Irvington High School (New York)
Encyclopedia
Irvington High School is a public high school in Irvington, New York
, part of the Irvington Union Free School District in Westchester County
. U.S. News and World Report rated IHS as number 91 on its list of America's best high schools as of the end of 2007.
– once stood. The three-story stone "cottage" with a circular tower, originally built in the 1860s by Augustus Corey Richards, was destroyed by fire and then torn down in 1961 to make way for new quarters for the high school, which had outgrown the Main Street School building which it then occupied.
The new building opened for the 1965-1966 school year, but was then extensively rebuilt in the 1980s. Before the 2003-2004 school year, new buildings for the high school and Irvington Middle School were constructed and annexed to the existing high school building, due to the school district's growing population.
s event, the junior class, whose color is red, voted on a communism
theme for their shirts and hallways. Initially, the school administration gave junior class president Isabel Garcia permission to buy the shirts but several days later, senior Michael Schur protested about the shirts to the school administration. Within hours, Garcia was told to cease production on the junior class shirts and was forced to change the junior class theme to a Super Mario Bros.
-themed shirt and hallway. When an article about the situation was used in The Journal News
, the school was briefly under fire by readers who chastised the Irvington High School staff for encouraging events like this.
The Varsity Girls Basketball team is among the top teams in the school. Throughout the years of existence the team has won numerous trophies and titles, including a State Championship and Federation Championship in 1990 and recently a 2010 Federation and State Championship. More recently, they won 2011 State Championship. Coached by long time coach Gina Maher, after whom one of the school's gymnasiums is named.
Track and Field
With numerous state, county, league and class sectional titles, the team's most recognized achievements are in pole vaulting (past New York State champions), mile run, 4×100, 4×400 and 4×800. The team won the 2010 League Championships. It is coached by Christopher Barry, Daryl Thorton, Gina Maher, and formally Jim McGarry, who retired in June 2010.
Cross Country
Just like the track and field team, Irvington XC has gained local fame with their many league (2009 champions), county (2009 champions and sectional (2009 runner-ups) wins. It is coached by Christopher Barry and Daryl Thorton.
Golf
The Varsity Golf team has seen recent success under retired teacher William Dyer. After a 15 year drought from their last league championship, the golf team went undefeated 2010, beating Ardsley High School in the championship finale. The team has a notably unique new tradition of wearing names and numbers on the backs of their polos, something that was previously unseen in the sport of golf.
in the spring of 2008. In spring 2009, the band traveled to London
to perform. Corio also directs the Wind Ensemble, which in 2007 received a gold medal with distinction at the NYSSMA festival. The Wind Ensemble is a group of approximately 40 students. In December 2007, the ensemble played in the MetLife Tower in New York City
, and since then has done so each year. Corio also directs the Jazz Ensemble and supervises the Jazz Combo, which is student-run and has nine members. In February 2011, the concert band, wind ensemble and jazz combo toured the country of Belgium
.
(Spring 2003), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
(Spring 2002), Grease
(Spring 2001), Guys and Dolls (Spring 2000), Little Shop of Horrors
(Spring 1999), Anything Goes
(Spring 2006), The Music Man (Spring 2007), Hello Dolly (Spring 2008), Little Shop of Horrors (musical)
(Spring 2009). Seussical
(Fall 2009) and Once Upon a Mattress
(Spring 2010). "Into the Woods
" (Fall 2010). "Grease
" (Spring 2011)
. All students vote on grade-specific awards and decide who in their class should win the award. Teachers who are willing to do the show and senior students present the awards via humorous sketches parodying events of that year in both pop culture and within the school. More often than not, Scott Mosenthal and assistant principal John Fink will play characters in some form of story arc, usually a film parody. Back to the Future
, Ghostbusters
, Toy Story
, Aladdin, The Wizard of Oz
and The Blues Brothers
have all been parodied at this event in that fashion. In 2003, to coincide with gym teacher Bill Otivich's retirement, the awards were named in his honor to the Otto Awards. Underclassmen are also represented via student-provided entertainment, usually musicians performing though in recent years puppetry
and stand-up comedy
acts have appeared in the Ottos.
Irvington, New York
Irvington, sometimes known as Irvington-on-Hudson, is an affluent suburban village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a station stop on the...
, part of the Irvington Union Free School District in Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
. U.S. News and World Report rated IHS as number 91 on its list of America's best high schools as of the end of 2007.
History
Irvington High School is located where "Cedar Lawn", the estate of Dylan Freier – one of the founders of Stern's department storeStern's
Stern's was a regional department store chain serving the U.S. states of New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The chain was in business for more than 130 years, prior to its 2001 integration into Macy's and Bloomingdale's...
– once stood. The three-story stone "cottage" with a circular tower, originally built in the 1860s by Augustus Corey Richards, was destroyed by fire and then torn down in 1961 to make way for new quarters for the high school, which had outgrown the Main Street School building which it then occupied.
