Page Two — THE GRYPHON
GRYPHON
editorials
Gryphons ARE Gkiod Sports
The behavior of slightly over one percent of the student
population of Rocky Mount Senior High during and
following the RMSH-NNSH game has brought severe
criticism and even condemnation to the entire student body.
Vandalism is criminal; poor sportmanship is
reprehensible. The majority of RMSH students recognize
this and regret any such display, especially injuries.
However, this majority is naturally resentful when adults,
students, and even newspapers imply that all RMSH is
smeared with the taint of poor sportsmanship. Certainly, if
damage done at RMSH on the same night were done by
Northern students, all Northern students should not be
blamed.
Such behavior is not condoned at either school. Silence
concerning the matter serves as a sign of not making things
worse; but as an admission of guilt.
Possibly a study and survey need to be taken concerning
this matter. Perhaps the rivarly is too stiff and needs some
softening up by not playing for a year or two. Or maybe
afternoon games are in order for the two schools. These
possibilities seem to be very strict measures, but if people
continue to complain about RMSH’s “childish ” behavior,
these measures could be taken into consideration.
^ A more reasonable suggestion is to throw away the word
revenge.” One bad deed does not deserve another and
that goes for NNHS and RMSH. The two schools are’very
close in location and should come together at times other
than ballgames. An interchange of school policies, of choral
concerts, and yes, of even social events could be worked out
if only that dumb word, “revenge” were omitted from the
vocabularies of both schools.
Any RMSH student worthy of the name is a good sport,
and nobody will tell the Gryphons differently. All the ar
ticles and editorials in the world couldn’t change the pride a
true RMSH student has for his school. It’s something that
comes from working together. Though strange as it may
seem, the ugliness following the NNHS and RMSH game
has not split the school; instead it has unified the students to
work harder to receive the respect a great school; like
RMSH deserves.
Qpa.
Soaph
But will we ever get rid of the rock throwers?
£(di+OR’6 cTcho
l^y Cathy Allen
Lunchroom Getting Crowded
Any student who has not eaten in the school cafeteria
during the past week would hardly recognize it with all the
recent improvements. The lunchroom has been tran
sformed almost overnight into a modem facUity serving a
wider variety of foods than ever before. But there are still
problems.
With all the additions to the menu, a number of students
are eating in the cafeteria who used to go out or bring their
lunch from home. They find that now they can get many of
the things at school that they used to have to run over to
Bradley’s to buy The variety is endless — milkshakes,
potato chips, cookies, French fries, and desserts.
This increase in people has caused the lunch lines to grow
to such lengths that it often takes most of a student’s time
just to buy his lunch, and after fighting his way through a
tremendous line, he either does not have time to eat or no
longer wants his food. If a student were to try to look
through a window into the cafeteria, he would be confronted
with an endless wall of people waiting patient — or im
patiently — for their lunch.
After buying lunch, the student then faces the challenge of
finding a seat. It is not unusual for a student to have a chair
stolen right out from under him. Lunch has become, for
many people, unpleasant, dispite all the new delicacies.’
Improvements have been made in the food; now the
RMSH cafeteria needs improvement in efficiency. Lunch is
the only time students have free during the day. Their meal
should be relaxed and cheerful, not uptight and ill-tempered
because of long lines or a lack of seats. The simplest
soluUon would be more lines, but that would only take more
seating space. If the students show a concern by moving
through the lines rapidly and respecting others rights, than
possibly the obvious solution of a longer lunch period could
" cr'n.c!fierc:d.
By Cathy Allen
Senior High’s Student
Representative Assembly has
been named one among nine
“Honor Councils” in the state. A
Honor Council Certificate
distinguishes a student council
as one of the best high school
student councils in the state.
Our SRA has been named
Honor Council for the fifth
straight year, plus last year it
received the Louise B. Hunter
award, the highest award given
to a student council in the state.
Why does our SRA rank so
high among student councils in
the state? First we need to
examine the purpose of the
student council.
Today’s student structur'es
are moving towards building
greater student participation.
School’s student “councils” are
becoming student “govern
ments.”
Traditionally the sole purpose
of the student council was to
promote schoql spirit; to raise
money; to sponsor academic,
recreational and social ac
tivities; and to improve school
faciliti^ and campus area. All
of these are still part of the
purpose of the student council,
but today student councils serve
another purpose too.
