PAGE TWO — THE SMTTHFIELP HIGH TIMES — GRADUATION, 1969
High Times Editorials
By Barbara Baker
THE TIMES ARE A CHANGIN’
Bob Dylan was right when he wrote the words quoted in the
title of this editorial. Never before have events moved so rapidly
and advances been made so swiftly as in America today. Because
the world is daily becoming more complex, and the competition
for good jobs beccomes more heated, a good education by today s
standards, one needs to have access to modern teaching facilities
and advanced methods of education. Such advances have been a
time in coming to Smithfield students, but next year the new
Smithfield-Selma Senior High School will open many doors to
students in this county. The educational part of the program is
only part of the advantage the new school will offer to its Stu
dents, however. There will be opportunities to form new clubs
and organizations, and hopefully a student government. The suc
cess of any aspect of the program at the new school, however,
cannot be placed totally in the hands of the new principal and
his staff. The attitudes displayed by the students will be the de
termining factors as to whether going to this new school will be
a rewarding experience or just outine drudgery.
The key word in the success of the new school will be at
titude. If students insist on clinging to the memories and longing
for their prevous schools, and refuse to unite behind -the new one,
there will be no hope for a sound educational program. If, on the
other hand, memories of past years are retained, but pride and
determinati^'H to make' the new school one of the best in the
state 'becomes the goal of the students, there -will be no end to.
the achievements that the school may acquire.
There is a tremendous amount of talent in the Smithfield area.
This fact has been evidenced in our own school in such projects as
the play My Fair Lady, the chorus, the band and the many civic
clubs that have been organized by students. The new school will
offer an excellent place for pooling the talent to 'be found, if the
students will only display a desire to work together to make a
good school.
Education should be a rewarding and enjoyable experience.
Through co-operation with the principal, faculty, and each other,
the first year at the new school could be just an experience. Of
course there will always be fond memories of the years at SHS,
but the times change, and if we are to survive, we must change
with them. The change will be painful only if we make it so.
ON THE ABM
I want to break an egg that was laid by the military recently.
On Sunday, 'May 11, a news item was repeated hourly by Mike
Blackmon on WKIX. It sounded to me as if the newscaster was
laughing at the announcement. It\ went like this; A military
spokesman has stated that a nuclear attack by Russia in 1975
will leave only 20 percent of the U. S. strategic missle system
operative.
Don’t misunderstand me, now I have all faith in the U. S.
military, but this statement does seem to be a little ridiculous.
Allow me to point out why.
What the armed forces has done is to set up a hypothetical at
tack six years in the future to demonstrate the need for a more
extensive ABM defense system. The figures are designed to scare
the average citizen so he will want to have more missies to fire
'back on the aggressors. (Who are also imaginary.) Do not let
the figures mislead you. With only 20 percent of our present
system, we could effectively destroy civilization behind the iron
curtain. This is allowing for misfires, interceptions, and misses.
Another flaw in the statement is that it seems the military
has forgotten the civilian citizenry in its drive for ABM’s. In case
of nuclear attack, most of us would be highly radioactive cinders,
and hardly in a position to care whether the rest of the world is
destroyed or not.
The world does not have to have atomic holocaust rought
on 'by fear and ignorance on both sides. The tax dollars that
would be spent on the ABM system could be better employed if
used for cancer research, just as an example. With more research
children born with defects might have a better chance to lead a
normal life. If we gave ourselves a chance we could have some
thing truly great in this country.
Instead of worrying aibout how many we can kill or destroy
in retaliation, let’s worry about how many we can heal the sick,
protect the poor and weak, and uphold the principles our country
was founded on.
BREAKING EGGS
By Randy Lucas, Opinion Editor
In the beginning of the year we decided to call this column
“Breaking Eggs,’’ based on the old saying that you cannot make
an omlette without breaking eggs. We wanted to see how student
/opinion concerning,.current issues was viewed by the students of
^‘SHS. Apparently, it runs fast, but shallow. There'are a few,
usually the A students, who submit opinions for this column.
The ones who really should be the determinants of school policy
are the B and C students, yet they have been content to sit
'back and air their gripes to their little clique. Instead of airing
their ideas in the place provided for them, a lot of hot air was
expended for nothing.
I’m not going to preach a sermon, for I am no more innocent
of this than anyone else. However, next year it is hoped that the
new school will have a student government. If no more is done
to fulfill the student’s role in his own government than was
done here at SHS, the student government will fall flat on its
face. I sincerely hope that the juniors, sophomores, and freshmen
will make an effort to have something really worthwhile next
year.
