Wanda Gattis - Class of 1972

Interview Conducted on: May 12th 2009
Interview Conducted by: Jamar O. Springfield

JS: WHO WAS YOUR PRINCIPAL WHEN YOU ATTEND CUMMINGS HIGH SCHOOL?

WG: FREEMAN MR. FREEMAN

JS: WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT?

WG: HUMANITIES ENGLISH WHICH IS ENGLISH AND HISTORY PUT TOGETHER

JS: WHAT WAS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE SUBJECT?

WG: CHEMISTRY MR. COOK

JS: WHAT WAS SOME OF THE GREATEST THINGS THAT YOU ACCOMPLISHED AT CUMMINGS?

WG: WE WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP IN TENNIS WE WERE THE FIRST GRADUATING CLASS THAT WAS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT, I RUN TRACK I DIDN’T GRADUATE WITH HONORS I WAS IN THE TOP 35 OF THE CLASS

JS: DO YOU THINK CUMMINGS IS BETTER OR WORSE NOW A DAYS?

WG: REALLY AND TRULY I THINK ITS WORSE WE WHEN WE WERE THERE THE TEACHERS REALLY CARED ABOUT RATHER OR NOT THE STUDENTS GRADUATED OR PASSED AND NOW I JUST SEEMS LIKE THE TEACHER ARE THERE JUST FOR THE MONEY WHICH THERE NOT MAKING THAT MUST MONEY IT JUST THE KIDS NOT THE SAME WHEN WE WERE THERE WE WAS GLAD TO GO TO SCHOOL AND HAVE FUN WANNA LEARN THE KIDS NOT DON’T GO TO SCHOOL FOR THAT THEY GETTING INTO GANGS OR TOP NOTCH WITH EVERY BODY THEY PUT MORE EMPHASIS ON SPORTS THEN THEY HAVE ON ACADEMICS I AM GLADS THEY GOT THAT NEW ROLE WHERE YOU GOTTA HAVE A CERTAIN GRADE POINT AVERAGE TO PASS AND PLAY SPORTS IF YOU DON’T HAVE EDUCATION YOU CANT O NO WHERE I JUST THINK ITS NOT LIKE IT WAS WHEN WE WERE THERE MORE PARENT WHERE CONSIDERED NOW YOU CANT GET PARENT INVOLVED SOME OF YOU CAN BUT MOST OF YOU CAN SO I THINK THAT ITS JUST IN WORSE SHAPE WHEN WE WERE GOING

JS: WHAT WERE YOU ALL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS?

WG: WE HAD TO HAVE 14 UNITS AND OURS COUNTED FROM THE 9TH GRADE TO THE 12TH GRADE SO MOST OF THE TIME WHEN YOU WERE IN 11TH GRADE YOU HAD JUST ABOUT EVERY THING YOU NEEDED EXCEPT MAYBE AN ENGLISH OR HISTORY YOU HAD TO BE A REAL DUMMY NOT TO BE ABLE TO GRADUATE WHEN WE GRADUATED I DON’T THINK THEY HAD AN HONOR SOCIETY I THINK THAT CAME LATER CUMMINGS WASN’T FINISHED BUILDING CUMMINGS THAT’S WHEN THEY STARTED INTEGRATION

Stephanie Crawford - Class of 2002

Interview Conducted on: May 6, 2009
Interview Conducted by: Jamar O. Springfield

JS: HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY MISS. CRAWFORD?

SC: FINE HOW ARE U?

JS: FINE

SC:WHAT WAS YOUR GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS?

HER: 24 CREDIT HOURS ENGLISH MATH SCIENCE WORLD HISTORY

ME: WHO WAS YOUR PRINCIPAL WHEN YOU ATTEND CUMMINGS HIGH SCHOOL?

HER: CHLOE DEAN!!!!!!

ME: YOU LIKED HER

HER: YES I DID!!!!!

ME:WHAT WAS THE BEST THING YOU THINK EVER HAPPENED AT CUMMINGS HIGH SCHOOL?

HER: DURING THE SPORTS TIME IS WHEN I ENJOYED MYSELF THE MOST BECAUSE EVERYONE GOT TOGETHER AND JUST HAD A GOOD TIME

ME: WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT?

HER: HISTORY WORLD HISTORY

ME: WHAT WAS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE SUBJECT?

HER: TRIG

ME: DO YOU THINK CUMMINGS IS BETTER OR WORSE?

HER: I THINK IT HAS IMPROVED I THINK THAT YOU ALL HAVE TO DO MORE THEN WE DID SO I FEEL THAT YOU ALL ARE GETTING AN BETTER EDUCATION

ME: WHAT WAS YOUR GREATEST OBSTACLE?

