Bentonville High School

Bentonville High School

Bentonville High School
Location
1901 SE J Street Bentonville, AR 72712
Information
Type	Public
School district	Bentonville Public Schools
Principal	Kim Garrett
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	3103
Color(s)	Black and Gold
Mascot	Tigers
Website	[1]

Bentonville High School is a public high school in Bentonville, Arkansas for grades nine through twelve. The student population was approximately 3107 in 2008-2009. The current principal of the high school is Kim Garrett. Bentonville is in the northwest corner of Arkansas and is the county seat of Benton County. Bentonville is the world headquarters for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc..

Academics

The school has switched from a traditional high school curriculum to an academy, or small learning community. There are five SLC's (small learning communities) that students are in. A "Freshman Learning Community," which all freshman are in, is included to help transition into SLC's. Once in 10th grade, there are four options: IMPACT, SCRUBS, STEAM and VPAC. here

BHS also offers a wide variety of courses, including 19 Advanced Placement (AP) classes.

In 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 Bentonville High School was ranked in the top 1000 best high schools in the nation according to the Newsweek magazine's Top 1200 US Schools. Public schools are ranked according to a ratio called the Challenge Index.

In April 2007, Bentonville High School was approved as an International Baccalaureate World School. In the 2007-2008 school year 16 juniors signed up for the program of in-depth studies.

BHS is one of two high schools in Arkansas that is a recipient of the Blue Ribbon School award in 2007. This prestigious award was only given to 33 schools in the nation.

Valedectorians

'08-'09: Stephen Bentel- Stephen's graduation speech was hailed as a milestone in graduation ceremonies. Focusing mainly on humor, Stephen asked for a moment of silence for the lost planet of Pluto.
'07-'08: Clayton Clark
'06-'07: Vivian Zhang

Fine Arts

Choral Program

Bentonville High School's choral program is under the direction of head director, Terry Hicks and assistant directors, Kayla Abernathy and Ken Griggs. The Chamber Choir won the 2007 "Best in Show" award at the All-State Choir Festival, and the A Cappella Choir was ranked the third in the state. The Chamber Choir also traveled to New York City in March 2007 to sing at Carnegie Hall in the 4th annual National High School Choral Festival. This experience was chronicled in a two part series on National Public Radio. Other choirs at BHS include Chamber Choir and A Cappella SATB, Women's A Cappella Choir, Concert Men, Concert Women, Harmony, and four freshman choirs under the direction of BHS Ninth grade choir director, Ken Griggs. The Chamber Choir members for the 2009-2010 school year have been announced.

Band Program

The Bentonville High School band, under the direction of Becky Gale, Gary Gale, Amanda Cornett and Adam Cowart, performed at the 2006 Fiesta Bowl parade in Arizona and performed in Disney World the summer of 2008.The BHS Tiger Pride Marching Band will be marching in the National Independence Parade in Washington D.C. on the fourth of July of 2009. During the concert season, the band consists of four concert bands. Those concert bands are the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, and Varsity(Freshmen) Band. The entire band program includes approximately 340 students total.

Drama Program

Arend Arts Center

Bentonville High School is also known for its drama program which was under the direction of Brooke Morrell-Smith (On permanent maternal leave as of fall 2008) and is now under the direction of Justin Scheuer. The school's auditorium was funded by the Arend Family and is named the Arend Arts Center (pictured above). BHS produces at least three shows a year including a children's show, a straight play (usually a comedy or mystery), and a spring musical. In the spring of 2007 the program was one of the first high schools in the country to produce All Shook Up. In the spring of 2008 the program produced Little Shop of Horrors. The 2008-2009 line up includes You Can't Take it With You (straight), Stone Soup (children's show), and How to Succeed in Business Without Trying (musical). The 2009-2010 season has yet to been announced.

Forensics Team

The school also prides itself on its forensics team, a combination of debate, improvised speaking and acting, team, and solo events that are all performed by students at several annual tournaments held statewide. The tournaments are held at high schools throughout the year and state finals are held in April. The current team is led by Sponsors and Head coaches Julia Woods and Callie Ham.

Athletics

File:Bentonville tiger stadium.jpg

Tiger Stadium and Tiger Athletic Complex (TAC)

Football Season 2008-2009

Bentonville has been thought of and ranked as one of the top teams in Class 7 A from the beginning of the 2008 season. The No. 1-ranked Tigers, for the second time in school history, will play for a football state championship after beating Russellville 27-0. Bentonville (11-1 )played Fort Smith Southside (10-2 ), which beat Har-Ber 8-7 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Bentonville won the championship game 32-20.

Football

The 2001 state championship team was led by Gary Wear. The 2008 state championship team was led by Barry Lunney, Sr.

