The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1953-08-21
OTHER EDITORS
MORRIS RECALLS
HIS SUSPENSION
FROM HI SCHOOL
Carlton Morris in Gates County
Index

Shirlen has been named principal
of Sunbury High School due to
the resignation of c. C. Walters
who has become principal of
Nashville High School.
To the editor of Human Inter
est, Shirlen is no stranger, for
once a long, long time ago, he
taught the editor and also ex-
PEELED him from school. Thereby
hangs tale.
Further back than Shirlen, or I
care to remember, he was fresh
out of college and teaching ply
sizes at the little high school
where l was a senior and every
thing went along just fine until
April l. That was the day that
the whole school decided to play
hockey. AS each class was ended,
students would go into the lib
rary for a study period and then
scramble through a window and
take to nearby woods. We all
met together again at the mouth
of a canal which was probably a
half mile from the school.
There we whiled away the
hours in the manner of young
folks. Some boys and girls were
in love and they spent the time
gazing into each others eyes.
Some of us ran races, did aero
battles and few hardy souls even
went swimming. 1t was day I
will never forget.
But like all good things it
came to an end and we all had
to 60 home. The next morning
we were informed by our teach
ers, that number of our lunch
periods would be taken up with
work. We, they said, would be
obliged to clean up the campus
which was big job indeed.
Shirlen was in charge of opera
tons. We were very sorry we
had played nookey on April Fool
day and we were not too sure
just who was the April Fool.
During lunch hour all of the
high school with the exception
OF my pal, Guy Bishop (who died
a few years ago. and I, turned
out and went to work on that
school yard with a will. AS for
my friend and I, we went into
the village and pitched horse
shoes during the entire lunch
period.
Just before school was out for
the day, Shirlen called us to his
room and reminded us that we
had not helped with the campus
work. So willingly had the rest
OF the school worked, he said,
that the job was now completed.
He was giving us another chance
to redeem ourselves, he said. He
would allow us to sweep all the
class rooms in the grade school
each evening after school turned
out for a period of one week. If
we were not willing to obey him,
ne declared, he was not willing
to teach us and we could either
sweep the building or cut his
classes. Since cutting his classes
was equivalent to failure to both
OF US as we only had enough
credits to graduate, we couldn't
cut his classes.
When school turned out. we
went to the grade rooms and
talked it over. Talking in a very
mature manner, I was Is and
my pal was II, we decided that
week of sweeping was too
much punishment for one day of
fun. We didn't sweep the rooms.
When we returned to school
the next day, the principal met
us and advised us that since we
had not obeyed Mr.. Shirlen, the
science teacher, we could return
home. Happily we gathered our
baseball equipment and books,
and told everyone goodbye and
walked over to the village where
we proceeded to boast about how
we were expelled from school.
In the afternoon, still wearing
our boastful manner, we boarded
the school bus and headed for
home. For my part, when l left
my friend 1 began to experience
some misgiving and by the time
l reached home, I was unhappy
indeed.
When told my mother that I
was expelled from school, the
storm broke with a vengeance.
First of all she reminded me that
was only able to attend school
in the first place because of the
sacrifice on the part of my par
ents. Then she went on to remind
me that l would graduate from
high school in a matter of weeks,
which was something she had
looked forward to all her life. BY
that time / was down lower than
| the he11v of whale and would