The new building opened for the 1965-1966 school year, but was then extensively rebuilt in the 1980s. Before the 2003-2004 school year, new buildings for the high school and Irvington Middle School were constructed and annexed to the existing high school building, due to the school district's growing population.
Bomb threats
After the Annex was built the school received a series of bomb threats beginning in February 2005, which was the only bomb threat that school year. However, during the 2005-2006 school year, the number of bomb threats began to escalate with three occurring near the second half of the year. Bomb threats in Irvington reached their peak during the 2006-2007 school year, many of them occurring within days or weeks of each other, the last one being in the middle of May 2007. The person responsible for two of the initial threats was caught after the second scare. The perpetrators of the most recent series have not been caught. Over the summer of 2007, new security measures were installed, such as video surveillance and security officers, and there have been no further bomb threats to date.Communism shirt controversy
During Irvington's 2010 Color WarColor war
Color war is a meta-game played in summer camps, schools and some social organizations . Participants are divided into teams, each of which is assigned a color. The teams compete against each other in challenges and events to earn points...
s event, the junior class, whose color is red, voted on a communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
theme for their shirts and hallways. Initially, the school administration gave junior class president Isabel Garcia permission to buy the shirts but several days later, senior Michael Schur protested about the shirts to the school administration. Within hours, Garcia was told to cease production on the junior class shirts and was forced to change the junior class theme to a Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros.
is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
-themed shirt and hallway. When an article about the situation was used in The Journal News
The Journal News
The Journal News is a newspaper in New York serving the suburban New York City counties of Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam, a region known as the Lower Hudson Valley. It is owned by the Gannett Company, Inc. The Journal News was created through a merger of several daily community newspapers...
, the school was briefly under fire by readers who chastised the Irvington High School staff for encouraging events like this.
Athletics
BasketballThe Varsity Girls Basketball team is among the top teams in the school. Throughout the years of existence the team has won numerous trophies and titles, including a State Championship and Federation Championship in 1990 and recently a 2010 Federation and State Championship. More recently, they won 2011 State Championship. Coached by long time coach Gina Maher, after whom one of the school's gymnasiums is named.
Track and Field
With numerous state, county, league and class sectional titles, the team's most recognized achievements are in pole vaulting (past New York State champions), mile run, 4×100, 4×400 and 4×800. The team won the 2010 League Championships. It is coached by Christopher Barry, Daryl Thorton, Gina Maher, and formally Jim McGarry, who retired in June 2010.
Cross Country
Just like the track and field team, Irvington XC has gained local fame with their many league (2009 champions), county (2009 champions and sectional (2009 runner-ups) wins. It is coached by Christopher Barry and Daryl Thorton.
Golf
The Varsity Golf team has seen recent success under retired teacher William Dyer. After a 15 year drought from their last league championship, the golf team went undefeated 2010, beating Ardsley High School in the championship finale. The team has a notably unique new tradition of wearing names and numbers on the backs of their polos, something that was previously unseen in the sport of golf.
Sports rivalries
Irvington High School is rivals with its neighboring village, Dobbs Ferry High School. Other big rivalries include the Briarcliff Bears and the Pleasantville Panthers. In the past there used to be a bonfire where bear stuffed animals were burned.Band
The IHS band, the largest extracurricular activity at the school, is directed by Lawrence Corio and typically consists of between 100-160 members. In 2007, the band performed at Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center and in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in the spring of 2008. In spring 2009, the band traveled to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to perform. Corio also directs the Wind Ensemble, which in 2007 received a gold medal with distinction at the NYSSMA festival. The Wind Ensemble is a group of approximately 40 students. In December 2007, the ensemble played in the MetLife Tower in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and since then has done so each year. Corio also directs the Jazz Ensemble and supervises the Jazz Combo, which is student-run and has nine members. In February 2011, the concert band, wind ensemble and jazz combo toured the country of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
Orchestra
The IHS Orchestra program is directed by Alan Goldberg. They traveled to Washington, DC in the spring of 2010 and won a silver award.Chorus
The IHS chorus program is directed by Janet Gillespie. The Concert Choir typically consists of about 85 members, and is open to all students. Chorale, the auditioned chamber choir, traveled to Montreal in 2008 and was awarded a gold medal at NYSSMA in 2007 and 2009. At NYSSMA in 2010, the Concert Choir earned a gold medal and the Chorale earned a silver medal.Student Government
The IHS Student Council aids in organizing High School and community service events, including Homecoming Weekend, the grade vs. grade Color Wars, and Open Mic nights, often integrating these events with community service endeavors, from raising money for a variety of charities, to collecting holiday gifts for children, to having food drives for local food shelters. Also, members of the Student Government collaborate with a larger segment of the community through the Community Advisory Board, which includes parents from the PTSA, teaching faculty, school administrators, and representatives from the local government including police officers, trustees, and the mayor, to plan events for students from kindergarten to twelfth grade, and discuss substance abuse issues.Drama Club
The Drama Club is run by Diana Selenow, who is not a teacher at the school but a director brought in by the school administration. The Club typically mounts two productions a year, a drama in the late Fall and a musical in late Winter. Beginning in 2009, due to dismal ticket sales for fall plays, the fall production has since become Broadway Jr. shows. Since 1996, the productions have been directed by Selenow and a senior as an assistant director. Recent productions include Oklahoma (Spring 2005), Damn Yankees (spring 2004), Babes in ArmsBabes in Arms
Babes in Arms is a 1937 musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Rodgers and Hart. It concerns a teen-age boy who puts on a show with his friends to avoid being sent to a work farm.- Production history:...
