Amherst Regional High School (Massachusetts)
Encyclopedia
Amherst Regional High School (ARHS) is a secondary school
in Amherst, Massachusetts
, United States, for students in grades 9–12. Together with Amherst Regional Middle School, it makes up the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District
, which comprises the towns of Amherst, Pelham, Leverett, and Shutesbury, Massachusetts. Its official colors are maroon and white. ARHS's current principal is Mark Jackson.
program. The boys' and girls' Ultimate teams have both won the national championship several times; including the girl's program winning the national championship five consecutive times. The program hosts the annual Amherst Invitational Ultimate Tournament which pits 30 high school teams from across the country in one of the oldest and largest high school tournaments in the USA.
The girls' cross-country team has won 18 consecutive Western Massachusetts titles, and seven state championships since 1990. The boys’ cross-country team has also been dominant in the region for several years, winning six of the last seven Western Mass Championships, and a state championship in 2001. Amherst Boy's XC is listed in the top 110 high schools in America.
The 1992–1993 “Lady Hurricanes” girls' basketball team, which won the state championships, inspired the book In These Girls, Hope is a Muscle by Madeleine Blais
. The boys basketball team has a 2003 state title. The baseball and volleyball teams both have a 2002, 2006 Western Mass title, while the softball team received a Western Mass title in 2008 and 2010. In 2011 the softball team reached the state finals after beating Agawam in the Western Mass Championship and Milford in the state semi-final. They went on to face King Phillip in the finals, and lost 1-0 with pitcher Emma Mandoker getting 1000 career strikeouts.
The Football team won the 1999 Super Bowl by defeating Southbridge 27-7. It was the first Super Bowl win for Amherst in 25 years.
The lacrosse team won the 2003 Western Massachusetts championship.
The 2002 and 2006 baseball teams won the Western Massachusetts baseball championship.
The Amherst Regional Baseball team won its third Western Massachusetts baseball championship on June 15, 2010 against East Longmeadow, and on June 19, 2010 at Le Lacheur Park in Lowell, MA, won its first ever Massachusetts State baseball championship against Xaverian High School, 3-2.
Former teacher Charlie Camp started the program in 1975. Reid Johnson led the class in 2000 and 2001, followed by Kate Collins. Aaron Kropf and Charlie Camp have co-led the class since 2006.
Activities in Survival Living include an overnight hike with the whole class, a two-day orienteering campout in pairs, and a three-day wilderness solo. Many former students return to help teach the class or aid with the major exercises, and often describe the class as a highly formative event in their lives.
In 1990, Principal Ilene Levitt instituted a sexual harassment
policy, among the first of its kind for a high school in the nation. The policy banned "staring or leering with sexual overtones", among other acts; it received significant media attention.
In 1999, ARHS's school production of West Side Story was canceled when several Puerto Rican students and parents complained about what they perceived as stereotypical
representations in the musical. The musical split both students and teachers, and put ARHS's superintendent
Gus Sayer under fire for his stand that "No group, neither in the majority nor in the minority, should have the ability to censor
the decisions our community’s educators make about what to teach, what to read, or what to produce on the stage." Internationally known conductor Jessel Murray, who had served as the choral instructor and director of the school musical, left the United States
entirely and returned to his native Trinidad
as a result of the debate and cancellation.
. The performance was done under the direction of faculty member Katina Papson, who co-directed with 17-year-old student Kristin Tyler. Although many adults within and outside of the community felt that The Vagina Monologues dealt with inappropriate material for teenagers, some ARHS students felt that the performance had relevance to their lives. Appearing on NBC News
, Kristin Tyler stated that "one in five girls in high school are either sexually
or physically
abused on a date."
In 2007 The Vagina Monologues were performed by Amherst Regional High School students again. Women's Rights Club, founded in fall 2006 by Sophie Rabinovitz, '07, sponsored the show. After seeking permission from principal Mark Jackson to perform the monologues in their high school auditorium, their request was denied. Jackson cited reasons such as the town's looming budget cuts, previous controversy and negative publicity associated with the show, as well as lack of interest by teachers and staff to help organize the performance. The members of the club persisted and succeeded in securing the Northampton Center for the Arts for their show. The Vagina Monologues took place on February 15, 17 and 18th. The Saturday and Sunday night shows both sold out, and the club succeeded in raising several thousand dollars to donate to local women's charities.
In 2008, due to continued student efforts, and the support of principal Mark Jackson, The Vagina Monologues moved back to the high school. The play was an energetic success, with strong support from community organizations, a large number of students and parents, and the high school administration. In combination with a "Week of Awareness" designed to talk about the issues discussed in The Vagina Monologues, the play raised over $8,000 for the New England Learning Center for Women in Transition and the Men's Resource Center for Change (Both based in the Pioneer Valley).
