Baton Rouge Magnet High School (BRMHS or Baton Rouge High) is a public

magnet school In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities (usually school boards) as school ...

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of counties ...

, United States, founded in 1880. It is part of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System with a student body of approximately 1500 students. The current building was built in 1926,Louisiana - East Baton Rouge Parish
on National Register of Historic Places and, as Baton Rouge High School, was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1986. The campus underwent a two-year renovation and expansion starting in 2010, resulting in the addition of two new wings to the main building. This renovation was completed and the school reopened in fall 2012. Baton Rouge High is also one of the highest-ranked schools in the state, and consistently wins state-level academic competitions. The school requires students to pass enrollment standards and exceed graduation standards. As a result, nearly all graduating students attend college.Baton Rouge Magnet High School 2006-2007 Profile. 29 Aug. 2006. Baton Rouge Magnet High School. 17 Apr. 2008. http://brmhs.ebrschools.org/eduWEB2/1000054/docs/school_profile06-07.pdf

History

In 1903,

T. H. Harris T is the twentieth letter of the Latin alphabet. (For the same letterform in the Cyrillic and Greek alphabets, see Te and Tau respectively). T may also refer to: Codes and units * T, Tera- as in one trillion * T, the symbol for "True" in l ...

was named principal of Baton Rouge High School. Five years later, he became the state education superintendent and held that post until 1940. The present campus was put into use in 1925 (although some sources cite 1927 or 1928 as the year the new building opened) when the main four-story building was built. Additional buildings were added and renovations made during the 1950s. By 1972, the present facilities were completed and air conditioning was installed. In the fall of 1976, the school began operating under the new Magnet School Curriculum, and the Class of 1980 became the first graduating class to attend all four full years under the Magnet Program. Numerous district and state championships have been won as is attested by the vast collection of trophies on view in the lobby. Though the major sports of football,

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

, and

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

were discontinued in 1976, the individual and life-time sports have continued a tradition of winning district and state championships. State and district rally honors have increased, as have the number of National Merit Students among the student body. The main three to four story neo-Gothic brick and terra cotta building, along with a portion of the campus, was added to the

on November 6, 1986. wit
four photos and two maps
With The 4th floor of the school used to be home to the band and orchestra, but is now closed off to the student body.

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

played on the Baton Rouge High stage with

Faron Young Faron Young (February 25, 1932 – December 10, 1996) was an American country music producer, musician, and songwriter from the early 1950s into the mid-1980s. Hits including "If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')" and "Live Fast, Love Hard, Di ...

on May 2, 1955 The school also was used in 2009 as a location for the filming of parts of the film ''Ticking Clock''. The school had been temporarily moved to the old Lee High School building, due to renovations being done on the 1925 campus. Students returned to the renovated campus on August 8, 2012.

Distinctions and awards

The school was awarded the

Blue Ribbon The blue ribbon is a symbol of high quality. The association comes from The Blue Riband, a prize awarded for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by passenger liners and, prior to that from Cordon Bleu, which referred to the blue ribbon w ...

for Academic Excellence for the school years 1982–83 and 2003–04. The school offers 27 Advanced Placement classes, including Science Lab, with an additional

American Government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a feder ...

course speculated for 2008–2009. It has 20 honors courses, two dual enrollment courses through

Baton Rouge Community College Baton Rouge Community College is a public community college in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Established on June 28, 1995, the college settled into a permanent location in 1998. The campus consists of six main buildings: Governors Building, Louisia ...

, and four foreign languages; French I-V,

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

I-V,

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

I-V,

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

is offered sporadically and was last offered in 2012–2013. Due to faculty shortage, since 2007

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

is no longer available. Having a college-preparatory Magnet program, the school employs a rigorous

curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...

resulting in almost all of its graduates attending college. The 270 students graduating in 2006 were offered over $8 million in college

scholarships A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholarsh ...