Volleyball

The 2007 state championship team was led by Michelle Coens. The 2008 state championship team was led by Michelle Coens.

Wrestling

Bentonville recently has added a wrestling program to its athletic department and it has hit the ground running winning the 2007, 2008, and 2009 state championships. The 2007 state championship team was led by Bill Desler, Rod Hughes, and Andy Stuckey. The 2008 state championship team was led by Bill Desler, Rod Hughes, and Andy Stuckey. The 2009 state championship team was led by Bill Desler, and Rod Hughes.

Traditions and History

Fight Song

Hail to the Tigers
The mighty, mighty Tigers
Rise up and fight with pride
To honor black and gold
We are the Tigers
The mighty, mighty Tigers
Stand up and cheer
T-I-G-E-R-S
Bentonville march on
To victory!

File:Bhs mascot tiger.jpg

BHS Tiger Mascot

Alma Mater

From o'er the shining
Ozarks to plains and
Oceans wide.
Your walls will always
Beckon me.
A symbol of devotion to
days we hold most dear.
An anchor for our loyalty.
Through years of joys and Sorrow your lessons
Will hold true,
Our thoughts of BHS will
Guide us on.
Our tasks will be much
Lighter as ages roll along,
To you our alma mater
Pledge we now our
Love to you!

The Running of the Colors

At the beginning of the 2006 American football season, then Principal Steve Jacoby thought that the new stadium needed a new tradition to lead it into the season. New Head Coach Lunney was in agreement and it was decided that the team would be led onto the field from the field house by three students bearing flags with the letters B, H, and S and them. The running of the colors was met with unexpected success and excitement. The crowd loved it and the tradition was continued beyond the graduation of its three first members and into the 2007 season.

BHS Tiger Football Team entering the field at the beginning of a home game.

The Bentonville-Rogers Rivalry

Bentonville's fiercest rival is the cross-county neighbors of Rogers High School whose mascot is known as the "Mountie". The Tigers traditionally play the Mounties as the first and last regular season soccer game, and the first and last conference basketball game. The match-up between the two schools American football teams is the most heated of athletic events. The games are always met with high security and even higher tensions due to the intense school spirit from both sides and an always inflated game attendance. Bentonville High School won the 07-08 game. Many worried that the rivalry would have ended this year due to a second high school opening in Rogers. However, the rivalry continued strong and Bentonville beat Rogers in the 08-09 game at Roger's brand new stadium.

Vandalism Controversy

The cities of Bentonville and Rogers, AR have been raising security levels due to an on going history and increased amount of monitary loss due to vandalism by students of both schools. During the 2004 season a pair of RHS cheerleaders were picked up for spray painting the RHS logo onto a street in Bentonville. In the 2005 season RHS students attempted to burn the letters RHS into the Bentonville football field but the effort was thwarted by the Bentonville Police Department. The worst case of vandalism came in 2006 when Bentonville High School students who still remain unknown today, broke into the Rogers Public School Bus depot and spray painted all of the windows of the buses black. The act caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage and has led to road blocks between the borders of Bentonville and Rogers during to week of the game. In the weeks following the incident, an anonymous donor gave a large sum of money to Rogers High School, enough to pay for the damages. Whether the events are related are up for debate. This history started at the first Bentonville vs. Rogers football game and has consisted of:

• A Bentonville student lighting the Rogers Pep Rally bonfire via crossbow 5 hours before the event was set to start.
• BHS and RHS has been burned or salted into the opposition’s fields prior to games.
• Rogers has filled the halls of Bentonville with blue dyed chicken carcasses.
• Gallons of yellow and black paint have been pored up and down the halls of Rogers High School.

S.T.A.K. Tradition

Bentonville students created S.T.A.K (Senior Tiger Ass Kickers) in answer to the Rogers High School S.M.A.T. (Senior Mountie Attack Team.) The group came to be known for their rowdy (and sometimes vulgar) cheering, as well as their post on the football stadium railing and front row bleachers at Basketball games.

The groups hallmark is their confederation style organization as opposed to S.M.A.T's highly organized and school sponsored status. There is no true membership," but rather the S.T.A.K. patron gains his/her status through the T-Shirt they or their group (Basketball, Choir, Senior Girls, etc..) designs and how loud they are.

Yell It Spell It

The most infamous of S.T.A.K's chants is known as "Yell It Spell It." The chant is first called at the first pep rally of the year by a socially agreed upon Spirit Leader or other prominent member of the student body.

The chant can't be called until the first pep rally because a target is needed for the chant, as shown below:

Leader: "Are we going to let those (Mounties, Bulldogs, etc..) win tonight?" All: "HELL NO!" Leader: "Then Yell It Spell It!"

