Central Union High School (El Centro, California)
Encyclopedia
Central Union High School, also known as Central or CUHS, is a four-year public high school
in El Centro, California
with a diverse student body of more than 1,750 students. It is one of three schools in the Central Union High School District
. The school was founded in 1908 and the mascot is the Spartan.
In 2007, the state Department of Education named Central a California Distinguished School
, in part because of its efforts to close the achievement gap. Half of the students who attend Central are from low-income families and about 90 percent of the student body is Latino. About a third of the students are English Language Learners.
Central was originally located on State and 9th streets in El Centro. In 1913, the school moved to its current site on Brighton Avenue. The city courthouse now occupies the original school building. In its first year, only 12 students attended the school—now the student body totals more than 1,750.
Among the most well-known alumni are actor Donal Logue
from the class of 1984, who starred in the Fox TV sitcom "Grounded for Life
" and was Central's ASB
president his senior year; professional saxophonist Walter Beasley
, a member of the school's Great Spartan Band in the 1970s under the late band director and local jazz legend Jimmie Cannon; Doug Harvey
an umpire in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and former Denver Broncos
linebacker Glenn Cadrez
of the class of 1987.
Central's annual football game with the Brawley Union High School
Wildcats of Brawley, CA is one of the oldest high school rivalries in the country.
Team is a group of dedicated students, who aspire for in a future career in various fields of science or mathematics.
San Diego Section. The school's teams are called the Spartans and its colors are blue and white.
The Spartans' longtime archrivals are the Brawley Wildcats. The annual football game—known as the Bell Game—began in 1943 when the schools' associated student bodies bought the bell from a ship in San Diego for $50. But the Central-Brawley rivalry predates the Bell Game and began in 1921.
The band has performed across the country and received awards and honors from the Orange Coast College Jazz Festivals, El Centro Navy Base Jazz Festival, Southwestern College Jazz Festival, Imperial Valley College Jazz Festival, USC
Concert of the Bands, UCLA Band Festival, Holiday Bowl
Music Festivals, Columbus Day Parade, Mother Goose Parade, and the Disneyland Parades and concerts in 1975, 1976, 1977, and 1987.
Under the direction of Jimmie Cannon from 1966 to 1996, the Great Spartan Band began to travel extensively and in 1972 performed in Mexico City
, where it was honored by the Mexican
President Luis Echeverría
. The band traveled four times to perform in Mardi Gras
parades in New Orleans, most recently in 2008, and has traveled twice to Hawaii
. The band also traveled to Disney World in Florida
in 1995, where it participated in the Magic Kingdom Easter Parade.
The Great Spartan Band was invited by Congressman Bob Filner
(California's 51st District
) to participate in the 2010 Memorial Day
Parade in Washington, DC.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in El Centro, California
El Centro, California
El Centro is a city in and county seat of Imperial County, the largest city in the Imperial Valley and the east anchor of the Southern California Border Region, and the core urban area and principal city of the El Centro metropolitan area which encompasses all of Imperial County. El Centro is also...
with a diverse student body of more than 1,750 students. It is one of three schools in the Central Union High School District
Central Union High School District
Central Union High School District is the district of the 3 high schools in El Centro, California — Central Union High School , Southwest High School , and Desert Oasis High School .CUHSD is next to DOHS....
. The school was founded in 1908 and the mascot is the Spartan.
In 2007, the state Department of Education named Central a California Distinguished School
California Distinguished School
A California Distinguished School is an award given by the California State Board of Education to public schools within the state that best represent exemplary and quality educational programs. Approximately five percent of California schools are awarded this honor each year following a selection...
, in part because of its efforts to close the achievement gap. Half of the students who attend Central are from low-income families and about 90 percent of the student body is Latino. About a third of the students are English Language Learners.
History
The school, established in 1908, celebrated its centennial in 2008.Central was originally located on State and 9th streets in El Centro. In 1913, the school moved to its current site on Brighton Avenue. The city courthouse now occupies the original school building. In its first year, only 12 students attended the school—now the student body totals more than 1,750.
Among the most well-known alumni are actor Donal Logue
Donal Logue
Donal Francis Logue is an Canadian actor perhaps most famous for his role as Sean Finnerty in Grounded for Life.-Personal life:...
from the class of 1984, who starred in the Fox TV sitcom "Grounded for Life
Grounded for Life
Grounded for Life is an American television sitcom that debuted on January 10, 2001 as a mid-season replacement on the FOX Network. It was created by Mike Schiff and Bill Martin. It ran for two seasons on the network until being cancelled only two episodes into its third season...
" and was Central's ASB
ASB
ASB or asb may refer to:* Ashgabat Airport, IATA code ASB* Antisocial behavior** Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, an act of parliament in the United Kingdom, called the ASB law* Asymbescaline, a psychedelic drug similar to Mescaline...
president his senior year; professional saxophonist Walter Beasley
Walter Beasley
Walter Beasley is an American saxophonist, a professor of music at the Berklee College of Music, and founder of Affable Publishing and Affable Records.-Biography:Beasley grew up in El Centro, California...
