Hello, I see you must be interested in the great accomplishments that have been at the J. W. Ligon High School. Very well, come along into my brand new time machine, “The Time Bug,’’ and we shall explore the activities of the 1970-’71 Seniors as they journeyed up from Sophomore status to the grandeur of Seniority. Hurry now before the buzzer sounds and the time value is locked! Whir-r-r, Buzz, Zap-p-p. Hold on now!!
Ah, here we are back in the fall of 1968 where 304 excited young Sophomores are welcomed into the Ligon Family by their Advisors: Mesdames C. Carr, M. Cook, B. Hausman, N. Johnson, E. Reid; Miss N. Wilson; and J. Bobb, H. Heartley, M. Hill, W. Hooker, and D. Ingram. This class is certainly destined to be great, as is evident in the selection of Linwood Pollard, Lawrence Lindsey, Brenda Cannady, Joyce Allen, Gail Fain, Rolland Dempsey, and Pattie Hinton as class officers. Leadership powers are strengthened with the election of Jimmie Burgess, Lemuel Hinton, Lawrence Lindsey, Ronald McCoy, Brenda Cannady, Faye Cox, Gale Crawford, Alfred Mack, Cheryl Massenbug, and Chauncey Pridgeon to homeroom presidencies.
Moving on into the fall, we find two charming and lovely queens: Miss Homecoming, Pattie Hinton; and Miss Sophomore, Teresa Rochelle, with their attendants, Misses Christine Webb and Doivella Hall. Along with beauty, this class has outstanding talent and scholastic ability. This is proven as Ronald Penny and Saundra Curry win the coveted Mu Alpha Theta Bowl Award over the Senior and Junior contestants; Sophomore band and choir members aid in the winning of A-I ratings in the music festivals; Cassie Cox becomes a pagette to the General Assembly; Larry Keith and Ronald Penny go to the Governor’s School; and John Scott and Alfred Mack win scholarships to the Hammocks Beach Institute of Fine Arts.
With an abundance of energy, Toni Bridgers and Cheryl Massenburg lead the fans in cheering J. V. Football Captain, Rolland Dempsey; Co-Captain, Frank Williams; and their teammates Raymond Kelly, Willis Barnes, Ronald Burrell, Thomas Burt, James Dunn, Lee Dunn, Clarence Evans, John Hunter, Leonard Umphrey, Ronald McCoy, James McGill, Rufus Blango, Arthur Dove, Lee Wiggins, Bobby Tomlinson, Williams Johnson, and Luther Casey to numerous football victories.
Popcorn! Crackerjacks! Peanuts! Ronald Burrell and Raymond Kelly prove it's no peanuts to beat Ligon’s baseball team. Now, we find Marvin Anderson claiming the Gold Medal and title of State Track Champion; Rolland Dempsey plugging away to the Durham-Duke Relays and receiving his sports letter; and Ronald McCoy and James McGill boosting team morale. Out on the tennis courts, we find Doreen Bryant, Alfred Mack, Cheryl Massenburg, Christopher Johnson, and Ronald Latta sweating out another tennis championship. No athletic program is complete without its basketball team. This is proven by Cagers Michael Davis, Benard Williams, James "Do Do" Sanders, Albert Banks, Preston Anders, James Covington, James McGill, George Ward, Frank Williams, and Ronald Burrell as they hustle through two losses and 18 victories.
The importance of cooperation in all endeavors is shown by Larry Keith and Johnny Dendy, Audio-visual Aides coordinators; Gail Fain and Carolyn Archible, secretary and award recipient in the Concert and Marching Band; Lemuel Hinton, Danny Hocker, James Mason, Elsie Hinton, and CatherineAshburg, band members; Lynda Rowe, WRAL TV Station fashion model; and Handsel Ingram, John Scott, Cynthia Saulter, Toni Bridgers, diligent Youth Council workers.
The final and most significant accomplishments that this class makes are made in scholarship as shown by Ronald Penny, the recipient of the awards for Biology and highest overall average; Doreen Bryant, Math Award recipient; and Lynda Rowe, Olivia Lee, Vicky Sanders, and Mary Stricklen, recipients of F.H.A. and Home Economics Awards.
Come, we must leave this era for we've only just begun, and these kids must become Seniors. Is everybody in the ‘’Time Bug? ’’ Fasten your seatbelts! Whir-r-r, Buzz, Zoom-m…
Fall 1969, all out! Look! There are 257 Juniors in that group filing into the auditorium to hear Mr. Brown's welcome for the school year. This year seems off to a good start as Mesdames M. Blakely, S. V. Perry, D. Revis, E. Toole, and Miss R. Hildebran; Dr. Hoen, H. Heartley, and W. Rainbow begin the traditional conduction of their Junior Classes. The class leaders for this year are Cheryl Massenburg, Alfred Mack, Saundra Curry, Catherine Ashburg, Carolyn McKay, and Ronald Penny. Supporting this leadership are Joyce Allen, doreen Bryant, Faye Cox, Pattie Hintion, Almetta Vance, and Cheryl Massenburg who as homeroom presidents lead them to the "Age of Aquarius," the theme of our Junior-Senior Prom. Further proving that leadership is their greatest asset, Linwood Pollard, and Ronald Penny take over as Student Council Vice President, Assistant Secretary, and Reporter, respectively,
One aspect of Awards Day is the excitement we find as Brenda Aclams, Constance Branche, Denslo Allen, and Cheryl Bolton are awarded typing certificates; Larry Cannady and Juanita Miles, having portrayed great artistic abilities are awarded Art Trophies; Janice Evans receives the Home Economics award; and Myra Hill receives the E. D. Toole Award.
