Bison Who Belong: Bison Pride at High Point Central
Héctor Ancizar Gómez-Argote, Assistant Principal at High Point Central High School, pauses outside of a classroom, reaching for the chain hanging from an antique bell. A low, dull clang sounds, one he jokes would hardly reach the expansive hallways of HPC any longer. A group of alumni laughs with him, chatting and discussing memories of their time at HPC.
The group have one thing in common – High Point Central, and a love for the school and their time spent in its hallways. The grass-roots committee, dubbed “Bison Pride,” is made up of alumni who graduated in the 1960s, 70s, 80s, and even most recently, 2017.
But these alumni don’t just gather to discuss their glory days at Central (although they do a fair share of reminiscing whenever they are together); they want to see the school carry on its continued legacy of pride and excellence in our city. And the way they see themselves contributing to that mission is through the continued improvement and upkeep of High Point Central’s campus.
The idea started simply enough: Bert Adkins (Class of ‘68) and retired High Pointer, asked his friend, Dickie Price (Class of ‘76) to walk the campus of their alma mater with him and survey the grounds. As longtime owner of Price Nursery and current owner of Price Landscaping, Dickie was just the person to give an honest, expert opinion of what HPC needed to restore its grounds to its former beauty.
“The success of HPC will definitely need the partnership and involvement of the High Point community. The needs of the HPC students are so diverse and cannot be met by the school alone,” Dickie says.
That’s how more committee members got involved – invited by word of mouth to take up the mantel of restoring their alma mater. Eventually, the group approached the principal, Mike Hettenbach, about the project. Principal Hettenbach, who has already demonstrated commitment to investing in HPC, connected the committee members to Parent Teacher Organization President, CeCe Biesecker (Class of ‘85), who was already working on the interior improvements of the school. Adding improvements to the outside of the school, with the help of the Bison Pride committee members, felt like a seamless partnership.
“My personal goal when I took on the position of PTO President was to improve our public relations and get the community back in the school,” CeCe says. “It is important for the community to take pride in our public schools. They are the foundation of education. Local public schools not only provide a free education to all but also help the economy of a city.”
Today, the committee is a Venn diagram of too many overlaps to name. The members include Bert Adkins, Robert Amos III (Bob), CeCe Biesecker, Mary Powell DeLille, Tim Ilderton, Phil Miller, Dickie Price, Emma Skinner, and Jeffrey Williams (with tremendous support from Principal Hettenbach and Vice Principal Gómez-Argote).
“You are the product of your surroundings,” says Emma Skinner. As a graduate of the class of 2017, she is the youngest member of the committee, but doesn’t take any less pride in her alma mater. “Put someone in an environment that is safe, clean, with caring people who want what is best from them, they will be encouraged to have goals and reach them.”
“The environment of any place impacts the people who live there a lot. A school must be a space for students to feel welcomed, and safe. With the support of the Bison Pride, we have been able to provide more welcoming spaces to some of our students,” says Assistant Principal Gómez-Argote.
The campus, which is expansive, has been around since 1927, and the “bones” of the school showcase its history ten-fold. But in recent years, many areas of the school have fallen into disrepair – as education budgets tighten across Guilford County.
The committee strategically chose different restoration projects, creating a “Phase I” and “Phase II” of their efforts. To date, the committee has raised almost $70,000 and completed Phase I projects, including removing trash and blight, regrassing the front areas of the school, pruning existing landscaping, repainting the main gymnasium, restoring the historic girl’s gym, repainting the parking lots, renovating the teacher’s lounge, and more. And they’re just getting started. Their “wish list” of items to restore the school includes painting and sealing the gazebo, painting all exterior doors and handrails, replacing or repairing damaged concrete walkways, pressure washing the remaining buildings, and much, much more.
And if you ask any of these individuals (who don’t make a cent off their voluntary contributions to assess the school’s environmental needs, raise the money, and assure the tasks get executed) why they’re involved in Bison Pride, the answers would all center around one goal: to serve the current and future students of our city.
