FIRST
JUNIOR
ISSUE
THE GRYPHON
Publii^ed by the Journalism Class of Rocky Mount Senior High School
HAPPY
VALENTINE’S
DAY
VOLUME in, No. 7
ROCKY MOUNT, N. C.
FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 11 1972
Mr. Robert Hines, a former Distributive Education teacher
at RMSH, recently replaced Mr, Roscoe A. Batts as the
associate principal of RMSH, Mr, Batts returned to his
former job as principal of Parker Junior High,
Dr. Currin, Students Discues
Necessary School Problems
Members of the Student Ad
visory Council assembled for
their first meeting with Dr.
Ben Currin, Superintendent of
the Rocky Mount City Schools,
to discuss how students feel
about certain issues ranging
from food service to free press
in the school administrative
building Wednesday, January 7,
The students represented
Parker, Edwards, R. M. Wilson,
and RMSH. The representatives
either earned their post by
school positions or were chosen
by fellow students in general
elections.
Dr. Currin told the repre
sentatives, "From here the
direction you take will be up to
you. What you say can have
some Impact and meaning.”
The council elected Steve
Braswell and Ruby Gibson, both
of RMSH, chairman and secre
tary respectively. Then the
students asked questions and
made suggestions about the
workings of the school system.
The council members raised
questions concerning food ser
vice, free press, and acade
mics, Braswell touched on the
most crucial issue - the possi
bility of a student serving as an
ex officio or voting member
of the school board. Dr, Cur
rin said that a change In the law
would be necessary for a stu
dent to become a voting mem
ber.
The Student Advisory Coun
cil met for their second meet
ing with Dr, Ben Currin to dis
cuss other school problems In
the school administrative build
ing Wednesday, January 23,
Students at RMSH asked why
they couldn’t hcJld more money-
raising projects. Dr, Currin
pointed out that a school board
policy prohibited any S, O.
money-raising projects except
the annual magazine sale.
The question of tradition was
raised when some students
complained that the administra
tion sometimes wouldn’t agree
to new Ideas because It hadn’t
been the tradition to do that at
RMSH, But, since all the stu
dents who went to the old Booker
T, Washington High School and
RMSH have graduated, maybe
the administration will dis
pense with the old tradition.
Junior high school students
were asked to work together
with RMSH students in order
to produce better school pro
jects, '
'.izea tnat it was flying up-
! down as It reached the top.
egan to bring It down, and
;n it reached me, I detach-
it. Carefully, I re-attached
making sure that it was on
iht. Again I pulled the rope,
Xid to my surprise. It went to
(Editor’s note: The following
Is an article drawn from quota
tions and information from both
our new and former Associate
Principals.)
Mr, Robert Hines, one of
RMSH’s D.E, coordinators as
sumed the position of Asso
ciate Principal replacing Mr,
Roscoe Batts, Jr,, who was
needed at Parker Junior High,
Mr. Hines stated that class
room experiences are organiz
ed in relation to subject-mat
ter areas. These experiences
are planned primarily in terms
of intellectual growth. Efforts
are made to involve students in
terms of their abilities, attain
ments, interests, and needs.
Other educational experien
ces or out-of-class activities
are intended to supplement and
reinforce in a positive, mean
ingful manner thatwhlch is car
ried on in the classroom in
terms of the total development
of each individual student.
One of the greatest needs In
public education today is more
concentration on the teaching
of responsibilities. In order
to prepare students for worth
while citizenship, they must un
derstand that with every privi
lege goes some respnslblllty,
I shall be working with two
very fine principals, an out
standings staff, and a wonder
ful group of students, there
fore I am anticipating a very
meaningful and enjoyable ex-
VICA Club Members Visit
Richard Fountain School
RMSH Vocational Industrial
Clubs of America members
converged with students from
Richard T, Fountain School Ja
nuary 27 to describe the pur
poses and practices of the VICA.
Co-advlsor of the third dis
trict, Mr, Gilbert Watkins, in
troduced the VICA members to
the training school boys. VKA
officers arej Ronnie Hedge
peth, president; Mike Willis,
vice president; James Gold,
second vice president; Wanda
Dortch, secretary; Richard
Bullock, treasurer; James Har
rell, editor; Walter Thorpe,
parllmentarlan; and Vicky Dic
kerson, club representative.
The meeting began with an
official ceremony. It was con
ducted by VICA President Ron
nie Hedgepeth. He told the
boys about the activities and
meetings that are to take place
next spring and Invited them to
attend the annual District Three
Competition meeting February
19 at RMSH.
