April 17, 1981
Vol. 7, No. 10
Rocky Mount Senior High School
Rocky Mount, N. C. 27801
the Gryphon
Make the prom fit your taste.
Stories on page 3.
Gun problem examined.
Stories on pages 6 and 7.
Seniors surveyed
Most seek more education
Drama students mine
Senior Liu Bwnes and other students of Drama I and II perform
mime for students at Englewood Elementary School. Photo by
GiUey.
Polls show students
favor longer year
By GREG CARMEAN
An overwhelming majority
of students prefer a calendar
for next school year with
longer vacations and a late
graduation to a version with
short breaks and an earlier
graduation,” a Gryphon
survey recently showed.
In a representative sample
survey, 134 students voted for
a calendar to begin school
August 31, have 10 days for
Christmas vacation, five days
for spring break, and end
school on June 11.
Seventy-eight students
chose a calendar with the first
day of school on August 31, a
seven day Christmas vacation,
a three day spring break and
the last day of school on June
4.
The school board was
presented with the first calen
dar version but tabled is to
consider one with an earlier
graduation date. At the next
board meeting on April 27, the
two calendars will be voted on.
“I like the other one (with
longer vacations) because
nobody’s gonna take my
Easter away from me.
Everybody goes to the beach,
and about that time everybody
needs a vacation!" junior Kim
Edwards says.
“No one’s gonna go to the
beach just for three days over
Easter. You won’t even get a
good tan!” junior Karen
Ainsworth said.
One rising senior was con
cerned about the shorter vaca
tion calendar not' only for
students but also for teachers
since her mother is a teacher
at Parker. “Spring break is a
necessity, not only for
students, but teachers also,’’
Beth Browning said.
By LEIGH RIVENBARK
Forty-seven per cent of the
senior class plans to attend col
lege, shows the annual senior
survey by the guidance
department.
“For this school population,
the percentage going to col
lege is healthy,” says Guidance
Counselor William Hut-
chisson. Other data show that
22% of the seniors hope to go
to community or technical col
leges; 7% to private junior col
leges; 9% into the armed
forces: 14% to employment;
and less than one per cent to
private trade, nursing school,
etc.
The number of seniors plan
ning on college is about the
same as in years past, Mr. Hut-
SAT Test
available
By SUFIANA JONES
The trustees of the College
Entrance Board have voted to
begin providing students with
copies of their Scholastic Ap
titude Test, their answer
sheets and a list of correct
answers, according to the New
York Times News Service.
Providing students with
copies of their tests, their
.answer sheets, and a list of
correct answers will probably
increase the cost of taking the
test.
Next year the SAT will be of
fered nationwide on five Satur
days and two Sundays with
the provision that students
can view their questions and
answers.
chisson says. “I would’ve
thought we might have had a
drop in the percentage going
to college because of what’s
happened with financial aid
(proposed cuts in federal aid),”
he says.
The "survey results will be
sent to the State Department
of Education, which will use
them in determining cur
riculum. “The survey (gives)
insight for curriculum plann
ing . . . and it’s a pain in the
neck for the teachers,” Mr.
Hutchisson says. He feels that
the percentage of college-
bound students indicates that
“we’ve got a pretty darn good
college prep curriculum here.
A good percentage of our
students are capable of handl
ing college when they leave
here.”
Survey data reflect the
plans of the responding
seniors but cannot be entirely
accurate since there will be
non-graduates, etc. “(The in
formation is self-recording, but
generally close to the
ballpark,” Mr. Hutchisson
says.
Of those seniors hoping to
head for higher institutions,
41% were male while 59%
were female.
The 22% figure for those
planning to attend community
or technical colleges is slightly
higher than the norm for
Senior High which has been
15% to 17%.
^ ti
Juniors Charles Harrison, Leigh Rivenbark, sophomore Kim
Vaughn, juniors Amy West and Tommy O’Connell will attend
Governor’s School this summer. Charles will study French, Leigh
will study English and Journalism, Kim will study Art, Amy will
study Choral Music, and Tommy will study English. Photo by
Jones.
Students travel near and tar
Leigh Rivenbark
Mike Tew
By CHERYL WILLIAMS
Junior Leigh Rivenbark will
spend two months in Japan
this summer.
Leigh won one of 15 scholar
ships provided by the National
Council for Social Studies
through a program called
Youth For Understanding.
The council gives 12 scholar
ships for Japan and three for
West Germany.
Junior Mike Tew has receiv
ed a scholarship that pays hi:
tuition at the North Carolina
High School Radio and Televi
sion Institute at the Universi
ty of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill.
The scholarship is from the
A. J. Fletcher Educational and
Opera Foundation, Inc.
“I was delighted that our
(hers, Mrs. Williamson’s, and
Mrs. Heston’s) work and our
hopes had turned out so well,”
says Leigh. “Both Mrs. Heston
and Mrs. Williamson have
been very helpful and suppor
tive.”
“I will learn the technical
and aesthetic aspects of Radio
and Television,” Mike said.
“I plan to go into this field as
a career and hope to someday
own my own Radio and Televi
sion station,” said Mike.