Student councils are fast
becoming a governing force.
Students are beginnning to
Members Form
Committee
create responsible student
representative organizations
that can have a role in the
decision-making powers in
school.
We received student council
distinction because our SRA is
serving as a definite force in our
school. Our SRA is not another
“club-like” organization which
only plans and organizes ac
tivities such as the junior-senior
dance, pep rallies, and en
tertaining assemblies. Granted
that these activities are planned
through the SRA, but the
business is carried out through
committee work, and not during
the SRA sessions themselves.
The SRA sessions provide a -
time for students to -deal with
school problems and discuss
solutions. For example, at the
last SRA meeting the problem
of study hall students being
unable to use the library during
class reserved periods was the
major issue. Mrs. Davis, the
school librarian, explained that
the system of reserved library-
time is set up in the hopes of
promoting a better work at
mosphere for research classes,
but the library is always open to
those students who need to use it.
The SRA can continue to
serve as a force only if the
students make use of it. I
strongly urge all students to
exercise their right and
privilege to have a voice in
school affairs.
The violence in Kanawha
County, West Virginia which
erupted over several textbooks
which are being used in the
schools has not been lessened
with the school board’s decision
to return them to the
classrooms.
The controversy over
allegedly “anti-religious.
Communistic, pornographic”
textbooks began when a
member of the school board,
Alice Moore, complained that
they encouraged disrespect for
authority and religion and
contained obscene language. A
“typical” attack on religion was
a poem by black writer
Gwendolyn Brooks which said,
“I think it must be lonely to be
God. Nobody loves a master
...” A question in one of the
books “subverted” the morals
of the students. It read, “Most
people think that cheating is
wrong ... Do you think there
could ever be a time when it
might be right?”
The purpose of education is to
inform, to raise questions in
inquisitive minds, and to en
courage careful thought on all
phases of life. If one group of
people begin to stifle the
yearning for wisdom in the
name of patriotism, religion, or
- Puritanism, people everywhere
are affected by it.
This incident is not the first in
which over-protective parents
have H tried - to ■ smother ' their • •
children into silent acceptance
or their own ideals. A few years
ago over-zealous parents
burned every copy of the book
Slaughterhouse 5 that they
could get their hands on to
“protect” their children from
its contents.
This type of conflict stifles
causes rebellion rather than
aids the young person, for
change is a permanent part of
American society. For
American youth to cope with
this change, they must be en
couraged to explore new ideas
and to move fbrward rather
than to always look to the past.
After all if parents have built a
firm foundation of high ideals, it
is hardly likely to be shaken by
any book.
Members of Nash County and
Rocky Mount School boards will
be selected to form a committee
to study a state survey report on
school planning, dealing with
problems which relate to both
school systems.
The committee approach was
decided in early November
during a joint meeting of the
two school boards in Nashville.
At this meeting, highlights of
the study on the Nash County
School system were reviewed.
But the two main issues in the
report as it relates to both
school systems were not
discussed in detail. These issues
are a recommended merger of
school units and what to do
about Rocky Mount’s proposal
to make school district lines the
same as the city limit boun
daries.
THE GRYPHON
Memb9' of Columbia >I^ss Association
Member of Quill and Scroll
PUBLISHED
monthly
Editor
Advertising Manager
Business Manager
Circulation Manager
Senior Staff Writers
Junior Staff Writers
Cathy Allen
Sara Jane Colliw
Kim Nelson
Phyllis Goffney
Nancy Davis, Bill Matthews,
Terre Kilpatrick, Isabel Williams
_ . ^ , Billy Odom, Boon McGee
Iran Gardner, Mitchell Landen, Jan Forsythe
Thomasina Pollard, Debbie Cook, DoUy Clark
Biff White, Robin Bass, Gail Phillips
Natalie Knight, Teresa Mosley
Vu-gmia Culpq)per, Wade Bryant, Corbi Bullock,
Karen Butler, Dona Edwards
Advisor
Principal
Assistant Principal
Assistant Principal
Mrs. Henrietta Barbour
Mr. Elton Newbem
Mr. Richard Hicks
Mr. Robert Miller