A GIFT FORTY YEARS IN THE MAKING:
THE HISTORY OF SOUTH IREDELL HIGH SCHOOL

hen we began the project to narrate 40 years of history at South Iredell, we found ourselves with a wealth of information—and a tough choice as to where to begin. We could open with the story of a school rule that allowed the principal to shave the face of any student whose sideburns surpassed a certain length. Or, we could open with praise for Bill Mayhew as the winningest wrestling coach in state history, or Chris Woodfin for playing minor-league baseball alongside Michael Jordan, or David Cash, who went from South Iredell to the University of South Carolina as the first Viking athlete to play football at a major college. And of course, there are less pleasant elements from our past, ones that are difficult to consider. Should we wag fingers at South for needing a Black Advisory Committee to ensure African-American students received equal treatment? Should we ponder the wisdom of using students as bus drivers well into the 1980s? And then there are warmer moments, when the school served as a film set for The Ryan White Story, or when the Future Business Leaders of America raised $6,157.08 for the needy in 1981.

The task to complete the school history was daunting, but we began where a school history should begin—with students. We enlisted the help of the Yearbook class of 2006, which researched and produced what you are about to read. Enjoy it and credit Ayla Andrews, Jacob Belk, Kendal Blackwelder, Ashley Blood, Jessica Brown, Michaela Carty, Katelyn Clontz, Tristin Dartt, Marty Folliard, Kevin Ketchie, Nikki Lancaster, Hannah Lipe, Amber McDaniel, Nicole Mills, Sarah Montgomery, Amanda Pettit, Chris Shepherd, and Megan Swanson. Their work allows all of us to remember.

South Iredell, with the help of its community, has seen thousands of children pass through its doors. Together, these people have formed the many generations of Viking graduates, and each one near and far can celebrate this online history. Every one can rally around it. We launched this section of vikingspirit.com as only a few pages, but we hope to see community involvement create a need for more pages and greater depth. Anyone who has touched or been touched by South Iredell should know: this story is about you.

Bringing to life the images and stories of the past are imperatives for understanding the present and future of a place. We hope these pages serve as portals of insight into who we are and where we come from. We want this to serve as South’s historical hub. Year by year, we will add to this database as Vikings present and future continue to write and live the narrative that is South’s history.

Yours,
Michael Thier
Faculty