HER: WORKING AND SCHOOL

Chuck Hodge - Class of '83; Printing & Graphics Teacher

Interview Conducted on: May 12, 2009
Interview Conducted by: Jamar O. Springfield

HODGE:

JS: WHO WAS YOUR PRINCIPAL WHEN YOU ATTENDING CUMMINGS HIGH SCHOOL?

CH: FREEMAN WAS J.A. FREEMAN]

JS; WHAT WAS THE BEST THING THAT YOU THINK EVER HAPPENED AT CUMMINGS?

CH: THAT EVER HAPPENED AT CUMMINGS UM WELL AT THE TIME I THOUGHT ME GRADUATING I ENJOYED THE FOOTBALL TEAM WHEN THE STATE CHAMPION SHIP A FEW YEARS AGO

JS: WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT?

CH: GRAPHICS PRINTING GRAPHICS THE SUBJECT I TEACH

JS: WHAT WAS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE SUBJECT?

CH: WELL JAMAR THAT BEEN 26 YEARS AGO I AM SURE I WASN’T TO CRAZY ABOUT MATH OR ENGLISH OR ANY OF THOSE BUT NOW I AM GLAD I TOOK THEM

JS: DO YOU THINK CUMMINGS IS BETTER OR WORSE NOW A DAYS?

CH: WELL CUMMINGS HAS CHANGED IT’S A DIFFERENT SCHOOL THEN IT WAS, WE DIDN’T TEST A LOT BACK THEN ITS JUST CHANGED A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK ITS WORSE I STILL THINK IT’S A GOOD SCHOOL WITH REAL GOOD STUDENTS

JS: WHAT WAS SOME OF YOU MEMORABLE MOMENTS?

CH: WELL I FIND OUT THAT I AM A LOT LIKE THE TEENAGERS NOW I LIKE TO HANG OUT WITH MY FRIENDS WENT TO A LOT OF BALL GAMES COURSE I REMEMBER MY SENIOR PROM WHICH WAS HELD HERE NOT AT OCCASION

JS: WHAT WAS YOUR GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS?

CH: I REALLY CANT REMEMBER I DON’T RECALL WE DIDN’T HAVE ANY T WINNERS THAT I RECALL BUT I DO WE STILL HAD TO PASS ALL OF OUR MATHS OUR HISTORIES AND OUR ENGLISHES SO WE STILL HAD TO PASS ALL OUR CORE CLASS WE HAD MANY ELECTIVES WE HAD TO TAKE THAT BROUGHT ME INTO GRAPHICS WISH CARRIED ME SOME WHERE ELSE

Chloe Dean McPherson - A Lady that has Done it All

Interview Conducted on:
Interview Conducted by: Jamar O. Springfield

JS: You were never a student at Cummings, correct?

CDM: No, I was never a student. I was a math teacher here for 16 years then I was an administrator here for 17 years. I was here for a total of 23 years. I was here from 1970 to 2003.

JS: Was it a good time?

JS: SO WHAT WAS THE BEST THING YOU THOUGHT EVER HAPPENED AT CUMMINGS?

CDM: ALOT OF GOOD THINGS HAPPENED HERE WELL; WE STARTED WITH TWO CLASSES IT WAS A THRILL TO SEE THE FIRST GRADUATING CLASS SOPHOMORE JUNIORS AND SENIORS THEN WE ACQUIRED THE 9TH GRADE ANOTHER STEPPING STONE WAS HAVING A VERY SUCCESSFUL ALTHELIC TEAM. WE WON MANY CHAMPIONSHIP THAT HAS BEEN AN HIGHLIGHT OVER THE PAST YEARS.

CDM: CUMMINGS IS DIFFERENT SOCIETY IS DIFFERENT I DON’T THINK YOU CAN SAY BETTER OR WORSE THE POPULATION AND UM DEMOGRAPHIC HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS BUT WE STILL HAVE FANTASTIC STUDENTS, DEDICATED STAFF MEMBERS UM TE WORLD HAS CHANGED QUIT A BIT SINCE 1970 I THINK WE FELT LIKE ONE BIG FAMILY BACK IN 1970 THEN PERHAPS NOW THAT’S JUST THE CHANGE IN TIME

JS: THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION: WHAT WAS THE GRAD REQUIREMENT BACK THEN?

CDM: I WAS NOT AN GUIDANCE COUNSELOR IN 1970 71 72 AND THEY OF COURSE KEPT UP WITH THE NUMBER OF UNIT’S A STUDENT NEEDED ALSO HAND CALCULATED THE GPA FOR EACH STUDENT I BELIEVE IT WAS 22 THEN IT MOVED TO 24

JS: SO I TAKE IT YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT WAS MATH?

CDM: ABSOLUTELY I THOUGHT MATH FOR 25 YEARS ADMINISTER FOR 17

JS: WHAT WAS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE SUB?

CDM: BIOLOGY; BECAUSE WE HAD TO DIESECT A FROG AND I DIDN'T LIKE CUTTING UP DEAD ANIMALS.