Wikipedia

South High School (Minnesota)

(Redirected from South High School (Minneapolis))

South High School, or simply South, is a four-year comprehensive public high school in the Corcoran neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota. A member of the Minneapolis Public Schools district, it is Minneapolis' oldest and largest public high school.

Minneapolis South High School
Address
Map
3131 19th Avenue South

Minneapolis
,
Minnesota 55407

United States
Coordinates44°56′44″N 93°14′37″W / 44.9456°N 93.2435°W / 44.9456; -93.2435
Information
TypePublic
Established1885
School districtMinneapolis Public Schools
PrincipalAhmed Amin
Staff73.00 (FTE)[1]
Faculty107[2]
Grades9–12
Number of students1,466 (2022-23)[1]
Student to teacher ratio20.08[1]
CampusUrban
Color(s)Orange and Black    
AthleticsMinneapolis City Conference
MascotGallant Tiger
NewspaperThe Southerner
Websitesouth.mpschools.org

History

edit

Origins

edit

Minneapolis South High School was founded in 1885 inside of four rooms in the attic of the old Adams School at Franklin Avenue and 16th Avenue. The student body began publishing the South High Observer, the direct predecessor of the current school paper, The Southerner. South High Theater presented its first play, Cox, and Box, in 1892. The school's first graduation included 27 students. Within several years, South had outgrown the Adams School and the Minneapolis School Board began a search for a larger location for the school.

 
Postcard featuring South High School in 1900

The building was completed on or around January 1, 1892, and in 1893, South High School's 250 students and the adjoining middle school's 208 students moved to their new building at 2445 18th (or Cedar) Avenue South.

The new building was built out of red brick and sandstone in a castle-like structure. It had several turrets, 12-foot ceilings, stained-glass bay windows, and a six-story bell tower. After the final part of the building, the bell tower, was erected, the School Board decided not to purchase a bell for it. The reasons for this are unclear, but it is thought that the large bell used to mark the beginning and end of classes was abandoned in favor of an electric bell system run by a motor. The bell tower remained until the building around it was destroyed.

The student body had grown to between 750 and 800 students by 1909. The building had become too small, and the auditorium was sacrificed for more classrooms by dividing it into quarters using green curtains. The Minneapolis School Board decided changes needed to be made.

 
South High School in 1911.

That first significant change came in September 1910 when the new manual and training wings were opened. This new part of the school allowed students to be trained in business and other commercial professions. The highest reported number of students taking classes in this part of the school at any time was 800 students, using 149 typewriters along with other equipment. In January 1911, a new auditorium was opened up to the graduating class, with an initial seating capacity of 1,913. In contrast, South High's current auditorium has a listed seating capacity of 715. The new auditorium space, along with the manual and training wings, had a new style of architecture. No clear pictures of these additions are available, and the only description offered for the style was "medieval".

 
1916 addition shown in 1923.

The school's final extension came in 1916. Most of the original structure was demolished to make room for a new large building. The new structure, still connected to the old one and the manual and training wings, followed the architectural style of its time, with a square look and evenly cut windows, at least one to a room.

The "Golden Age"

edit

With this last part of the central school building added, South High School became one of Minneapolis's architectural wonders, featuring three different sections with different architectural styles linked together.

This paragraph from the January 1927 Parent-Teacher Broadcaster summarizes the appearance:

[T]he building itself...is so constructed that its architecture may be easily spoken of as ancient, medieval, and modern; or, in other words, there is the old main building with its fantastic design, than the manual training wing, medieval in structure, and lastly, the new building of modern architecture. The whole, colossal in size and modern to the nth degree, is set in extensive grounds, which may later be used for additional building sites. We discover a large manual training department where every line of work properly falling under that head is adequately housed and furnished with wonderfully complete equipment. We are pleased that all classrooms are wonderfully large, light, and airy.

[citation needed]

After World War I, work began on an athletic field across Cedar Avenue from the building. Augsburg University's football team used the South football field as its home field from 1926 to 1945.

South High parents and teachers requested a number of changes to the school in 1924. These included a new chorus room, or band room, to seat 400 students, fireproofing and alteration of the auditorium, a new gymnasium, and improvement of the athletic field. In 1926, the auditorium was remodeled and fireproofed, a process that cut the seating capacity from 1,913 to 1,655. At the same time, sets of stairs were added leading out to Cedar Avenue to relieve ever-growing congestion at entryways. The band room was expanded, facilitating its rampant growth and eventually spurring other schools to develop programs of their own. The athletic field was finished, complete with a concrete fence, comfortable seating, and a large gateway dedicated to South alumni who died in World War I. The old gymnasium was replaced by two new ones, separated by a partition—one side for boys, the other for girls.