, with almost all going on to enter college. Four graduates have also gone on to be named Rhodes Scholars after college. It received a special award in 2004 from the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, distinguishing it as one of five schools in the nation excelling in performing arts. It was one of two high schools to receive this award. On March 21, 2005, the school performed and displayed aspects of its arts and performances programs on one of the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stages. The school is one of the few high schools in the nation to offer two student run

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...

s on campus. The original FM station,

WBRH WBRH (90.3 FM) is a student-run jazz high school radio station in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The station, at Baton Rouge Magnet High School, broadcasts with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 21 kW. It is owned by the East Baton Rouge Paris ...

, was joined in 1993 by an AM station,

KBRH KBRH (1260 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a classic rhythm and blues format in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. The station is owned by the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and run by students at Baton Rouge Magnet High School al ...

. They are both

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

radio stations and are run with the financial support of the listening community. They publicly broadcast

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

on WBRH , and classic R&B and local music on KBRH . Awards * 1982 Redbook Magazine - Top 100 High Schools in America * 1983 Blue Ribbon School - U.S. Dept of Education * 2003 Blue Ribbon School - U.S. Dept of Education * 2004 Creative School Ticket of Excellence * 2004 Louisiana Dept of Education - Five Star School of Academic Excellence * 2004 Kennedy Center School of Distinction Creative Ticket Award * 2005 Magnet Schools of America - Distinction Award * 2005 Louisiana Dept of Education - Five Star School of Academic Excellence * 2006 Magnet Schools of America - Distinction Award * 2006 Louisiana Dept of Education - Five Star School of Academic Excellence * 2006 Siemens Award for Advanced Placement * 2006 Magnet Schools of America. Magnet School of Distinction * 2007 Louisiana Dept of Education - Five Star School of Academic Excellence * 2007 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics & Science Teaching * 2008 U.S. News & World Report. Best High Schools, Silver Designation * 2008 Magnet Schools of America - Distinction Award * 2009 U.S. News & World Report. Best High Schools, Silver Designation * 2010 National Magnet Schools of America - Magnet school Principal of the year * 2010 National Magnet Schools of America - Excellence Award * 2010 U.S. News & World Report. Best High Schools, Silver Designation * 2011 U.S. Presidential Scholar * 2011 Newsweek. #122-ranked High School in the US (3rd highest SAT average amongst 500 schools) * 2012 State Science Olympiad * 2012 Newsweek America's Best High Schools * 2012 Magnet Schools of America - Distinction Award * 2012 U.S. Presidential Scholar * 2013 Louisiana State Principal of the Year * 2015 Blue Ribbon School - U.S. Dept of Education * 2021 Blue Ribbon School - U.S. Dept of Education

Sports and athletics

Baton Rouge Magnet High athletics competes in the LHSAA. The school has an unusual athletics program in that since 1976, it has not fielded a football,

, or

team. This was a result of the school switching to the magnet program that year, changing the school's official name from Baton Rouge High School to Baton Rouge Magnet High School.

Athletic history

The school has played in the 5A classification, the highest in the LHSAA, since moving up from 4A in 1998. It has won numerous state championships in many sports. Gymnastics and track and field programs are especially strong. In 2003, the school had a banner year for sports, winning 5 state championships: women's outdoor track, men's outdoor track, women's gymnastics, men's gymnastics, and women's cross country. The women's swim team was state runner-up in 2005. Men's and women's coach George Newport has won the city's Coach of the Year award several times. Joanne Chien, class of 2010, won 5 individual state titles in her career, including setting a 5A record in the 100-yard backstroke in 2007. The school's football team won eight state championships in 1909, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1917, 1919, 1944 (Class 2A) and 1964 (Class 3A) before being disbanded in 1976.Louisiana High School Football Championships. Unknown Publication Date. Winnefield High School. 17 Apr. 2008. About our School. Unknown Publication Date. Baton Rouge Magnet High School. 17 Apr. 2008. http://brmhs.ebrschools.org/explore.cfm/aboutourschool/100016 The team also made one unsuccessful appearance in the state title game in 1954 (Class 3A). The school's basketball team won State Championships in 1968 (3A), 1961 (3A), 1954 (2A), 1950 (2A), 1932 (1A), 1911 (2A), 1910 (1A), 1909 (1A), The school has won the Southern Quality Ford Cup (previously Picadilly Cup), the all-sports trophy, several times, despite not competing in football,

