Lake Orion High School

Infobox School
name = Lake Orion High School


established = 1997 (Current Site)
type = Public
principal = Todd Dunckley [ [http://www.lakeorion.k12.mi.us/lohs/aboutlohs.html About LOHS] ]
faculty = 137
enrollment = 2,355 (2007-2008)
free_label = Colors Mascot
free_text = Green and White Dragons
location = Lake Orion, Michigan | information = [phone]
website = [http://www.lakeorion.k12.mi.us/lohs/ Official LOHS Site]

Lake Orion High School is a public secondary institution located in Orion Township, Michigan.

The large campus (377,756 square feet) features a centralized commons area, which serves as a distribution center to the wings. The commons area features the cafeteria and student store (LO Stop N' Shop), as well as the main office. Each wing features classrooms, computer labs, student lockers, and faculty offices.

The campus also features a gymnasium, natatorium, and auditorium; all of which are suitable for state-level competitions or productions. The Information Resource Center is a reconceptualized vision of a library, featuring computers, tech-ed labs, and studio classrooms.

The immediate area around the school has been developed into residential neighborhoods, but is still dominated by Bald Mountain Recreation Area to the north, east, and southeast.

As of the 2007-2008 school year, Lake Orion High School has the 11th highest enrollment in the state of Michigan, and the 2nd highest in Oakland County after Clarkston High School. Since opening at the current location in 1997, LOHS has added close to 1,000 students to the enrollment.

History

The first building to house Lake Orion students was built in 1893 and served grades K-12. It was demolished in the 1930s by a Works Progress Administration project as part of the program designed by the Franklin Roosevelt administration as a way to provide jobs. In 1927 a new building was constructed that would house students for the next 30 years. Located within the Village of Lake Orion, that building is still in use today as the Ehman Center, and is used by various businesses.

The next building to house LOHS is located near the current school, and is now used as a Community Education Resource Center. It is commonly referred to as the "CERC Building". Opened in 1957, it housed classes for high school students for 40 years. During the 1980s and 1990s the building became so limited in space that is eventually only served grades 10-12.

The current site of LOHS opened in the Fall of 1997, with much of the school uncompleted as construction was behind schedule. Students began classes while construction crews completed the main entrance, gym, weight room, auditorium, parking lot, baseball fields, and natatorium. As a result, students and staff used secondary entrances and were bused to the former high school for gym classes (and the first pep rally to include all 4 classes in years).

In 2000, LOHS was honored as a New American High School showcase site by the United States Department of Education.

Athletics

LOHS offers 25 varsity sports, and competes in the Oakland Activities Association or "OAA". At the state level, the school is classified as "Class A" or "Division 1", competing against those schools with the largest enrollments. Recently, Lake Orion has added ice hockey (2001), lacrosse (2007), and bowling to the list of varsity sports offered.

The grounds surrounding the school feature Dragon Stadium, which houses the football field and track. The football field is composed of FieldTurf, an artificial surface constructed to resemble grass. A separate soccer field is located next to the stadium. There are several baseball and softball diamonds, some of which feature dugouts or bleacher seating. Lighted tennis courts are located adjacent to the school. Many of these facilities are suitable for regional, state-wide, and AAU competitions.

The athletic teams are known as "The Dragons". The "Dragons" name is used by all athletic teams at all educational levels throughout the school system. The name stems from an old legend that a dragon (seemingly similar to the Loch Ness Monster) existed in waters of Lake Orion. The chief rival to Lake Orion is the Clarkston High School Wolves. The two towns border one another and share many of the same demographics. A previous rival to Lake Orion was Oxford High School, although the two schools no longer compete in the same athletic divisions based on geography and changes in enrollment.

The boys and girls ski teams compete at Pine Knob. The ice hockey team predominately competes at the Detroit Skating Club.

Lake Orion baseball has had 6 players drafted in the Major League Baseball Draft.

State Championships
* 1990 - Wrestling (Class A/Division 1)
* 2007 - Girls Golf (Division 1)
* 2007 - Baseball (Division 1)

Activities

Lake Orion has one of the finest Marching Bands in the state. The band competes at state-level competitions in which they are judged on a variety of factors. In the 2006 season, they placed third in Flight I with a score of 82.6, the second highest score for Lake Orion ever. In the 2007 season, they placed 2nd in Flight I at the MCBA State Finals with a score of 89.15 which is the highest score in the history of the marching band.

Currently active clubs and student organizations at the high school include:
*Art Club
*Business Professionals of America
*DECA
*Cultural Outreach
*Drama Club (a chapter of the International Thespian Society)
*Earth Club
*Forensics
*Key Club
*The Light (Christian club)
*National Honor Society
*Rainbow Alliance
*Robotics
*Science Olympiad

The school also sponsors extracurricular clubs that are not specific to the academic environment. These are known as "Dragon GAP", featuring clubs such as Dungeons & Dragons, Movie Club, Paintball Club, and Video Game Design.

The school does not sponsor (but also rarely punishes students for), Senior Skip Day. Usually held the day of, before, or near the spring prom or final examinations, most senior students choose to skip classes for the day. Many seniors choose to make a day trip to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Teachers and administrators generally support a day of skipping, however underclassmen (if caught) could face punishment. Senior Skip Day is sometimes accompanied by a Senior Prank, which commonly includes "painting the rock" outside of the school, among other things.

LOHS holds graduation and commencement ceremonies at the [http://www.meadowbrookmusic.com/venue_detail.asp?venuedetail=4 Meadow Brook Music Festival] in nearby Rochester Hills, Michigan. Due to the growing number of attendees, LOHS will now hold commencement at the [http://www.pontiac.mi.us/phoenix/index.html Phoenix Plaza Amphitheater] in Pontiac, Michigan, beginning in 2008.

Notable Alumni

* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0066492/ Ingrid Beer] , actress
*Matthew Dear, musician
* [http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/myfox/pages/InsideFox/Detail?contentId=527707&version=5&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=5.3.1 Kerry Birmingham] , Television Anchor/Investigative Reporter, WJBK, Detroit
*Jordan Desilets, track & field
*Andrew J. Feustel, NASA astronaut
*Zak Keasey, plays fullback for the San Francisco 49ers
*Raymond Plouhar, staff sergeant, USMC
* [http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=1798537 Lauren Thompson] , newsanchor for WLNS, Lansing, Michigan
*Ron Tripp, World Sambo and Judo Champion; President of USA Judo
*Cynthia Watros, actress

References