No one can say this group is not talented as Rolland Dempsey receives the first place trophy for jokes from the N. C. Forensic League, and holds third place in the school talent show; Alfred Mack wins second place in poetry, is an Omega Talent Finalist, and A-1 Soloist in the N. C. Music Competition; Cheryl Massenburg receives the Music Directors' award for performance as accompanist for the Ligon Chorus.
The new members of the National Honor Society are Saundra Curry, President; Cheryl Massenburg, Vice-President; Cynthia Saulter, Lemuel Hinton, George Baines, Lorraine Ferrell, Linwood Pollard, Brenda Cannady, Bennis Blue, and Joyce Allen. Also the new members of the MA are Joyce Allen, Lorraine Ferrell, Jimmie Burgess, Brenda Cannady, Cheryl Massenburg, Ronald Penny, Almetta Vance, Bennis Blue, Phyllis Mitchell, and Carolyn McKay. Yet another honor is bestowed on this class as Alfred Mack, Jimmie Burgess, Donzell Williamson, Frank Williams, Rosetta Yates, Gail Fain, Phyllis Bates, Almetta Vance, Chrystal Hunter, Sandra Walker, Saundra Curry, Bennis Blue, Cheryl Massenburg, Olivia Lee, Ronald Penny, John Scott, and Reginald Cooley became Modern Music Masters.
School spirit is kept high as majorettes Victoria Peterson and Teresa Rochelle step to the music in the Christmas Parade. As the time warp slowly closes, we see Mrs. S. V. Perry bidding her explosive chemistry classes a fond farewell.
Into the "Time Bug," again! Slam! Whir-r-r . . . Buzz-z-z . . . Zoom-m-!
All out! Here we are at last in the fall of 1970 where we see 186 weary, but intelligent, Seniors preparing to run the final lap of their journey with Mesdames M. Aldrich, L. Anderson, B. Ingram, and A, Levingston; P, Beenen, H. Poole, and E. Snipes. This appears to be a grand year as Ronald Penny, Michael Davis, Joyce Allen, Patricia Denning, Gail Fain, Williaim McDaniel, and Arthur Dove take over as class leaders. This year’s homeroom leaders are Jimmie Burgess, Lorraine Ferrell, Bennis Blue, Pattie Hinton, and Phyllis Bates.
The Honor Society inductees are Alfred Mack and Ronald Penny. In the National Merit competition we find Elsie Hinton, Joyce Allen, Lorraine Ferrell, Cynthia Saulter, and Ronald Penny make the National Honor Roll; Saundra Curry and Cheryl Massenburg are Commended Students; Brenda Cannady is a Semifinalist; and Bennis Blue is a Finalist. The page and pagette to the General Assembly this year, are Anthony Cannady and Bennis Blue.
No lovelier queens can be found than Miss Senior, Vicky Sanders; and Miss Ligon, Linda Hall; and their attendants, Misses Gale Crawford and Cheryl Massenburg. Also we find the Senior Class represented on Miss Homecoming's Court by Miss Geraldine Hinton. Other beauties in the school find their way to the public eye. They are Linda Hall and Pattie Hinton, Hudson Belk's Teen Fashion Board Model; Gale Crawford, North Hills Teen Fashion Model; and Evelyn Hall, Mac Joseph’s Teen Fashion Model.
Senior Student Council officers are Linwood Pollard, Rolland Dempsey, and Almetta Vance, who serve as President, Parliamentarian, and Reporter, respectively. In an effort for better school relations, the Human Relations Council entertains Enloe, Sanderson, Broughton, and Vaiden-Whitley students during the Human Relations Day activities. Two new academic clubs, the French Club the Spanish Club, are formed; the Romans, a social club, is revived; and the Knights of Soul continue to aid the school by donating bleachers and benches and by directing the school’s sports traffic.
The final accomplishment of the Senior Class is made as Alfred Mack, Chrystal Hunter, Olivia Lee, Phyllis Bates, Handsel Ingram, Ronald Latta, and William McDaniel bring the curtain down in their casting of “Angel Street.”
It is now time to bring down the curtain on this phase of a life well lived at Ligon. Thank you for your interest; I hope you’ve enjoyed your ride in the “Time Bug.”