Allegany High School

Infobox Secondary school
name = Allegany High School


logo =

motto =
established = 1887
type = Public secondary
enrollment = approx 800
principal = Michael Calhoun
grades = 9-12
address = 616 Sedgwick Street
city = Cumberland
state = Maryland
country = United States
colors =
mascot = campers
website = http://www.alleganyhighschool.org/
Phone = [phone]

Allegany High School is a public high school in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland. Allegany High School was built as Allegany County High School in 1887, hence it is often referred to as 'Alco'.

As of 2005, the school had 825 students and 49 teachers. Students were 93% white, 5% African-American and 2% Asian. Nineteen percent were eligible for reduced lunch, less than the state average of 27%. The current principal is Michael Calhoun.

History

Allegany High School was initially a secondary education school held in the Maryland Avenue Schoolhouse. The school had many different locations including the building on Greene Street, which was used as a combined middle/high school until the spring of 1926. At that time, the building now known as Allegany High School had been completed and was prepared to accept Greene Street’s high school students. Middle school students remained on Greene Street until the school later burned down in 1932. “Camp Hill,” the site of the present day Allegany, was a federal army camp during the Civil War.

The “Camper” mascot is a source of much confusion. Many think the name refers to Campobello, a Shawnee Indian Tribe camp, from which the federal army took their name during the Civil War. This, however, is a misconception. The most widely accepted theory is that Civil War General Lew Wallace and his men began calling the site that during their time here. The word Campobello in fact does not appear in any Native American language and is derived from Latin, meaning “camp of war”.

Allegany High School, with an enrollment of approximately 1200 students, focuses on student achievement and success in all areas of education through a combined effort of students, faculty, staff, home, and community. The class of 2008 marks an important milestone for Allegany: the students are the 120th class to graduate from the long-standing institution.

Athletics

The football team plays their games at the Greenway Avenue Stadium, shared with Fort Hill High School.

Extracurricular activities

The 'Alco White' Mock trial team is one of the many organizations in which the school takes pride. In the 2005-2006 season, the team won the circuit and the regional championships, advancing to the Maryland state Mock Trial Final Four competition in Annapolis, Maryland, in April 2006. The 2006-2007 team suffered a loss in the finals to Severn School. The 2007-08 team advanced to the semi-finals, but were defeated by Severna Park

Also notable at Allegany is its marching band, which placed ninth at Tournament of Bands Atlantic Coast Championship in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in November 2006. In November 2007, the Allegany High School Marhcing Band placed 8th at the Atlantic Coast Championships. At the National Championships, the band placed 11th out of 18. As of the end of the season, the band is the reigning and 10 time State Champions in the past eleven years.

Notable alumni

* Eddie Deezen - Actor ("Grease"; "The Polar Express")
* Aaron Laffey - Major League Baseball player (Cleveland Indians pitcher)
* William H. Macy - Actor ("Fargo", "Door to Door") [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000513/bio IMDB biography of William H. Macy] ]

See also

* List of high school football rivalries (less than 100 years old)

External links

* [http://www.alleganyhighschool.org/ Allegany High School Official site]
* [http://boe.allconet.org/school_details.php?SchoolID=1 ACPS webpage for Allegany High School]
* [http://www.alcoband.org/ Allegany High School Band]
* [http://eteamz.active.com/bigbluereview The Big Blue Review] Allegany High School Football.

See also

* List of high schools in Maryland

References