barbara Wright.
Miss Kate Parks Kitchin and
Mrs. Edith Tweedy were the
advisors that accompanied the
students.
On arrival Sunday Nov. 9 they
reeistered at £nloe High School,
Then they attended their first
general session. Mr. Jeff Wood,
President of the NCSCC, pre
sided. The guest speaker was
Governor Bob Scott. He stress
ed the importance of Student
Councils in North Carolina High
Schools. He urged each de
legate to strive to do their best
to improve their schools. After
a long day the delegates were
entertained by a group of Enloe
students presenting a comedy.
Monday morning they con
gregated for their session with
Mr. Robert Morgan as the guest
speaker. He summarized the
roll played by the Student Coun
cil and asked that we set de
finite goals in the schools.
From there they divldled into
discussion groups. The Consti
tution, Parlimentary Proce
dure, and Consolidation and In
tegration, were a few of the
groups. Each of our four de
legates went to a group, Earle
Abernathy presided in the dis
cussion of Parliamentary Pro
cedure.
The students then heard the
campaign speeches from the
students running for state of
fices. Betsy Strandbergwas re
presenting RMSH by running
for Secretary.
After eating at a banquet
which lasted from 7 to 9 the
students then enjoyed an even
ing of dancing to the music of
“The Lonely Drifters” from
9 to 12.
Nov. 11 at the fourth session
they hard Mr. Strother Assis
tant Superintendent of Public
Instructions, he told them to
first select the goals and then
project ourselves towards
them. The merger of the NCASC
and the NCSCC was discussed
a plan was submitted and pass
ed. At the closure of the ses
sion each delegate voted. Al
though Betsy did not win we
all feel sure that she would
have done a fine job.
The students then rallied on
the lawn of the Capital for a Sing
Out. Jeff Wood added a few clos
ing words and announced the
winners of the offices.
Alvin Arrington who attend
ed the Consolidation and In
tegration discussion said, "It
was a very fruitful experience
and the feeling of togetherness
between the black and white stu
dents was tremendous.”
DECA Club
Conference
Held At N. N.
Twenty-eight members of the
Rocky Mount Senior High DECA
Club attended the District 10
Leadership Conference held at
Northern Nash High School on
Tuesday, November 4, 1969.
At the conference, discus
sion groups were conducted.
There were several sub-com
mittee groupings which lead
the discussions on topics of
major interest to young people
of today. Included in the topics
were discussions on alcohol and
narcotics.
Among the group of DECA
students were four official de
legates. These official dele
gates consisted of a job inter
view and a DECA Sweetheart
contestant, and candidates for
the offices of Vice-President
and Parliamentarian.
ther screened by a district
committee which interviews 18
northeastern counties in Dis
trict L
Other nominees -/ere Calvin
Allen, Stan Campbell, Kei*h
Harris, Billy Vick, and Mit
chell Wiggins from RMSH; Wal
lace Reams from Southern Nash
and Robert Lee and Kenneth
Windham from Northern Nash
High School.
The nominees from compete
with seniors from 17 other
counties in the 18 county dis
trict of Beaufort, Bertie, Cam
den, Chowan, Currituck, Dare,
Edgecombe, Gates, Halifax,
Hertford, Hyde, Martin, North
hampton, Pasquotank, Perqui
mans, Pitt, Tyre 11 and Washing
ton.
RMSH is now represented by
five Morehead Scholars at the
University of North Carolina.
They are, Hatcher Klncheloe,
Bill Meakin, Bob Joyce, Page
Lea and Ken Thompson.
The successful candidates
win receive grants worth $8,000
for four years. Each scholar
ship Is renewable each year.
Financialneed Is not required.
Debating Trip
Members of the RMSH public
speaking class with their advi
sor, Mrs. Ruby Sharpe, atr
tended the North Carolina De
bate Conference at the Sir Wal
ter haieigiiHcte!, s«tiirday, No
vember 8.
On the agenda were lectures
by professors from UNC at Cha
pel Hill, UNC at Greensboro and
Shaw University. The lectures
and discussions were geared to
the young debator’s needs as a
beginner. Sociologists from the
University pointed out difficul
ties In the debate proposition
of this year: Resolved: “That
Congress Should Prohibit Uni
lateral U. S. Military Inter
vention in Foreign Countries.”
SRA Is Given Report By
Human Relations Comm.
All-American Cities Delegation
Includes Three RMSH Students
On Wednesday, November 12
during the sixth period, the
fourth meeting of the Student
Representative Assembly came
to order with President Earle
Abernathy presiding. The read
ing and approval of the minutes
w^ the first order ofbusiness.
After the balance of $1,689.84
in the school treasury had been
confirmed by the treasurer,
Kenny Dickerson, Mar^r Battle
of the Social Committee made
her report. She announced that
after meeting twice, the group
had decided to send get-weU
cards to students who were ab
sent from school for a rela
tively long time due to illness.
The AFS Club, at this point,
announced that Beckv .‘J*’—
lUall
lias been chosen to represent
RMSH In the Student Abroad
Program this summer. Fol
lowing this, Valsr ie Batts of the
Humaii Relations Committee
told the SRA of their plans to
entertain grievances of the
students. She expllalned that on
alternating Mondays and Wed-
the Committee will listen and
discuss all problems of Indi
vidual students or groups rela
tive to school. Appointments,
she said would have to be made
In advance. Valerie added the
fact that the Committee endor
sed night basketball games and
hoped their endorsement would
have some bearing on the de
cision.
Immediately after a report
from tjie student store, of which
a. representative stated a
balance of $22.94, the Program
Committee presented a skit
which emphasized the impor
tance of the upcoming Thanks
giving project. This project is
the preparing of baskets for
needy families by homerooms.
The baskets will be judged on
beauty and other rjiiures.
the Committee ref)orts
over, Earle Abernahty report
ed on the state convention held
In Raleigh. His report focus
ed on a lecture given on nar
cotics. Alvin Arrington and
Betsy Strandberg, also made
some interesting comments on
Donna Armstrong, Patricia
Davis and Kenny Dickerson
were among 75 citizens attend
ing the All-American Cities
Award competition November
10-11 in Philadelphia, Pa., who
were Involved in an all-out
effort to earn for Rocky Mount
one 11 All-American Cities
Award in the United States for
1969.
In an assembly November
13, Mayor John Minges spoke
to the students about the de
legates’ determined to present
our city as “Rocky Mount, North
Carolina’s Red Carpet City.”
Mr. Mack Pearsall, a mem
ber of the Chamber of Com
merce gave the final oral pre-
s
CONVENTION DELEGATES*—Donna Armstrong, Kenny Dick
erson and Patricia Davis were students from RMSH who attend
ed the All-America Cities Contest heU Novomhor in.ii in
sentation for the students exact
ly as it was given In Philadel
phia.
All 22 finalists'-, l-Jlf-.ed
their cases orally before a
panel of 12 jurors Monday and
Tliesday. Later, the presenta
tions will be given detailed
study and investigation to vali
date the communities’ claims.
The final selections will be
announced in January.
An advance section of the de
legation arrived In Philadelphia
Sunday a day earlier to make
preparations for Rocky
presentation. DiSplay tables and
^ projection theater were setup
to tell Rocky Mount’s story.
The delegation based its en
try on achievements in com
munity for the past 12 months.
The achievements were based
upon human relations, educa
tion, housing, recreation, job
opportunities for low-Income
housing, industrial develop
ment, downtown improvement
plans, utility improvements,
building fund campaigns, the
city’s contributions to Nash Ge
neral Hospital and the Rockv