ALHAMBRA HIGH SCHOOL

'Alhambra High School' is a secondary school located at 101 South Second Street in Alhambra, California, USA with ZIP code 91801. It is the largest secondary school in the Alhambra Unified School District. Situated in the downtown area of Alhambra, it has easy access to the public library (which will be across from the school in 2008) and many of the major and popular stores and markets in the city.

Contents

Athletics

Dance teams

Racial controversy

Bomb Scare

Extracurricular activities

Student organizations

Executive

Offices

Cabinet

Service clubs

Tri-Hi-Y clubs

Other organizations

Academic

Leadership

Performing/Visual

Extracurricular activities participated as a class

Interest clubs

Notable alumni

In television and media

External links

References

Athletics

Several Alhambra High School athletic teams are exemplary. The Alhambra wrestling team, under the direction of coach Michael Williams, has been extremely successful. The team consistently sends wrestlers to state and national championships, and is always very competitive in the CIF postseason. In 2002 the team ended an undefeated season of (23-0) which culminated in its first CIF championship.
The Alhambra Badminton team is similarly adept and often sends players through CIF and into state championships.
Alhambra High School's football team, led since 1989 by coach Gil Ruedaflores, is generally very competitive within the Almont league, which is comprised of schools from the Alhambra and Montebello school districts, winning a league championship in 2002 and most recently in 2006. In CIF postseason play, however, the team has not seen much success since the 1980s, although they did manage to reach the semifinals one year. The Alhambra High School basketball team generally meets with similar success, competitive within league play but usually playing only one or two games in the postseason.
Also, in recent years the Alhambra baseball team has been very successful with coach Steve Gewecke at the helm, leading the Moors to back-to-back league championships in 2005 and 2006. The 2006 team was particularly successful, finishing with a new school record of 22-4.

Dance teams

Alhambra High School has had one of the premier high school drill and dance teams in the United States since the 1980s. Under the direction of Jan Crawford, the drill team has represented the United States in Miss Drill Team International competitions held around the world, most recently in Japan and Australia. Alhambra dancers often compete in and win solo competitions in Miss Drill Team USA and National Street Dance USA. Alhambra High School itself is home to the Elementary Drill Team USA competition, a Miss Dance Drill Team USA dance/drill team and pep art event.
Alhambra High School also has a competitive All-Male Dance Team, which regularly competes in and around Southern California, in addition to participation in the National Street Dance USA competition. Orchesis, the high school dance club, is very competitive in Southern California. Competitive dance clubs are quite rare, as they are prone to be less organized than teams that have the advantage of daily class time in addition to other rehearsals. The All-Male Dance Team and Orchesis are testaments to the role of drill and dance as part of Alhambra High School's extracurricular choices.

Racial controversy

In April 2005, a controversial article was published by ''The Moor'', the school's biweekly newspaper. The article, written by Robin Zhou, titled "Latinos Lag Behind in Academics",^[1] asked why many students in Advanced Placement classes were Asian, and bluntly stated that Asians worked much harder than Hispanic students. Zhou's article attempted to discuss the roots of this phenomenon, although many Latino students and parents were up in arms over his assertion that Asians do better in school because of parental pressure that Latino students do not experience. ''See also: Model minority''

Bomb Scare

On Thursday, October 12, 2006, the school was in lockdown while police officers searched the campus for suspicious looking objects. Students were then evacuated and released early from school.
On Wednesday, October 11, 2006, an explosive device was found at about 4:50 p.m. on a sidewalk in the 100th block of Main Street, which borders the north end of campus. Hours later, at about 8:45 p.m., a second, similar 8-inch-long pipe-shaped device was found in the trash can under a stairwell in the south end of campus.
The Los Angeles County sheriff's bomb squad safely removed and disabled both items, and the campus was searched.^[2][3][4]

Extracurricular activities

Student organizations

Numerous clubs, all overseen by the ASB are established within the school campus.

Executive

ASB Executive is a 13-member council which oversees all activities of Alhambra High School. Each member is a representative of a department in the school, such as boys' athletics, fine arts, or visual and performing arts. The Directors of Boys and Girls immediately become presidents of the Girls League and Boys Federation, clubs which organize and host much of the school's events. Members are elected at the end of each semester. The president and vice president usually run as a duo, and are both most likely to win; rarely has there been a situation where a candidate's running mate did not win.
Recently a long standing tradition began with the elevation of the Junior Representative (Executive liaison to Junior Council) to the following year's presidency (The President has always been a senior), whereas the vice president would be someone from Senior Council.
ASB also has a legislative branch, consisting of one member from each third-period class, and elected each semester. Meeting bi-weekly, members speak and vote on issues affecting the school. It is headed by the Speaker of the Legislature.
The Director of Clubs oversees the Interclub Council, consisting of the presidents and other liaisons of each service club. The ICC plans services and is the final authority for entrance of new members in service clubs.