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,819, making it the largest community in Hampshire County . The town is home to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts...
, United States, for students in grades 9–12. Together with Amherst Regional Middle School, it makes up the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District
Amherst-Pelham Regional School District
Amherst-Pelham Regional School District is a school district in Massachusetts which includes the towns of Amherst, Pelham, Leverett, and Shutesbury, though the elementary schools of the latter two towns are not part of the district...
, which comprises the towns of Amherst, Pelham, Leverett, and Shutesbury, Massachusetts. Its official colors are maroon and white. ARHS's current principal is Mark Jackson.
Academics
Amherst Regional High School runs on a trimester system. Students take five courses per trimester: normally, three to four are academics, and one to two are electives. Most academic classes run for two trimesters. They run either straight through or are broken up by the winter trimester. The exception to this is some social studies and English courses that are a trimester each and some higher-level courses that run for all three trimesters. Amherst Regional High School is the only public high school in the nation to offer a course in Gay and Lesbian Literature, a program started by Sara Barber-Just.Sports
The school's sports teams are all known as The Hurricanes. ARHS is one of many high schools in Massachusetts with a nationally-ranked UltimateUltimate (sport)
Ultimate is a sport played with a 175 gram flying disc. The object of the game is to score points by passing the disc to a player in the opposing end zone, similar to an end zone in American football or rugby...
program. The boys' and girls' Ultimate teams have both won the national championship several times; including the girl's program winning the national championship five consecutive times. The program hosts the annual Amherst Invitational Ultimate Tournament which pits 30 high school teams from across the country in one of the oldest and largest high school tournaments in the USA.
The girls' cross-country team has won 18 consecutive Western Massachusetts titles, and seven state championships since 1990. The boys’ cross-country team has also been dominant in the region for several years, winning six of the last seven Western Mass Championships, and a state championship in 2001. Amherst Boy's XC is listed in the top 110 high schools in America.
The 1992–1993 “Lady Hurricanes” girls' basketball team, which won the state championships, inspired the book In These Girls, Hope is a Muscle by Madeleine Blais
Madeleine Blais
Madeleine Blais is a United States journalist, author and professor in the University of Massachusetts Amherst's journalism department. As a reporter for the The Miami Herald, Blais earned the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing in 1980 for "Zepp's Last Stand", a story about a self-declared pacifist...
. The boys basketball team has a 2003 state title. The baseball and volleyball teams both have a 2002, 2006 Western Mass title, while the softball team received a Western Mass title in 2008 and 2010. In 2011 the softball team reached the state finals after beating Agawam in the Western Mass Championship and Milford in the state semi-final. They went on to face King Phillip in the finals, and lost 1-0 with pitcher Emma Mandoker getting 1000 career strikeouts.
The Football team won the 1999 Super Bowl by defeating Southbridge 27-7. It was the first Super Bowl win for Amherst in 25 years.
The lacrosse team won the 2003 Western Massachusetts championship.
The 2002 and 2006 baseball teams won the Western Massachusetts baseball championship.
The Amherst Regional Baseball team won its third Western Massachusetts baseball championship on June 15, 2010 against East Longmeadow, and on June 19, 2010 at Le Lacheur Park in Lowell, MA, won its first ever Massachusetts State baseball championship against Xaverian High School, 3-2.
Survival Living
ARHS is one of the few schools in the nation to offer a Wilderness Survival program. The class meets after school from January through June, and covers subjects such as orienteering, wilderness first aid, emergency shelters, wild edibles, and emergency fire-building.Former teacher Charlie Camp started the program in 1975. Reid Johnson led the class in 2000 and 2001, followed by Kate Collins. Aaron Kropf and Charlie Camp have co-led the class since 2006.
Activities in Survival Living include an overnight hike with the whole class, a two-day orienteering campout in pairs, and a three-day wilderness solo. Many former students return to help teach the class or aid with the major exercises, and often describe the class as a highly formative event in their lives.
Controversies
The town of Amherst, situated in an area surrounded by five colleges, prides itself on being particularly socially conscientious. Because of this, issues ranging from First Amendment rights to race relations have a habit of repeatedly cropping up in Amherst Regional High School. Recently it has experienced a wave of controversies over several different issues, many of which have helped put it in the national spotlight.In 1990, Principal Ilene Levitt instituted a sexual harassment
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
policy, among the first of its kind for a high school in the nation. The policy banned "staring or leering with sexual overtones", among other acts; it received significant media attention.
