PHON
Vol. 4, No. 6
Rocky Mount Senior High School, Rocky Mount, N. C. 27801
December 16, 1977
Concert Performance
Rendered By Choir
The Rocky Mount Senior
High Chamber Choir and Chor
us rendered a Christmas Con
cert Thursday, December 8, in
the auditorium.
The first half of the concert
titled, A Ceremony of Carols by
Benjamin Britton, was pven by
the Chamber Choir. Phyllis
Tillery, an alto, soloed “That
Young Child.” Joni Thrower,
first soprano, sung a lullaby
titled “Balulolow.” Linda Hunt
er, also a soprano, sang “In
Freezing Winter Night.” A
duet, “Spring Carol,” was sung
by Joni and foreign exchange
student Regina Perla, who is a
second soprano.
Other songs were: “Wolcom
Yole,” “There is No Rose,” “As
Dew In Aprille,” “This Little
Babe,” and “Deo Gracias.”
The second half of the con
cert, titled Series of Carols, was
given by both the Chamber
Choir and the Chorus. “Coven
try Carol” was sung by the
Chamber Choir which featured
a solo by Billy Noble. “Silent
Night” was sung by the Chorus
and the Chamber Choir. “Mary
Had a Baby,” sung by the
Chamber Choir and Chorus also
had a solo by Jackie Sessoms.
Michael Jones soloed “My
King.” He was accompanied by
the Chorus. Phyllis Tiller solo
ed “Slumber, 0 Holy Jesu." The
Chorus and Chamber Choir
accompanied her.
The Chorus and Chamber
Choir merged voices to sing
“Lirum Lirum” and “Whence
Comes This Rush of Wings.”
“Hymn to the Virgin” was sung
by the Chamber Choir Echoes.
They were accompanied by
both the Chamber Choir and
the Chorus.
The Choir and Chorus were
directed by Mr. Lawrence Gup-
ton. The pianist was Mrs.
Caroline Cooney.
Local Girl Competes
Kaye Batts will compete in
the North Carolina National
Teenage Pageant. (Photo
by Both Hutchisson)
Kaye Batts, a senior at Rocky
Mount Senior High School, will
be participating in the North
Carolina National Teenage Pa
geant on April 1st in Raleigh,
N. C.
Kaye received a letter from
the pageant about two months
ago asking her if she would be
interested in entering the pa
geant. Kaye stated, “At first I
didn’t think much of it. The idea
of a pageant turns me off, but
this one isn’t centered around
physical attractiveness. Also, it
offers very good scholarships.”
After receiving the letter,
Kaye was required to submit
pictures of herself, a list of
school activities that she’s in-
in, yijljliao a M-st of her,,
graiies. ik mon&~)ater sfiie
received another letter that she
had been chosen as a state
finalist. She also received a
ribbon sash to wear in the
pageant.
The pageant will be held at
Meredith College Auditorium.
Tickets are $2.50, and anyone
who would like a ticket should
see Kaye.
The girls are judged on
scholastic achievement, poise,
personality, leadership and on
physical attractiveness to a
lesser degree.
The winner of the Miss North
Carolina National Teenage pa
geant receives a $1,000 savings
bond, a scholarship to modeling
school, a new wardrobe, and a
free trip to Atlanta, Ga. where
she will be participating in the
Miss Teenage America Page
ant. The winner of that pageant
receives a scholarship, and a
new car. She will serve as the
United States teen-age ambas
sador to other countries.
In the Miss North Carolina
National Teen-age Pageant
Kaye will be modeling a formal
gown, and sportswear. She will
have to answer impromptu
questions and will be interview
ed by all the judges before the
pageant,
Kaye’s persona! reaction
was, “I was very shocked of
course. I thought the letter
must have come to the wrong
address. I’m looking forward to
the pageant, but I’m quite
nervous about the whole thing.
I just hope I don’t trip on stage,
or get up there to answer the
questions and discover that my
microphone doesn’t work.”
Rocky Mount Senior High Choir and Chorus; The choir and chorus performed a Christmas Concert,
December 8.
(Photo by Jerry Joyner)
Gryphon Surveys Graduates
A survey on Senior High
preparation for the working
world and college was taken
recently by The Gryphon. A
fairly equal number of surveys
were sent out to Blacks and
Whites in both college and
work areas. Each survey in
cluded a self-addressed stam
•a Mvqjppe ai^j^illi^ appropri
ate survey for either college
students or employees. Twenty
per cent of those sent out
returned and oddly enough,
most were from college stu
dents and most came from the
University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. However, a good
distribution of college surveys
did return from such schools as
East Carolina University, the
U. S. Naval Academy, Peace
College, The University of Vir
ginia and Atlantic Christian
College.
The survey’s purpose was to
discover how strong a founda
tion Senior High lays for its
students in the various disci
plines. Intended majors includ
ed accounting, environmental
design, sociology, industrial re
lations, economics, business ad
ministration, chemistry, Eng
lish, biology, pre-med and opto
metry.
College students reportea
that 65 per cent of them had
been prepared at Senior High
in the area of math, whereas 35
per cent stated that they hadn’t
mathematically been prepared
for college work. Forty-seven
per cent said that they had
been prepared for freshman
English but 53 per cent said
they hadn’t.
When asked, “did you have to
spend a lot of time developing
study skills or were they alrea
dy developed at Senior High?”
40 per cent said they had
developed study skills; howev
er, 60 per cent stated other
wise.
In comparing themselves
with fellow classmates at col
lege in the area of secondary
preparation, a scale of 1-9 was
devised (“9” being the best
prepared in High School with
regards to classmates). On the
average, the students rated
themselves a “6.”
For those people now work
ing, a simular survey was sent
out. Responses came from such
varied helds as department
manager, furniture salesmen,
receptionist, rental manage
ment secretaries, and electri
cians. One hundred per cent
said that Senior High prepared
them very well for math, but
only 60 per cent said they had
been prepared in English.
“Did you have to spend a lot
of time developing job skills or
were they already developed at
Senior High?” Eighty per cent
said they had been prepared for
their various work skills at
Senior High; 20 per cent said
they hadn’t.
In the 1-9 scale with the
employees comparing them
selves with fellow workers
their age, they averaged an “8”,
one down from the top.
Many gave a lot of credit to
specific teachers and depart
ments. Some were savagely
fierce at the lack of preparation
they had, but some reported
that Senior High had accom
plished its goal of educating
them.
One student gave advice to
Senior High students. “Learn
grammar well. Learn to write
in specific terms. Professors
want to know “why” for every
thing. Learn to write, rewrite,
revise and rewrite each paper."
She also said, “don’t memorize
the process in which you do
certain mathematical functions
—know how and why—also
master the processes.”
SRA Become Babysitters
Over the Christmas holidays
many parents find shopping to
be a big problem because they
have no one to keep the
children while there is shopping
to be done. This year the March
of Dimes and Student Repre
sentative Assembly have set up
a babysitting service with the
cooperation of the Central City
Revitalization Committee to
help eliminate this problem as
well as help out the March ol
Dimes. Students who are inter
ested may volunteer a few
hours of their time over the
holidays to supervising children
while their parents are out.
The babysitting service will
be held in downtown Rocky
Mount on Main and Marigold
Streets next to the Spur Filling
Station. A caboose is being
decorated to resemble a Santa
Workshop. There is no set fee
for the babysitting service but
donations are asked for in
contributing to the March- of
Dimes.
The project starts on the
17th of December and will
continue through December
24th. The hours students may
work are from 11:00 a.m. to
7:00 p.m. on Monday through
Friday and 11:00 to 6:00 on
Saturdays.