Offices

★ President

★ Vice President and Director of Activities

★ Speaker of the Legislature

★ Director of Clubs

★ Director of Finance

★ Director of Pep

★ Director of Fine Arts

★ Director of Performing Arts

★ Director of Boys Athletics

★ Director of Girls Athletics

★ Director of Boys

★ Director of Girls

★ Director of Campus Environment

Cabinet

Cabinet members are appointed by the new Executive members at the end of the election. Aside from the four class council representatives, Cabinet members do not vote. However, non-voting cabinet members are able to speak or raise opinions during daily sessions, as they are representatives of other student-run bodies or assistants to the Executive council.

★ ASB Secretary

★ ASB Historian

★ Moor Representative

★ Alhambran Representative

★ Student Relations Chairperson

★ ASB Technician

★ Assistant Technician

★ Senior Representative

★ Junior Representative

★ Sophomore Representative

★ Freshman Representative (Chosen after Freshman Council elections in the spring, thus serving half a term)

★ Executive Assistant (Acts as a Teachers Aide and is chosen by the Executive adviser)

Service clubs

An old club tradition in AHS was to interview prospective members who were interested in a particular club. For years, this has caused some mixed reactions from students, club members and teachers, even leading to the point where club members who interviewed accepted only those they personally favored (i.e. friends or popular students).
However in 2006, after an inspection of the campus, the WASC committee struck down the rule of interviewing on the grounds of wanting particular students in a service club, and diversity (about 85% of service club members were Asian). This caused a mixed reaction from each member of their respective class, many of whom were opposed to the interview tradition. Service club members have countered by saying that with many applicants, the club could only accept those proved themselves to be dedicated to their work and were interactive in many of the club's events, but even then, service clubs could not handle too many members, not only those who said they would work hard, but also those who were either undedicated or are just in for the sake of being in an actual club.
In response to the reformation of the elimination process, service clubs have taken measures to revise standing club rules and have enforced stricter rules for current and new members.
To counter the WASC decision, the 2007 Spring Executive administration and Interclub Council introduced a point system for prospective members who wish to join. Prospects are assigned tasks or services and would to receive points as a result of completion. With a particular amount of points, only then would a prospective would become an official member. However, if too many people achieve this goal, a random drawing by Interclub Council would take place to determine new members.
There are currently ten service clubs on campus, some of which are branches of larger service organizations.

★ Key Club
One of the more popular clubs on campus, Key Club is a branch association of Key Club Association. Represented by a key and a turtle as their mascots, members work 65 hours per semester and summer.

★ LEO
Another popular club on campus. LEO is an acronym for Leadership, Experience and Opportunity. Services are usually dedicated to medical research. Represented by a lion. Members volunteer 80 hours of school and community service during an academic semester. However, this club is not about just doing service, but having fun in the process. A main factor of this club is that they're family. Sponsored by Lions Clubs International.

★ Campus
One of the more venerable clubs on campus, it is Alhambra High School's oldest club; founded in 1941. Members are expected to complete 80 hours a semester, and 25 during the summer. Their mascot is a koala.

★ Interact
Affiliated with Rotary International.

★ Las Moras

Translated as ''Lady Moors'' in Spanish, also one of the more older clubs on campus. Sponsored by Soroptomists International, it was an all-girls club until the recent WASC inspection forced them to break their old tradition. This club is represented by a dinosaur. Las Moras members volunteer 65 hours per semester, and 25 during the summer.

★ EMEGA
Represented by a monkey, EMEGA primarily serves the city of Alhambra.

★ Junior Civitan
Affiliated with Civitan International, and represented by the Legionnaire, JC primarily assists those who are disabled. Members are expected to complete 40 hours per semester.

★ Kaibigan
''Kaibigan'' is a Tagalog word for friendship. Their primary goal is to help better the school surrounding.

★ Kokua Lima
The namesake meaning ''helping hands'' in the Hawaiian language, it is the most recent club founded in early 2006, Kokua Lima was founded to support the overgrowing number of students who tried out for a club and also the first club to end the elimination process. Represented by a polar bear, the club focuses on rescuing animals and helping the community.

★ Pequenitas
Translated as ''the little ones'' in Spanish. Members are expected to do 65 hours a semester and 35 over the summer. The mascots of this club are a pig and a moose.

Tri-Hi-Y clubs

Tri-Hi-Y clubs, also known as "social clubs" by students and faculty, have also caused some controversy within the campus. Tri-Hi-Y clubs are affiliated with the YMCA, therefore they are not a part of the ASB club system, even if the club is situated on the campus itself. Thus, Tri-Hi-Y clubs do not get financial support from the ASB. Tri-Hi-Y clubs have also faced accusations of hazing prospectives, and being too biased during the selection process. Currently, they still use the traditional interview process.
There are currently nine which are associated with the Tri-Hi-Y system.

★ Domus Magnus

★ Lanakila

★ Le Aikanes

★ Na Al'ii

★ Sonzai Eikyo

★ Laule'a

★ Nous Retrouvons

★ Les Petites Amies

★ Ohana Hui

Other organizations

Clubs registered as of 2007 are listed below.

