Columbine High School
Encyclopedia
Columbine High School or CHS is a high school
in unincorporated
Jefferson County
, Colorado
, United States
.
, which in turn is named after the state flower of Colorado: the columbine
. The school's first principal was Gerald Difford.
The official school colors are blue and silver. The colors were selected through a vote by students at Ken Caryl Junior High School and Bear Creek High School
who would be the first students to attend Columbine High School when the school opened in 1973.
killed 12 students and one teacher, and wounded 23 others, before taking their own lives. The massacre made headlines around the world, making Columbine a household name, and causing a moral panic
in American high schools.
After the shooting, classes at Columbine were held at nearby Chatfield Senior High for the remaining three weeks of that school year.
The school had undergone a massive remodeling four years before the shooting, adding a new library and cafeteria. After the massacre, Columbine completely demolished its library, located above the cafeteria, since it was the site where most of the deaths took place. The site was then turned into a memorial ceiling and atrium
; a new, larger library was built on the hill where the shooting began and dedicated to the memory of the victims.
city limits and one-half mile south of the Denver
city/county line.“Littleton” is indicated in the school’s postal address because its ZIP code
, 80123, is primarily associated with that city. However, the school is in Jefferson County
and part of the Jefferson County Public Schools
district, and not the Littleton Public Schools
system; Littleton is the seat of Arapahoe County
.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Colorado
Jefferson County , whose slogan is the "Gateway to the Rocky Mountains", is the fourth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. Located along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, Jefferson County is adjacent to the west side of the state capital, Denver....
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
Columbine High School opened in the fall of 1973. There was no senior class in its first year. The school's first graduating class was the class of 1975. Columbine is named after the surrounding community of ColumbineColumbine, Colorado
Columbine is a census-designated place in Arapahoe and Jefferson Counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located mostly in Jefferson County, it lies immediately west of Littleton....
, which in turn is named after the state flower of Colorado: the columbine
Aquilegia caerulea
Aquilegia caerulea is a species of Aquilegia flower native to the Rocky Mountains from Montana south to New Mexico and west to Idaho and Arizona. Its common name is Colorado Blue Columbine; sometimes it is called "Rocky Mountain Columbine", but this properly refers to Aquilegia saximontana.It is a...
. The school's first principal was Gerald Difford.
The official school colors are blue and silver. The colors were selected through a vote by students at Ken Caryl Junior High School and Bear Creek High School
Bear Creek High School (Colorado)
Bear Creek High School is located in the southwest corner of the greater Denver Metro area, it is one of 18 high schools in Jefferson County, Colorado. The school colors are forest green, gold, and white. The mascot is a bear. The principal is Kevin Carroll....
who would be the first students to attend Columbine High School when the school opened in 1973.
Massacre
Columbine High School was the site of one of the deadliest massacres in modern United States history. It is the deadliest high school massacre in U.S. history. This massacre took place on April 20, 1999, when Eric Harris and Dylan KleboldEric Harris and Dylan Klebold
Eric David Harris and Dylan Bennet Klebold were American high school seniors who committed the Columbine High School massacre. They killed 13 people—including teacher Dave Sanders—and injured 24 others, three of whom were injured as they escaped the attack...
killed 12 students and one teacher, and wounded 23 others, before taking their own lives. The massacre made headlines around the world, making Columbine a household name, and causing a moral panic
Moral panic
A moral panic is the intensity of feeling expressed in a population about an issue that appears to threaten the social order. According to Stanley Cohen, author of Folk Devils and Moral Panics and credited creator of the term, a moral panic occurs when "[a] condition, episode, person or group of...
in American high schools.
After the shooting, classes at Columbine were held at nearby Chatfield Senior High for the remaining three weeks of that school year.
The school had undergone a massive remodeling four years before the shooting, adding a new library and cafeteria. After the massacre, Columbine completely demolished its library, located above the cafeteria, since it was the site where most of the deaths took place. The site was then turned into a memorial ceiling and atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
; a new, larger library was built on the hill where the shooting began and dedicated to the memory of the victims.
Address
The school is located at 6201 South Pierce Street, one mile west of the LittletonLittleton, Colorado
Littleton is a Home Rule Municipality contained in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Littleton is a suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area. Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe County and the 20th most populous city in the state of...
city limits and one-half mile south of the Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
city/county line.“Littleton” is indicated in the school’s postal address because its ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
, 80123, is primarily associated with that city. However, the school is in Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Colorado
Jefferson County , whose slogan is the "Gateway to the Rocky Mountains", is the fourth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. Located along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, Jefferson County is adjacent to the west side of the state capital, Denver....
and part of the Jefferson County Public Schools
Jefferson County Public Schools (Colorado)
Jefferson County School District R-1 is a school district in Jefferson County, Colorado. It is the largest school district in Colorado and was the 32nd largest school district in the United States in 2001-2002...
district, and not the Littleton Public Schools
Littleton Public Schools
Littleton Public Schools is a school district in Littleton, Colorado which serves several communities south of central Denver in the Denver metropolitan area.Scott Murphy is the superintendent...
system; Littleton is the seat of Arapahoe County
Arapahoe County, Colorado
As of the census of 2000, there were 487,967 people, 190,909 households, and 125,809 families residing in the county. The population density was 608 people per square mile . There were 196,835 housing units at an average density of 245 per square mile...
