Page Two
HIGH LIFE
Jan. 6, 1970
Letters To The Editor
Dear Editor:
I am writing concerning a letter
in the December 8 issue of HIGH
LIFE from “R.A.” (whoever that
is). R.A. says he is a member of
the silent majority. This statement
brings my first question—^what is
the silent majoi'ity? Is a person au
tomatically shoved into a category
such as this because he doesn’t
speak up? I’m sure that all people
that don’t either kill hippies or
march for peace don’t all believe
the same thing.
“R.A.” also says that the paper
is one-sided. Evidently “R.A.” does
not realize that the kids on the
staff also have opinions, which they
have the right to express. Besides,
“R.A.,” your letter was printed,
wasn’t it? Your right to speak is
never denied. It seems that the
people on the “other side” don’t
have opinions or don’t care to ex
press them. The right of others to
express an opinion is not denied
by giving a “one-sided view”.
Then “R.A.” says there’s no free
speech in the paper. “R.A.” must
not have any idea what free speech
is. I have been at Grimsley for
about 2>/2 years now and have read
HIGH LIFE for just as long. If
“R.A.” thinks there’s no free
speech now, “R.A.” should have
been around when I was a sopho
more. HIGH LIFE used to put me
to sleep. Now it realizes the inter
ests of the students and the staff
does its best.
Now, for one last question,
“R.A.”. You seem to be very proud
of your place in society, your opin
ion, and your political stand. Why,
then, did you not sign your name?
In all sincerity,
Susan Shankle ’70
Dear Editor:
I would like to congratulate the
HIGH LIFE staff on its December
17th issue. This six-page round-up
of letters to the editor, news items,
and interest columns finally pre
sented readable material for every
one. I feel our paper has become
liberalized this year. Evidence of
this comes in the fact controver
sial issues have been discussed in
HIGH LIFE
Published Weekly
1 September through 1 June, except
rhanksgiving, Christmas, between semes
ters and spring holidays by the students
of Grimsley Senior High School,
801 Westoyer Terrace
Greensboro, N. C. 27410
Second-class Postage Paid
In Greensboro, N. C.
$1 Per Semester
ciHTBMinonro Founded by the
Class of 1921
Revived by the
Spring Journalism
Class of 1937
Editor-in-Chief Steve Grossman
Business Manager Gary Dean
Editorial Staff Vickie Topkins,
Tom Dawson, Meredith Foltz,
Steve Settle.
News Editor David Gaynor,
Susan Hardee
News Staff Stuirt Kalifon,
Alice Scher, Jim Mobberley,
Rodney Holland, Steph Burke
Cartoonist A1 Wheeler
Chuck Steacy
Sports Editors Walt Deal,
Alan Riley
Feature Editor Susan Michaels
Feature Staff Beth Johnson,
Ken Cox, Betty Black
Photographer Lowell Rausch
Cartoonist Chuck Steacy
Exchange Editor Carol Groover
Faculty Advisor Miss Sarah Lovett
good taste and apparently with the
consent of previous censors. “Pep
Up the Spirit” on page six was par
ticularly relevant for this time of
year. After the fall rush of activi
ties. events, and spirits have been
on the decline, the apathy, especi
ally among the seniors, is growing
weekly. Many of us are so busy
scratching off the number of days
until graduation that we fail to
realize what our senior year means.
- Fall SAT’s, impossibly long Eng
lish tests, completely pointless
math theorems, and term papers
with too few footnotes characterize
the burdened senior. But what of
the involvement and close associa
tion with a faculty who really cares,
organizations that act as they talk,
and friendly, yet sometimes moody
classmates. 'There is a common de
nominator among us despite our
varied beliefs we are the student
body of Grimsley. We should be,
and we can, pull together with the
binding unity worthy of being call
ed “school spirit”. Even though
there will always be a few spoilers
intent on ripping decorations off
trash cans and rudely talking dur
ing assemblies, the majority will
continue to hold the pride of being
a part of Grimsley. With another
semester to go, we will find our
selves assuming the responsibility
of “speaking out” freely because
for the first time we have been
given the privilege of being heard.
Here in HIGH LIFE, in the halls,
and in the classrooms, there is a
change of attitude that has come
only with a breaking down of
many traditional barriers. To take
advantage of these new conditions,
we, the students of GHS, must cut
out the extraneous, time consum
ing incidentals in favor of the true,
unprejudiced issues of high school
life today.
Sincerely,
Allison Albright ’70
To whomever it may concern:
I am answering to the supporters
of the hard rock music with psy
chedelic and blues influences, who
expressed their views to YRC in
the December 8 issue of HIGH
LIFE. Most certainly one can ap-,
predate this form of music, as
well as any other type.
But how do you dance to your
music?
