Riverview High School (Sarasota, Florida)
Encyclopedia
Riverview High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school in Sarasota, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Riverview educates students from ninth grade
Ninth grade
Ninth grade is the ninth post-kindergarten year of school education in some school systems. The students are 13 to 15 years of age, depending on when their birthday occurs. Depending on the school district, ninth grade is usually the first year of high school....

 to twelfth grade
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...

. The school has 2,654 students and 161 teachers. The school's mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...

 is the ram.

Notable programs at the school include the International Baccalaureate Program, a rigorous regimen that prepares its candidates on an international rubric and prepares them for further education; a Chamber Choir that has performed in Europe and New York's Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....

; and the Riverview High School Kiltie Band, a group of about 220 musicians that has marched three times in the Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...

 Thanksgiving Day parade.

The Rudolph building, 1958-2009

Riverview's old main building opened in 1958 , and included a planetarium
Planetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...

. The main building was designed by noted International Style
International style (architecture)
The International style is a major architectural style that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, the formative decades of Modern architecture. The term originated from the name of a book by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, The International Style...

 architect Paul Rudolph
Paul Rudolph (architect)
Paul Marvin Rudolph was an American architect and the dean of the Yale School of Architecture for six years, known for use of concrete and highly complex floor plans...

, dean of the Yale School of Architecture
Yale School of Architecture
The Yale School of Architecture is one of the constituent professional schools of Yale University. It is generally considered to be one of the most prestigious architecture schools in the world.- History :...

. While Rudolph was later associated with the architectural style Brutalism, Riverview was in the International Style. It was one of the best-known structures associated with the Sarasota School of Architecture
Sarasota School of Architecture
The Sarasota School of Architecture, sometimes called "Sarasota Modern," is a regional style of post-war architecture that emerged on Florida's Central West Coast...

, sometimes referred to as Sarasota Modern.
In 2006, Sarasota County approved spending an estimated $130 million on the reconstruction of the school, which would include demolition of the Rudolph building. http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061011/NEWS/610110476 The new high school building would increase classroom space and bring the school's facilities up to date. The Rudolph structures would be replaced with a big parking lot.

The building's critics contended that Rudolph's roof design, which was intended to make runoff water resemble a "waterfall," caused water to pool dangerously in the hallways. School officials also asserted that mold
Mold
Molds are fungi that grow in the form of multicellular filaments called hyphae. Molds are not considered to be microbes but microscopic fungi that grow as single cells called yeasts...

 was an ongoing problem http://forums.heraldtribune.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/6751081465/m/3001094695. Proponents for restoration of the buildings cited that inappropriate alterations to the original design had created some of the problems and that proper maintenance had been deferred as well, making the problems seem much greater, but that remedial action was feasible.

The demolition plans were opposed by historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...

ists, including the directors of the Sarasota Architectural Foundation, the directors of the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, the founder of Friends of Seagate, and the president-elect of American Institute of Architects, Florida
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...

 http://www.docomomo-us.org/about/threatened_paul_rudolph_riverview_high_school.

Riverview High School was placed on the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation's list of the most endangered historic sites and was nominated for placement on the National Trust for Historic Preservation
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...

 2007 list of the America's Most Endangered Places
America's Most Endangered Places
Each year since 1987, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has released a list of places they consider the most endangered in America. The number of sites included on the list has varied, with the most recent lists settling on 11...

. http://saveriverview.blogspot.com/ http://saveriverview.blogspot.com/2006/12/new-york-team-films-documentary-on.html It was also placed on the World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and training....

's 2008 List of 100 Most Endangered Sites in the listing "Main Street Modern."

At a January 2007 Sarasota public meeting, Kafi Benz
Kafi Benz
Kafi Benz is an American writer and artist who began participation in social entrepreneurship through environmental preservation and regional planning in 1959 as a member of the Jersey Jetport Site Association, which opposed plans by the New York Port Authority to found a new airport in the Great...

, the founder of Friends of Seagate asked Andres Duany
Andrés Duany
Andrés Duany is an American architect and urban planner.Duany was born in New York City but grew up in Cuba until 1960. He attended The Choate School and received his undergraduate degree in architecture and urban planning from Princeton University...

 to relate the prevailing international opinion regarding the demolition plans for Riverview High School. In what time would prove overstatement, he said that Sarasota's reputation as a leader in the arts would be destroyed, forever, if demolition of this significant structure were allowed. http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070114/NEWS/701140445 In February 2007, and after pressure from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the school board agreed to consider new options in lieu of demolition http://www.sarasotaspeaks.com/node/7601.
Considering the international concern expressed about the cultural value of the buildings, as well as the actions of a local organization formed to advance alternative plans for the new development that would include restoration of the Rudolph structures and placing the parking lot intended to replace it under the athletic fields, on March 20, 2007 the school board announced that it would allow a year for consideration of implementation of alternative proposals. This follows a charrette
Charrette
A charrette , is often Anglicized to charette and sometimes called a design charrette. It consists of an intense period of design activity.-Charrettes in general:...

 conducted locally by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, where the plan for relocating the parking lot was proposed.

