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Columbus High School (Iowa)
Encyclopedia
Columbus High School is a Catholic
secondary school
in Waterloo, Iowa
. It opened its doors on 31 August 1959 after three years of fund-raising by its primary advocate, Father A.A. McAvoy. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque
.
In 1958 the cornerstone was blessed by Archbishop Leo Binz, and Father John Paar was named principal later that year. In 1968, Father Walter Brunkan, the assistant principal, was promoted to principal and remained in that role for over twenty years. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque
reassigned Fr. Brunkan to St. Mary Catholic Church in Greene, Iowa
, in 1991, and Michael Palmer became the first lay principal. Mr. Palmer retired in 1999, and once again the assistant principal, Todd Dirth, took over. In 2004 Richard Caye took over as principal of Columbus, his tenure lasted only one year before being replaced in 2005 by Tom Ulses.
, and the use of his name was meant to evoke a sense of adventure and the faith required to embark of a voyage into the unknown that has no certain end. The school mascot is the sailor, also after Columbus. School colors are kelly green and white, although, today other versions of green are accepted such as forrest or hunter, while, black, and yellow are strictly prohibited as secondary colors.
The Sailor baseball team made their first appearance in the summer state baseball tournament in 2008.
The Sailor volleyball team had a streak of 5 consecutive trips to the state tournament, going all the way to the state championship match in 2007 before losing. (04-08)
The Sailors won the Class 3A football championships (1976, 1986) and 2A football championship in 2004.
The school also has a long history of very successful competitors in girl's tennis. Girl's Tennis Coach Dave "Chester" Will won the National High School Women's Tennis Coach Award in 2004.
Columbus boys' tennis has sported the individual state champion or runner-up in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2010.
-Elliot Rausa teamed with brother Nathan in 2004 and 2005 as runners-up and then champions, respectively.
-Elliot Rausa was the individual runner-up in 2006.
-Brothers Joe and Jim Nora won the state doubles championship in 2007 and were runners-up in 2008.
-Michael Goerdt and Alex Bernt won the state doubles championship in 2010.
Columbus's boys' tennis team won the Class 1A State Team Title in 2010.
Columbus's wrestling team won the Class 2A Title in 2004.
-Zach "Bubba" Kressley and Sam Hansen both individual champions
Columbus boys golf team won the Class 2A Title in 2004.
- Tim "Threat" Hansen was the individual champion
Columbus boys golf team won the Class 3A state title in 1999, 2000, and 2002.
The Sailors were victorious in the 2004 Class 2A state golf tournament, as Tim "Threat" Hansen was crowned individual champion and lead his team to another state title.
- Ben Hanson was the individual champion in 2002
The boys basketball team made the State Tournament in 2003 behind a powerful student section called The 6th Man. The sixth man made a comeback during the 2007-2008 season, carrying the team deep into the tournament before the team lost on a last second buzzer-beater in the sub-state final.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the population decreased by 0.5% to 68,406. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two...
. It opened its doors on 31 August 1959 after three years of fund-raising by its primary advocate, Father A.A. McAvoy. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the northeastern quarter of the state of Iowa in the United States. It includes all the Iowa counties north of Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Iowa, Johnson, Cedar, and Clinton counties. ...
.
History and financing
Columbus High School first opened its doors to a class of 406 men and 431 women on 31 August 1959 following a three year fund-raising effort. The school's primary advocate, Father A.A. McAvoy, began directing fundraising efforts in 1956 for the school. By 1959, McAvoy's efforts had yielded nearly two million dollars worth of pledges, a remarkable amount in the small community of Waterloo, and the largest raising effort in the history of the community at the time.In 1958 the cornerstone was blessed by Archbishop Leo Binz, and Father John Paar was named principal later that year. In 1968, Father Walter Brunkan, the assistant principal, was promoted to principal and remained in that role for over twenty years. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the northeastern quarter of the state of Iowa in the United States. It includes all the Iowa counties north of Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Iowa, Johnson, Cedar, and Clinton counties. ...
reassigned Fr. Brunkan to St. Mary Catholic Church in Greene, Iowa
Greene, Iowa
Greene is a city in Butler County, Iowa, along the Shell Rock River, and along Butler County's northern border, where Butler and Floyd counties meet. The population was 1,099 at the 2000 census...