, or

. The cross-country program was a dominant force in the 1980s and early 1990s as the men's team won 9 consecutive state titles from 1980 to 1988. The women's program won 6 state titles and placed numerous individual state champions. In recent times, the women's outdoor track and field program has been one of the most dominant in the state, winning state championships in 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. They were also state runners-up in 2005 and 2006. The men's gymnastics team, as of the end of the 2010–2011 school year, under the tutelage of longtime coach Kevin Nee, has won 7 of the last 9 LHSAA state championships, including four straight from 2002 to 2005. In 2010, team Captain Chris Chu, class of 2011, won first all-around in the LHSAA state championship. The women's team has placed in the top 3 in the state for 6 of the last 9 years, with one state championship in 2003. The men's cross country team has a two-time 5A state champion in Philipp Goettert (2006, 2007). Saul Rothschild was also a two-time state cross-country champion, in 1980 and 1981, when BRHS was classified as 3A (and the largest classification at the time was 4A). Baton Rouge High also features a tennis team that has become more competitive in recent years. In the 2015–2016 season, Kelli Hu and Malini Bueche were runner-up at the regional and Division 1 state championships. They were also a part of the Girls Doubles All-Metro Team along with Baton Rouge High's Ashley Alfred and Sophia Akinniyi. In the 2016–2017 season, the duo of Kelli Hu and Malini Bueche won the 5A regional championships, giving Baton Rouge High its first regional tennis victory in many years. Also, singles players Shola Akinniyi, Sophia Akinniyi, and Gabriel Young made it to the regional semifinals, and Logan Bueche advanced to the finals. The soccer team competes in district 5 of the 5A classification of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association.Final Districting of LHSAA Schools. 30 Nov. 2006. LHSAA. 17 Apr. 2008. As of 2011, the team has made the playoffs 6 of the last 7 years. In the 2010–2011 season, senior forward Naveed Asayesh scored 47 goals, placing him 3rd in the state and 2nd in 5A. The women's soccer team (as of 2010) has advanced to the regional playoffs (round of 16) each of the last four years, including reaching the state semifinals in 2009 as an underdog #6 seed, upsetting #3 Mt. Carmel 1–0 in the quarterfinals before losing to #1 Fontainebleau in a penalty kick shootout 3 to 2. The girls' golf team placed 3rd in the 2010 Baton Rouge Metro High School Championship. The most recent addition to the athletic roster is men's bowling, which began play in the 2005–2006 school year, the same year the LHSAA held its first state championships in the sport. In addition, the school has an

intramural Intramural sports are recreational sports organized within a particular institution, usually an educational institution, or a set geographic region. The term, which is chiefly North American, derives from the Latin words ''intra muros'' meaning " ...

sports program consisting of American flag football, basketball, and volleyball.

Visual and performing arts

The school has music programs, including an award-winning choir, a jazz band and concert band, and a string orchestra.Choral Studies. Unknown Publication Date. Baton Rouge Magnet High School. 17 Apr. 2008. The Choral Department has been directed by Robbie Giroir, the organist at St. Joseph Cathedral, for thirty years. They host an annual candlelight Christmas Concert in downtown Baton Rouge. Giroir has taken the Festival Singers, a small vocal ensemble, to venues around the world.

Choral studies

The BRMHS Department of Choral Studies offers choral singing, solo vocal literature, music theory, and the art of English handbell ringing. In 2007 the program had over seventy-five choristers. The Choral Union is a principle choral ensemble of forty auditioned choristers. They perform in the Fall and Spring Concerts held in the Chapel of St. Alban's on the

LSU Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...