In 1999, ARHS's school production of West Side Story was canceled when several Puerto Rican students and parents complained about what they perceived as stereotypical
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
representations in the musical. The musical split both students and teachers, and put ARHS's superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
Gus Sayer under fire for his stand that "No group, neither in the majority nor in the minority, should have the ability to censor
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
the decisions our community’s educators make about what to teach, what to read, or what to produce on the stage." Internationally known conductor Jessel Murray, who had served as the choral instructor and director of the school musical, left the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entirely and returned to his native Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
as a result of the debate and cancellation.
The Vagina Monologues
In 2004 Amherst Regional High School received international press coverage for their decision to allow students to perform The Vagina MonologuesThe Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler which ran at the Off Broadway Westside Theatre after a limited run at AFRICA in 1996. Ensler originally starred in the production which was produced by David Stone, Nina Essman, Dan Markley, The Araca Group, Willa Shalit, Mike Skipper...
. The performance was done under the direction of faculty member Katina Papson, who co-directed with 17-year-old student Kristin Tyler. Although many adults within and outside of the community felt that The Vagina Monologues dealt with inappropriate material for teenagers, some ARHS students felt that the performance had relevance to their lives. Appearing on NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
, Kristin Tyler stated that "one in five girls in high school are either sexually
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
or physically
Physical abuse
Physical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause feelings of intimidation, injury, or other physical suffering or bodily harm.-Forms of physical abuse:*Striking*Punching*Belting*Pushing, pulling*Slapping*Whipping*Striking with an object...
abused on a date."
In 2007 The Vagina Monologues were performed by Amherst Regional High School students again. Women's Rights Club, founded in fall 2006 by Sophie Rabinovitz, '07, sponsored the show. After seeking permission from principal Mark Jackson to perform the monologues in their high school auditorium, their request was denied. Jackson cited reasons such as the town's looming budget cuts, previous controversy and negative publicity associated with the show, as well as lack of interest by teachers and staff to help organize the performance. The members of the club persisted and succeeded in securing the Northampton Center for the Arts for their show. The Vagina Monologues took place on February 15, 17 and 18th. The Saturday and Sunday night shows both sold out, and the club succeeded in raising several thousand dollars to donate to local women's charities.
In 2008, due to continued student efforts, and the support of principal Mark Jackson, The Vagina Monologues moved back to the high school. The play was an energetic success, with strong support from community organizations, a large number of students and parents, and the high school administration. In combination with a "Week of Awareness" designed to talk about the issues discussed in The Vagina Monologues, the play raised over $8,000 for the New England Learning Center for Women in Transition and the Men's Resource Center for Change (Both based in the Pioneer Valley).
Notable alumni
- Annie BakerAnnie Baker-Career:Baker grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts, and graduated from the Department of Dramatic Writing at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She earned her MFA from Brooklyn College....
(class of '99), playwright - Tim BarberTim BarberTim Barber is a New York based photographer, curator and publisher.-Biography:Tim Barber was born in 1979 in Vancouver, British Columbia and grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts...
, (class of '97), best known for online gallery "tinyvices.com" - Thomas BezuchaThomas BezuchaThomas Gordon Bezucha is an American screenwriter and director.He wrote and directed Big Eden and The Family Stone . He is a graduate of Amherst Regional High School in Amherst, Massachusetts. He will next direct Monte Carlo, which he co-wrote with April Blair.Bezucha is openly gay.-External...
(class of '82), film director and writer of Big EdenBig EdenBig Eden is a gay-themed romantic drama film written and directed by Thomas Bezucha. It won awards from several gay and lesbian film festivals, and was nominated for best limited release film at the GLAAD Media Awards in 2002.-Plot:...
and The Family StoneThe Family StoneThe Family Stone is a 2005 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Thomas Bezucha. Produced by Michael London and distributed by 20th Century Fox, it stars an ensemble cast, including Diane Keaton, Craig T. Nelson, Dermot Mulroney, Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson, Claire Danes, Rachel... - James IhedigboJames Ihedigbo-New York Jets:In a 16–13 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills on October 18, 2009, Ihedigbo and fellow Jet Marques Murrell threw punches at Bills Tight End Derek Fine, prompting Ihedigbo to be ejected from the game by officials...
, plays safety for the New England Patriots - Amory LovinsAmory LovinsAmory Bloch Lovins is an American environmental scientist and writer, Chairman and Chief Scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute. He has worked in the field of energy policy and related areas for four decades...
