Grant High School

See also Grant High School for schools of the same name.

Coordinates: 34°10′46″N 118°24′57″W / 34.179332°N 118.415773°W / 34.179332; -118.415773

Ulysses S. Grant High School is a secondary school in the Valley Glen neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the east-central San Fernando Valley. It is located adjacent to Los Angeles Valley College.

It is part of District 2 of the Los Angeles Unified School District. The school serves several areas, including Valley Glen, much of Sherman Oaks, and sections of Van Nuys [4].

Its mascot is the Lancer and the school colors are brown, orange, and white. The school motto is: "What we are to be we are now becoming."

The school newspaper is called the "Odyssey" in reference to President Grant's first name - Ulysses - the main character in Homer's epic "The Odyssey." There is a school tradition that, on or about April 1, a satirical issue is distributed called the "Oddity" and it contains comical and irreverent articles. Past "articles" have been about finals being canceled, the school being closed, rats infesting the cafeteria, clothing optional P.E. classes, etc.

The school yearbook is called the "Shield" .

Connected to Grant High School is a communications/technology magnet which emphasizes smaller class sizes and communications technology electives including film/video production, broadcast journalism, computer technology, graphic communications, and performing arts.[5]

History

Grant opened in 1959.

In 2006, Grant was relieved of many 9th and 10th graders by the opening of East Valley High School, which planned to phase in grades 11 and 12 in the following two years [6].

Grant was featured in Newsweek magazines April 17, 2008 cover story about 25 years of divorce in America; Grant was chosen as a prototypical suburban high school and the article featrued members of the class of 1982 and their marital stories^[1].

Use as a filming location

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Grant High School has been featured in a number of film and television productions. This is due to the long strip of road (known as "Lancer Lane") that runs between the eastern boundary of the school and a scenic greenbelt, walking path, and the Tujunga Wash, and the availability of ample parking -- combined with the ease of moving equipment around. Grant High School is also recognized as among the best high schools in the country for its film/video productions made by students of the communications/technology magnet.

Among the professional film and television productions that have utilized Grant High School as a filming location:

• Reno 911! ^[2]- Comedy Central Series with guest star Carmen Electra
• The United States of Tara^[2]- Showtime Series
• The Secret Life of the American Teenager^[2]- ABC Family TV Series
• Mini's First Time- Lifetime Original Movie
• The Hollow - Movie based on the Legend of Sleepy Hollow
• Seduced By Madness: The Diane Borchardt Story
• Clueless - the film and exterior shots and the television series
• Freaks and Geeks
• Balls of Fury - Auditorium and Campus-
• Malcolm in the Middle
• The 70's House - MTV Reality Show (Dodgeball scene)
• Life Goes On
• Ferris Bueller
• Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
• The Office
• Who's Your Daddy? - a direct-to-video feature film
• Saved By the Bell- exterior shot
• Six Feet Under - Cable show (interior shots of class rooms)
• What Ever Happened to the Class of '65? TV Series
• With Six You Get Eggroll - 1968 movie starring Doris Day and Brian Keith
• My Name Is Earl, TV Show on NBC
• Not Another Teen Movie
• Ghost Whisperer^[2]
• Yours, Mine and Ours

Many music videos including:

• NERD's Rockstar video
• Deftones - music video Back to School (interior and exterior shots)
• Three Doors Down - music video Loser (hallways, teachers lounge, class rooms, and exterior shots)
• IMA ROBOT's - Creeps Me Out (All shot at various parts of the school)
• Hellogoodbye - Baby It's Fact
• P Diddy-It's All About the Benjamins (used auditorium)
• Escape The Fate - Situations

Academic and artistic feats

In the late 1960s, a local L.A. television station aired a game show called It's Academic, which featured competition among L.A. area high schools in a quiz show format. Grant won the competition both years that the show was on the air.

In 1977, students at Grant achieved a listing in the Guinness Book of World Records for playing the world's largest musical chairs game (record since broken).

Grant students are also credited with helping to paint one of the largest murals in the world - the Great Wall of Los Angeles - in the Tujunga Wash that lies on the border of the campus. The mural, which depicts southwestern U.S. history from prehistoric times, is 2,754 feet (840 m) making it the longest mural in the United States.

