Hug High School

Procter R. Hug High School is a fully accredited^[2] public high school in Reno, Nevada, and belongs to the Washoe County School District. Hug High was built on a hillside in northeast Reno in 1968 to serve students from rapidly growing areas in northeast Reno, northwest Reno and the Northern Valleys.

Like many other local schools, Hug High was named for a member of the local school board.^[3] Procter R. Hug was a college athlete, teacher, athletic coach and Washoe County School Superintendent^[4] who went on after retirement to serve as a Nevada State Senator.^[5]

History

Hug High's first principal, Bud Garfinkle, opened the school for the 1968-69 academic year with only sophomores and juniors; the first senior class graduated in 1970. Hug was a three year high school until the 1972-73 academic year when freshmen were admitted as all Washoe County High Schools transitioned to four year schools. As Hug was founded in the late 1960s when the U.S. was undergoing intense social change and political turmoil (especially in relation to guaranteeing equal rights to all of its citizens and fighting an increasingly unpopular war in Vietnam), the events of this period contributed to the idealism of the school's first years. In a recent letter, Garfinkle reiterates these sentiments: "I feel as if I gave birth to a child... A child born at a time when our nation was wrestling with many new ideas: that all people should be treated equally, regardless of race, color or creed."^[6] As one of the most ethnically diverse high schools in the district, it could be said that shifts in Hug's fortunes have often provided a litmus lest to the community at large as to how far it has come to achieving these ideals.

Enrollment peaked in the early 1970s, and again in the early 1980s. Hug High currently has an enrollment of approximately 1,274 students in grades 9-12.^[1]

Recent statistics on the ethnic origin of the student body of Hug High School (2007-2008 school year, with district-wide statistics in parentheses):^[7] American Indian/Native American: 1.7% (2.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander: 10.2% (6.4%), Hispanic/Latino: 57.9% (32.8%), Black/African American: 9.9% (3.8%), White/Caucasian: 20.3% (54.4%).

Its nine buildings (Academic Buildings A, B, C, and D, the Industrial Arts building, the Gymnasium, the Little Theater and Cafeteria building, the Library, the Administration building, and JROTC rifle range) are set on a multilevel series of terraces, and most are connected by covered outdoor walkways. The facades of most of the buildings are covered in dark green serpentine stone panels, and the equally green campus has been landscaped with a wide variety of trees and plants over the years. Reno's first "school on the hill," the campus offers a beautiful panoramic view of the Truckee Meadows to the south, and of the Sierra Nevada to the southwest. The campus has been decorated over the years with numerous murals and mosaics depicting the mascot, school colors and the letter "H" for Hug.

Academics

Over the years, Hug has offered both a general-education and a full college-preparatory curriculum, and many of its alumni have gone on to attend some of the nation's most prestigious colleges and universities, with some earning Ph.D.'s, J.D.'s and other advanced degrees. In recent years, Principal Andrew Kelly has instituted a "small schools" program, converting the A, B, and C buildings and the Gymnasium annex into semi-autonomous academic entities, in order to create a more individualized, less anonymous academic environment for students and teachers alike.^[8][9] He has also spoken out publicly about the racial and socioeconomic inequality still present in the Washoe County School District.^[10] More recently, Hug has received attention from the local television station KOLO for its improving academic standing as well as the introduction of gender-separate classes in its ongoing objective to boost student performance.^[11]

Today Hug offers classes in English, from English as a Second Language up to Advanced Placement levels, mathematics from Algebra I to Calculus AB, sciences such as Biology, Chemistry and Physics, Spanish, French, Industrial arts and physical education, as well as numerous elective courses. In 2003, the Academic Olympics (AO) team placed 4th in Washoe County and the Science Bowl team competed in the Nevada regional competition. In 2004, the AO team placed 3rd in the district, the Science Bowl team placed 4th in the Nevada Regional, and the Robotics team placed in the top third in the Chesapeake Regional in Annapolis, Maryland.