Campus, and the annual formal Candlelight Concert traditionally held in St. Joseph Cathedral in downtown Baton Rouge. The Choral Union and Festival Singers have also performed in Carnegie Hall,

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

, and St. Patrick's Cathedral in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. The Festival Singers have toured the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

where solo choral performances were given at

Winchester Cathedral The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1095509)". ''National Heritage List for England''. Retrieved 8 September 2014. Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winches ...

, St. Paul's Cathedral, Ely Cathedral, and the World War II Memorial Chapel (Ely). In 2005, the Festival Singers performed a concert tour of

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. In 2009, the Festival Singers went to

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

to perform in numerous cathedrals in cities such as

Sevilla Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...

, Toledo,

Escorial El Escorial, or the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial ( es, Monasterio y Sitio de El Escorial en Madrid), or Monasterio del Escorial (), is a historical residence of the King of Spain located in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, up ...

, and

Segovia Segovia ( , , ) is a city in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia. Segovia is in the Inner Plateau ('' Meseta central''), near the northern slopes of t ...

. In 2011, they performed in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...

and

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

. In February 2013, the Festival Singers traveled to

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, where they toured and performed in the cities of

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...

Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centur ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, and Pompeii, with a visit to the

Vatican City Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—' * german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ') * pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—' * pt, Cidade do Vati ...

where they performed in the final public audience of

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the soverei ...

and sang a mass at

St. Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal e ...

. In 2015, the Festival Singers traveled to

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, where they toured Armagh,

Downpatrick Downpatrick () is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the Lecale peninsula, about south of Belfast. In the Middle Ages, it was the capital of the Dál Fiatach, the main ruling dynasty of Ulaid. Its cathedral is said to be the b ...

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city on ...

Connemara Connemara (; )( ga, Conamara ) is a region on the Atlantic coast of western County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture and contains much of the Connacht Irish-speaking Gaeltacht, ...

Bunratty Bunratty (, meaning "end of the Raite") is a village in County Clare, Ireland, near Bunratty Castle. It is connected by the N18 road to Limerick and Galway. The Raite river defines the parish's eastern boundary and flows into the Shannon Estu ...

, Cashel, and

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

. The BRMHS Festival Singers travel internationally every two years and are planning to travel to the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

in 2017. Through competitive auditions, many BRMHS choristers are chosen for All-State and All-District Honor Choirs. Under the tenure of Robbie Giroir, the Department of Choral Studies has sung over twenty major choral works by noted composers and has produced over fifteen major musical productions on the BRMHS stage. Many school Choristers have gone on to professional performing and music education careers that include Broadway and University Professors.

Performing arts

The school has the only student operated AM and FM radio stations in the country. The school was honored with a "Creative Ticket in the Arts" in 2005 by the Louisiana Division of the Arts and nominated for recognition on a national level.Governor's Arts Awards. 05 May 2005. Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism. 17 Apr. 2008. http://www.crt.state.la.us/arts/gaa/gaaprogram2005.pdf Performing Arts Department. Unknown Publication Date. Baton Rouge Magnet High School. 17 Apr. 2008. In addition to the radio training program, the department offers multi-year courses in choral and instrumental music, drama, stagecraft, ballet, and television production. The drama department produces several main stage and small stage plays each year. These include a Shakespearean play and a winter production in conjunction with the dance department. The later is performed each year for audiences of local elementary school children. The dance department also produces its own recitals, and many of the dancers perform with other dance companies. The school offers instrumental courses including woodwind, jazz, and strings.

Piano Department

The piano department has a lab consisting of 19 full-size instruments, including Yamaha Clavinovas, and Rolands, as well as three 64-key

Wurlitzer The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments ...

keyboards. Advanced students present two recitals each year. Students also perform for retirement homes and community functions. All styles of music are studied.Piano Department. Unknown Publication Date. Baton Rouge Magnet High School. 17 Apr. 2008.