The height of what is known as South's Golden Age,[citation needed] from 1916 to about 1940, came, ironically, during the height of the Great Depression. In 1933, South High School had 2,820 enrolled students, and, despite the misery in the outside world, the school continued to grow and prosper and show students the possibility of a better life.

The end of the old South High building came in the 1940s, as its oldest part started to show its age. The stonework had begun to crumble. The wooden floors that comprised all of the sections of the school were warped and wavy. The furnishings and old art that lined the walls were still present. Few classes were held in the old section of the school, and when it rained, the roof leaked, sending water streaming down into the hallways.

In 1950, demolition began on the front of the old school, which was met with vigorous protest, a large part of it from alumni. It took until 1953 to destroy the oldest third of the building, leaving the other two parts untouched.

They did not remain untouched long. In 1961, South High principal Carl Lundin petitioned the Minneapolis School Board for a new building. The Citizens Group, a group of people interested in saving historic buildings, protested. Their protest was met with counterprotest, setting off a seven-year period of division. Several different sites were considered for a new South High, one of which was selected four and a half years after the original proposal. The plans met further trouble when a building plan could not be agreed on. The proposal that brought the most anguish after it was rejected was the City Council's refusal to close 31st street to accommodate an athletic field. Contracts for the New South were finally awarded in early October 1968 and a groundbreaking ceremony was held on October 11, 1968, using five shovels engraved with the letters "SOUTH". The class of 1970 was the last class to graduate in the old building.

The New South

edit

The open house for the new South High School was held on October 11, 1970, two years after the groundbreaking ceremony.

At the time, the nation was experiencing great turmoil due to the prolonged Vietnam War and the government's coverup of vital information about it. Construction of the New South began in 1968, the year when public opinion of the war took a big turn for the worse. Just a few months before the gala open house for the new building, the Kent State shootings occurred: National Guardsmen killed four students during a protest against the war and government policy, sparking a new nationwide round of student protest.

 
"Front" (west) doors of South High School. The true entrance is adjacent to the parking lot on the south side of the building.

From the outside, South looks like a brick fortress. The building might have been designed to thwart student unrest. The original building has no windows. Structures from this period tend to lack windows, which could be quickly destroyed during violent protest, a common occurrence, making them at best expensive to replace and at worst a public safety hazard. The original floor plans also changed with more additions, such as the third floor, added in the late 1990s with the seeming innovation of windows. [NOTE: this is not confirmed by any architectural or other proposals or plans. In fact, the architectural design reflects the designwork done on countless office buildings at the time.]

But students at South High were given a plausible explanation for the somewhat prisonlike design. The building's architect was from Texas, and his concern for energy efficiency over the long winters caused him to eschew extensive use of windows. Also, when the building first opened, it was an "Open School", with no individual classrooms on the second floor. The small windows in the design provided light across the open area. Only when the school was converted to typical classroom divisions did the lack of natural light become an issue. [NOTE: according to the architectural plans, the building was designed to meet the needs of modular programming. This required an open resource area, lined with resource rooms. When the district decided modular programming was not working, the walls were constructed to return the school to a more traditional setting. It was at this point that the lack of windows became a problem and the "maze" was necessary in order to meet classroom size and number requirements. The original plans accommodated 1,500 students, but South's enrollment has held steady at 2,000. The building is still short at least seven classrooms, despite the internal remodel to meet growing needs.]

The original floor plan was open, in keeping with the educational philosophies of the time. Ideally, such a configuration would allow for shared learning among students in different classes. But the floor plan produced distractions, and additional interior walls were later added to separate the classrooms. The construction of classrooms after the fact created a "rabbit maze" of identical hallways and in some instances classrooms only accessible via other classrooms.

Current architecture

edit

South High School is a three-story building, centered around the auditorium, commons area, and balcony. When school starts in the morning two sets of doors are open, both leading into the commons area. Each student is issued an identification card, which is checked upon entry through all entrances, to ensure the safety of students and staff. Students are given off-campus privileges for lunch. This privilege begins after the first semester of freshman year. It can be revoked for failing classes, returning late from off campus three times in a semester, or disciplinary problems.