.
Alumni
- Darrel AkerfeldsDarrel AkerfeldsDarrel Wayne Akerfelds is the current bullpen coach of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. He has held this position since...
- Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcherPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
playing with the Oakland AthleticsOakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, Cleveland IndiansCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
and Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
from 1986 through 1991. - Eric Harris and Dylan KleboldEric Harris and Dylan KleboldEric David Harris and Dylan Bennet Klebold were American high school seniors who committed the Columbine High School massacre. They killed 13 people—including teacher Dave Sanders—and injured 24 others, three of whom were injured as they escaped the attack...
- Perpetrators of the Columbine High School massacreColumbine High School massacreThe Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, near Denver and Littleton. Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a massacre, killing 12...
. - Allan KayserAllan KayserAllan J. Kayser II is an American film and TV actor.-Biography:Kayser was born and raised in Littleton, Colorado, attending Columbine High School from 1978-1982. In high school, he participated in baseball and wrestling, and was a drummer in several rock bands.Kayser entered acting and moved to...
- Actor who played "Bubba" in the sitcom Mama's FamilyMama's FamilyMama's Family is an American television sitcom that premiered on NBC on January 22, 1983. It was cancelled in May 1984, but NBC would continue to air reruns until September 1985. In September 1986, Mama's Family returned in first-run syndication, where it aired for an additional four seasons,...
. - Melanie Palenik - 1988 Olympic1988 Winter OlympicsThe 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
gold medalist in women's freestyle aerialsFreestyle skiing at the 1988 Winter OlympicsFreestyle skiing was a demonstration sport at the 1988 Winter Olympics. The venues were Canada Olympic Park for aerials and ballet, and Nakiska for moguls. This was the first appearance of freestyle skiing at the Winter Olympics.-Placement table:...
. - Skip EwingSkip EwingDonald Ralph "Skip" Ewing is an American country music singer and songwriter. Active since 1988, Ewing has recorded nine studio albums, and has charted fifteen singles on the Billboard country charts.-Career:...
- Country songwriter and artist. - Wes HartWes HartWes Hart is an American soccer defender, who played six season in Major League Soccer with the Colorado Rapids and San Jose Earthquakes....
- MLSMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
player who last played for the San Jose EarthquakesSan Jose EarthquakesThe San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
in 2005. - Laval Short - Former Denver BroncosDenver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Colorado BuffaloesColorado BuffaloesThe University of Colorado Boulder sponsors 16 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's team are called the Buffaloes or Golden Buffaloes . "Lady Buffs" referred to the women's teams beginning in the 1970s, but was officially dropped in 1993...
defensive tackle. - Todd Park MohrTodd Park MohrTodd Park Mohr is the singer and guitarist for the American rock band Big Head Todd & the Monsters, as well as being the band's namesake and primary lyricist. A founding member of the band, he also occasionally provides keyboards and saxophone in addition to his duties as frontman.Todd was born...
- GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and vocals, Brian Nevin, drums and vocals, and Rob Squires, bass, of Big Head Todd and the MonstersBig Head Todd and the MonstersBig Head Todd & the Monsters is a rock band formed in 1986 in Colorado. The band has released a number of albums since 1989 with their 1993 album Sister Sweetly going platinum in the United States...
. - Glenn Scott - Former member of the Colorado House of Representatives.
- Jeanie Schroder - Member of DeVotchKaDeVotchKaDeVotchKa is a four-piece multi-instrumental and vocal ensemble. They take their name from the Russian word devochka , meaning "girl"...
. - Sue ManterisSue ManterisSue Manteris , is a former TV news anchor at the NBC affiliate in Las Vegas, KSNV-DT. She was born on June 20, 1962 in Varanasi, India....
- Newscaster Las Vegas TV media and channel 3. Played CNN reporter Sue Tripathi in Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and FabulousMiss Congeniality 2: Armed and FabulousMiss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous is a 2005 comedy film directed by John Pasquin, starring Sandra Bullock and Regina King. It is a sequel to the 2000 film Miss Congeniality....
. - Rachel ScottRachel ScottRachel Joy Scott was the first victim of the Columbine High School massacre, which claimed the lives of 12 students, one teacher and the two perpetrators, in one of the deadliest high school shootings in United States history.She has since been the subject of several books and is the...
- The first of the 13 victims of the Columbine High School massacreColumbine High School massacreThe Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, near Denver and Littleton. Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a massacre, killing 12...
. The youth program Rachel's ChallengeRachel's ChallengeRachel's Challenge is a non-profit, non-religious, non-political organization. It is led by Rachel Scott's father, Darrell, along with Rachel Scott's step-mom, Sandy.-Darrell Scott and Rachel's Challenge:...
was created in her memory. - Cassie BernallCassie BernallCassie René Bernall was a student killed in the Columbine High School massacre, at age 17.Initial reports suggested that one of the assailants, either Eric Harris or Dylan Klebold, asked Bernall if she believed in God moments before fatally shooting her. She was reported to have answered "Yes, I...
- One of the 13 victims of the Columbine High School massacreColumbine High School massacreThe Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, near Denver and Littleton. Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a massacre, killing 12...
.