Ypsilanti High School
| Ypsilanti High School | |
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| Current YHS logo
Home of the Ypsilanti Phoenix
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| Address | |
| 2095 Packard Road Ypsilanti, Michigan, 48197 United States  |
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| Coordinates | 42°14′40″N 83°38′44″W / 42.24444°N 83.64556°WCoordinates: 42°14′40″N 83°38′44″W / 42.24444°N 83.64556°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public, Secondary |
| School district | Ypsilanti Public School District |
| Principal | Robert Belous |
| Faculty | ~67 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Number of students | ~1,150 |
| Color(s) | Purple and Gold |
| Mascot | Phoenix |
| Website | http://www.ypsd.org/schools/ypsihigh/index.html |
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Ypsilanti High School is a public school located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and is the second such building to operate under the name. The current facility, built in 1974, was remodeled between 1998 and 1999, as part of a district-wide remodeling effort funded by a bond measure. Ypsilanti High School (or 'Ypsi High,' as many people refer to it), is a comprehensive high school serving 9-12th grades. It is located on the western edge of the Ypsilanti School District at the corner of Packard and Hewitt Roads. It currently has approximately 1,150 students and 65 faculty members. Ypsilanti High School is also one of the participating districts in the Early College Alliance.
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[edit] History
Ypsilanti High School has a lengthy history, and has existed since the mid-19th century. Until 1974, the high school was housed in a historic 3-story brick building on Cross Street, which has since been converted into senior citizen housing units.
[edit] Notable alumni and staff
- Mike Bass - professional NFL football player who played defensive back for the Detroit Lions (1967) and the Washington Redskins (1969–1975)
- Byron M. Cutcheon - former YHS teacher and principal who later became an American Civil War general, Medal of Honor recipient, lawyer and Congressman from Michigan. He became principal of YHS (where he taught ancient languages, higher mathematics and mental and moral philosophy) in 1861, just before he graduated from the University of Michigan.
- Roland J. Green - science fiction and fantasy writer, editor and fan
- Rodney Holman - professional NFL football player who played tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals (1982–1992), and the Detroit Lions (1993–1995)
- Bernard Kirk - football player who played for Notre Dame in 1919 and for Michigan from 1921-1922. He was selected as an All-American at the end position in both 1921 and 1922.
- Alfred Lucking - lawyer and Congressman from Michigan, who later became general counsel for the Ford Motor Company and the Henry Ford interests
- Charles Ramsey - former Eastern Michigan Eagles men's basketball head coach; he played on the YHS baseball, basketball and football teams
- Carolyn King - one of the first girls to play Little League Baseball; she was the centerpiece of a landmark lawsuit in 1973 that led to Little League dropping its boys-only policy.
- Shara Worden (née Wright) - professional performing and recording artist.
[edit] Braves Logo Controversy
The mascot of Ypsilanti High School has been a source of controversy for over 10 years. In the early 1990s, in response to charges that the mascot was offensive to Native Americans, the first changes were undertaken. The real-life mascot, who dressed up as a stereotypical 'Indian' (complete with mohawk) for football games, was discontinued and a panel for the improvement of Native American cultural education was set up.
In 2004, the school's mascot came under fire again, with opponents of the name being organized by an Eastern Michigan University professor. The School Board set up a committee in the fall of 2005 to look into the issue. After a series of open public meetings, the committee returned a report concluding that due to systemic discrimination, the mascot must indeed be changed. However, the committee was the subject of questions itself, with allegations that the group splintered, and none of the public forums gathered much student input. The School Board, while going over the committee's report, scheduled a final public meeting to be held in April 2006. Garnering a large turnout, the event was held in the school's auditorium, with support for the name generally coming from the student body and the community and opponents coming from academia and the Native American community. Following this meeting, the School Board decided in a in May 2006 compromise decision that the name "Braves" could still be used but the Braves logo could not be used in any athletic activities or school events.[1]
In the Fall of 2006, after a reshuffling of School Board members following an election the previous spring, the issue was brought up yet again.[2] In another contentious and closely divided decision, the Board chose 4-3 to retire the 'Braves' name completely on 11 December 2006.[3] On 27 November 2007, the school board chose Phoenix as the new school mascot,[4][5][6] and on March 31, 2008, the new logo was unveiled.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ District seeks Phoenix logo artist Ypsilanti High's transition to new mascot still rankles some students
- ^ "Royals likely choice for Ypsilanti High School team names". Ann Arbor News. 2007-05-15. http://blog.mlive.com/annarbornews/2007/05/royals_likely_choice_for_new_y.html. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
- ^ "Ypsilanti High will start the year without a mascot". September 2007. http://indiancountrynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1321&Itemid=115. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
- ^ "Ypsilanti replaces Braves mascot with Phoenix". Kalamazoo Gazette. 2007-11-27. http://blog.mlive.com/kzgazette/2007/11/ypsilanti_replaces_braves_masc.html. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
- ^ "Phoenix is new nickname for Ypsi High". Ann Arbor News. 2007-11-27. http://blog.mlive.com/annarbornews/2007/11/phoenix.html. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
- ^ "Board Votes On Phoenix Mascot Name". WDIV-TV. 2007-11-26. http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/14696754/detail.html. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
- ^ "Ypsi board gets 1st look at new Phoenix logo". Ann Arbor News. 2008-04-01. http://blog.mlive.com/annarbornews/2008/04/ypsi_board_gets_1st_look_at_ne.html. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
