FROM A STUDENT'S VIEWPOINT

Submitted by Mrs. Alma Fletcher

For those who did not have the opportunity to attend a school such as Campbell, I feel sad.

I can recall it ranked number one scholastically with other area Negro schools including Austin in Knoxville and Howard in Chattanooga.

We always had challenging football and basketball teams. I remember in 1951 our football team defeated Pearl High School of Nashville.

Our teachers were the very best. We lacked nothing when it came to being prepared for college. Many of our students were contest winners in Mathematic and English contests among area schools.
During my four years at Campbell we all took four years of Mathematics, four years of English and Literature, two years of History. The boys had science, health and biology, and girls had Home Economics and all juniors and seniors had Chemistry one year and Physics the next year or vise versa.

We thorouly enjoyed life at Campbell. We had assembly one a week' and on special days such as Valentines Day, Easter etc., we planned special student participation programs.

Our Home Economics Department would sponsor a Style Show once a year at which time the students would model the dresses, pajamas, evening gowns, and other items they had made during the year. Most of us made eight to ten garments a year, learned to cook, set tables, serve meals, and how to be a good hostess.

Our trip to Alcoa to the Music Festival was always a thrill. Our chorus won first place twice while I attended Campbell as a student.

We were so few at Campbell that the entire school could almost board a school bus. All but a few Rockwood students commuted.
Each year the Junior Class sponsored an educational tour. Since there was not enoughJjuniors and Seniors to fill a bus I was fortunate enough to all four tours, which included a trip to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, a tour of colleges in Atlanta, a trip to Washington D. C. and my Senior year to Memphis to the State Basketball tournament in which our team played.

Many thanks are due Mr. Olinger who was primarily responsible for the life, enthusiasm and curriculum at Campbell. There was never a dull moment in his classroom. While teaching us math, chemistry and physics, he also entertained us by painting our rivers, cities, countries, etc., on the maps hanging around his classroom walls. He also quoted Shakespeare and other poets and writers. It was a thrill to hear him quote Annabel Lee. He inspired many a student and he made me thoroughly interested in all phases of learning.