Columbine High School
From Freepedia
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| Address | 6201 S. Pierce Street | |
| City | Columbine CDP, Colorado 80123 | |
| Established | 1973 | |
| Type | Public Secondary | |
| Superintendent | Dr. Cindy Stevenson | |
| Principal | Dr. Frank D. DeAngelis | |
| Grades | 9 to 12 | |
| District | Jefferson County Public Schools | |
| Mascot | Rebels (American Revolution) | |
| Colors | Navy Blue and Silver | |
| School website | Columbine Home Page | |
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Columbine High School is a secondary school located at 6201 South Pierce Street (Lat:39°36'13,74N, 105°04'27.04W) in Columbine CDP, an unincorporated neighborhood in southeast Jefferson County, Colorado. The school is located one mile west of the Littleton city limits and half a mile south of Denver. "Littleton" is indicated in the school's address because it is located within the zip code 80123, which is associated with that city. It is part of the Jefferson County Public Schools district; its principal is Frank DeAngelis.
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History
Columbine High School opened in the Fall of 1973; there was no senior class its first year. The school's first graduating class was the class of 1975. Columbine was named after the census designated area it is located in, which in turn is named after the state flower of Colorado: the columbine. Its first principal was Gerald Difford.
The school is most notable for having endured the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999, when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 12 students and one teacher, and injured 24 others before commiting suicide. The massacre made headlines around the world, making Columbine a household name, and causing moral panic. Due to this event, Columbine High School is often considered as one of the most recognized secondary schools in the world, its name having become synonymous with anyone plotting a school attack or shooting (pulling a Columbine). After the shooting, classes at Columbine were held at nearby Chatfield High School, for the remaining three weeks of that school year.
The school had undergone a massive remodelling just four years before the shooting adding a new library and cafeteria. After the massacre, Columbine had to demolish its library, located above the cafeteria, since it was the site where most of the deaths took place; it was then turned into a memorial ceiling and atrium; a new, larger library was built on the hill where the shooting began and dedicated to the memory of the victims.
Cultural References
Michael Moore's 2002 film Bowling for Columbine, a documentary focusing on the correlation between media propaganda, guns, and gun violence takes its title from the school's name. The documentary does not exclusively focus on the Columbine school shooting, but includes it as evidence of the easy availability of weapons in the United States.
There are also three articles featured in Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul III, one of which is a piece written by one of the persons who died at Columbine High School, and the other two by survivors coping with the event and aftermath including one of the injured, and another one who knew the shooters but was not injured.
The school has won three Colorado State Football championships since the shootings; these include the 2001, 2002, and notably the 1999 title which was won the school year after the shooting. The team is also a strong force during seasons that even they do not win a title.
Notable alumni
Notable alumni of Columbine High School include:
- Allan Kayser, actor, played "Bubba" in the sitcom Mama's Family; [1]
- Melanie Palenik, 1988 Olympic gold medalist in women's freestyle ski-jumping;
- Skip Ewing, country songwriter/artist;
- Wes Hart, MLS player for the San Jose Earthquakes.
External links
- Map and directions to Columbine High School
- Columbine High School - Then and Now (Past and present photos of Columbine High School)
- Satellite image of Columbine High School
- Columbine High School Teacher Ratings
- The Columbine Almanac - Links and analysis of most major media coverage
- Yahoo's 20 most popular Columbine sites
Categories: Jefferson County, Colorado | High schools in Colorado | Schools established in the 1970s | Schools that have a Mascot