The office of architect Carl Abbott, FAIA, who is considered a member of the Sarasota School of Architecture, released information about a co-operative effort by the Save Riverview Committee, the Florida Association of Architects, and the Sarasota Architectural Foundation, at which the documentary Site Specific: The History of Regional Modernism, by Susan Szenasy, editor in chief of Metropolis
Metropolis (American magazine)
Metropolis is a monthly magazine about architecture and design, with a focus on sustainability. It is based in New York and has been published since 1981, with the current print circulation around 57,000....

 magazine, was previewed on March 24 at Burns Court Cinema in Sarasota. In the film, Szenasy explored the historic significance of Riverview High School and featured expressions of the concern of architects around the world compared with the designer of the new campus and a maintenance staff member at the school. The film was intended for a lecture tour of the United States by Szenasy, who planned to discuss the issues of historic preservation, community history, and the education of students.

On June 17, 2008, however, the school board voted three to two to raze Rudolph's structure. It was demolished in June 2009 http://www.docomomo-us.org/news/florida_rudolphs_riverview_high_school_demolished, and the new school building opened in August of the same year.

Highlander Drum Corps

The Highlander Drum Corps is the official drumline
Drumline
A drumline is a section of percussion instruments usually played as part of a musical marching ensemble. High school and college marching bands, drill and drum corps, drum and bugle corps, indoor percussion ensembles, and pipe bands usually incorporate drumlines; however, drumlines can exist...

 of the Riverview High School Kiltie Band. As of the 2005-2006 marching season, the unit currently contains about 30 percussionists, all skilled in various areas of the musical field, but as the name implies with strict emphasis in the percussive arts, mainly in marching percussion
Marching percussion
Marching percussion instruments are specially designed to be played while moving. This is achieved by attaching the drum to a special harness worn by the drummer. The drums are designed and tuned for maximum articulation and projection of sound, as marching activities are almost always outdoors or...

. As most other drum lines / drum corps
Drum and bugle corps (modern)
A drum and bugle corps, also known as a drum corps, is a musical marching unit consisting of brass instruments, percussion instruments, and color guard. Typically operating as independent non-profit organizations, drum corps perform in competitions, parades, festivals, and other civic functions...

 seen throughout the U.S. and other parts of the world, the Highlander Drum Corps is composed of several battery percussion instruments - the Snare drum
Snare drum
The snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...

 (small, high-pitched drum located in the center of the drumline), the Bass drum
Bass drum
Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...

 (generally larger drums varying in size and pitch), Tenors/Quints
Quints
Quints is a 2000 Disney Channel Original Movie starring Kimberly J. Brown as the older sister of a set of quintuplets.- Plot summary :...

 (combined set of 5 or more drums in one piece), and marching cymbal
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...

s that add visual flair and dynamic impact in the cadence repertoire of the line.

History of the Highlander Drum Corps

  • Note: For the sake of copyright conditions, it must be noted that this portion of the article is influenced directly from the "About the HDC" section of the Official Website of the Highlander Drum Corps*


The Highlander Drum Corps received its name in the mid-1990s to highlight the Scottish heritage of both Riverview High School and the RHS Kiltie Band. Since 1999, the HDC has marched between 25 and 30 members in its ranks, generally marching 6 snares, 5 tenors (quints), 6 basses, and 10-12 cymbals. During that year, the HDC participated in its first fundraiser, the HDC Drum-a-thon, and raised $11,000 to purchase new equipment (Premier Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, harnesses, cases and cymbal bags) for the line.

The actual Riverview High School Drumline, however, is as old as the RHS Kiltie Band itself. It has remained a unit of the band since the organization's inaugural year of 1960. As noted above, the HDC title came much later in the mid-1990s, and HDC gained the reputation it has now with the coming of Director of Percussion Chuck Evans in his first year at RHS in 1998. As an alumnus of Florida State University in 1995, he transformed the group from a traditional high school drumline to a well-rounded and experienced unit almost immediately. The Section Leader of the FSU Big 8 Drumline during college, he has brought over and taught numerous college-level cadences and warmups, courteousy of both Big 8 and several other drumlines and corps throughout the nation.