Lou Hudson
’72
Editor of HIGH LIFE:
In regard to the statement “The
underground groups are finally
digging their way up in populari
ty.” Well, all I can say is that the
author of that article must have
been in hibernation for the past
three years. Have you ever heard of
Jefferson Airplane, The Jimi Hen
drix Experience, or The Steve Mil
ler Band? These groups have been
very popular for the past 3 or 4
years. Who did your researching
for “Sweet Judy Blue Eyes” seeing
as the name of the song is “Suite;
Judy Blue Eyes”.
That was a great survey—63
people out of 2200 students. That
was such a sock-o headline “Best
Records of 1969”. Irf whose opin
ion?
Congratulations on your great
proof-reading. I’m sure “John and
Yook” will be very pleased.
Keep up the fine work,
(name withheld on request)
Editor’s Note
Due to the exam schedule and
semester break the next issue of
HIGH LIFE will not be distributed
until February, 1970.
rv>o%T comrr\oN
McXNes-t: EjfAH(yFHIL4 ruUKKITIS
Needed: Student Involvement
BY TOM DAWSON
There has come to Grimsley and
other high schools a serious prob
lem. This problem is commonly
known as lack of interest. There
is this lack of interest in every
form of activity here on GHS cam
pus. School Beautiful, YRC, stu
dent council, and sports events
are among the major groups
plagued with this problem.
School Beautiful’s problem is on
their presentation of their projects.
Every time a School Beautiful
workday is announced over the
loud speaker, the sounds coming
over it sound like “Old Rebel”,
“Bob Gordon”, or some other of
the “kiddie” type shows. It sounds
hke School Beautiful is trying to
entice our “little” minds into think
ing that the students were naughty
little boys and girls and we must
come to the workday to repent our
sins. This attitude is shown in activi
ties of the “masked witch cult,”
“the drop outs from Smokey the
Bear Fire Fighters School,” and
that glorious masterpiece of mod
ern art. that giant waste basket
roosting in the grove. That waste
basket will deteriorate to dust be
fore it gets fiUed with trash. That
is the biggest eyesore on campus.
In my three years here at GHS,
I have not once heard an announce
ment concerning School Beautiful
that would be fit for the ears of
maturing adults. President Nixon
was asked in his news conference
how he was going to reach the
youth of America. He went on to
say that many of them wrote let
ters expressing their opposition to
his ideas but that he was thankful
that they had listened. I am pro
posing to School Beautiful that they
change their approach and treat
the students like adults instead of
like kindergarten children.
YRC’s problem is a music gap.
It is not the fact we do not sup
port YRC, it is that we want a bet
ter type of music. Again you have
the fact that we are being offered
music preferred more by elemen
tary and Jr. High students. Instead
of soul and bubble gum let’s have
some hard-rock.
Student Council is the biggest
three ring circue at school. It con
sists of a popularity contest where
students are “chosen to represent”
the student body. Represent us for
what? Student Council has no pow
er; anything they pass can be ve
toed by the faculty advisors. All
student council seems to be able
to do is sit and argue over parlia-
mentry procedure.
Students cannot bring issues be
fore student council. You have to
tell vour council “representative”
any issue you have in that brief
tithe he comes and reads the coun
cil report in homeroom.
But what about the new Consti
tution? Will it not change all this?
I have heard that a new Con
stitution would be ready for stu
dent approval by the beginning of
the school year. Next it was by
the end of the first six weeks and
now it seems it will be after Christ
mas, Half a year wasted. What
good will it do now? Now is too
late! I have seen a copy of the
present Constitution (after quite
a lot of looking) and it deals
mainly with service clubs (which
the majority of GHS students do
not belong to) and the setting up
of student elections. Nothing is
mentioned about any special pow
ers of council or any powers con
cerning students that council has.
I feel a change is not needed in
the school Constitution but an en
tire re-evaluation is necessary.
Sports events is that part of
school which deals directly with the
students, your participation. I am
told that by giving a dime for a
piece of ribbon I am expressing
school spirit. I always thought it
was the money-making project for
the senior class I was giving my
money to. l am told that by dress
ing absurdly on special days I can
show my school spirit. I am sick
and tired of being told that by
purchasing material objects and
wearing ridiculous clothing and
that by not doing so I have no
school spirit. I hate to have these
ideas be the yardstick for which my
spirit is measured. Spirit is de
fined as enthusiastic loyalty. I went
to every home football game, some
times in the cold, but it was not
spirit that drove me to go, but
pride. My pride in my school. The
same pride that makes me put a
piece of paper in a garbage can in
stead of on the ground. The same
pride that makes me write this in
the hope that something will be
done. It is not more spirit or baby
talk we need but the obligation of
every student to look deep into
himself and find the pride that
he holds for his classmates, friends,
teachers, and nature. Maybe we
could all use just a little more pride
instead of fancy placards and rib
bons.