“The Bison Pride project hopes to provide not only a more aesthetically pleasing HPC campus, but an environment that will promote a positive feeling in the students, teachers and administration,” explains Dickie. “We want folks on the campus to know that they are cared for and worthy of a community who cares and supports them.”
And the community support aspect is absolutely crucial. Since this isn’t a project funded through the school or the Guilford County School System, the committee relies solely on the support of individuals in High Point to serve the students at HPC.
“[The project] is a much-needed call to action for our community to restore HPC to its former grand state,” says Bob. “It has too much heritage to fail to beautify the building and grounds.”
Across the committee, there is a deep understanding that our schools impact our communities in countless ways – from producing the citizens who will lead our future community to the impact economically that schools have on a city.
Mary Powell DeLille (Class of ‘88), owner and real estate agent at DeLille HOME, says she first joined the committee because of an invitation from her friend, CeCe (“I can’t say no to her!”). But her involvement has been sustained by her understanding of the long-term economic impact our schools have on our city.
“As a real estate agent, how you draw more new people to move here is to have a strong public school system,” she notes. “It affects the growth of a town in so many different ways. It also strengthens the student body. The more students you have who graduate and go on to any college or straight into a job they were trained for during high school, you will decrease the poverty level in a town. This is a factor in breaking the cycle that many families face.”
“The local schools are the backbone of our community and are integral for the success of the city of High Point,” says Phil Miller (Class of '70), Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Thayer Coggin. He says that he endeavors to see Central become one of the best public schools in North Carolina again.
Tim Ilderton (Class of ‘68) is a person whose family has called High Point home for generations, so he has knows firsthand the impacts a school has across generations. Nearly his entire family is composed of Central graduates. As part of the Bison Pride committee, and long-time business president of Ilderton Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Fiat, Tim notes that Central isn’t just at the heart of the Ilderton family, but at the heart of High Point.
“High Point Central is in the heart of our city surrounded by diverse, socio-economic residents,” he says. “People will move to High Point if we have good schools.”
And as Vice Principal Gómez-Argote states: "The school belongs to the community. The school is an important part of everyday families. The school needs to have the doors open to all so we can all work together... The more people we have walking on our campus visiting, the more minds, ideas and opportunities for our teachers, staff and students to succeed.”
Because while the group are all thinking about the future of Central, they’re ultimately motivated by the past. They’re motivated by the teachers, the friends, and the moments that made them the people and citizens they are today. And they ask themselves: how can we create an environment that allows students to thrive the way we did?
"The school belongs to the community."
Héctor Ancizar Gómez-Argote, Assistant Principal at High Point Central High School
“I attribute my successes in college, graduate school, business, and owning my own successful business for the past 16 years to High Point Central,” CeCe says. She now owns C Change Wellness and her two sons also graduated from the IB program at Central. “The relationships with faculty and friends are still strong today.”
“Phenomenal teachers impacted my life, and spring boarded me for college excellence and life as leader in our community,” says Bob Amos, who worked in the hosiery industry of High Point, following in the footsteps of his late father, president of the Amos Hosiery Mills.
“I describe Bison Pride as a group of people who are ready to help Central be the place it was to them as they remember it to be,” Emma reflects. “Time passes by and it is easy to get consumed in your day-to-day life but when you start to remember the memories you have with HPC, there is a deep feeling of joy and responsibility held to make sure it remains the special place that it was to all of us in each unique way.”
And what each Bison Pride member found at HPC is what they hope to cultivate again for students of the school. It’s what Bob so easily sums up from his time at Central: “Heritage. Belonging.”
Because belonging is central to what it means to be a Bison. Belonging to something bigger than a high school. Belonging to something bigger than ourselves. Belonging to a community.
WAYS TO SUPPORT HIGH POINT CENTRAL & BISON PRIDE
GIVE
Want to participate in restoring High Point Central? You can give to the Bison Pride Projects through Venmo (@bisonpride) or by mailing a check to P.O. Box 6255, High Point NC, 27262
CONTACT
Hear more from the committee, join, or get in touch with the members at bison.pride.hpc@gmail.com.
Discover our High Points,
The HPD Team
Photography by Traci Lester