, sustainability guru and CEO of the Rocky Mountain InstituteRocky Mountain InstituteRocky Mountain Institute is an organization in the United States dedicated to research, publication, consulting, and lecturing in the general field of sustainability, with a special focus on profitable innovations for energy and resource efficiency. RMI was established in 1982 and has grown into a... - Eric MabiusEric MabiusEric Harry Timothy Mabius is an American actor known for his work as Daniel Meade on the ABC television series Ugly Betty. He also worked on the Showtime series The L Word and in the films Resident Evil and Cruel Intentions....
(class of '89), actor best known for his roles as Daniel MeadeDaniel MeadeDaniel Meade is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. He is played by Eric Mabius.-Background:Daniel is the second son of magazine publisher Bradford Meade and Claire Meade in 1974...
on Ugly BettyUgly BettyUgly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
and as Tim Haspel on The L WordThe L WordThe L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood... - Julie McNivenJulie McNivenJulie McNiven is an American actress. McNiven was born in Amherst, Massachusetts. She is best known for her recurring roles in Mad Men and Supernatural. McNiven had a recurring role in the 2010-2011 second season of Stargate: Universe.McNiven studied swinging trapeze as a teenager at French...
(class of '98), actress - Ellen MoranEllen MoranEllen Moran is chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Commerce under Secretary Gary Locke. She previously held the position of White House Communications Director. Her predecessor was Kevin Sullivan, who held the position under the Bush administration...
(class of '84), Chief of Staff to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce - Ebon Moss-BachrachEbon Moss-BachrachEbon Moss-Bachrach is an American stage and screen actor. He attended high school at Amherst Regional High School in Massachusetts and graduated from Columbia University. Ebon is involved with photographer Yelena Yemchuk...
(class of '95), actor - J MascisJ MascisJ Mascis is an American musician, best known as the singer, guitarist and songwriter for Dinosaur Jr.. In 2011, he was ranked in Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.- Biography :...
(class of '84), of Dinosaur Jr. and other bands - Perry MossPerry Moss-External links:...
(class of '76), played 2 seasons in the NBA - Benjamin NugentBenjamin NugentBenjamin Nugent is an American writer, best known for the book American Nerd: The Story of My People.-Biography:Nugent grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts. He was the original keyboardist for The Cloud Room, an indie rock band based in Brooklyn, New York...
(class of '95), writer - Gil PenchinaGil PenchinaGil Penchina is an American business manager. He was formerly the CEO of Wikia Inc., and the vice president and general manager, international at eBay.He attended the Kellogg School of Management and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.- External links :...
(class of '87), CEO of WikiaWikiaWikia is a free web hosting service for wikis . It is normally free of charge for readers and editors, deriving most of its income from advertising, and publishes all user-provided text under copyleft licenses. Wikia hosts several hundred thousand wikis using the open-source wiki software MediaWiki... - Robbie RussellRobbie Russell (soccer)Robbie Russell is a Ghanaian-born American soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-College:...
, (class of '97), plays soccer for the MLS Real Salt LakeReal Salt LakeReal Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
team - Deb TalanDeb TalanDeborah Ruth "Deb" Talan is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for being in the folk-pop duo The Weepies.-Early life and career:...
(class of '86), an American singer-songwriter best known for being in the folk-pop duo The WeepiesThe WeepiesThe Weepies are an indie pop-folk duo of married singer-songwriters Deb Talan and Steve Tannen. Their music has been described as "subtly intoxicating folk-pop".-Formation and early years :...
. - Kaleil Isaza TuzmanKaleil Isaza TuzmanKaleil Isaza Tuzman is an entrepreneur, the chief executive officer and elected chairman of the board of KIT digital, Inc., and managing partner of KCP Capital...
and Tom Herman (both class of '89), founders of govWorksGovWorksgovWorks Inc. was a dot-com company that was founded in 1998 by Kaleil Isaza Tuzman and Tom Herman. It went bankrupt when the dot-com bubble burst in 2000. govWorks's rise and fall is documented in the 2001 documentary Startup.com....
and stars of the documentary film Startup.comStartup.comStartup.com is a 2001 documentary film that chronicles the dot-com start-up phenomenon and its eventual end. The film follows e-commerce website govWorks and its founders Kaleil Isaza Tuzman and Tom Herman from 1999-2000 as the Internet bubble was bursting.-Production:The film was made by... - Jamila WidemanJamila WidemanJamila Wideman is an American female left-handed point guard basketball player, lawyer and activist.-Early life:Wideman's father, John Edgar Wideman, an African-American author and professor, is the first 2-time winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award and a professor at Brown University...
(class of '93), former WNBA basketball player