, a member of the school's Great Spartan Band in the 1970s under the late band director and local jazz legend Jimmie Cannon; Doug Harvey
Doug Harvey (umpire)
Harold Douglas Harvey is a former umpire in Major League Baseball, who worked in the National League from 1962 through 1992. Noted for his authoritative command of baseball rules, he earned the tongue in cheek nickname "God" from players, and was among the last major league umpires who never...
an umpire in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and former Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
linebacker Glenn Cadrez
Glenn Cadrez
Glenn E. Cadrez is a former American football linebacker who played 11 seasons in the National Football League, mainly for the Denver Broncos. He played for the Broncos from 1995 to 2000 and was a starter in Super Bowl XXXIII and also played in Super Bowl XXXII. He was the #154 pick in the 1992...
of the class of 1987.
Central's annual football game with the Brawley Union High School
Brawley Union High School
Brawley Union High School is a high school in Brawley, California.-Clubs:*Environmental Club*Campus Life*Theatre/Drama*Rotary Interact*Friday Night Live*S Club*California Scholastic Federation*AVID* American Field Service*Travel...
Wildcats of Brawley, CA is one of the oldest high school rivalries in the country.
Clubs
- ASB
- FIRSTFirstFirst or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one.First or 1st may also refer to:* First , minor summit below the Schwarzhorn in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland* First , mountain in Bernese Alps in Switzerland...
Robotics Team - MESA Rocket Team
- Mock Trial
- Interact Club
- Octagon Club
- Mexican-American club
- Drama club
- French club
- Science Fair club
- La Solana Yearbook
- Tall Flags
- Spar-teens (Drill TeamDrill teamA drill team can be one of four different entities:# A Military Drill Team is marching unit that performs routines based on military drill. Military drill teams perform either armed or unarmed....
) - The Shield (school newspaper)
- AVIDAdvancement Via Individual DeterminationAdvancement Via Individual Determination is an American college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges, focusing on students in the academic middle. The formula is to raise expectations of students...
club - California Scholarship FederationCalifornia Scholarship FederationThe California Scholarship Federation, or CSF, started in 1921 by Charles F. Seymour, seeks to recognize students living in the state of California who possess high standards in academic scholarship, community service and citizenship....
(CSF) - Academic Decathlon
Academic Decathlon
Central's Academic Decathlon team has won the Imperial County Competition every year since 1981 and has competed in the state competition in Sacramento, CA annually during that time.FIRST Robotics Team
Searing Engineering, Team 1972 - overlooked by most of the school and staff alike, the CUHS FRCFRC
The three-letter acronym FRC can have several different meanings:*Facultad Regional Cordoba, a technical university.*False Roman Cancel, a technique used in the fighting game series Guilty Gear...
Team is a group of dedicated students, who aspire for in a future career in various fields of science or mathematics.
Athletics
Central competes in the Imperial Valley League in the California Interscholastic FederationCalifornia Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California. It mirrors similar governing bodies in other states; however, it differs from some of the others in that it covers most high schools in the state of California, both public and...
San Diego Section. The school's teams are called the Spartans and its colors are blue and white.
The Spartans' longtime archrivals are the Brawley Wildcats. The annual football game—known as the Bell Game—began in 1943 when the schools' associated student bodies bought the bell from a ship in San Diego for $50. But the Central-Brawley rivalry predates the Bell Game and began in 1921.
Winter Sports
- Boy's Basketball
- Girl's Basketball
- Boy's Soccer
- Girl's Soccer
- Wrestling
Spring Sports
- Boy's Tennis
- Swimming
- Softball
- Baseball
- Boy's Golf
- Boy's Tennis
- Track and Field
Music Programs
- Marching Band (The Great Spartan Band)
- Beginning Band
- Wind Ensemble
- Concert Band
- Jazz Band
- Stage Band
- Rock Combo
- Chorus
Rock Combo
The group has performed during school lunch hours and at local events that include the Imperial Valley Mardi Gras Parade and the Imperial Valley Mid-Winter Fair.The Great Spartan Band
The Great Spartan Band performs at all home football games and is known for its "Spartan Shuffle" as it exits the field. The band also performs in local events and parades in Imperial and San Diego counties. In addition, Central has an award-winning jazz band and a wind ensemble.The band has performed across the country and received awards and honors from the Orange Coast College Jazz Festivals, El Centro Navy Base Jazz Festival, Southwestern College Jazz Festival, Imperial Valley College Jazz Festival, USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
Concert of the Bands, UCLA Band Festival, Holiday Bowl
Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Beginning with the 2010 playing the bowl will officially be known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after...
Music Festivals, Columbus Day Parade, Mother Goose Parade, and the Disneyland Parades and concerts in 1975, 1976, 1977, and 1987.
Under the direction of Jimmie Cannon from 1966 to 1996, the Great Spartan Band began to travel extensively and in 1972 performed in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, where it was honored by the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
President Luis Echeverría
Luis Echeverría
Luis Echeverría Álvarez served as President of Mexico from 1970 to 1976.-Early history:Echeverría joined the faculty of the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 1947 and taught political theory...
. The band traveled four times to perform in Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras
The terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...
parades in New Orleans, most recently in 2008, and has traveled twice to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. The band also traveled to Disney World in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in 1995, where it participated in the Magic Kingdom Easter Parade.
The Great Spartan Band was invited by Congressman Bob Filner
Bob Filner
Robert Earl Filner is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 50th, serving since 1993, and Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
(California's 51st District
California's 51st congressional district
California's 51st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. The district includes all of Imperial County and the extreme southern portions of San Diego County that run across the U.S.-Mexico border...
) to participate in the 2010 Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
Parade in Washington, DC.