Athletics

Hug competes in the High Desert League of the Northern Nevada 4A Region (large school).^[12] The campus has a lighted stadium for night games, tennis courts, and a baseball field, also on a descending set of hillside terraces. Hug has been successful in boy's basketball, football and boy's track this decade. The boy's basketball team won the Regional titles in 2002, 2009, 2011,and 2012; the football team was the state runner-up in 2005, along with the Northern Region championship' and the boy's track & field team won the division, zone & state title in 2001 with less than 30 members, one of which was team captain Senior David Butler who went to state in four events. Many other members of the track team also had multiple events in which they all placed in the top five.

History and Student Life

Sociopolitical background. While Hug has almost always had a higher percentage of students from ethnic minorities and low-income families than other schools in the district, since the late 1980s the student body has undergone an even more extreme demographic shift,^[13] underscoring the underlying problem of racial and economic segregation that still could be said to characterize the school district as a whole.^[14]

Academic achievements. In the 1970s and 1980s, it had a fine theater program under the direction of local actor and director Eve Loomis. Along with numerous musical, dramatic and dance performances, she founded a traveling children's theater troupe, the Hug High Harlequins, which traveled to elementary school audiences all over Northern Nevada. In the 1970s and 1980s there was also a Shakespeare Club, active in organizing yearly fieldtrips to Shakespeare performances of professional theater companies under the supervision of English teacher Joanne Walen. This group was also commonly known as "Little Willy's Gang."^[15] Hug High, along with crosstown high school partner Wooster High, co-hosted the prestigious National Association of Student Councils conference in June 1982, bringing hundreds of high school student leaders from all over the country to the Hug campus for its three-day leadership workshop.^[16] At that time, Hug was also competitive in speech and debate at the state level, and had a marching band that eventually went on to represent the state in the 1997 Presidential Inaugural Parade in Washington, DC.^[17] The march written for the occasion by Hug High marching band director Gerald Willis was called the "Silver State Fanfare," and after being played by a number of other Nevada marching bands was eventually named the Official State March by the Nevada Legislature in 2001.^[18]

Cultural diversity at Hug. Whether the Native frybread lunches of the First Americans Club and Black History Month pageants of the 1970s and 1980s (both organized under the mentorship of counselor Dolores Feemster) or the Cinco de Mayo celebrations planned by the Hug Unidos Club, and Polynesian dancing that characterize student life today,^[19] students continue to add to the history of student life at Hug through exploring and sharing their multifaceted cultural heritage with others.

Traditions. The school mascot is the Hawk. Although the school colors originally chosen by the student body were kelly green and white, the school administration later modified them in the 1980s to a darker forest green and white. The school yearbook is called the Talon, and the school newspaper is called "Soar." Its drill team, originally called the Shamrocks, is now called Hawk Havoc. The traditional school totem was the Spirit Claw, given to the class at each school assembly deemed to have shown the most school spirit.

School songs

School Anthem (sung to the tune of "Aura Lee")

As the Hawk soars overhead, rising high are we. Honor, spirit, make us proud, of our loyalty. Sacrifice, pay the price, proud are we to be, The Spirit of America: Hug High Hawks are we!

Fight Song (sung to the tune of "When the Saints")

Oh when the Hawks, go flying in, Oh when the Hawks go flying in, We'll be there to cheer the victors, When the Hawks go flying in!

(Unlike most other schools in the area, Hug has two school songs: a School Anthem and a Fight Song. Traditionally, both school songs are played at pep rallies and games by the Hug High Pep Band, and each is accompanied by a short routine performed by the Hug High Cheerleaders and Songleaders. The Fight Song is usually played during games and rallies, whereas the School Anthem is only played at the end. )^[20]

Notable Alumni

• Rod Scurry, Former MLB player (Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners)
• Jo-Jo Townsell, Former NFL player (New York Jets)
• Rob Richie (baseball), Former MLB player (Detroit Tigers)
• Armon Johnson, Former NBA player (Portland Trailblazers), (New Jersey Nets)
• Duke Williams (American football), NFL player Buffalo Bills

References