Each officer told the boys the
duties of the VICA as an or
ganization. The meeting was
again turned over to Mr, Wat
kins who explained the primary
VICA purpose: todevelopyouth
leadership, Mr, Watkins then
presented Mr, Max H, Moore,
VICA advisor of Richard T.
Fountain, an official VIC A char
ter.
Occupational Educational Di
rector Bob Langley spoke
briefly before President Ron
nie Hedgepeth closed the affair.
perlence.
Mr, Hines is a native of
Rocky Mount and a graduate of
Booker T. Washington. He has
a wife, Marie and a son, Robert
who Incidentally Is a senior at
St. Augustine’s College in Ra
leigh.
Mr. Hines majored in Busi
ness Administration at North
Carolina Central University. He
received his Master’s Degree
and completed the requirements
for certification InAdmlnlstra-
tlon and Supervision at North
Carolina A & T University. Mr,
Hines completed the require
ments for certification in Dis
tributive Education at the Uni
versity of North Carolina In
Chapel Hill,
Editor’s Note: The follow
ing Is a statement prepared by
Mr, R, A. Batts exclusively
for the GRYPHON, In the
statement he reflects his
thoughts through his stay at
RMSH; his feelings about the
school and the students, - Ed.
“My stay at Rocky Mount
Senior High School was a most
pleasant and enjoyable onf. I
found the school to be an In
stitution that practices and ex
hibits human respect. In my
view, that is the most salient
factor and/or essence about
the school. Since I consider
such a factor the most basic
single requirement for sound
education, I commend Senior
High unreservedly for this ac
complishment, Closely paral
leling this Is the good manners
and poise displayed by most of
the students toward the faculty
and the administration.
The school is well organized
and administered. The princi
pals possess the personality
traits that aid them greatly in
their leadership roles. They
have the academic and profes-
(Continued On Page 6)
First Semester Officers
Express Last Farewells
The final Junior Class meet
ing under the first semester
administration was called to or
der, Tuesday, January 11, dur
ing activity period.
President Alfred Davis open
ed the meeting which featured
farewell address from both the
Chief Executive and Vice Pre-
Hutchisson Begins Duties
As Counselor At RMSH
Upon returning to the United
States, Mr, Hutchisson was as
signed to Camp Lejeune, where
he served as a Batalllon Exe
cutive Officer and Comman
der, During his last six months
at Camp Lejeune, Mr, Hut
chisson served as a coordina
tor for “project transition,” In
which he assisted In counsel
ing Marines and Navy person
nel before they were dischar
ged for Vocational Training and
Job Placement, Mr, Hutchis
son feels that this training was
helpful to him, since it was
relevant to his future work at
RMSH,
Mr, Hutchisson, who receiv
ed his Master’s Degree in Coun
selor’s Education at ECU in
November, 1971, presently re
sides on Englewood Drive In
Rocky Mount with his family.
He and his wife, the former
Evelyn Williams of Albany, Ga,,
have two daughters, age 11 and
13, and one son, a junior, here
at RMSH,
When asked to comment on
the students at RMSH, Mr, Hut
chisson replied that they were
courteous and generally inter
ested in making a success of
their time at RMSH.
William R. Hutchisson, afor-
mer Marine Corps officer who
recently obtained his Master’s
Degree in Counselor’s Educa
tion, began his duties as gui
dance counselor at RMSH Jan
uary 17, 1972.
Mr, Hutchisson, who was gra
duated from a Dallas, Texas,
high school in 1947, was gra
duated from North Texas State
University in 1951.
Following his college gra
duation, Mr, Hutchisson join
ed the Marine Corps, and for
the next few years served in
California, Georgia, North Car
olina, Washington, Korea, Le
banon, the Carrlbean and Medi
terranean seas, and Vietnam.^
sldent Ray Brinn,
The Vice President, who
spoke first, was highly compli
mentary of the class, and he
pushed for even greater sup
port of class projects In the
second semester,
President Davis came to the
stand and reflected through the
events of his administration.
He told of his disappointments,
as well as his successes in
the first semester. Like the
Vice President, Davis stress
ed the need for greater sup
port of the next officers.
Since there were no minutes
and treasurer’s report. Miss
Kltchln made several announce
ments, one of which Included
her urge for the Juniors to
begin planning for post-gradua-
tlon. The question was raised
by a class member as to when
the students would receive their
PSAT scores. She replied that
the school had received the
tests, and they were being eva
luated The students would re
ceive them shortly.
Alfred Davis adjourned the
meeting after all other busi
ness had been cleared.
Mr, William R. Hutchisson, right, a new Guidance Counselor
at RMSH, confers with RMSH student Russel Harper,