El Camino High School (Oceanside)

El Camino High School is one of two high schools of the Oceanside Unified School District, located at 400 Rancho Del Oro Drive in Oceanside, California. It was originally named "Oceanside High School East", and officially became El Camino High School in 1976. El Camino's Truax Theatre was built in the early 1980s and houses a large performance venue, an adjacent classroom with stage and large music and drama rooms. It also recently built a new Science and Technology Building and is undergoing constant construction to clean up the campus. El Camino maintains a close athletic rivalry with Oceanside High School. The ECHS mascot is the "Wildcat" and the school colors are brown and gold.

The school drew national media attention in June 2008 for staging a controversial fake car accident, telling students their classmates had died as part of an anti-drunk driving program called "Every 15 Minutes--Extreme". [ [http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=5005097&page=1 Scared Straight or Scared Stiff: Do Alcohol Awareness Programs Sometimes Go Too Far?] ] [ [http://www.examiner.com/x-300-Fatherhood-Examiner~y2008m6d4-Madd-Lying-to-Teach-a-Lesson MADD: Lying to Teach a Lesson?] ] The hoax was orchestrated by counselor Lori Tauber. "I would rather see a couple people (disturbed), versus see a couple people dead," offers Tauber. [ [http://ca.yahoo.com/s/650875 Video clip of ABC interview] ] However, the tactics have been criticized in the media, and by students, one of whom remarked, "You feel betrayed by your teachers and administrators, these people you trust,". At school assemblies, some students held up posters that read: "Death is real. Don't play with our emotions." [ [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hbi_9vh1d_-7g2sUKPAbufVaWMugD9195NP03 The Associated Pres: Teachers defend shock tactics in DWI program] ] "The Chronicle Herald" said "While their objective was laudable, school officials deliberately lied and, far worse, did so in an elaborate hoax. In trying to instill one important message, school officials undermined their credibility and weakened their authority by such an unconscionable stunt." [ [http://thechronicleherald.ca/Editorials/1062194.html Nova Scotia News - TheChronicleHerald.ca ] ] while "The Daily News Record" said "Each day, driving under the influence kills a young American full of life and hope for the future. Plenty of frightening tragedy is in that truth. Manufacturing such trauma was stupid, insensitive and possibly dangerous, and we can only hope that a similar ill-conceived idea does not surface here." [ [http://www.dailynews-record.com/opinion_details.php?AID=29178&CHID=36 A School Fakes Death - Bad Idea Doesn’t Help A Bad Problem] ]

Notable alumni

*Denise Richards

References