Ahoskie High School - Chief Yearbook (Ahoskie, NC)

Page 14 text:

SENIOR CLASS HISTORY In future years when people ask of historians, ‘ ' What two impor¬ tant events happened in the year 1933?” the historians will reply, The United States got its first taste of the New Deal and the class of ’44, Ahoskie School, North Carolina, started on their long journey through the realms of education.” And so it was that on a bright September morning in 1 933, we, the class of ' 44, attended school for the first time and acquired a taste for reading, writing, and arithmetic.” In due time we were promoted to the second grade and from there proceeded to the third grade. Here, we organized a band, complete with gongs, sticks, etc., and were playing at all the local meetings in town. That year, also, Mr. Tucker replaced Mr. Moore as prin¬ cipal of Ahoskie High School. In the fourth grade our musical career was suspended and in compensation we received new and different kinds of studies—geog¬ raphy and history. During the last month of that year, with trembling hearts, we took our first State Tests and from there advanced to the fifth grade. This grade and the sixth were uneventful. In the usual manner, we passed into the seventh grade. Here we continued our conquest of knowledge of foreign countries and knowledge of our own country along with the study of the fundamentals for our higher education. The seventh grade brought the end of the first milestone in our journey. At the end of the year, we presented the annual seventh grade commencement exercises —a play about gypsies—and received white diplomas tied in black and gold that entitled us to proceed to High School. And so, eighty strong, we, as the Freshman Class, encoun¬ tered something new and entirely different from our school life of the Grades. High School gave us more freedom and more lessons too —but more attention was paid our freshman year to our winning ball team. An attempt was made to organize Student Government, but to no avail, and so, we passed from Green Freshmen to worldly Sophomores. We were Sophomores, preparing for the usual big Christmas time parties. Then Pearl Harbor came and suddenly we found ourselves 16 The 1944 War-Whoop

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SENIORS MORTON RAYNOR. JR. Ever happy, ever glad. His thoughts are always far from sad. DAISY STEELE A sunny smile, and dark brown hair, Lips that laugh and eyes that dare. MINNIE TINKHAM Oh, to be as studious as she, Conqueror of the world she’s sure to be. SAM VINSON Brilliance and fun, in Sam combine, To make a school-boy super fine. GERTRUDE WIGGINS Not too sober, not too gay. But a sweet, true friend in every way. NANNIE WIGGINS Ever ready to do her part— A ready smile and blithesome heart. LEAVINA ANN WILLIAMS A little nonsense now and then Is relished by the wisest men.” ROBERT GREENE Rum-a-tum, rum-a-tum— Here’s the man with the little snare drum. The 1944 War-Whoop 15

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SENIOR CLASS HISTORY among the “schools at war with a part for everyone. That year, however, our program was little interfered with by the war. We had winning ball teams again with the girls’ basketball team losing only one game and winning two tournaments. From sophomores we arrived at the higher position of ex¬ alted juniors. The twelfth grade had been added between the seventh and eighth grades, so there were no freshmen, which made the high school seem lonely. New courses were added to help the boys who would soon be in the Army. Many of our boys were already in. Basketball was missed that year, though we managed to keep our football season. Due to gasoline rationing, the annual Junior Play was held in the afternoon with the proceeds going to the junior class of 1954. Our Junior-Senior banquet was not as elaborate as in pre¬ vious years, due to the war, but it was everything we had hoped for. Our rings came in our junior year and for weeks we walked around with our hands in front of our faces. Thus, we passed into the final part of our high school education. We were now “dignified seniors.” The casualties had been heavy and from the eighty that started with us. only thirty-nine were to finish. Though the war had curbed our traveling, we managed to have winning teams—both football and basketball. Mr. Tucker donned a uniform and in his place came Mr. Beale. We were the first class to publish an annual and it is our wish and hope that this be continued as long as there remains an Ahoskie High School. This year also the high school at Powellsville was linked with ours. Now, as we close the book on the happy, carefree part of our life, pleasant memories crowd out the remaining unhappy ones. Though some of us shall never meet again there is a strong bond that holds us all together and no matter where our travels take us—these days will always hold a prominent and very dear place in our hearts. We realize that we are graduating into a world of war, but someday the war will end and then it will be up to us—the educated youth of America—to protect and insure the peace and ideals for which so many of our own youth have died. Here endeth; here beginneth. Betty Lipsitz. The 1944 War-Whoop 17