East High School (Pueblo, Colorado)
Encyclopedia
East High School is one of thirteen public high schools in Pueblo
, Colorado
, United States
. It offers the International Baccalaureate program.
and Centennial
were the only public high schools in Pueblo
, with Centennial claiming all those students living north of the Arkansas River
and Central taking those who lived south of the river. But with the post-World War II boom that hit Pueblo in the 1950s
, growth spread to the southwest and to the northeast portions of the city, bringing with it new neighborhoods and a slew of students that crowded into existing schools. The student population in the city increased from 18,288 in 1950 to 28,914 in 1959.
That increase led to one of the city's most extensive school-building programs that saw 16 new schools built, and a host of others were remodeled during the mid- to late-1950s to accommodate the growth. On Sept. 1, 1959, South and East high schools opened their doors to a new era and a fresh rivalry in Pueblo's tradition-steeped high school environment. Plans for building the new high schools began in 1956, but actual construction didn't begin until the summer of 1957. South and East, named for the locations in the city where they were located, were built to serve the growing Sunset Park and Belmont neighborhoods.
On the school's opening day, East principal Emil Paripovich welcomed 1,090 students to the new school, including a class of 350 ninth-graders from Risley Middle School. In an article that appeared in The Pueblo Chieftain, Paripovich said the students and 51 faculty members were proud to be a part of the new school.
"The effect of the new building on school spirit has been remarkable, and there has been no vandalism," Paripovich said. "We remind the pupils this is their building and they should take care of it ... and they are."
Mel Spence, who taught and coached at East before he succeeded Paripovich as principal in 1968, said it was exciting to be a part of a new school and to help develop new traditions. "The spirit of the school was tremendous, and I think Emil had a lot to do with that," he said. "Most of the students came from Centennial, but when they got to East, this was their school, and they took a lot of pride in it. Just starting out, we didn't have a lot of material things, but we did have spirit and pride."
Spence, who coached football and wrestling, said it was a challenge but also exciting to be able to build a new program in such a strong high school sports community. "It was tough, because when the students came from Centennial, we didn't get one letterman for football," he said. "Central had taken second in state, and 19 of their 21 lettermen went to South. South ended up beating us 48-6. We scored in the last minute of the game and you'd have thought we won the game." Spence said two years later, East beat South in the annual clash between the two hometown rivals.
A little more than three weeks after opening, School District 60 hosted a citywide dedication of the two schools and open-house sessions at each building. U.S. Commissioner of Education
Lawrence Derthick was the keynote speaker for the dedication ceremony held at Pueblo Public Schools Stadium, now Dutch Clark Stadium. At the dedication ceremony, Derthick praised Pueblo officials for their support and dedication to public schools as the city continued to grow.
"Here in Pueblo, you had the vision to look and plan ahead to keep your schools in pace with expansion in your city," he said. "As I know more about your wonderful new buildings, it is difficult to find words which adequately express the admiration I feel as a lifelong teacher." "Your plan to take care of classroom needs over the next decade is a shining example of what can be done when citizens in a community really care about their schools."
With all the pomp and celebrations surrounding the schools' openings completed in the first month, students and faculty at South and East began to focus on building clubs and organizations, programs and traditions, many of which remain today.
The two schools mirror each other in many ways. Each cost approximately $2 million, had 40 classrooms, 500-seat gymnasiums, a cafeteria, an auditorium with seating for 1,200 and several other miscellaneous classrooms. Those miscellaneous rooms included a band and orchestra room, wood and metal shops, graphic arts, a cooking room and a library.
The east and west sides of the buildings were created with a sawtooth design to allow for more natural light, but less direct light, into the building. Each building also had more than 200 skylights on the roof, which was expected to save an estimated $750 a year in energy costs. The skylights were later removed because they broke easily and required constant, costly repairs. Each school also had a unique, enclosed courtyard and a single second-story classroom. Each also had a paved parking lot, a football field and a track, tennis courts, a softball area and a standard baseball field.
Boys
Girls
Winter Sports
Boys
Girls
Spring Sports
Boys
Girls
The school also possesses many different student clubs and organizations, which include the following as of the 2010-2011 school year:
East High School also has many traditions throughout the year.
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
, 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...
. It offers the International Baccalaureate program.
History
For decades, CentralCentral High School (Pueblo, Colorado)
Central High School is one of seven public high schools located in Pueblo, Colorado. The high school was the second for the city of Puebloand was founded in 1881. It is the only high school to have two Medal Of Honor recipients, William J. Crawford and Carl L...
and Centennial
Centennial High School (Pueblo, Colorado)
Centennial High School is a high school located in Pueblo, Colorado. It serves roughly 1000 students in grades 9 through 12. The school is a part of Pueblo City Schools .-History:...
were the only public high schools in Pueblo
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
, with Centennial claiming all those students living north of the Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
and Central taking those who lived south of the river. But with the post-World War II boom that hit Pueblo in the 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
, growth spread to the southwest and to the northeast portions of the city, bringing with it new neighborhoods and a slew of students that crowded into existing schools. The student population in the city increased from 18,288 in 1950 to 28,914 in 1959.
That increase led to one of the city's most extensive school-building programs that saw 16 new schools built, and a host of others were remodeled during the mid- to late-1950s to accommodate the growth. On Sept. 1, 1959, South and East high schools opened their doors to a new era and a fresh rivalry in Pueblo's tradition-steeped high school environment. Plans for building the new high schools began in 1956, but actual construction didn't begin until the summer of 1957. South and East, named for the locations in the city where they were located, were built to serve the growing Sunset Park and Belmont neighborhoods.
