Allen Central High School (ACHS) is a secondary school located in Eastern, Floyd County, Kentucky, U.S.A., and is one of four public high schools in the Floyd County School system. The school colors were Columbia blue and gray; however, over time dark red has been added.
Built in the late 1960s, the first principal at ACHS was Dave Hensley. After his death, a bridge that carries Kentucky Route 80 in front of Allen Central Middle School and Hensley's former home was renamed the Dave Hensley Memorial Bridge.
ACHS sports teams are the Rebels. American football games and track races are played on Rebel Field. Basketball, volleyball and archery are played in the J. H. Campbell Gymnasium. The school plays host to many county and district tournaments due to its central ___location.
Mascot and flag scandals
editFor the past 34 years,[when?] the school has displayed symbols of the Confederate States of America. A Confederate flag was displayed in the school gymnasium as recently as January 2007,[1] and the school mascot is a Confederate soldier who, as of late 2006, appeared on a sign at the entrance to the school.[2] A nearby courtyard has blue brick forming the Cross of St. Andrew, and a mural in the lobby shows a rebel soldier carrying the flag on horseback. Other images of rebel soldiers and Confederate flags cover the same walls.[3] The images have stoked controversy, since many consider them to be racist symbols, both in Floyd County, in Kentucky, and elsewhere, although there is also support in the county for retaining the symbols.[4]
In December 2006, the David School, a private school in the same sports league as Allen Central, decided not to play a basketball game at the school because the it considered the Confederate symbols a form of taunting, which is forbidden by the athletic league.[5]
The Justice Resource Center in Louisville, Kentucky, a civil rights group, criticized the school's prominent displays of the Confederate flag at the school and at public events, and the head of the organization, the Rev. Louis Coleman, said "the rebel flag to African-Americans represents something very bad - it represents slavery."[6] Coleman suggested that black members of nearby school sports teams should have the option of not participating in events where Confederate symbols are displayed, and told the Associated Press that the flag creates "a very tense and negative atmosphere" for black student athletes.[5]
Allen Central's former principal, Sis Hall, and many students at the school have defended the Confederate emblems, calling them symbols of strength, independence and pride. The school's use of the emblems "has nothing to do with racism", Hall told an Associated Press reporter. "It's a part of us."[5]
Allen Central adopted the school flag and mascot in 1972, when four other schools were consolidated to form the high school. Students formed a committee and chose the mascot. The four previous schools and their mascots were the Maytown Wildcats, the Garrett Black Devils, the Wayland Wasps and the Martin Purple Flash.[3]
Academic courses
editAllen Central High School provides 33 main courses along with participation in the County Early College Academy. They include:
Mathematics: algebra I, algebra II, geometry, precalculus, calculus
Social studies: introduction to social studies, World civilizations, history, geography, psychology, United States history
The sciences: integrated science I, integrated science II, biology, human anatomy, biomedical research and experimental medicine, chemistry
English language arts: English studies I, English studies II, English studies III, English studies IV
Enrichment: Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, studies of practical living, music, guitar studies, physical education and gymnastics, health, art
Foreign languages: Spanish I, Spanish II, German II
On-campus college credit classes: college algebra, English studies 100, English studies 200, music 100
Underwater Basketweaving
Experimental Topiary
Advanced Computer Sciences: Coding, Cyberterrorism, Wake up Brian, Wikipedia Editing, and Master's classes in Pranking and Punking
Sports
editBoys' basketball, Polo, girls' basketball, volleyball, Lawnchair Bowling track running, archery, American football, baseball, softball, Hockey
Extracurricular activities
editAcademic Team, NHD History Club, Kentucky Youth Assembly, Student Technology Leadership Program, Yearbook Committee, Student Council, Chorus, Band, Math Club
Notes
edit- ^ "David-ACHS game postponed again", The Floyd County Times January 21, 2007, (accessed August 4, 2007)
- ^ "Confederate symbols abide", Cincinnati Enquirer, December 10, 2006
- ^ a b [1] The Associated Press, "Ky. students embrace Confederate mascot, flag despite controversy", December 9, 2006, as published on the web site of The First Amendment Center, based in Arlington, Virginia (accessed August 4, 2007)
- ^ [2] Prater, Kathy J., "Debate over Confederate flag continues", The Floyd County Times, January 24, 2007 (accessed August 4, 2007)
- ^ a b c [3], International Herald-Tribune (Associated Press), December 21, 2006 (accessed August 4, 2007)
- ^ Jafari, Samira (Dec 19, 2006). "High School's Symbols Under Attack". Spartanburg Herald-Journal.
- "Allen Central High School". Archived from the original on 29 June 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-12.
- "Our Rebel Years Allen Central High School". Retrieved 2006-09-30.
- Eastern Kentucky students hold onto Confederate school symbols
- "Kentucky Department of Education". Archived from the original on 9 August 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-12.
External links
editCategory:Schools in Floyd County, Kentucky Category:Public high schools in Kentucky