Millikan High School

Robert Millikan

Robert A. Millikan Senior High School is a high school in Long Beach, California, USA, administered by the Long Beach Unified School District. It is located near the intersection of Spring Street and Palo Verde Avenue in the Los Altos neighborhood of East Long Beach on a 36-acre campus. As of the 2007-2008 school year, Millikan High School had 4,500 students.

Eponym

Millikan High School is named after the Nobel Prize winner Robert Andrews Millikan.

Academies

COMPASS

• The COMPASS (Community of Musicians, Performers, Artists, and Social Scientists) Academy is a smaller learning community designed to prepare students for college by engaging them in a program that integrates core curriculum with the social sciences and the arts. This program places great emphasis on standards based instruction while helping students to connect learning with real world situations. COMPASS is also in charge of the school's literary arts magazine, Visions. The COMPASS lead teachers are Mr. Vann and Mrs. Massich. COMPASS is known throughout the Long Beach area as a leading arts program in public high schools.

MIT

• Formally known as Global Technology, MIT (Millikan Integrated Technology) is a four-year college preparatory program emphasizing computer applications and technology. The academy offers a college preparatory education that provides the foundation for students to either enter college or be competitive in the world of work. Students take technology classes such as Cisco Networking, Web Page Design, Architectural Design, Graphic Design & Print Making, Computer Systems, and Computer Systems Forensics.

GREEN

• Formally known as the KIUP program, the GREEN (Generating Respect for the Earth, the Environment, and Nature) Academy provides university preparation and career exploration. Math and science enrichment geared toward the average and above average student is provided within a supportive cross-curricular program. Students graduate with both their "A-G" university requirements and a personal career exploration portfolio.

MBA

• (Millikan Business Academy) promotes life skills and college-preparedness with an emphasis on entrepreneurship, marketing, enterprise, and financial independence.

PEACE

• (Personal success through Empowerment, Academic achievement, Character education, and Ethics in action) is an academy that engages such programs as stimulations (Contemporary World Project, International Negotiations and Panopticon Role Playing), hands-on learning, community service, and field experience.

QUEST

• (Questioning, Understanding, Engaging, - Success through Technology), is a GATE magnet for gifted honors students. QUEST students commit to a four-year, college preparatory program that encourages diversity of thought and scholarly endeavor. The academic independence of QUEST Scholars culminates in a self-directed Senior Project. The curriculum includes accelerated, honors, and a minimum of five Advanced Placement (AP) classes and exams. QUEST students are supported in post-secondary planning through counseling and an academic portfolio. In addition to academic studies, QUEST students are participants in campus extra- and co-curricular activities.

AVID

AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a support program for highly motivated students that works in conjunction with other Millikan programs to prepare students for attendance at a college or university. The AVID program involves students with a group of peers and adults who share a commitment to academic achievement and who work together to help the group succeed. The AVID elective teacher fills the roles of teacher, academic coach, and mentor. AVID is an elective course of study taught within the school day, and so the teacher has regular contact with AVID students throughout the school year. The AVID coordinator is Ms. Tiffany Alexander.

In addition to the AVID program, students are given the opportunity to be tutored by college undergraduate and graduate students who major in math, science, history, English, etc.

Its mission is to prepare students for college by offering rigorous academic classes and by fostering good study habits, as well as helping students navigate the college application process.

The AVID program grants special consideration to groups underrepresented in college, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and to students who will be the first in their family to attend college.

AVID is an international program, and as of June 2001, adopted by over 1,200 schools in 21 states and 14 countries.

Choral music

The choral program at Millikan High School is directed by John Harvey. The choral program consists of six courses: Cecillian Singers 1-2 which is a freshman girls class (also called Choraleers); Varsity Chorale 1-8, a freshman boys class; Voice, a small class concentrating on vocal solos; Cecillian Singers 3-8, an intermediate girls class; Concert Choir 1-8, a large, advanced, Co-Ed group of male and female vocalists; and Vocal Ensemble, the most prevalent class in the choral program consisting of Millikan's top eight male and top eight female vocalists: four basses, four tenors, four altos, and four sopranos.

Since 2006, the Millikan High School Vocal Ensemble has taken a trip every year to San Francisco, California to compete with the best high schools, city colleges, and state colleges from the west coast of the country. The Concert Choir and Vocal Ensemble, which are the advanced choirs are able to sight read up to six part choral music. Pieces they have worked on are, When David Heard and As Vesta Was both composed by Thomas Weelkes. Other pieces of music worked include Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel? arranged by Moses Hogan.

