Rocky Mount Senior High
Vol. 27 No. 4 308 South Tillery St., Rocky Mount, NC 27804 December 20,1996
Twlford receives award in Washington
Contributed photo
HONORED GUEST--Dr. Travis Twiford was the honored guest the night
after he received his award at the Broadway production of Swamp Gravy,
a cultural history drama originating in Colquitt, Georgia. Twiford and
sophomore Carolyn Deans met actresses Malia, Meda and Misty Phillips
from Colquitt after the play.
N
News
"Time
ENCORE! ENC0RE!--The Se
nior High and Edwards bands and
choruses played their Christmas
concert on Dec. 16 in the audito
rium.
CONGRATULATIONSl-Seniors
Jamie Gilbert and Alyson Paszek
have been selected as the Kiwanis
and Rotary Students of the Month.
Gilbert is president of the Key Club,
an NHS officer, and nominee for the
Morehead Scholarship. Paszek is a
co-captain for the varsity
cheerleading squad.
THINK CREATIVELY-Two earns I
will be representing Senior High in
the Odyssey of the Mind competi
tion this March. The competition
will be held here at the school.
WAY TO GO"Senior Nicole
Sampson has been awarded the ath
letics grant-in-aid in Women’s Bas
ketball at UNC-Asheville. This cov
ers tuition, fees and books for the
1997-98 school year. Shawn Ander
son received the Presidential Schol
arship at NC Wesleyan College and
the ittonors Scholarship at Barton
College. The Presidential Scholar
ship is worth $10,000 over four
years and the Honors Scholarship is
worth $6,700 over four years.
SRA HELPS AT CHRISTMAS-
The SRA has sponsored an Adopt-
a-Child project to help needy chil
dren during the holiday season. The
also prepared Christmas baskets.
KUKARIBISHA!- The Kwanzaa I
celebration was held on Dec. 12 in
the auditorium. The African Ameri
can history classes prepare a
Kwanzaa production each year to
pay tribute to the African way of life.
By Stephanie Williams
Dr. Travis W. Twiford, superintendent
of the Nash-Rocky Mount School System,
and James K, Jetesen, a retired CEO from
Houston, Texas, received the McKee
Foods Corporation’s Award for Partner
ship Leaders.
The award recognizes two individuals
each year, one executive and one educa
tor who have worked to expand a part
nership between businesses and schools
to provide better education for students.
The award was presented at the McKee
Banquet on Nov. 21, 1996, in Washing
ton, D.C. Twiford received national rec
ognition in a story in the Nov. 1 issue of
USA Today.
Programs in the Nash-Rocky Mount
school system which Twiford helped to
launch include a Youth Apprenticeship
Program, which is the largest in the state,
a Career Development program that pro
vides that each student will develop a
career plan that covers four years and
Twiford has increased the number of
technology courses that are offered.
He has also helped expand Tech Prep,
and increased the number of advanced and
By Jim Bonomo
Senior cross country runner Nick
Winkel capped off a successful season
with a victory at the state competition in
Charlotte. He is the first Rocky Mount
runner to bring home any victory at such
a high level.
Facing his serious competition, Winkel
focused on staying ahead of rivals from
around the state. When he woke up the
morning of the race, one big problem re- ^
mained; he felt sick and congested.
Plagued by an ill-timed cold virus,
Winkel faced not only his running com
petitors but also himself. He pushed
through the race, however, and placed
first in the meet.
Winkel has won many honors this sea
son along with the hard-earned state vic-
college level courses. Nash-Rocky Mount
Schools have a cooperative agreement
with Nash Community College, NC
Wesleyan College and the Rocky Mount
Area Chamber of Commerce.
Other awards that Twiford has received
include Superintendent of the Year in
tory. He is also all-conference, all-region,
all-area, and has won invitational races
around the area.
Winkel attributes, his success to hard
work, good coaching, and good practice.
“It takes determination,” he said.
1993 from the North Carolina School
Boards Association, the Award for Excel
lence in Workforce Development from
Gov. Jim B. Hunt in 1994, and Most Out
standing Superintendent in the State in
1996 awarded by the R.J. Reynolds’Tech
Prep. Program.
Winkel has already been scouted by
major colleges. Appalachian, UNC, N.C.
State, and ECU are among the universi
ties bidding for Winkel and his talents.
He has yet to make a decision.
Contributed photo
PRACTICING HARD--Cross country runners Brent Rowe, Jim Bonomo,
Gilbert Johnson and Jesse Johnson begin practice with state champion
Nick Winkel leading them.
Winkel wins state championship
INSIDE
Bu^h speaks at
blinn Center
page 2
Charter requested
pages
Voice lives on
page 12