Alumni for 70s, 80s gather for class meet-up
Published 8:45 am Tuesday, April 10, 2018
- Wayne Clark | Times-News THE HEAD TABLE: Saturday’s Raider Reunion in downtown West Point wasn’t just for former West Point High students. A number former teachers and coaches at the school were present as well.
WEST POINT — On Saturday night, the former CraftMaster Furniture building in downtown West Point was rocking with the sounds of the 1970s and 1980s as alumni from West Point High School hosted the first ever Raider Reunion. Anyone who had attended West Point High from 1972 to 1986 was welcome.
The school colors of cardinal and gold were ever-present throughout the building, and the former classmates immensely enjoyed the spring formal-style event.
“This has been a fantastic night,” said event chairman Richard Chapman, WPHS Class of 1983. “We have over 150 people here. Some of them came from a long way from here, and we really appreciate them being here.”
Chapman said that he and fellow alumni are talking about having more reunions in the future.
“We’d like to do it every other year. We’ve all had so much fun here today. It started this afternoon with a tailgate event at John Hoggs Park on 10th Street.”
The night event in the CraftMaster building had a deejay playing popular tunes from the 1970s and 1980s. Lots of old Red Raiders got up on the dance floor to show they could (at least try to) make the moves they could make back in high school.
Rev. Michael Stiggers, pastor of the Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, LaFayette, was the guest speaker of the evening. He graduated West Point High in 1977.
“Our theme for the day was Excellence in Education,” he said. “It was such a joy talking about that in front of my fellow alumni. We all feel like we got a good education at West Point High.”
There was a professional photographer there to take photos in front of a Raider backdrop.
Special guests at the reunion included several former WPHS coaches – Ricky Nasworthy, Charles Flowers, Steve James, and Ronnie Jones – along with Annie Hoggs, widow of former coach John Hoggs. Also 0n hand were Cherie Fretwell, Rudene Woodyard, Donald Potts, Marilyn Lett, Rosa Dunn and Martha Shipman.
The ten-member planning committee in charge or organizing the reunion included Chapman, Robert Bonner (Class of 1974), George Bass (1979), Amos “Butch” Pittman (1973), Opal Brown Holloway (1986), Phoebe Dallas Graben (1982), Bridget Barber (1983), Rhonda Johnson (1984) and Rosa Stiggers (1982).
