Union High School (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

Union High School
Location
6636 S. Mingo Road
Tulsa, Oklahoma, 74133
United States
Coordinates 36°04′00″N 95°52′14″W / 36.06667°N 95.87056°WCoordinates: 36°04′00″N 95°52′14″W / 36.06667°N 95.87056°W
Information
Type Public school
Established 1972
Locale Suburban
Principal

12th grade: Gart Morris
11th grade: Tony Tempest

10th grade: John Chagois
Grades 10–12
Number of students 4,284 (9–12)
Color(s)                Red, Black, and Silver
Mascot Redskins
District Union Public Schools
Website Official website

Union High School is the highest level of secondary education in the Union Public Schools system of Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, for students in 10th, 11th and 12th grades. The school, combined with Union 9th Grade Center, is the second-largest high school in the state of Oklahoma, behind only Broken Arrow High School.[1]

History

Tulsa's first public school opened in 1884.[2] The Union school district was formed in 1919 when four rural community districts consolidated.[3]

Curriculum

In addition to providing typical academic courses in English, mathematics and science, Union High School offers an Oklahoma social studies course as required by state law.[4]

All Oklahoma high schools must provide a physical education course designed to provide a minimum of 150 minutes of physical education per week, unless provided an exemption by the Oklahoma State Department of Education due to undue hardship.[4]

Union High School has State Department of Education and North Central Association accreditation.[3]

Extracurricular activities

Clubs and organizations

The following are organizations for students at UHS:[5]
  • Mock Trial Competition Law Team
  • Mu Alpha Theta
  • Native American Student Association
  • NHS, National Honor Society
  • Photo Clique
  • Red Cross
  • Spanish National Honor Society
  • Student Council
  • Teenage Republicans (TARS)
  • Union Marine Aquarium Society

Athletics

Union High School fields 22 athletics teams. The Redskins and Lady Redskins have won 52 state championships in their history as recognized by the Secondary Schools Athletic Association.

The following is a list of the sports in which the school competes, as well as the years, if any, during which the school's team won the state championship:[6]

  • Baseball - 6 (1979, 1989, 1990, 2005, 2006, 2010)
  • Boys Basketball - 3 (2004, 2012, 2014)
  • Girls Basketball - 1 (2008)
  • Ice Hockey - 2 (2004, 2005)
  • Cheerleading - 4 (1990, 2007, 2011, 2013)
  • Pom - 9 (2003-2012)
  • Highsteppers (Dance Drill Team)- 30 (1980-2008, 2012)
  • Boys Cross Country - 3 (2007, 2008, 2010)
  • Girls Cross Country - 7 (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 2005)
  • Fastpitch Softball - 4 (1976, 1992, 1999, 2011)
  • Football - 8 (1963, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
  • Boys Golf - 0
  • Girls Golf - 4 (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
  • Slowpitch Softball - 10 (2010, 2013)
  • Boys Soccer - 4 (1995, 1998, 2005, 2007)
  • Girls Soccer - 2 (2007, 2008)
  • Boys Swimming - 1 (2012)
  • Girls Swimming - 0
  • Boys Tennis - 4 (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
  • Boys Track - 2 (2008, 2009)
  • Girls Track - 5 (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010)
  • Volleyball - 0
  • Wrestling - 4 (Team State: 1982, 2009, Dual State: 2007, 2012)

Music and arts

1986 / 1989 / 1990 / 1995 / 1998 / 2000 / 2010 / 2011 / 2014

The band's winter percussion and guard ensembles have earned multiple awards on a national level competing at WGI events.[8][9]

1985/ 1987 / 1988,
Finalist 1984 / 1986 / 1994
1996 / 2001 / 2010,
Semi-Finalist 2011
Scholastic World Marching - Finalist 1995 / 1997,
Scholastic Open Concert - Champion 2001

Mascot controversy

Union's use of the "Redskins" team name has exposed it to some criticism, similar to the controversy faced by other schools using mascots referring to Native Americans. In 1999, Cherokee Nation chief Chad Smith criticized the school's use of the name.[10] In December 2002, the school received a demand from the University of Miami that it stop using a "split-U' logo which Miami claimed was unacceptably similar to the university's trademarked logo. Some Native American groups saw this as an appropriate time to renew their calls for Union to abandon the Redskins name, since it appeared that the school would have to change its uniforms in any event. However, in January 2003, Union settled Miami's claim by agreeing to pay $1,000 per year for the continuing right to use the split-U logo.[11] In November 2003 the school board voted unanimously to keep the "Redskins" name.[12] Since that time the school has maintained its position despite continued protests and proposed legislation intended to change the name.[13]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ "City of Broken Arrow: Our Schools". Broken Arrow Public Schools.
  2. ↑ Gregory, Carl. "Tulsa", Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed April 21, 2013).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Union Public Schools
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 School Laws of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State Department of Education (accessed April 20, 2013)
  5. ↑ "Clubs and Organizations". Union Public Schools.
  6. ↑ "OSSAA Sports History".
  7. ↑ "Union Bands". Union Bands.
  8. ↑ "Union".
  9. ↑ "WGI".
  10. ↑ S.E. Ruckman, "What's in a name? Dispute", Tulsa World, November 14, 1999.
  11. ↑ Jay Cooper, "Union keeps 'U'; criticism of mascot continues", Tulsa World, February 11, 2003.
  12. ↑ Jay Cooper, "Union votes to keep 'Redskins' mascot", Tulsa World, November 11, 2003.
  13. ↑ Randy Krehbiel, "Indian Coalition Backs Nickname Bill: The Bill Would Bar Public Schools From Using the Names 'Redskins' or 'Savages.' ", Tulsa World, January 31, 2009.
  14. ↑ Hawks, Asa (Jan 24, 2011). "Taylor Armstrong Tulsa Union High School yearbook photos as Shana Hughes". Starcasm.net. Retrieved 2014-06-19.
  15. ↑ TVGuide.com Melinda Doolittle Biography
  16. ↑ Hines, Kelley (January 25, 2011). "Former Union, OU quarterback Justin Fuente moving up coaching ladder". Tulsa World. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Justin Fuente is Memphis' new coach". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 8, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  18. ↑ Jeff Leiding at http://www.databasefootball.com
  19. ↑ "BC's O-coordinator Logan not returning to team", SI.com, January 16, 2009
  20. ↑ Robert Rousseau, "The skinny on BC offensive coordinator Steve Logan," RealFootball365.com, April 14, 2008.
  21. ↑