Madison East High School
| Madison East High School | |
|---|---|
 Diversity and Pride. | |
| Location | |
|
Madison, Wisconsin USA | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public secondary |
| Established | 1922 |
| Oversight | Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) |
| Principal | Michael Hernandez |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Number of students | 1,580 (2011-2012) |
| Color(s) | Purple and Gold |
| Athletics conference | Big 8 |
| Mascot | Purgolders |
| Accreditation | AdvancED[1] |
| Newspaper | Tower Times |
| Website | East High School |
Madison East High School is one of four comprehensive four-year high schools in Madison, Wisconsin. It was established in 1922, making it the oldest public high school still operating in Madison. The school mascot is the "Purgolder", an animal resembling a puma. Madison East athletes compete in the WIAA Big Eight Conference. Its girls' swim team won the WIAA Division 1 state championship in 2007.
Facility
Madison East has an inside mall, which was built from bricks from the older building before the school was expanded. This area houses most of the lockers in the school and serves as a place for students to congregate. The forum is normally reserved for freshman, but upperclassmen are also allowed to use it. Above the freshman forum is the "Sophomore Wall"; closer to the cafeteria are the "Junior" and "Senior" walls.
Academics
Honors and advanced classes are part of the curriculum. Advanced Placement (AP) courses include calculus AB, calculus BC, Environmental Science, Statistics, French 5, Spanish 5, music theory, psychology, macroeconomics, microeconomics, European history and computer science. Courses are available in advanced physics, advanced chemistry, anatomy, literature, composition, creative writing, speed reading, and computer programming.
The school also has a music program. The band program includes Freshman Band, Concert Band, Pep Band, Jazz Band, Jazz Orchestra and the highest level, Sinfonietta. The orchestra program includes the Concert Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra and the Philharmonic Orchestra. The choir program has both concert choirs and show choirs. The concert choirs include Chorale, Women's Choir and Concert Choir. The Show Choirs include Mad City Swing and Encore Show Choir.
Extracurricular activities
Athletics
East's sports include softball, volleyball, football, baseball, track and field, soccer, tennis, golf, gymnastics, wrestling, cross country, basketball,ice hockey and swimming. The hockey team won several state championships, however, because of a lack of funding and participation the hockey team has been combined with the team from La Follette.
The girls' swim team won the WIAA Division 1 state title in 2007, and was runner-up in 2008.
The boys' tennis team competed in the state tournament in the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011 seasons.
The girls' tennis team competed in the state tournament in the 1995, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2011 seasons.
The boys' basketball team won three consecutive regional titles (2009, 2010, 2011) and were ranked 10th in the Midwest by USA Today in 2010. The team reached the state tournament in the 2014-15 season, falling to three-time defending champion Germantown in the semifinals. The Purgolders won their only state title in 1958.
Theater
The Margaret Williams Theater in East High School once had an upper balcony, a back section under the balcony, and an enormous chandelier. However, in the 1970s, the theater was renovated and the upper balcony was walled up to allow for the creation of the Barrett and Randall rooms as study halls. The chandelier was removed and the theater's seats were replaced with desks for more study halls. Currently, there is an effort to raise funds to renovate the theater.
Notable alumni
- Connie Carpenter-Phinney (class of '75), professional cycle racer/speed skater and 1984 Summer Olympics Gold Medalist
- Dale Hackbart (class of '56), NFL linebacker/safety, Green Bay Packers (1960), Washington Redskins (1961-1963), Minnesota Vikings (1966-1970), St. Louis Cardinals (1971-1972), Denver Broncos (1973)
- Donald Hayes, (class of '94) NFL wide receiver, Carolina Panthers (1998-2001, 2004), New England Patriots (2002-2003)
- Gabe Jennings, (class of '97) middle distance runner who competed in the 1,500 meters at the 2000 Sydney Olympics
- Jerry Kelly (class of '85), professional golfer, Nike Tour (1995), PGA Tour (1996-current)[2]
- Joe Kurth, NFL tackle, Green Bay Packers (1933-1934)
- Greg Mattison, NFL and NCAA football coach
- Jim Montgomery (class of '73), swimmer and gold medalist at the 1976 Summer Olympics
- Kathryn Morrison, legislator
- Pat Richter (class of '59), NFL tight end, Washington Redskins (1963-1970), University of Wisconsin–Madison Athletic Director (1989-2004)
- Kelda Roys, Wisconsin politician
- Melissa Agard Sargent (Class of '87) is an American small business owner from Madison, Wisconsin serves in the Wisconsin State Assembly (2012-2016)
- Ken Starch, NFL running back, Green Bay Packers (1976)
- Bob Suter, (class of '75) 1980 "Miracle on Ice" Hockey Team Olympic Gold Medalist, professional hockey player
- Bradley Whitford (class of '77), actor, most well known for his work on the television series The West Wing
References
- ↑ Institution Summary, AdvancED, Retrieved 2012-07-08
- ↑ "Jerry's bio on PGA.com". Archived from the original on 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2007-02-01.