Prospect High School (Illinois)
| Prospect High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
801 W. Kensington Rd. , Mt. Prospect | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public secondary |
| Established | 1957 (Arlington HS) 1958 (Prospect HS) |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 2,046 |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Navy Blue, Columbia Blue |
| Mascot | Knights |
| Newspaper | The Prospector |
| Yearbook | Crest |
| Website | phs.d214.org |
 | |
Prospect High School, or Prospect, is a public four-year high school located in Mt. Prospect, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 214, which also includes Buffalo Grove High School, Elk Grove High School, John Hersey High School, Rolling Meadows High School, and Wheeling High School
History
Prospect was opened in 1957 as a freshman campus for the now-defunct Arlington High School. By the next school year, the district had grown enough that Prospect was turned into a full four-year school.[1]
In the mid-'90s, an electrical fire damaged the Fieldhouse.
The most recent additions to the school have been a library in 2002, a new art wing in 2003, a new cafeteria in 2004.
Academics
In 2005, Prospect had an average composite ACT score of 25.5, and graduated 93.0% of its senior class. Prospect has made Adequate Yearly Progress on the Prairie State Achievement Examination, a state test used for No Child Left Behind Act.[1]
Athletics
Prospect competes in the Mid-Suburban League East Conference and Illinois High School Association. Its mascot is the Knight.
Since 2000 they have had one of the top football programs in the state, led by head coach Brent Pearlman. The Knights have won three IHSA state football titles under Pearlman. They won it in 2001,2002 and 2005.
Since the hiring of head coach Dominic Cannon, the Prospect Basketball program has not progressed in the way that the administration wishes it had. Followers of the program believe Cannon may be nearing the end of his time as head coach due to the lackluster results.
The Baseball program has also had lackluster success even with a large amount of talent, coach Ross Guisti has had a history of coming up short in the big game.
Prospect Poms has had great success behind one of the best dancers in the country,the incredible Amy Winkler.
Activities
Fine & Performing Arts
The award-winning Fine Arts department at Prospect High School provides students with a broad exposure to the visual and performing arts. The department consists of many performing ensembles including the concert band, symphonic band, marching band, jazz band, symphonic orchestra, chamber orchestra, concert choir, chamber choir, jazz choir, and show choir. Art studies include beginning and advanced studies in drawing, painting, sculpting, and photography. In addition, Prospect provides the opportunity to compete in congressional debate and speech. Prospect's dance ensemble, “Orchesis,” performs in an annual recital, district festivals, and sporting events. Annual theater productions include the fall and winter plays and the spring musical, with corresponding courses focusing in drama and theater tech. Visit http://phs.d214.org/fine&performingarts/ for more info.
Band
The Prospect High School band program consists of a symphonic band, concert band, marching band, and percussion ensemble. The symphonic band and concert band regularly perform in concerts and festivals in Illinois and throughout the Midwest. The Symphonic Band has been invited to perform at the prestigious University of Illinois Superstate Festival 11 times and was named the Honor Band in 2005. The Prospect High School Marching Knights have gained national recognition for their outstanding performances at state and national competitions. The band has been selected for the finals five times at the Bands of America Grand National Championships, and was the Grand Champion at the Bands of America Toledo Regional in 2001. In addition, the band has won the Grand Championship at the University of Illinois Marching Band Festival 25 times, including the past 24 years consecutively. Some of their destinations have included Hawaii, London, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, Phoenix, Orlando, Houston, and the Hollywood Christmas Parade in Los Angeles, CA. The marching band has also performed for the President of the United States on three occasions. This year, the band performed in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. This fall, the band was named Grand Champions at the Lake Park Lancer Joust, the Chicagoland Marching Band Festival, and the University of Illinois Marching Band Festival. The Band program is under the direction of Chris Barnum. [2]
Choir
The Prospect Choir Department consists of 5 choir classes: Varsity Choir, Treble Choir, Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, and Madrigal Singers/Vocal Jazz Choir. Prospect Choir also boasts two competition-level show choirs, Company and Mixed Company. Company is a 46 voice all-women's Show Choir, and Mixed Company is a male and female show choir of 44 singer/dancers. In addition to the large class ensembles, three small groups rehearse after school. Knight Voices is a mixed 6-voice vocal jazz ensemble specializing in R&B and vocal jazz. One Stop (all-male) and Girl Stop (all-female) are two student-run a cappella groups that perform at many of the school concerts. The choir department actively participates in local area choir festivals as well as State and National music associations IMEA and ACDA. Individual choir members have been consistently selected for All-District and All-State vocal ensembles each year. Show Choirs at Prospect have a solid tradition of high awards in Regional and National competition. Company and Mixed Company pride themselves on Best Vocals, Best Soloist, and Best Choreography Awards. Also, the accompaniment Combo has received Best Horns and Best Combo in several of the competitions from the 2005-2006 season. The Choir program is under the direction of Ken Whitney and Jennifer Trioano.
