Evanston Township High School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Evanston Township High School |
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| Established | 1883 |
| Type | Public secondary |
| Principal | Marilyn Madden |
| Faculty | 252 |
| Students | 3,103 |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Location | 1600 Dodge Av. Evanston, Illinois USA |
| Campus | Suburban, 65 acres |
| Colors | Orange, Blue |
| Mascot | Wildkits |
| Yearbook | Key |
| Newspaper | Evanstonian |
| Website | www.eths.k12.il.us |
Evanston Township High School, or ETHS, is a public four-year high school located in Evanston, Illinois, a North Shore suburb of Chicago, in the United States. It is part of Evanston Township High School District 202.
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[edit] History
Built in 1924 on a 65-acre (263,000 m²) campus, ETHS provides its students with state-of-the-art facilities. With more than 2 million square feet indoors, it is the largest high school facility under one roof in the United States. The school's science facilities include a planetarium, greenhouse, and a two acre (8,000 m²), on-site nature center/classroom. The Bacon Computer Center (BCC) houses over 200 computers in seven networked labs. Computer software is available for every course in the curriculum.
Students investigate careers in computer-based SMART Labs. An on-site day-care center serves as a lab for child-study classes. Applied Sciences/Technologies students run an auto-repair lab and learn engineering applications in computer-aided design, lasers and robotics using state-of-the-art equipment. Electronic music students have their own computerized lab.
The school's library, which is networked to all Illinois libraries, has a 90,000-volume collection and extensive audiovisual resources. Performance facilities include a 1,500-seat auditorium, two additional theaters, and a cable TV broadcasting studio.
There are 15 gyms, a dance studio and fitness/wellness center, two swimming pools, and a field-house with an indoor track and tennis courts. Outdoor facilities include a new track, as well as a stadium, baseball and soccer fields and 18 tennis courts.
The school made national news when its students responded to comments made by Rush Limbaugh on his nationally syndicated radio show in May 2005. Limbaugh criticized the school's award winning global perspectives history program, saying the school's students, "don't know anything about World War II," and, "they've probably never heard the name Adolf Hitler." In response, students from ETHS publicly challenged Limbaugh to a debate on the topic of American history. This challenge went unanswered by Limbaugh. Interestingly, the week Limbaugh chose to make his comment about ETHS was ETHS's "Holocaust Remembrance Week."
The 2004 comedy Mean Girls was set in Evanston, but at the fictional "North Shore High School" and was not filmed in Evanston.
[edit] Academics
In 2005, Evanston had an average composite ACT score of 21.9, and graduated 91.5% of its senior class. Evanston has not made Adequate Yearly Progress on the Prairie State Achievement Examination, a state test part of the No Child Left Behind Act.[1]
Since 1985-86, 45 students have become semifinalists in the Intel Science Talent Search (until 1998, the Westinghouse Science Talent Search). Six students were in the top 40 and one was in the top 10.
In 2003, Evanston placed first nationally in the Junior Engineering Talent Search contest.
Evanston Township High School is ranked #662 on Newsweek's 2006 list of the Best High Schools in America[1], down from #429 on the 2005 list. These rankings are based on the sheer number of AP tests the school's students take. Although students at ETHS do not take as many AP tests, they do score significantly higher. Students are not allowed to take AP classes at ETHS before junior year without special permission. The average score per AP test taken at ETHS is approximately 3.5.
The ETHS Chess team has won many state championships, as well as other notable awards.
[edit] Athletics
Evanston competes in the Central Suburban League and Illinois High School Association. Its mascot is the Wildkit. ETHS's main rival is New Trier High School.
ETHS has won 33 IHSA varsity state championships, most recently capturing state championships in girls' track & field (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006), boys' swimming (2001, 2005), and girls' soccer (2002). The school ranks third among similarly sized schools in Illinois in the number of top 3 state tournament finishes. The girls' track team, as of 2006, has won four straight state titles.
[edit] Music
The ETHS music department involves over 300 students in bands, choirs, jazz groups, and orchestras. Resources include a MIDI computer lab, multiple practice rooms, and a dedicated faculty. The department has won two GRAMMY awards, and takes students on semi-annual trips, most recently to Montreal, New York, Orlando, and New Orleans.
Annual student honors include a highly-selective honors' recital, in which up to four performers from grades 9-12, and up to four chamber groups perform. Additionally, there is a senior concerto competition--four to five seniors annually perform a concerto with the band or orchestra.
ETHS also has an extensive jazz program, including nine jazz combos and three jazz big-bands. There is an annual Jazz Festival, which has featured past artists including Maynard Ferguson, Peter Erskine, and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble.
[edit] Activities
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[edit] Notable alumni
- Jessica Abel (1987), comic book creator
- George Ball (1926), former U.S. undersecretary of state, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
- Joan Cusack (1980), actress
- John Cusack (1984), actor
- Paddy Driscoll (1914), NFL Hall of Fame quarterback
- Jules Engel (1957), animator
- Kevin Foster (1987), Major League Baseball pitcher
- Erik Funk (1990), member of the band Dillinger Four
- Zach Gilford (2000), actor Friday Night Lights (TV series)
- Alicia Goranson (1992), actor
- Cornelia Grumman (1981), 2003 Pulitzer Prize Winner
- Nancy Gustafson (1974), opera singer
- Charles R. Johnson (1966) author, National Book Award Winner
- Michael Madsen (1976), actor
- Emery Moorehead (1972), Tight end on the 1985 Chicago Bears Super Bowl winning team
- Ajay Naidu (1990), actor
- Steve Pink (1984), film director
- Jeremy Piven (1983), actor
- John Edward Porter (1953), congressman
- Matt Price (1989), actor
- Gordon Segal (1956), founder of Crate & Barrel
- Daniel Sinker (1992), creator and editor of Punk Planet.
[edit] External links
- Official Website
- Profile of Evanston Township High School, 2005-2006 (PDF file, requires Adobe Reader)
- 2004 Illinois School Report Card - Evanston Twp High School, Evanston Twp H S Dist 202 (PDF file, requires Adobe Reader)
- Evanston Twp. Football
| Central Suburban League |
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| North Division: Highland Park • Deerfield • Glenbrook North • Maine East • Maine West • Niles North
South Division: New Trier • Evanston • Waukegan • Maine South • Niles West • Glenbrook South |