Academic

★ Academic Decathlon

★ Academy of Future Educators

★ Biophiliacs

★ Biomed

★ MESA

★ Speech and Debate

★ FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America)

★ Physics Club

★ Science Olympiad

★ Mu Alpha Theta (ΜΑΘ)

Leadership

★ Boys Federation

★ Clean Campus Committee

★ ASB Card Committee

★ Election Committee (Temporarily defunct)

★ Girls League

★ Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior Councils

Performing/Visual

★ All Male Dance Team

★ AHS Choir

★ Asian Dance Club

★ Choir

★ ComedySportz

★ Drill Team

★ Jazz Band

★ Mighty Moor Marching Band

★ Orchesis Dance Team

★ Song

★ Cheer

★ Tri-M Music Honor Society

★ Stage Crew

★ Tri-City Orchestra

Extracurricular activities participated as a class

★ Executive (see above)

★ ''The Moor'' Newspaper

★ ''The Alhambran'' Yearbook

★ AVID

Interest clubs

★ Alhambra Campfire USA

★ Blocwork

★ BLIA-YAD AHS Sub-Chapter (Buddha's Light International Association, Young Adult Division)

★ Chinese International

★ Club De Las Americas

★ FHA-HERO (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America)

★ Cornerstone Christian Club

★ Drama Club

★ Emergencies and Accidents Club

★ EmpoWORD

★ ERAS (Environmental Resources Awareness Society, has been considered a service club)

★ Film Society

★ French Club

★ Frame By Frame

★ Kidshare

★ Law Society

★ MEChA

★ Moor Buddies

★ Otaku! Anime Club

★ Peace Club

★ Pride Alliance

★ Red Cross

★ Rubik's 3 (Read as "cubed")

★ SAVE (Student Advocates for Voter Empowerment)

★ Shaolin Kungfu Club

★ Skills USA

★ Smashizzle

★ Song

★ TFL (Trust Loyalty Friendship)

★ Tennis Club

★ The Mushroom Kingdom (Postponed, still looking for a new location)

★ VSA (Vietnamese Student Association)

★ VISA

★ Virtual Enterprises Club

Notable alumni

★ Kevin Cheng, Chinese Actor

★ Jack Chick, artist

★ Clive Cussler, novelist

★ Stan Freberg, voice actor

★ Hardie Gramatky, watercolorist

★ James Jannard, businessman

★ Aaron Krach, novelist and graphic artist

★ Gerald Petievich,^[5] writer

★ Dorothy Emma Howell Rodham, homemaker and mother of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

★ Cheryl Tiegs, model

★ Mickey Thompson, racecar driver

★ Jim Tunney, American football official, author, motivational speaker

★ Stan Van Gundy, basketball coach

★ Verne Winchell, businessman

★ Mike Woo, politician

★ Jonathan Ke Quan, Vietnamese-American actor

★ Brian Chernickov, astrophysicist

★ Leo Carroll,^[6] NFL football player

★ Duane Allen, NFL football player

★ Adam Tate, NFL football player

★ Tex Schram, former manager Dallas Cowboys (NFL)

★ Maiquel Alejo, television personality, best known as the co-star of ''The Big Spin''

★ Rich Hattem, screen writer

★ Sam Hanks, Alumnus 1933, winner of the 1957 Indianapolis 500 and inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in 1981.

In television and media

★ In early 2007, Alhambra High School played host to one of the cooking challenges for Season Three of the FOX reality series ''Hell's Kitchen'', the episode airing on July 23rd as the eighth episode of the series, and made an encore presentation on the following Monday. 100 members from the senior class of 2007 who were randomly selected by the Executive board, including the Executive members themselves, were invited to participate. Each chef, individually had to prepare 100 portions of a dish for each of the seniors.^[7]

★ Alhambra High School was the winner of radio station Power 106 FM's second annual "Pimp My Prom" contest. Pitbull was the guest star.

★ R&B singer, Bobby Valentino, made a short guest appearance during AHS's basketball game sponsored by FHA-HERO and Power 106 promoting his second studio album ''Special Occasion'' (2007).

★ Alumnus Jennifer Lin, a member of the graduating class of 2007 as well as one of its salutatorians, was a Person of the Week on ''World News Tonight'' in 2004, and was a guest performer on ''Oprah'' in 2006. Lin is a prodigy pianist.

External links

★ Alhambra High School website

★ Morphing Outrage Into Ideas ''Los Angeles Times''

★ Alhambra High School class of 1996 site

References

1. Latinos Lag Behind in Academics - Los Angeles Times
2. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_4485422
3. http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=local&id=4654357
4. http://ktla.trb.com/news/ktla-alhambra,0,4560606.story?coll=ktla-news-1
5. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0677514/
6. http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=CARROLEO01
7. Fox.com - Hell's Kitchen - Episode 3.08 recap