On the school's opening day, East principal Emil Paripovich welcomed 1,090 students to the new school, including a class of 350 ninth-graders from Risley Middle School. In an article that appeared in The Pueblo Chieftain, Paripovich said the students and 51 faculty members were proud to be a part of the new school.
"The effect of the new building on school spirit has been remarkable, and there has been no vandalism," Paripovich said. "We remind the pupils this is their building and they should take care of it ... and they are."
Mel Spence, who taught and coached at East before he succeeded Paripovich as principal in 1968, said it was exciting to be a part of a new school and to help develop new traditions. "The spirit of the school was tremendous, and I think Emil had a lot to do with that," he said. "Most of the students came from Centennial, but when they got to East, this was their school, and they took a lot of pride in it. Just starting out, we didn't have a lot of material things, but we did have spirit and pride."
Spence, who coached football and wrestling, said it was a challenge but also exciting to be able to build a new program in such a strong high school sports community. "It was tough, because when the students came from Centennial, we didn't get one letterman for football," he said. "Central had taken second in state, and 19 of their 21 lettermen went to South. South ended up beating us 48-6. We scored in the last minute of the game and you'd have thought we won the game." Spence said two years later, East beat South in the annual clash between the two hometown rivals.
A little more than three weeks after opening, School District 60 hosted a citywide dedication of the two schools and open-house sessions at each building. U.S. Commissioner of Education
Commissioner of Education
The Commissioner of Education was the title given to the head of the National Bureau of Education, a former unit within the Department of the Interior in the United States...
Lawrence Derthick was the keynote speaker for the dedication ceremony held at Pueblo Public Schools Stadium, now Dutch Clark Stadium. At the dedication ceremony, Derthick praised Pueblo officials for their support and dedication to public schools as the city continued to grow.
"Here in Pueblo, you had the vision to look and plan ahead to keep your schools in pace with expansion in your city," he said. "As I know more about your wonderful new buildings, it is difficult to find words which adequately express the admiration I feel as a lifelong teacher." "Your plan to take care of classroom needs over the next decade is a shining example of what can be done when citizens in a community really care about their schools."
With all the pomp and celebrations surrounding the schools' openings completed in the first month, students and faculty at South and East began to focus on building clubs and organizations, programs and traditions, many of which remain today.
Campus
The identical buildings, of both East and South High designed by architect Walter DeMordaunt, were built by local contractors and included state-of-the-art, energy-efficient features for that era. Whitlock Construction was the general contractor for South, and H.W. Houston Construction was the contractor for East.The two schools mirror each other in many ways. Each cost approximately $2 million, had 40 classrooms, 500-seat gymnasiums, a cafeteria, an auditorium with seating for 1,200 and several other miscellaneous classrooms. Those miscellaneous rooms included a band and orchestra room, wood and metal shops, graphic arts, a cooking room and a library.
The east and west sides of the buildings were created with a sawtooth design to allow for more natural light, but less direct light, into the building. Each building also had more than 200 skylights on the roof, which was expected to save an estimated $750 a year in energy costs. The skylights were later removed because they broke easily and required constant, costly repairs. Each school also had a unique, enclosed courtyard and a single second-story classroom. Each also had a paved parking lot, a football field and a track, tennis courts, a softball area and a standard baseball field.
Extracurricular activities
East High School offers a wide variety of athletic programs for students. The school has only one team state title to its name, which was won by the school's Ladies cross country team in 1978. There have been several individuals who have won state titles while representing the school in sports such as wrestling, track & field and tennis.Athletics
Fall SportsBoys
- Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- FootballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
- Soccer
- TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
Girls
- Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- SoftballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
- VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
Winter Sports
Boys
- BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- WrestlingWrestlingWrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
Girls
- BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and DivingDivingDiving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
Spring Sports
Boys
- BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
- Track & Field
- SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and DivingDivingDiving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
Girls
- GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- Soccer
- TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
- Track & Field
The school also possesses many different student clubs and organizations, which include the following as of the 2010-2011 school year:
Student Clubs/Organizations
- Annual Staff
- Band & Orchestra
- Choir
- DECA - Distributive Education Clubs of America
- FBLA - Future Business Leaders of America
- Fellowship of Christian Eagles
- Flags and Rifles
- Foreign Language Club
- FCCLA - Family, Career and Community Leaders of America
- GEAR UPGaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate ProgramsGaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs is a set of scholarship and outreach programs in the United States of America...
- Golden Theatre (Drama Club)
- JROTCJunior Reserve Officers' Training CorpsThe Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a Federal program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces in high schools across the United States...
- Key Club
- MESA - Math Engineering Science Achievement
- National Honor SocietyNational Honor SocietyThe National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
- Speech & DebateNational Forensic LeagueThe National Forensic League is a non-partisan, non-profit educational honor society established to encourage and motivate American high school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: debate, public speaking and interpretation. NFL is the America's oldest and largest...
- Spirit LeadersCheerleadingCheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
- Student CouncilStudent councilStudent council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...
East High School also has many traditions throughout the year.
- Homecoming Festivities
- Cannon Week
- Mr. December Dance
- Winter Sports Dance
- Junior-Senior Prom