Orchestra
The Prospect Orchestra performs several concerts throughout the year including an annual performance tour with the Jazz Band (Prospect's top Jazz Band). Past tours have included performances and clinics at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, and Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Orchestra has also performed in joint and combined concert with the Rockwood Summit High School Orchestra in St. Louis, Missouri, and the University of Illinois Wesleyan Orchestra. Concerts have featured music premiers and guest artist appearances. In the spring of 2007, the Orchestra’s concert will feature guest trumpet player, Rich Liester, and student concerto/aria winners. The Orchestra program is under the direction of Patrick O'Connor.
Jazz Band/Ensemble
The award winning Jazz program has received consistent superior ratings at contests for more than a decade. In 2006, the Jazz Band was awarded 2nd place out of more than 20 bands in at the Jazz in the Meadows festival. The Jazz Band also performs with the Orchestra on the annual performance tour. The 2006 tour included performances at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, and at Rockwood Summit High School in St. Louis, Missouri. The annual spring jazz concert features vocal and instrumental performing ensembles and a guest artist. The program is under the direction of Patrick O'Connor.
Notable alumni
- Gary Van der Voort, former gymnast at University of Michigan (class of 1963)
- John Ankerberg, TV evangelist and author (class of 1964) [3]
- Tom Lundstedt, Professional Baseball Player; MLB, (class of 1967) [4]
- Dave Kingman, Professional Baseball Player; MLB, (class of 1967) [5]
- Reinhold Weege, television writer, producer and director (class of 1967) [6]
- Bruce Boxleitner, film and TV actor (class of 1968) [7]
- Jeff Bzdelik, Head Coach Denver Nuggets 2003 - 2005. Head Coach, Air Force Falcons basketball team 2005 - present. (class of 1971) [8]
- Randy Clark, Professional Football Player; NFL, (class of 1974) [9]
- Mike Quade, Third base coach of the Chicago Cubs (class of 1975) [10]
- Kateryna Yushchenko-Chumachenko, first lady of Ukraine (class of 1979)
- Chris J. Scherkenbach, US Army Chief Warrant Officer, died June 2005 with 16 other soldiers in the deadliest attack on American troops in Afghanistan (class of 1982)
- Jeff Francis, Professional Football Player; NFL, (class of 1984) [11]
- Rich Schutz, weightlifting champion, member of the 1988 and 1992 US Olympic weightlifting teams (class of 1984)
- Todd Wolfe, Michigan State Basketball Forward (class of 1985) [12]
- Ann Ryan, film actor (class of 1987) [13]
- Kenny Labbé, cycling champion and member of the U.S. Postal Service cycling team. (class of 1988). [14]
- Rosa Blasi, film and TV actor (class of 1990) [15]
- Todd Heisler, Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist (class of 1990) [16]
- Luke Stuckmeyer, Reporter & Anchor, Comcast Sportsnet (class of 1990) [17]
- Rusty Wimberly, indie rap artist (class of 1994) [18]
- Jennifer Morrison, film and TV actor (class of 1997) [19]
- SSgt Christopher P. McCormick USAF Combat Controller; awarded air force cross for excellece in Baghdad, Iraq 2003-2005. (class of 2001)
- Tom Conrad, former guitarist and backup vocals for The Academy Is... (class of ????) [20]
- Bob Buckstaff, guitarist and backup vocals for the band Wax On Radio (class of ????) [21]
References
- “Prospect band is Pasadena-bound”, Chicago Tribune, December 21, 2005. [22]
- “Teacher fired over sex abuse cases: Ex-Prospect choir leader vows to fight”, Chicago Tribune, August 26, 2005.
- “First lady of Ukraine comes home 'Ukraine now must make hopes real'- Chicago native talks about troubles of past, risks of future”, Chicago Sun-Times, April 6, 2005.
- “Chorus teacher accused of sex abuse”, Chicago Sun-Times, March 2, 2005.
- “Schools soar to new heights in report card”, Chicago Sun-Times, December 15, 2004.
- “Mt. Prospect music teacher gets top honor”, Chicago Sun-Times, March 23, 2003
- “Golden nugget - After 32 years, Prospect graduate Jeff Bzdelik found the job of a lifetime”, Chicago Sun-Times, February 4, 2003.
- “Assault trial ends in guilty pleas, apology, 2 teens get 5 years of probation”, Chicago Tribune, March 12, 1999.
- “Prospect proud of conservatism”, Chicago Sun-Times, January 15, 1992.
- “Ex-Tennessee QB Francis a passing success”, Chicago Sun-Times, January 15, 1992.
- “Weighty problem for Schutz, Mt. Prospect lifter trails European foes”, Chicago Sun-Times, August 5, 1987.