Visual arts

Visual artists at the school can take four years of art classes. Student artwork is displayed frequently at the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board office and various Baton Rouge galleries, and the department has its own show at the school each spring.Visual Arts. Unknown Publication Date. Baton Rouge Magnet High School. 17 Apr. 2008. In 2008, art club members are finished a full-color

mural A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spani ...

on an outside wall of the school Performing Arts building. This mural no longer exists after the renovation, which left only the front part of the building intact.

Orchestra

The orchestra at Baton Rouge High, under the direction of Mr. Christopher Frazier, is also an award-winning program. They have performed in Carnegie Hall and at the Lincoln Center in New York City. The group has also participated in musical festival events in Atlanta, Memphis, and Dallas. They will travel back to Carnegie in spring 2017. The orchestra has over 100 members and also performs with the McKinley High Orchestra to form the BRM Orchestra. Placement in the orchestra of Baton Rouge Magnet High is determined by audition.

Renovation project

A large renovation and reconstruction project by the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board commenced in August 2010 and was completed in time for the start of the 2012–2013 school year. The project consisted of a complete renovation of the landmark school structure, and a demolition and reconstruction of the remaining structures. During the project, all students and staff were relocated to the previously shuttered Lee High School. The Baton Rouge High Parent Faculty Club lead the way for safe storage of memorabilia items during renovations. Items were moved to storage prior to renovations and were safely returned when the renovations were completed.

Extracurricular activities

Baton Rouge High School has many clubs for students to choose from. Clubs range from academic to social and clubs number at least 59. The following is a brief list of clubs at the school: * The academic clubs include: **

Beta Club The National Beta Club (often called "Beta Club" or simply "Beta") is an organization for 4th through 12th grade students in the United States. Its purpose is "to promote the ideals of academic achievement, character, leadership and service among ...

, Chess Club, Computer Science Club, Epidemiology Club, Law Club, Literary Travel, Mechanical Tech, Media Tech,

Mock Trial A mock trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisti ...

Mu Alpha Theta Mu Alpha Theta () is the United States mathematics honor society for high school and two-year college students. In June 2015, it served over 108,000 student members in over 2,200 chapters in the United States and in 20 foreign countries. Its mai ...

, National Honor Society, Quiz Bowl, and Science Club. * The athletic organization clubs include: ** Dance Club, Frisbee, Gymnastics, Intramural Club, Woods and Waters, and SCUBA Club. * The language and culture oriented clubs include: ** African Heritage, Arabic Club, Chinese Club, French Club, German Club, International Cultural Association (ICA),

Junior Classical League The National Junior Classical League (National JCL or NJCL) is a youth organization of secondary school students sponsored by the American Classical League (ACL). Founded in 1936, the NJCL comprises more than 1,000 Latin, Greek and Classical ...

, Muslim Student Association, Spanish Club, and Indian Student Association. * The political clubs include: ** Amnesty International, Gay-Straight Alliance,

Invisible Children ''Invisible Children'' is a 2006 American documentary film that depicts the human rights abuses by the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda. Synopsis In the spring of 2003, Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey, and Laren Poole traveled to Africa to document ...

, Teenage Republicans, and Young Democrats. * The service-oriented clubs include: **

4-H 4-H is a U.S.-based network of youth organizations whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development". Its name is a reference to the occurrence of the initial letter H four times i ...

Best Buddies Best Buddies International is an American nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. It consists of volunteers that create opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The program's main purpose is to allow volunteers t ...

, Cancer Club,

DECA (organization) DECA Inc., formerly Distributive Education Clubs of America, is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit career and technical student organization (CTSO) with more than 177,000 members in all 50 U.S. states, Washington, DC; Canada, China, Germany, Poland, G ...

Interact Advocates for Informed Choice, dba interACT or interACT Advocates for Intersex Youth, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization using innovative strategies to advocate for the legal and human rights of children with intersex traits. The organizati ...