As of November, 2004, the Highlander Drum Corps has succeeded in its quest for new drums and ensemble equipment. Although due partly to their very own fund-raising efforts, the greatest financial supplement came in the Sarasota County referendum on program spending in Sarasota County schools. As a result of this, and the strenuous efforts of director Chuck Evans, the Highlander Drum Corps has to this date received an estimated $50,000 worth of equipment for marching and concert season usage. This came a matter of a week before the Highlander Drum Corps and the Riverview High School Kiltie Band marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

Responsibilities and activities of the Highlander Drum Corps

As a direct arm of the RHS Kiltie Band, the HDC is involved in all activities of the organization, primarily during the marching season; including half-time performances, community events, marching competitions, pep rallies, and multitudes of other events focused on the Sarasota community, and primarily Riverview High School.

Aside from band-affiliated music, the line specializes in cadences developed directly for either the HDC specifically, or for other drumlines in general. These are normally performed at pep rallies, miscellaneous community events, or most notably - "drumoff
Drumoff
A drumoff is a competition between 2 or more high school or university marching band drumlines.Usually, the set contains 3 or more cadences from each side. These are usually the most challenging or visually impressive pieces in the drumline's repertoire. Drumoffs generally take place at half-time...

" competitions between school drumline
Drumline
A drumline is a section of percussion instruments usually played as part of a musical marching ensemble. High school and college marching bands, drill and drum corps, drum and bugle corps, indoor percussion ensembles, and pipe bands usually incorporate drumlines; however, drumlines can exist...

s during the RHS football games. These cadences and features exemplify the most visually and acoustically valuable abilities of the HDC, as they perform pieces involving high-tempo pace, various degrees of drill, great levels of dynamic contrast, and incorporation of complex visual maneuvers into the pieces themselves. One of the most recent, and most anticipated moments of the HDC drumoff will include a solo cadence "Wail!", which features the individual talents of the gifted members of this drumline.

The HDC's greatest rivals include cross-town nemesis Sarasota High School, and Bradenton-based Manatee High School. Although there has been instances of bad blood in the past between these schools and others, overall throughout the years there has been generally little hostility between one another, as the drumoff is meant to be an exhibition of friendly competition, and recognition of each other's skills and specific cadences.

Notable alumni

  • David Baas
    David Baas
    David Andrew Baas is an American football Guard/Center for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...

     - American Football
    American football
    American 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...

     player (center
    Center (American football)
    Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...

    ) with San Francisco 49ers
    San Francisco 49ers
    The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...

    .
  • Chris Hannon
    Chris Hannon
    Christopher Lee Hannon is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2006...

     - American Football wide receiver
    Wide receiver
    A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...

     with the Baltimore Ravens
    Baltimore Ravens
    The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...

    .
  • Mike Hiss
    Mike Hiss
    Mike Hiss is a former driver in the USAC Championship Car series. He raced in the 1972-1976 seasons, with 28 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in 1972-1975. He finished in the top ten 13 times, with his best finish in 2nd position in 1972 at Ontario...

     - racing car driver in the UASC Championship Car series, finishing 7th in the Indianapolis 500
    Indianapolis 500
    The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...

     in 1972, and winning the "rookie of the Year" title.
  • Todd Johnson
    Todd Johnson
    Todd Edward Johnson is a former American college and professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League for seven seasons during the 2000s. Johnson played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Chicago Bears, St...

     - American Football safety
    Safety
    Safety is the state of being "safe" , the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be...

     for the Buffalo Bills
    Buffalo Bills
    The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

    .
  • Keith Saltojanes
    Keith Saltojanes
    Keith Saltojanes is an American actor. His mainstream debut came in his role as Anthony Sanchez on Forensic Files.-Early life:...

     - Television
    Television
    Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

     and movie actor in such shows as Iron Man 2
    Iron Man 2
    Iron Man 2 is a 2010 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man, the second film in a planned trilogy and is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Jon...

    , Forensic Files
    Forensic Files
    Forensic Files is an American documentary-style series which reveals how forensic science is used to solve violent crimes, mysterious accidents, and even outbreaks of illness. The show is broadcast on truTV, narrated by Peter Thomas, and produced by Medstar Television, in association with truTV...

    , and Curb Your Enthusiasm
    Curb Your Enthusiasm
    Curb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy television series produced and broadcast by HBO, which premiered on October 15, 2000. As of 2011, it has completed 80 episodes over eight seasons. The series was created by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, who stars as a fictionalized version of himself...

    .
  • Kyle Snyder
    Kyle Snyder
    Kyle Ehren Snyder is an American baseball player, who is a former relief pitcher.Snyder played with the Kansas City Royals and the Boston Red Sox . He is listed at 6-8 and 220 pounds, is a switch hitter, and throws right-handed....

     - Relief pitcher
    Relief pitcher
    A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...

     for the American baseball
    Baseball
    Baseball 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...

     team, the Boston Red Sox
    Boston Red Sox
    The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...

    .
  • Davide Somma
    Davide Somma
    Davide Somma is a South African football player who currently plays for Leeds United and the South African national team. He plays as a striker. In November 2010 Somma made his debut for the national side against USA....

     - Soccer player, with Leeds United.

External links

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