Southwest DeKalb High School
| Southwest DeKalb High School | |
|---|---|
| Motto | Home of the Mighty Panthers |
| Established | 1928 |
| Type | Public Magnet |
| Principal | Dr. Thomas Glanton |
| Students | 1450 |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Location | Decatur, Georgia, USA |
| Coordinates | 33°42′09″N 84°13′29″W / 33.702372°N 84.224644°WCoordinates: 33°42′09″N 84°13′29″W / 33.702372°N 84.224644°W |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Colors |
Navy and Old Gold |
| Mascot | Panther |
| Website | Southwest DeKalb High School |
 School Logo | |
Southwest DeKalb High School, commonly referred to as SWD, is a high school located in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia. The school has a Decatur mailing address. The school is a part of the DeKalb County School System. It houses one of the three High Achievers Magnet Programs in DeKalb County, Georgia, the other two being Chamblee High School and Arabia Mountain High School.
Awards and recognitions
The SWD High School Band was one of two high school bands to perform in the Opening Ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics. They were also featured in the hit movie Drumline in 2002; the movie used students from Southwest DeKalb High School band as well as other DeKalb county high school students as extras. After the movie record producer Dallas Austin tapped the marching band for a sequel. 20th Century Fox was not interested in the production of a sequel, so instead Austin decided to produce a reality television show, titled "Drumroll: SWD" that aired on Peachtree TV, a Turner Broadcasting Station.
The SWD High School Band were also credited in Mariah Carey's album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel on the track "Up Out My Face (The Reprise)". The marching band were invited to perform in Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming. Most recently, they have performed on America's Got Talent Season 4.
The football team has won numerous region titles, 1972,73,77,78,81,83,84,87,88,89,90,94,96,99,00,09. Winning the Georgia AAA state championship in 1973 and the AAAA state championship in 1995. The SWD Boys Track and Field teams have won 9 state titles including a national championship in 1996 with the most recent coming in 2007. The SWD Girls Track and Field teams have won 5 state titles in 1984,2007,2008,2009 and 2011. The SWD Girls Basketball team won the Georgia 4-A state championship in 2008,2009,2010 and the 5-A title in 2013.
In 2006 SWD was honored by the College Board as a model of excellence for AP class implementation.
In 2009 school administrators reported that students were enrolled in AP courses in chemistry, biology, physics, calculus, English, European History, French, Spanish, government, U.S. history, world history, economics, statistics and psychology.[1]
In 2011 the school was one of 14 schools recognized nationally by the College Board for leading the nation in helping African American and/or Latino students to succeed on Advanced Placement exams. It was the only Georgia school to be honored.[2]
Notable alumni
- Hason Graham (former NFL wide receiver)
- Terrence Trammell (Olympic silver medalist, track and field)
- Quincy Carter (former NFL quarterback)
- Angelo Taylor (Olympic gold medalist, track and field)
- Cosey Coleman (former NFL offensive guard)
- Shamari Fears (Lead singer of Blaque*)
- William DuVall (Current lead singer of Alice in Chains and Comes With The Fall)
- Porsha Williams (Granddaughter of civil rights activist Hosea Williams and a cast member on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta)
- Khalil "Cassius D. Kalb" Walton (Grammy-Award Songwriter and Musician)
- Rodney Williams P ( New York Giants 2001)
- Eddie Miller (former [NFL]] wide receiver - Colts)
- Fred Jones (former NFL wide receiver - Chiefs)
- Morgan Snow, American hurdler
References
| ||||||