, Key Club,

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and ...

, and Habitat for Humanity. * The student organization clubs include: ** Hi-Y, Tri-Hi-Y,

Students Against Destructive Decisions Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), formerly Students Against Driving Drunk, is an organization whose aim is to prevent accidents from students taking potentially destructive decisions. Mission "SADD empowers and mobilizes students a ...

(SADD), and Student Government Association (SGA). * Other clubs include: ** Anime Club, Film Club, Awakening, the Piano Club, Potpourri (the literary publication produced by Baton Rouge High students), The Musician's Guild,

/Radio Club, and

Diplomacy Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. ...

Club. Some of the most active clubs include

, Frisbee, ICA,

and Habitat for Humanity. ICA and African Heritage co-host a cultural show each spring which features presentations by students from various, diverse backgrounds sharing cultural experiences.

, and the

always attend their club's state convention, often sweeping many awards for their chapter. BETA,

, ICA, Hi-Y/Tri-Hi-Y, Frisbee, and Habitat for Humanity are the largest clubs at the school.

The media center

The media center of Baton Rouge High boasts over 12,000 books and other volumes. The library and the adjoining lab have at least 45 computers, some are networked to a wireless network allowing access to laser printers, scanners, digital cameras and more.Baton Rouge Magnet High School Library. Unknown Publication Date. Baton Rouge Magenet High School. 17 Apr. 2008. http://brmhs.ebrschools.org/explore.cfm/library/

Traditions

Spirit Day

On one of the first Fridays after school begins, the school hosts a "Spirit Day" where each class represents their school spirit by wearing green and gold. Seniors traditionally wear completely outrageous costumes, including capes, Mitres, wigs, pom-poms, and matching shirts. A Spirit Assembly is held where each class is mocked by every other class.

Fall Fair

During the week leading up to Halloween, the school has a different costume theme for each day of the week. In the past, there has been a Toga Day, a Decades Day, and a Twin/Triplets/Duos/Famous Couples Day, a Pirates Vs. Ninjas Day and a Superheroes Day. The theme is changed each year by the Student Government Association. The last day of Fall Fair week is always Masquerade Day, where everyone wears whatever costume they so choose. On this day, students are dismissed from class early, and go out to enjoy Fall Fair in the courtyard. School clubs are allowed to register booths, and they come up with inventive ways to raise money for their club. German Club traditionally holds a "German Disco", while the Junior Classical League has held "Gladiator Fights" with pool noodles and cardboard shields.

Notable alumni and Alumni Association

Jimmy Clanton Jimmy Clanton (born September 2, 1938) is an American singer who became known as the " swamp pop R&B teenage idol". His band recorded a hit song "Just a Dream" which Clanton had written in 1958 for the Ace Records label. It reached number fo ...

: 1950s & 60s swamp pop and R&B musician *

Jay Dardenne John Leigh "Jay" Dardenne, Jr. (born February 6, 1954) is an American lawyer and politician from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who is serving as commissioner of administration for Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards. A Republican, Dardenne served as ...

(Class of 1972): former Louisiana secretary of state, state senator and

Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana The lieutenant governor of Louisiana (french: Lieutenant-Gouverneur de la Louisiane) is the second highest state office in Louisiana. The current lieutenant governor is Billy Nungesser, a Republican. The lieutenant governor is also the commiss ...

; current Louisiana Commissioner of Administration * Mike Futrell (Class of 1978): Louisiana state representative, lawyer * Bobby Jindal (Class of 1988): former U.S. Congressman and Governor of Louisiana from 2008 to 2016. *

Karey Kirkpatrick Karey Kirkpatrick is an American screenwriter, film director, and producer. His films include Chicken Run, ''The Rescuers Down Under'', '' James and the Giant Peach,'' ''Over the Hedge'', ''The Spiderwick Chronicles'', ''Charlotte's Web'', and ...

