Two students are named the “most-typical” teenagers in a Pointer sponsored contest

50 issues of The Pointer, a student newspaper published by the High Point High School senior class, and provided by the High Point Museum, are now on DigitalNC. The issues span 1921-1954 and provide a glimpse into the lives of students in the High Point area. Although the newspaper was published by the Senior class, it was expressly written for the whole district, including town members, to read. In the November 21, 1921 issue, there’s even a short article about Principal Ada Blair of the Grimes street school using the newspaper as a reading text for her 6th grade class.

Articles highlight topics that include changes in faculty, athletic events, and information on school clubs. Some articles talk about school sponsored social events. In the January 17, 1923 issue of The Pointer, rules are laid out for what activities can occur at a school sponsored party. The rules state that dancing is not allowed as “the majority of the people in High Point disapprove of dancing”, but “suitable games and other similar activities to engage the attention of students attending must be prepared” in order for the High School to sponsor a social event. In accordance to these rules, the Sophomore class came up with an interesting party idea described in the February 14, 1923 issue of The Pointer. Members of the class attended an automobile themed party that included tire changing and radiator filling contests.

Headline from January 17, 1923

For more information about our partner, the High Point Museum, visit their contributor page, or take a look at their website.

Front page of The Amco News, October 1, 1960

“When we note the bare knuckled television fights of both candidates on the same stage, discussing the same issues, it is much like the pugilistic
contests in which the victor’s hand is raised in a decision of victory.”

“Both candidates are always screaming about making their position clear, but often they don’t”

[reactions to the Kennedy-Nixon debate in 1960]

“What we saw was not impressive. It did not inspire confidence…one also realized that these two men were one step away from the presidency because they were very wealthy, were willing contestants in the dehumanizing game of politics, and were able handlers of the mass media.”

[reaction to the Carter-Ford debates in 1976]

“The name of the game is now “image-building” and opinion shaping by way of the electronic media”

“Election-year Presidential politics being what they are, have never been noted for their coming to grips with the real, people oriented, bread and
butter issues.”

[reactions to the Reagan-Carter debates in 1980]

“Perhaps there is too much of an image problem involved in a televised debate”

[reaction to the Reagan-Mondale debates in 1984]

“The November 8th election is here, and Americans are going to the voting booth to choose our next president. But, this election has been unlike any
other.  Former Presidents are calling it a “farce” and a “joke.” The American people seem to be uninterested.”

[reaction to the Bush-Dukakis debates in 1988]

Do these statements ring a bell?  Do they echo the same statements being bandied about this election year?  It appears that for at least the past 56 years, since the first televised presidential debate in 1960 between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, the American public has not found much confidence in what they were seeing.  So if you’re feeling downhearted about the slinging happening in the 2016 election, perusing our newspaper collection will let you know that it is nothing new.  One thing we can all probably agree on is the editorial comment from the October 15, 1960 issue of The Carolina Times from Durham as early voting starts up today in North Carolina.

“Talk about the election is great.  But a vote in the election is even better”

The Carolina Times. October 15, 1960. Page 2.

The latest batch of materials from Charlotte Mecklenburg Library includes an interesting look at life during World War I in North Carolina–documented through newspapers. The Caduceus, published from the Base Hospital at Camp Greene, gives a detailed look at the goings on of soldiers, doctors, and nurses during their time stationed in Charlotte.

Camp Greene held more than 40,000 troops, rapidly approaching the population of the entire city of Charlotte (46,000 in 1920). The Base Hospital was a 2000 bed complex, staffed by many doctors and nurses. Many of these enlisted personnel wrote articles for the paper, which was published every Saturday.  Funded through the advertisements purchased by local businesses, publishers encouraged those living at the camp to patronize businesses located nearby.

What sets the Caduceus apart from other camp newspapers during the period is its documentation of events happening at the camp specifically, as opposed to the national and war updates given by other papers. From baseball games verses local teams to the performances of soldiers’ choral groups, the Caduceus documents many of the weekly activities of those based at the camp. The images below represent some of the many types of materials published in the paper.

Caduceus, August 24th, 1918; page 15

Caduceus, June 8th, 1918; page 6

Another fascinating feature of this batch is the weekly section authored by nurses serving at the camp. The “Army Nurse Corps News” offers a look into the lives of the many women who also served their county during WWI. These sections of the paper published news, poetry, and biographical information about nurses who were on the base, especially the new arrivals. This could be an excellent resource for researchers studying women’s roles in WWI, even outside of North Carolina.

Caduceus, November 23rd, 1918; page 15

To learn more about Camp Greene, check out the Trench and Camp and the corresponding blog post, another newspaper from the camp during WWI, available on DigitalNC.

Caduceus, November 23, 1918

To learn more about the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, please visit their contributor page or the homepage. To see more newspapers from North Carolina, including those that cover WWI in our state, please visit the North Carolina Newspapers Collection.