First Floor

The first floor contains the main office, auditorium, lunchroom, gymnasium, technology/shop classrooms, special program centers (such as the All Nations program), and various other classrooms. The band and orchestra classes are also on the first floor. In 2001, the auto shop was turned into a band room to meet that department's ever-growing needs, and the ventilation system was remade to allow for more efficient air conditioning. In 2007, a project to renovate all of Minneapolis's public high school auditoriums moved on to South's auditorium. The renovations, which had finished by the beginning of the 2007–08 school year, include new lighting and sound equipment, an extensive box for lighting and sound control, two sets of double doors at the main auditorium entrance, and a wheelchair-accessible balcony. Theatrical performances on the stage began in spring 2007. Due to space restrictions, there is no fly system.

Second Floor

The second floor contains mathematics, social studies, and English classrooms. The Media Center and counseling offices are also on the second floor. The "Skybox", a small studio theater, was mostly paid for by alumnus Josh Hartnett. Friends of South High Theater raised the remaining money needed.

Third Floor

The third floor was constructed during the 1996–97 school year. It is the only floor with full windows. It houses science classrooms, world language classrooms, and many freshman classrooms.

Master Plan 1996

edit

In February 1996, as third-floor construction was underway, RSP Architects and Minneapolis Public Schools outlined the South High Master Plan, a vision for further improvements to the campus in ensuing years. The plan includes upgrades to the building structure, athletic fields, and acquisition of 31st Street between 19th and 20th Avenues.[3]

South High Programs/Small Learning Communities

edit

The school has three different Small Learning Communities (SLCs): Liberal Arts, Open (citywide), and All Nations American Indian. In 2006, the Triple E (Environment, Empowerment, Essentials) program was eliminated, and students belonging to those SLCs were placed into the Open and Liberal Arts communities. There are also several programs for special education students and teenage parents. All South High School programs are designed to prepare students for post-secondary education options.

Open (citywide)

The open program centers on students' exploration of their learning and their world. Students are given the freedom to discover how they learn best. For example, many open program classes allow students to complete projects as best suits their individual interests, whether that be a poster, paper, skit, or diorama.

Liberal Arts

This program offers students a broad array of subject areas. Each student is immersed in rigorous liberal arts courses.

All Nations American Indian (citywide)

The All Nations Program is designed to involve the American Indian community in student learning. The program incorporates courses with an emphasis on the Native perspective.

Student body and academics

edit

South has offerings in general education, special education, athletics, and world languages (French, Spanish, Arabic, Latin, Chinese, Ojibwe, and for many years Russian). In 2012, Somali was added as a language class. The school is known for cultural diversity, with students from White, African-American, Asian (particularly Hmong), Horn African (particularly Somali and Oromo), American Indian, and Hispanic communities. There is an increasing number of Eastern European students.

While many academic programs at South are widely respected, the South student body also experiences a significant achievement gap. Students from wealthier and more educated families tend to be enrolled in Advanced Placement and College in the Schools classes and attend college after high school much more than other students. A similar discrepancy is discernible by ethnic background. In fact, a significant number of South students drop out of school before graduation. The state of Minnesota, to comply with the federal No Child Left Behind legislation, has given SHS two stars out of five in both reading and mathematics. This means that South failed to meet federal accountability standards in both categories in the preceding academic year.[citation needed]

The school received nationwide press in 2005 after it introduced online physical education classes. The program allows students to select a physical activity of their preference and engage in it three times a week to meet the school's P.E. requirements.[4]

Events and organizations

edit
 
Poster for South's student-directed[5] 2011 Mainstage production of Ken Ludwig's Lend Me a Tenor[6]

Annual events include the open house, parent-teacher conference days, homecoming, athletic events, dances, and other social events. Many students arrive early or leave late to participate in extracurricular activities, including ethnic student associations, language clubs, competitive academic groups, mock trial, Academic Decathlon, Quiz Bowl, debate, and political groups. SHS has an active theater company. Some of its plays are student-directed, and many parts of the production encourage student involvement (for instance, students design and build the sets).