All:

T-T T-I-G

• Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap*

E-E E-R-S

• Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap*

T-I-G

• Clap-Clap-Clap*

E-R-S

• Clap-Clap-Clap*

TIGERS TIGERS KICK SOME ASS!

After a Tiger victory the team comes over to the student section, the team captain replacing "Are we going to" with "Did we?" the rest of the cheer remaining the same.

S.T.A.K. Vs. Jungle Controversy

In the fall of 2008 Principal Kathy Murry announced that at the request of Bentonville Athletic Director, Lauren West, any S.T.A.K shirts worn on Bentonville property would be confiscated, and entrance would be denied to athletic facilities any person wearing one. These restrictions were reported to stem from complaints from underclassmen parents as to the vulgarity of the S.T.A.K acronym and the cheers of the group. A particularly contentious t-shirt with the S.T.A.K acronym in the holes of brass knuckles was cited as proof of the group's violent nature.

The banning of S.T.A.K. coincided with the administrative promotion of the school sponsored spirit group "The Jungle." The Jungle was created during 07'-08' school year by a former Union High School teacher, but membership remained relatively low out of a student body of over 3,000. The Jungle meets under faculty supervision to create signs and come up with catchy, school appropriate cheers to encourage their friends on the field. Membership fees are $15, including a t-shirt.

Disgruntled S.T.A.K. members became furious when it was announced that the railing and front rows of the football bleachers would be reserved for Jungle Members. That shift from free student seating to in effect paid seats became the basis the S.T.A.K. argument. A widely circulated letter to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette written by Matthew Bakke expressed that argument and was presented to the principal. Administration continued to back The Jungle- eventualy granting early stadium entry to those wearing the official t-shirt, appointing flag runners from Jungle members, and hosting exclusive tailgates to encourage membership.

S.T.A.K t-shirts were worn at all Bentonville away games, as well as an en force display during the Tiger's 7A West Championship win at War Memorial Stadium- along with "Hang 'Em High" shirts.

Since the initial controversy, the tension has subsided. While this may just be due to the end of the football and athletic season, The Jungle has risen dramaticly in popularity and membership. It is likely S.T.A.K. will not return in the 2009-2010 school year due to the graduation of the 2009 class.

BHS STOMP!

The BHS STOMP! is a new tradition unintentionally created by Jungle members of the 2008-2009 school year. The tradition includes the student section at any sporting event, especially football games, the spirit stick, a large drum, and several leaders of the Jungle. STOMP starts with the spirt stick being held up in the air (parallel to the ground) and everyone falling silent. Then the bottom of the spirit stick strikes the ground, while at the same time the drum is beaten. This "stomp" starts slowly with every student stomping their feet on the ground or bleachers. The beat of the STOMP grows faster and faster until everyone celebrates. Then the spirit stick is held up in the air (parallel to the ground) and everyone falls silent. The process is repeated several times. Upon the last raising of the spirit stick and the subsequent silence, one jungle leader will shout "WE ARE!". The student section finishes off the statement with a thundering "BENTONVILLE!". It has developed into a well loved and well known tradtion.

The BHS Volleybros

Starting in the 2005 season, a new spirit group was formed, dedicated to supporting the BHS Volleyball team. The Volleybros, while not officially sanctioned by the high school, are well known throughout the student population and function very much like a club. T-shirts are made every year for the group, often customized with members nick names, or "Bro names", across the top of the back of the shirt. The Volleybros are well known around the state as well, traveling over 1500 miles to away games in their 4 seasons of existence. Some of the Volleybros most notable cheers include yelling "B!", "H!", and "S!" on the opposing teams respective hits, personalized cheers for Bentonville's own serving players, and general obscenities yelled during serves, volleys, and after questionable calls. The Volleybros also are one of the more musical spirit groups in the high school, offering less than professional renditions of songs including, but not limited too, the following:

1. "Don't Stop Believing" - Journey
2. "Apologize" - Timberland
3. "Bleeding Love" - Leona Lewis
4. "You Spin Me Right Round (Like a Record)" - Dead or Alive
5. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" - The Tokens
6. "Livin' On a Prayer" - Bon Jovi

While it is not certain what is to come in future years, the Volleybros currently remain uncontested in the state as the only spirit group dedicated solely to their high school's girls volleyball team.

Overcrowding debate

In 2007, the Bentonville School District administrators began talking about building either a new high school or a freshman center, due to the amount of new students being higher than previously expected. It is still unknown which choice has been made.

Notable alumni

• John T. Walton, son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton

External links

• PublicSchoolReview.com Bentonville High School profile