SMITHFIELD .HIGH TIMES STAFF
Editor-in-Chief - Barbara Baker
Assistant - Pam Eason
News Editor — Jenny Thompson
Assistant Barbie Taylor
Sports Editor Sammy Byrd
Assistant Tommy Lassiter
Fashion Editor Cathie Lipscak
Assistant Mari-John Lewis
Humor Editor Rhonda McClean
Opinion Editor Randy Lucas
Student Expression Editor Judy Barefoot
Art Editor : Betty Jones
Photographer Tommy Lassiter
Reporters: Debbie Adams, Greg Adams, Jennifer Bar
bour, Jesse Barbour, Gloria Brown, Gay Bullock, Janet
Coates, Ann Creech, Becky Daughtery, Pamela Foster,
October Ivins, Betty Jones, Kay Jones, Carolyn Lam
bert, Dianne McGullers, Pam Shaeffer, Kathy Stallings.
Mike Rahil, Kathy Wood, Peggy Deece, Kathy Jones,
Debra Creech, Mike Jones, Carol Jones, Tom Wright
Advisor - Mrs. Johnson
COMMENTS BEST LEFT IGNORED
I’ve stoi>ped waiting for the right gixi -
just doing my best with the wrong one.
Opportunity doesn’t knock; it just rings the phone —
then asks a stupid question.
I know you have to be somebody —
but why do you have to be you?
Please rush down to the morgue —
and tell them you’re ready.
I know a guy who’s never sick —
germs won’t go near him.
The female crocodile lays 3000 eggs a year —
the male eats up 2909 of theim.
This may not seem important, but if it weren’t for the male,
we’d be up to our necks in crocodiles.
You have a mechanical mind —
too bad some of the screws are loose.
You’re a swell guy —
around the head.
You may think you’re the big cheese around here —
but you only smell like it.
Stamp out smog —
Get a Horse I
Contemplation
On Frogs
SHS is extremely fortunate
to have a number of serious-
minded students who are con
cerned with the problems of
our world. As a prime example
of such serious contemplation,
two of the noted siblings in
our midst have compiled for
the “Smithfield High Times’’
their reflections on the vital
subject of frogs.
Frogs
by Mark Harris
Frogs are economically feas
ible. Frog legs are a very pop
ular food (for those who did
not have the misfortune of dis
secting one.) In the spring of
each year, each tenth grader
(and some others!) in the
United States, except Tennes
see, has the dissecting tray
pushed under his nose and is
told to leap to it. This assures
a good frog market. At times,
the demand for frogs is so great
that, in order that everyone
throughout eternity will be
able to dissect a frog, the ani
mals are protected by law dur
ing breeding season, thus as
suring good prices for poach
ers. Frogs also consume many
insects. (I have a neighbor
who has fifty on his patio to
keep the bugs away at might.)
In short, table taste, desirable
dissection, and insect inhibit-
uion make the frogs economic
ally important. They also make
good dart-board targets and
conversation pieces.
FROGS
By Doug Harris
Frogs are important in the
fact that the tadpoles are used
as food by acquatic insects; the
frog itself is used as food. Frog
le'gs are considered gourmet
food, but personally I couldn’t
eat one if you held a gun to my
face as I was tied to a wall.
They are also important in the
fact that they eat insects and
are greatly used for scientific
study.
And some people happen to
like frogs. Take Mark, for ex
ample. Every morning he rises,
'he takes a picture of his frog
and says, “How do I love thee?-
Let me count the ways . . ?
Each evening when he gets home
he works on his book. La Rana
Del Sur (The frog of The
South), which he hopes to finish
next month. He has written 276
chapters and guesses he will
write about 380 more pages
before he is fimi^ed. When he
goes to bed, he takes his pic
ture again and says, “Good
night, sweet prince. Parting is
such sweet sorrow.. ’’
Jane Godwin
Receives Excellent
Jane Godwin, a freshman, re
ceived a rating of excellent at
the recent state competition of
the Federation of Music Clubs.
To qualify for the state com
petition a student must receive
a rating of superior in the dis
trict cormpetition. The highest
rating possible in the state con
test is superior, but only three
superior ratings were awarded
at the competition, held on the
campus of the University of
North Carolina at 'Jreensihoro.
The second highest rating was
excellent, and very few pupils
received this honor.
Jane is a piano student of
Miss Flora Canaday.