Ypsilanti High School

Ypsilanti High School

Current YHS logo
Home of the Ypsilanti Grizzlies
Address
2095 Packard Road
Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197
United States
Coordinates 42°14′40″N 83°38′44″W / 42.24444°N 83.64556°W / 42.24444; -83.64556Coordinates: 42°14′40″N 83°38′44″W / 42.24444°N 83.64556°W / 42.24444; -83.64556
Information
School type Public school (government funded), Secondary
School district Ypsilanti Public School District
Grades 9–12
Color(s) Black and Gold
         
Mascot Grizzlies
(formerly the Braves)
Website http://www.ypsd.org/schools/ypsihigh/index.html

Ypsilanti High School (YHS) was a public school located in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan.[1] Ypsilanti High School (or 'Ypsi High,' as many people referred to it), was a comprehensive high school serving 9–12th grades, located on the western edge of the Ypsilanti Public School District at the corner of Packard and Hewitt Roads.

When the Willow Run and Ypsilanti school districts merged to become Ypsilanti Community Schools in 2013, YHS's current campus became the newly merged district's high school: YCS High School.[2]

History

Ypsilanti High School c. 1922

Ypsilanti High School has a lengthy history, and has existed since 1849. Until 1973, the high school was housed in a historic 3-story brick building on Cross Street, which has since been converted into senior citizen housing units.

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

Braves Logo Controversy

The mascot of Ypsilanti High School has been a source of controversy for over 10 years. In the early 1990s, in response to charges that the mascot was offensive to Native Americans, the first changes were undertaken. The real-life mascot, who dressed up as a stereotypical 'Indian' (complete with mohawk) for football games, was discontinued and a panel for the improvement of Native American cultural education was set up.

Braves logo

In 2004, the school's mascot came under fire again, with opponents of the name being organized by an Eastern Michigan University professor. The School Board set up a committee in the fall of 2005 to look into the issue. After a series of open public meetings, the committee returned a report concluding that due to systemic discrimination, the mascot must indeed be changed. However, the committee was the subject of questions itself, with allegations that the group splintered, and none of the public forums gathered much student input. The School Board, while going over the committee's report, scheduled a final public meeting to be held in April 2006. Garnering a large turnout, the event was held in the school's auditorium, with support for the name generally coming from the student body and the community and opponents coming from academia and the Native American community. Following this meeting, the School Board decided in a in May 2006 compromise decision that the name "Braves" could still be used but the Braves logo could not be used in any athletic activities or school events.[12]

In the Fall of 2006, after a reshuffling of School Board members following an election the previous spring, the issue was brought up yet again.[13] In another contentious and closely divided decision, the Board chose 4-3 to retire the 'Braves' name completely on December 11, 2006.[14] On November 27, 2007, the school board chose Phoenix as the new school mascot,[15][16][17] and on March 31, 2008, the new logo was unveiled.[18]

References

  1. Township Map (Map). Ypsilanti Township. Archived from the original (JPG) on November 9, 2005. Retrieved 22 Jun 2009. (Archive on webcitation)
  2. Miller, Janet. "End of an era: Willow Run School District has final day of classes" (Archived 2015-09-01 at WebCite). The Ann Arbor News. Friday June 7, 2013. Retrieved on September 1, 2015.
  3. "Mike Bass". databaseFootball.com. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  4. "Ypsilanti: Native Amy Devers Appears on OWN Remodeling Program". Ypsilanti Courier. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  5. Stone, Mike and Regner, Art (2008). The Great Book of Detroit Sports Lists. Running Press.
  6. "Long after she helped change Little League, Carolyn King's legacy remains alive and well". The Ann Arbor News. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  7. "LUCKING, Alfred, (1856 - 1929)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  8. "Ypsilanti Public Schools Hall of Fame Inductees". Ypsilanti High School. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  9. "Don Schwall Awards". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  10. "Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond on NYC". Paste Magazine. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  11. "CUTCHEON, Byron M., (1836 - 1908)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  12. District seeks Phoenix logo artist Ypsilanti High's transition to new mascot still rankles some students
  13. "Royals likely choice for Ypsilanti High School team names". Ann Arbor News. May 15, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  14. "Ypsilanti High will start the year without a mascot". September 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  15. "Ypsilanti replaces Braves mascot with Phoenix". Kalamazoo Gazette. November 27, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  16. "Phoenix is new nickname for Ypsi High". Ann Arbor News. November 27, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  17. "Board Votes On Phoenix Mascot Name". WDIV-TV. November 26, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  18. "Ypsi board gets 1st look at new Phoenix logo". Ann Arbor News. April 1, 2008. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
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