South High School also competes in national academic competitions. In 1998, its Mock Trial team was second in State, and in 1999 it was State Champion and nationally ranked. In 2005, students took fourth place in the nation in the Mock Trial competition, and in the 2006 national competition, South took 12th place. The South Mock Trial team stopped competing before the 2007 season. In 2005, South was ranked first in National History Day. In the spring and fall of 2021, South finished first in the MNVL State Minecraft Bedwars Championship.[citation needed]

Athletics

edit

South's girls basketball team rose to prominence in the last several years when Ahmil Jihad assumed the head coach position. The same year[when?], Tayler Hill joined the team as an 8th grader. Hill won the state scoring title her sophomore and senior years and led South to a 139–14 record in her five-year career. After two consecutive Minnesota State High School League Class AAAA state championship losses to St. Paul Central, Minneapolis South got what they longed for by beating Centennial High School 68–61 in the 2009 class AAAA state final. Tayler Hill led all scorers, tying the all-time tournament record for most points in a single game with 47. Hill broke several Minnesota high school records in her senior season, including most career points with 3,894, most points in a single season with 1,053, and most free throw makes and attempts in a single season (270/350).

Notable alumni

edit
Main category: South High School (Minnesota) alumni

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c "SOUTH SENIOR HIGH". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  2. ^ "South Senior High". Minnesota Department of Education.
  3. ^ "History of South High School". south.mpls.k12.mn.us. Retrieved 2016-12-11.
  4. ^ Condon, Patrick (October 20, 2005). "Online phys ed takes hold in Minneapolis". USA Today. Associated Press. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  5. ^ "South High School Produces 'Tenor'". Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger. November 2011. p. 9.
  6. ^ Smith, Kelly (November 1, 2011). "West metro school briefs: Quest Academy director resigns". Star Tribune. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
  7. ^ Fischer, Reed (April 9, 2013). "Off the deep end with Prof". City Pages. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
  8. ^ Sacher, Andrew (June 25, 2020). "Rhymesayers issue statement, drop Prof and Dem Atlas following allegations". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  9. ^ Weiner, Jay (July 22, 1984). "He has hurdled many a barrier". Star Tribune. p. 8P. Retrieved August 7, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Warren, James (June 14, 2017). "Kelly Barnhill can't stop writing inspiring stories". South High Southerner. Archived from the original on November 23, 2017. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  11. ^ Harris, Keith (June 3, 2016). "New Power Generation: The story of Prince's '90s band". 89.3 The Current. Archived from the original on June 4, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  12. ^ Briere, Tom (January 8, 1956). "Olympics Again Trip 'U' Six 3–2". Minneapolis Sunday Tribune. p. 5. Retrieved August 7, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Riemenschneider, Chris (August 30, 2007). "Local Music: Roma di Luna: A dark, new Moon on the rise". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
  14. ^ a b Brandt, Steve (May 14, 2012). "Teacher to the stars nears retirement". Star Tribune. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  15. ^ "2009 Wall of Honor inductees" (PDF). The Friends of South High Foundation Newsletter. South High Foundation. Spring 2009. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 23, 2014. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  16. ^ "Carl "Cully" Dahlstrom". United States Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  17. ^ McDonald, Mitch (December 14, 2011). "Highland Park defeats South". Spokesman-Recorder. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  18. ^ Shah, Allie (November 20, 1997). "Warren Douglas, 86, dies; was film actor, TV writer". Star Tribune. Minnesota, Minneapolis. p. 41. Retrieved 21 March 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "2005 Wall of Honor members awarded" (PDF). South High Foundation Newsletter. South High Foundation. Fall 2005. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  20. ^ Thomas, Dylan (January 9, 2018). "Open House seat draws a crowd". Southwest Journal. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  21. ^ Phelps, David (July 7, 2013). "Carlson hotels courting the prized millennials". Star Tribune. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  22. ^ MacManus, Joel (October 24, 2020). "How Abe Gray became New Zealand's 'Gandalf of Weed'". Stuff. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  23. ^ O'Connor, Anne (October 18, 1999). "Candidates face busy debate schedule". Star Tribune. pp. B1, B3. Retrieved February 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Rybak, Charlie (March 15, 2022). "Interview with Rep. Emma Greenman". Southwest Voices. Archived from the original on March 9, 2023. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  25. ^ Cohn, Victor (February 27, 1949). "Area Men Share Atom Honors". Star Tribune. p. 2. Retrieved August 7, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "Hagland, Carl G." Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. State of Minnesota. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  27. ^ Youngblood, Kent (April 16, 2013). "Washington takes former Minneapolis South star Hill fourth in WNBA draft". Star Tribune. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  28. ^ Walsh, Jim (September 13, 2019). "'It helps a lot with climate grief': Student organizers gear up for next week's Minnesota Youth Climate Strike". MinnPost. Archived from the original on March 2, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  29. ^ Ritzel, Rebecca (March 1, 2017). "Minneapolis native Ike Holter wins the country's most lucrative award for playwriting". Star Tribune. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  30. ^ Tillery, Grant (April 17, 2014). "José James rebels against "jazz"". Minnesota Daily. Archived from the original on September 25, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  31. ^ "Johnson, Dewey William". Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. State of Minnesota. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  32. ^ "Voter's guide: county races; hennepin county commissioner district 5; Incumbent is Randy Johnson". Star Tribune. October 30, 2008. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012. Retrieved February 7, 2017 – via HighBeam Research.
  33. ^ "Joseph Juran '20, quality expert, dies at age 103" (PDF). The Friends of South High Foundation Newsletter. South High Foundation. Spring 2008. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 19, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  34. ^ "Kalin, Jeremy". Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. State of Minnesota. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  35. ^ Priesmeyer, Molly (June 1, 2005). "Making the Perfect Woman". City Pages. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  36. ^ Behm, Jon (September 18, 2009). "Roma di Luna's Alexei and Channy Moon Casselle excavate their roots underground at the U". Twin Cities Daily Planet. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
  37. ^ Hyman, Dan (February 17, 2012). "Polica's Experimental Beginnings". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
  38. ^ "South High Swedish prize Given to Henning Linden". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, MN. May 29, 1912. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ^ "Biography of Carl Lumbly". All American Speakers. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  40. ^ "McNair Unable to Visit Sisters on Trip Here Last Year". Minneapolis Morning Tribune. July 28, 1944. p. 3. Retrieved November 22, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ^ "Hassan Mead". Men's Cross Country. University of Minnesota. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  42. ^ Meyer, Erin (2014). The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business. PublicAffairs. p. 35. ISBN 978-1610392501.
  43. ^ "the cavalcade of old Tamara Munzner bios". University of British Columbia. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  44. ^ "Nydahl One Of Minnesota's Greatest Athletes". The Brainerd Daily Dispatch. June 19, 1928. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. ^ Gihring, Tim (February 7, 2017). "Sex, lies, and Hulk Hogan: How a South High grad is riding the storm of Trump-era journalism". MinnPost. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  46. ^ Cutter, William Richard (1914). New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation. Vol. 2. New York City: Lewis Historical Publishing Company. p. 716. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  47. ^ Regan, Sheila (May 9, 2012). "Birchbark Books hosts poets Bao Phi and Ed Bok Lee tonight". City Pages. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  48. ^ Walsh, Paul (August 16, 2012). "Obituary: 'Big John' Pritchard squared off against Globetrotters". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  49. ^ Wallace, Clare (June 8, 1939). "Carl Christian Rasmussen" (PDF). The Los Angeles Public Library Local History Collection. Los Angeles Public Library. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  50. ^ Dernbach, Becky Z. (November 3, 2022). "Reading, writing, and legislating: Educators of color seek to shape Minnesota schools from the state Capitol". Sahan Journal. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  51. ^ Caouette, Mark. "Hilda Simms, Actress and Black Talent Supporter". African American Registry. Archived from the original on April 16, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
  52. ^ Ragatz, Will (April 9, 2021). "How Minneapolis's Elerson Smith Went From Two-Star Recruit to 2021 NFL Draft Prospect". FanNation. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  53. ^ "Plans Completed For Barnard Fete". Minneapolis Tribune. December 5, 1937. p. 5. Retrieved August 7, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  54. ^ Collins, Jon; Robinson, Alex (October 13, 2008). "U student to plead not guilty to terrorism charges". Minnesota Daily. Archived from the original on March 25, 2009. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  55. ^ Collins, Terry; Walsh, Paul (January 2, 2008). "Pioneering legislator won't seek 5th term". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  56. ^ Smetanka, Mary Jane (February 29, 1992). "South High grad puts money where his heart is". Star Tribune. p. 1A. Retrieved August 7, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  57. ^ Hamann, Rex (2015). The Minneapolis Millers of the American Association. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. p. 107. ISBN 978-1-4671-1347-2.
  58. ^ Carlson, Joel E (March 21, 2012). "Twitterview with Cathy Wurzer, @CathyWurzer". Minnesota Monthly. Archived from the original on June 6, 2012. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  59. ^ "Biographies of the Justices of the Minnesota Supreme Court". Biographies of the Judges and Justices of the Minnesota Appellate Courts. Minnesota State Law Library. June 4, 2013. Archived from the original on January 5, 2014. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=South_High_School_(Minnesota)&oldid=1255415257"