Grant's Academic Decathlon team is known to be one of the best in the Los Angeles Unified School District. In the 2009 regional competition the team scored 11th of 64 Los Angeles High schools, receiving a total of five medals. Kevin Kruska is the award winning coach of this nationally competitive team.

Film program

Grant has a highly regarded film program for students either considering a career in that field or for students who just want to engage themselves in a fun hobby. The film teacher, Mr. Alex Hakobian, was a graduate of the UCLA School of Theatre, Film, and Television who spent 18 years of his career in the film industry as an actor/gaffer/writer, and an additional seven years as a writer/project developer with Ivan Tors. He is in his 22nd year of being a film teacher.

Students that have completed his program have earned numerous awards such as certificates, CINE Golden Eagles, trophies and other means of recognition. The students are allowed to freely create stories of their own.

Los Angeles city athletic championships

• 1974 Boys Tennis
• 1986 Boys Baseball
• 1993 Girls Soccer
• 1994 Girls Soccer
• 1996 Girls Gymnastics

• Retired numbers: #13 Rod Beck (Baseball), #21 Nevil Vega (Baseball) #25 Gilbert Arenas (Boys Basketball)

Notable alumni

• Davie Allan, instrumental rock guitarist ^[3]
• Gilbert Arenas, professional basketball player, NBA All-Star with Washington Wizards^[4]
• Rod Beck, Professional Baseball Player 1991-2003, 3 time all star.^[5]
• Barry Carl, former Rockapella Band Member^[6]
• Mike Curb, Record Producer, California Lieutenant Governor from 1979-83^[7].
• Peter Deyell, Film Director/Producer/Actor.
• Bobby Diamond, 1964, Los Angeles lawyer and former film and television actor^[8]
• John Dolmayan Rock Drummer(System Of A Down)^[9]
• Moosie Drier, Actor and occasional director^[10].
• Micky Dolenz, Actor/Musician/Drummer of The Monkees^[11].
• Ike Eisenmann, Actor/Producer/Sound Effects specialist
• Lonn Friend, vice president of A and R for Arista Records^[12].
• Mitch Gaylord, 1984 U.S. Olympic gold medal winning gymnast^[13]
• Tom Griffin, Professional Baseball player, 1969-82, Sporting News National League Rookie Pitcher of the Year in 1969^[14].
• Brad Gunches, Baseball Coach^[15].
• Ken Gurnick , Baseball Sportswriter/Author
• James Hazley, Indie Rock Musician(Cockeyed Ghost/The Human Value)^[16].
• Craig Hundley, musician and former child actor, now known as Craig Huxley^[17].
• David Jefferson, Los Angeles bureau chief for Newsweek^[18].
• Kay Lenz, Emmy Award winning actress, first wife of David Cassidy^[19].
• Jessie Nelson, filmmaker (Corinna, Corinna, I Am Sam, The Story of Us, Fred Claus) ^[20]
• Danny Nucci, Professional film actor^[21]
• Jeff Porcaro, Professional musician, co-founder of the rock group Toto (d. 1992)^[22]
• Steve Porcaro, Professional musician/composer, co-founder of the rock group Toto^[22]
• Steve Lukather, musician, member of the rock group Toto ^[22]
• Brian Robbins, actor in "Head of the Class, director of "Norbit^[23]"
• Tom Selleck, Professional film actor^[24]
• Michael Simpson, Grammy award winning record producer and composer, one of the "Dust Brothers"^[25]
• Jim Umbarger, Professional baseball player 1975-78^[26]
• Johnette Napolitano, Musician/Concrete Blonde^[12]
• Mike Post, composer of music and theme songs for many of the most popular TV dramas^[27]
• Stephen J. Sass, attorney and president of the Los Angeles Jewish Historical Society^[28]
• Tom Scott, professional musician and writer of themes to “Starsky & Hutch”, “The Streets of San Francisco”, and “Family Ties”.^[3]
• Drew Silvern, Reporter; San Diego Press Club's Drew Silvern Award for Courage in Journalism
• Neal Zamil, CFO at Downtown Records and Music Industry Consultant

References

External links

• Ulysses S. Grant High School
• Grant Communications Technology Magnet
• Internet Movie Database: Titles with locations including Grant High School, Valley Glen, California, USA