Gryphon
News
3
Board approves new policies
December 20,1996
School uniforms and corporal punish
ment may be a part of students’ school
day during the upcoming school years. On
Dec. 9 the Nash-Rocky Mount School
Board approved the school uniform and
corporal punishment policies. In addition,
the board swore in new members and de
nied he application submitted by the char
ter school
Under the school uniform policy, it is
up to the individual school whether to
adopt school uniforms. To adopt the
policy, the school must have the approval
of 70 percent of the parents. The school
system will provide uniforms for students
who cannot afford them.
Corporal punishment, as proposed, will
be a form of disciplining students that
principals, may opt to use. Twenty-six of
27 schools have approved corporal pun
ishment as an alternative to short-term
suspension. Board member Jean Almond
said that ‘administrators will vigorously
pursue other (punishment) alternatives”
before opting to use corporal punishment.
The school board also voted to reject
the application submitted by Robert
Mauldin for the Rocky Mount Commu
nity Development Foundation. The appli
cation had been sent directly to the North
Carolina Board of Education rather than
first being submitted to the local board.
. ¥
Ribbons suggest sobriety
Photo by Stash Figlewski
LENDING A HELPING HAND-Junior Alicia Williams helps prepare a
Thanksgiving basket for the needy.
Students help needy
^ Jennifer Joyner
Student drinking is a problem in many
high schools, and the SADD club works
to prevent students from drinking and
driving.
On Nov. 22-24, SADD officers Robbie
Bowling, Philshaunda Thompson,
Rebecca Williford and Katherine
Stephenson attended the SADD conven
tion at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel. Ad
visors Aletha Hudson and Margie Holt
attended, also. Workshops were set up
for both advisors and officers.
To help the Salvation Army, SADD
members and faculty rang bells at K
Mart, Target, and Harris Teeter from Dec.
7 to Dec. 21. On weekdays the volunteers
rang bells from 5 p. m. to 7 p.m. and on
weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Any
student or faculty member who wished
to volunteer was encouraged to sign up.
The week of Dec. 16-20 marked the
SADD club’s Red Ribbon campaign. The
week consisted of many activities to help
prevent drinking and driving. As the high
light of the week, red ribbons were tied
on the antennas of students’ and faculty’s
automobiles to remind them not to drink
and drive during the holiday season.
By Jamika Murray
The Student Representative Assembly
made dreams come true for some of the
less fortunate familes at Thanksgiving and
Christmas..
On Nov. 25 and Nov. 26, SRA advisor
James Sledge gave out Thanksgiving bas
ket to needy families. Different classes
and clubs had filled the baskets with food.
Thanksgiving was not the only holiday
when students helped people. The SRA
set up a program called Adopt a Child for
Christmas. Classes had the chance to help
a child in need. Students provided toys,
clothing and goodies for the child that
they adopted. “I think that adopting a child
is a very good idea, because it’s always
good to help someone less fortunate that
you. It’s good to know that people care. I
feel that it should continue to be a
Gryphon tradition,” said senior Meteea
Jenkins.
Social Services provided names of the
children to be adopted.
The SRA sponsored a door- decorating
contest, also. The doors were decorated
by December 16 and the winners were
announced later. Senior Jacqueline
Draughn said, “I feel the door decorating
contest is a good way to get the school
into the Christmas spirit, but we need to
have school spirit in order to get into the
Christmas spirit. Also, let’s not think
about ourselves this Christmas, but think
about other people.”
Latin Club inducts new members
By Ben Clack
December 5 was a day of transfonv.n-
tions for the Latin Club. Magistra (Latin
for teacher) Ford-Potter changed from a
teacher to a genie and ordinary students
suddenly became Latin Club officers.
The Latin Club moved to a new level.
In the past Latin Club was a school- spon
sored club; this year the two new Latin
teachers, Magistra Ford-Potter and
Magistra Tobie, have enrolled the Latin
Club into, the Junior Classical League
(JCL) with other eastern North Carolina
Latin clubs. With this new association
came new traditions, especially with the
December 5 inductions.
The proceedings started as the students
filed in and were seated according to their
Latin ranks. Magistra Ford-Polter was
dressed as a genie and was surround.'d
by the inductees.
The entire service took place in candle
light. During the service apple seeds wert
placed into a fiame; an ancient ritual
ARE YOU READY FOR THE
Contributed photo
? u- K,' members, pictured from left to right, include Magistra
Tobie, Nicole Langley, Magistra Ford-Potter, Jennifer Joyner, Imali Sirlsena
Shannon Plummer, Logan Keelan, Sohilia Thorne, Kelly Griffin Chris
n Rowe, Alicia Williams, Chaquita Avent, Jeff Tobias, and
David Mitchell.
which symbolizes knowledge. The offic
ers inducted were these; Imali Sirisena,
president; Lea Gessaman, vice-president;
Shannon Hackney, treasurer; and Sohelia
Thorne, secretary.
Sirisena said, "The Latin Club induc
tions were pretty interesting. There was
a great deal of symbolism involved. It
was really different from any other club
induction that I've ever seen."
""'I R A NSFOR M ATION ’
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