R J Reynolds High School - Black and Gold Yearbook (Winston Salem, NC)

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THE BLACK AND GOLD 25 Howbeit we revolted not, but settling down to our tasks, started in, determined to make this year worth while in our school course. Eight and one months did we thus work till commence- ment day, when, lo cards of promotion were given to those of us who had been counted faithful. Then it was that we did rejoice that we had made use of our talents and had passed first year High School. For as 9th Graders we soon saw that our position was more honorable in the eyes of the Student Body. More-over, we felt that the faculty were beginning to 'realize that we were no lyonger pupils but students. In due time we were admitted to the Literary Societies of the upper classes, the Wiley and Mclver, and on Friday after- noon our voices began to be heard, howbeit at first very feebly, in public speaking and debate. We began too, to write for the Black and Gold, to contest with other schools for honor in debates and on the ball field. And so class pride was awakened and school pride, without which a student body is poor indeed. So in process of time we finished our Sophomore year and became Juniors. And it was while we were juniors that we did make a name for ourselves, for behold of the four debaters that did win the Aycock Memorial cup, and thereby made our team the champion debators of the state, three were members of our class, Hortus, the son of Scott, Charles, the son of Rod- dick, and Clifton, the son of Eaton. . And this was the way in which our boys did competeifor the prize. From the two divisions of the Wiley Literary Society, the best debaters were chosen from both negative and affirmative sides. Then they did have a joint meeting, at which the boys debated, and the four best were chosen. Then, as all the high schools of the state were divided into triangles, it was found that High Point, Reidsville, and our own school were to debate together. And, to go to Chapel

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24 THE BLACK AND GOLD Glass Qllhrnnitles tratlon of Super1ntendent Latham that a goodly number of boys and girls entered the Seventh Grade of the city schools, which was then a part of the High School. From the four quarters of the town they came, from North School, from West End, East Winston and Salem, Furthermore from the Schools of the rural districts came students, and from neighboring towns, for the fame of the High School was beginning to spread abroad in the land. OW it came to pass in the beginning of the adminis- And Principal White numbered the students that had entered the Seventh Grade of his school, after the numbering wherewith their several teachers had numbered them, and they were found to be one hundred twenty and two. And Principal White said, Behold the number of boys and girls who wish to enter our Seventh Grade is great, one room is not sufficient to hold them all. Therefore, O Superintendent, you must give me more teachers, that two or more Seventh Grades may be found. So it came to pass that in process of time three Seventh Grades were found. Then Superintendent Latham began to plan greater th'ngs for the High School. On the second day of the second month in the first year of his administration began he to plan. And these are the things which he did plan: an Eleventh Grade to be added to the School system, a new department of Modern Languages, that those who eschewed Latin might choose German or French, and a thorough and systematic Commercial Course, which was to take four years for comple- tion. So that at the beginning of the second year of our High School course we found that in spite of our hard labors of the year before we were still only freshmen,

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26 TIIE BLACK AND GOLD Hill, where the final winners were to be decided upon, the negative and affirmative teams from the same high school had to win in this triangle of towns. Now there had to be two preliminary debates before any team could be counted in the final. And, lo, when these preliminaries were held, it was found that our boys could debate better than those from other towns. So it came to pass that these hard-working, energetic, and spirited boys from our class went to Chapel Hill, and after a hard fight won the cup from the other forty-two teams that had come down to Chapel Hill, in the hopes of getting it themselves. And these boys did come back to their home town, bearing the much-coveted, and much-sought-for Ay- cock Memorial Cup with them. And behold, there was great rejoicing among the in- habitants of our town, especially among those interested in the works of our high school. But the winning of the Aycock Cup was not the only honor won by our class. In the course of this eventful year. another honor was conferred upon us, for in a declamation contest, one of our class-mates, Edwin, of the family of Stewarts, proved himself to be the best declaimer among the students of the high school, and so won the cup offered by the alumini of our school. And it happened also that the Wiley Literary Society did offer to the best debator in the society, another loving cup. It was then, that again our class did shine brightly, for it was none other than our classmate, Charles, the son of Roddick, who did victoriously carry away the cup with him. But in all our joys there was a note of sadness, for about Christmas time, of our Junior year, when everyone was looking forward to a happy vacation, one of our classmates, Dewitt Langley, passed away from us. And it did grieve us sorely, for we all did love Dewitt, and have respect unto him for his bright Christian character.