(Spring 2003), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, based on Shepherd Mead's 1952 book of the same name....
(Spring 2002), Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
(Spring 2001), Guys and Dolls (Spring 2000), Little Shop of Horrors
Little Shop of Horrors (musical)
Little Shop of Horrors is a rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman...
(Spring 1999), Anything Goes
Anything Goes
Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London...
(Spring 2006), The Music Man (Spring 2007), Hello Dolly (Spring 2008), Little Shop of Horrors (musical)
Little Shop of Horrors (musical)
Little Shop of Horrors is a rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman...
(Spring 2009). Seussical
Seussical
is a musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty based on the books of Dr. Seuss that debuted on Broadway in 2000. The play's story is a rather complex amalgamation of many of Seuss's most famous books. After a Broadway run, the production spawned two US national tours and a UK tour...
(Fall 2009) and Once Upon a Mattress
Once Upon a Mattress
Once Upon a Mattress is a musical comedy with music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer. It opened off-Broadway in May 1959, and then moved to Broadway...
(Spring 2010). "Into the Woods
Into the Woods
Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987. Bernadette Peters' performance as the Witch and Joanna Gleason's portrayal of the Baker's Wife brought acclaim...
" (Fall 2010). "Grease
Grease
Grease may refer to:* Grease , a type of industrial lubricant* Yellow grease, in rendering, used frying oils, or lower-quality grades of tallow...
" (Spring 2011)
Latin Club
The Latin Club is the largest club on campus and advised by Latin Department Chair Michele Cella. It is structured around the Roman Republic, governed by two consuls and one scriba/quaestor (secretary/treasurer); there are also three students involved with public relations. The club organizes an annual Haunted House, hosted in the town's Main Street School, which draws crowds from throughout the community, makes and sells chocolate during the holidays, and assists the school administration and the Irvington Education Foundation with their respective district-wide mailings. The club is also known for its annual Saturnalia party, a winter solstice festival that serves as the club's main get-together and features a highly competitive cake-making competition, and "Topless Dinner", a pasta sauce making competition.Model United Nations
Model UN is one of the most respected clubs at Irvington High School, and is advised by History teacher extraordianre Ms. Courtney Geelan. The club of around 40 students is currently led by head delegates, Melissa Kurlioff and Scott Kansuger. Every year, the club participates in three conferences, HoMmunc, at the Horrace Mann School in Riverdale, Fairfield, at Fairfield University and Ilmunc at the University of Pennsylvania. Ilmunc is the club's largest trip, where Geelan takes most of the club to Philadelphia to participate in the conference of over 1000 people. Every member of the club is required to go through a strict application process, so that only the motivated join. The club brings in big awards, and was congratulated at the school board's May meeting last year.Schedule
Irvington High School runs on a 9-period schedule. Some classes are taught every other day only, depending on whether it is an "A" or "B" day. Additionally, certain art and music classes, such as band, chorus, and orchestra, are held during a tenth period. Periods are approximately 45 minutes long. School begins at 7:50 in the morning and ends at 2:35 in the afternoon. Tenth period continues an additional 45 minutes.Otto Awards
In 1990, as part of an effort to encourage increased self-esteem among the student body, a committee put together an in-school awards program modeled on the Academy AwardsAcademy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
. All students vote on grade-specific awards and decide who in their class should win the award. Teachers who are willing to do the show and senior students present the awards via humorous sketches parodying events of that year in both pop culture and within the school. More often than not, Scott Mosenthal and assistant principal John Fink will play characters in some form of story arc, usually a film parody. Back to the Future
Back to the Future
Back to the Future is a 1985 American science-fiction adventure film. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson. The film tells the story of...
, Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
, Toy Story
Toy Story
Toy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated film released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is Pixar's first feature film as well as the first ever feature film to be made entirely with CGI. The film was directed by John Lasseter and featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen...
, Aladdin, The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
and The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers (film)
The Blues Brothers is a 1980 musical comedy film directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as "Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues, characters developed from a musical sketch on the NBC variety series Saturday Night Live. It features musical numbers by R&B and soul singers James...
have all been parodied at this event in that fashion. In 2003, to coincide with gym teacher Bill Otivich's retirement, the awards were named in his honor to the Otto Awards. Underclassmen are also represented via student-provided entertainment, usually musicians performing though in recent years puppetry
Puppetry
Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance which involves the manipulation of puppets. It is very ancient, and is believed to have originated 30,000 years BC. Puppetry takes many forms but they all share the process of animating inanimate performing objects...
and stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
acts have appeared in the Ottos.