: Screenwriter of

Chicken Run ''Chicken Run'' is a 2000 stop-motion animated comedy film produced by Pathé and Aardman Animations in partnership with DreamWorks Animation. Aardman’s first feature-length film and DreamWorks Animation's fourth film, it was directed by ...

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (sometimes referred to as ''HG2G'', ''HHGTTG'', ''H2G2'', or ''tHGttG'') is a comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally a 1978 radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4, it ...

, and

Over the Hedge ''Over the Hedge'' is an American syndicated comic strip, written by Michael Fry, and drawn by T. Lewis. It tells the story of a raccoon, a turtle, a squirrel, and their friends, who come to terms with their woodlands being taken over, by su ...

* Starr Long (Class of 1988): game developer, original Director of ''

Ultima Online ''Ultima Online'' (''UO'') is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released on September 24, 1997 by Origin Systems. Set in the '' Ultima'' universe, it is known for its extensive player versus player combat system. ...

'' *

Wayne Kirkpatrick Wayne Kirkpatrick (born c. 1961) is an American songwriter and musician born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana who now lives in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated from Baton Rouge Magnet High School in 1979. His younger brother is American screenwrit ...

: Grammy-winning songwriter of "Change the World" * Zack Kopplin (Class of 2011): science advocate *

Henson Moore William Henson Moore III (born October 4, 1939) is an American attorney and businessman who is a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, having represented Louisiana's 6th congressional district, based about Baton Rouge, from 1975 to ...

(Class of 1958),

U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Louisiana's 6th congressional district Louisiana's 6th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located in south-central Louisiana, the district contains most of the state capital of Baton Rouge, the bulk of Baton Rouge's suburbs, and conti ...

from 1975 to 1987 *

John Victor Parker John Victor Parker (October 14, 1928 – July 14, 2014) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana. Education and career Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Parker received a Bachelor ...

(Class of 1945, 1928–2014), judge of the

United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana The United States Court for the Middle District of Louisiana (in case citations, M.D. La.) comprises the parishes of Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, West Baton Rouge, and West ...

from 1979 to 2014 *

Bob Pettit Robert Lee Pettit Jr. (born December 12, 1932) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks (1954–1965). In 1956, he became the first recipient of the NBA's M ...

(Class of 1950): NBA Hall of Fame basketball player (inducted 1970) * Johnny Ramistella a.k.a.

Johnny Rivers Johnny Rivers (born John Henry Ramistella; November 7, 1942) is an American musician. His repertoire includes pop, folk, blues, and old-time rock 'n' roll. Rivers charted during the 1960s and 1970s but remains best known for a string of hit sing ...

: 1950s & 60s rock & roll musician * A. T. "Apple" Sanders, Jr., member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from East Baton Rouge Parish * Jim Taylor (Class of 1954): NFL

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...

fullback (inducted 1976) * Dalton Jones (Class of 1961), former Major League Baseball player In 1995, former principal Lois Anne R. Sumrall, with the assistance of Dane D’Armond, ’66 founded the Baton Rouge High School Alumni Association. In 2010, the members voted to rename the association The Baton Rouge High Foundation. Membership in the foundation is open to all alumni and friends of the school who contribute to the annual fund campaign.

References

External links

Official Baton Rouge Magnet High School site

Official site of the Department of Choral Studies Festival Singers

Official database for the Festival Singers

Official Baton Rouge Magnet High School Foundation site
{{authority control Gothic Revival architecture in Louisiana School buildings completed in 1928 Schools in Baton Rouge, Louisiana Magnet schools in Louisiana Public high schools in Louisiana School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Louisiana National Register of Historic Places in Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1880 establishments in Louisiana

History

Distinctions and awards

Sports and athletics

Athletic history

Visual and performing arts

Choral studies

Performing arts

Piano Department

Visual arts

Orchestra

Renovation project

Extracurricular activities

The media center

Traditions

Spirit Day

Fall Fair

Notable alumni and Alumni Association

See also

References

External links