Performances

• There are two concerts a year for the whole program which take place in the fall and the spring.
• After the fall concert, the concert choir men and varsity chorale men mix for a special men's ensemble and perform for the Principal for a Day luncheon.
• Concert Choir performs three times a year, the fall concert, the holiday concert, and the spring concert.
• Concert Choir and Vocal Ensemble perform for QUEST recruitment presentations.
• Before the spring concert, the Vocal Ensemble goes on a trip to a festival in San Francisco.
• After the spring concert, the Concert Choir sings for the Most Inspiring Student Awards for the LBUSD.
• Every year on graduation day, the Concert Choir sings the Alma Mater for the graduating class.
• Once a year the co-principal, Dr. Jeff Cornejo, gives an operatic performance in the Millikan auditorium to a select group of top students. It is said to be both entertaining and silly.
• Every year Millikan has a cultural assembly where students perform dances and acts based on a certain nationality. These performances include traditions from Asia, Mexico, Spain, Samoa etc.

Dramatic Arts

The Drama program is spearheaded by Ms. Wendy Atwell. They put on three plays a year, the fall play, the spring musical, and the spring play which is performed in the Black Box Theatre.

The fall play is performed in the school auditorium. The spring musical is open to everyone that attends Millikan and is also performed in the auditorium.

Spring Musical

The Spring Musical is a production that is headed by Ms. Wendy Atwell, with assistance from Mr. John Harvey and Ms. Waters from the dance department, whose lead students are often members of the Vocal Music program and the Drama Department. Previous performances include, Fiddler on the Roof, Cinderella, Oklahoma!, The Boys from Syracuse, with The Sound of Music, Guys and Dolls, Hello Dolly, My Fair Lady, Annie Get Your Gun, and Music Man.

Instrumental Music

The instrumental music program consists of Jazz Band, Symphonic Winds, Concert Band, Marching Band, Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, and Symphonic Orchestra. The Millikan Music program has been directed by Michael Pappone, Roger Johnson, and James Mooy before they went on to teaching at LBCC, CSULB/LBCC, and SBCC respectively. Now the Millikan Instrumental Music program is under the direction of Renee Bhatia.

Each year the music ensembles compete in festivals throughout the United States. In recent years Millikan musicians have traveled to compete in festivals in San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas and Reno. In the spring of 2006 the Symphonic Orchestra performed in a national festival at the Historic Boston Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts.

Athletics

Millikan won CIF Southern Section football titles in 1977 and 1979 under head coach Dick DeHaven. They also fielded a top level Division 1 baseball program for many years in 60's with Robert Myers... Baseball Coach... CIF Champions 1967 and 1969... CIF Coach Of The Year 1969 and in 1980s, 1990s and 2000s under former head coach Dan Peters.

Under Coach Rod Petcovic, Millikan has amassed over 20 winning soccer seasons making it the marquee soccer program in the Moore League and in So Cal. Most notably is their most recent CIF Division championship with a 7-2 historic win over Ventura.

US Men's National scouts have seen interest in the past of players at this Nationally Recognized High School. They urge players to apply to Top Ten Soccer Universities like U.C Santa Barbara, U.C San Diego, and to reach the next level by striving for Local MX team Xiolos Tijuana and L.A Galaxy to garner attention.

Notable alumni

• Susie Atwood, double Olympic medalist, 1972 Olympics, backstroke
• Ryan Bailey, Olympic water polo player
• Jason Bell, NFL Football Player
• Nick Bierbrodt, baseball player^[1]
• Dave Frost, professional baseball player
• Gary Garrison, professional football player with the San Diego Chargers
• Jack Grisham, TSOL Vocalist, Author An American Demon: A Memoir
• Gene Hoglan, metal musician
• Soben Huon, Miss Utah USA 2006^[2]
• Wendi McLendon-Covey, actress on Comedy Central's Reno 911!
• Mike Montgomery, former Golden State Warriors coach and current University of California Head Basketball coach
• Tino Nuñez, professional soccer player
• Jonathan Singleton, professional baseball player^[3]
• Craig Swan, professional baseball player^[4]
• Mike Tully, Pole Vaulter, 1984 Olympic Silver Medal Winner^[5]
• Marcus Turner, former NFL player
• Karen Witter, Playboy Playmate of Month, March 1982
• Alden Darby, NFL player for the Pittsburgh Steelers

References