, in 1991, and Michael Palmer became the first lay principal. Mr. Palmer retired in 1999, and once again the assistant principal, Todd Dirth, took over. In 2004 Richard Caye took over as principal of Columbus, his tenure lasted only one year before being replaced in 2005 by Tom Ulses.
Namesake
Columbus High School was named after Christopher ColumbusChristopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
, and the use of his name was meant to evoke a sense of adventure and the faith required to embark of a voyage into the unknown that has no certain end. The school mascot is the sailor, also after Columbus. School colors are kelly green and white, although, today other versions of green are accepted such as forrest or hunter, while, black, and yellow are strictly prohibited as secondary colors.
Classes offered
| Religion |
|---|
| Values (1st semester, 9th grade) |
| Theology 9: Christology (2nd semester, 9th grade) |
| Theology 10: Sacraments (1st semester, 10th grade) |
| Hebrew Scriptures/Relationships (2nd semester, 10th grade) |
| Catholic Heritage/World Religions (1st semester, 11th grade) |
| Catholic Morality (2nd semester, 11th grade) |
| Social Ministry courses (12th graders are required to take one Social Ministry course) |
| Covenant Living (2nd semester, 12th grade) |
| English |
|---|
| English 9B |
| English 9 |
| Accelerated English 9 |
| English 10 |
| Accelerated English 10 |
| English 11 Composition/Literature |
| Advanced Placement English Language and Composition (11th grade) |
| Surveys in Literature and Composition (12th grade) |
| College Prep Composition and Literature (12th grade) |
| Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition (12th grade) |
| Independent Reading (any grade) |
| Creative Writing (any grade) |
| Journalism 1 (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Journalism 2: Newspaper or Yearbook (11th, 12th) |
| Speech (10th grade, required for graduation) |
| Math |
|---|
| Pre-Algebra (9th grade) |
| Algebra 1 (any grade) |
| Accelerated Algebra 1 (8th, 9th) |
| Geometry (any grade) |
| Accelerated Geometry (any grade) |
| Algebra 2 (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Modern Analysis (11th, 12th) |
| Accelerated Algebra 2 (11th, 12th) |
| Accelerated Pre-Calculus (11th, 12th) |
| Advanced Placement Calculus (12th grade) |
| Science |
|---|
| Physical Science (9th grade) |
| Biology (10th grade) |
| AP Biology (11th, 12th) |
| Human Biology (11th, 12th) |
| Chemistry (11th grade) |
| Physics (12th grade) |
| Ecology and the Environment (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Dr. FixIt (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| CSI (11th, 12th) |
| Computer Science |
|---|
| Web Master Program (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Intro to Computer Science (any grade) |
| World Wide Web (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Social Studies |
|---|
| World History 1 and 2 (1st and 2nd semester, 9th grade) |
| We The People (10th grade) |
| U.S. History 1 and 2 (1st and 2nd semester, 11th grade) |
| U.S. Government (12th grade) |
| Applied Economics (10th, 11th, 12) |
| Sociology (was offered in the 2009-2010 school year and will be offered again possibly in the 2011-2012 school year, 10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Current World Issues (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Psychology (will be offered in the 2010-2011 school year and again possibly in the 2012-2013 school year, 10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Advanced Placement European History (12th grade) |
| Foreign Language |
|---|
| Spanish 1 (any grade) |
| Spanish 2 (any grade) |
| Spanish 3 (any grade) |
| Spanish 4 (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Physical Education |
|---|
| Foundations (9th grade, must be a prerequisite for other PE classes) |
| Lifetime Activities 1 (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Lifetime Activities 2 (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Weight Training and Conditioning (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Business Education |
|---|
| Computer Skills (any grade) |
| Accounting 1 (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Accounting 2 (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Accounting 3 (11th, 12th) |
| Accounting 4 (11th, 12th) |
| Intro to Business (any grade) |
| Marketing (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Business Law (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Home Economics |
|---|
| Clothing 1 (1st semester, any grade) |
| Clothing 2 (2nd semester, any grade) |
| Food and Nutrition (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Food and Nutrition 2 (11th, 12th) |
| Child Development (11th, 12th) |
| Housing and Home Interiors (11th, 12th) |
| Independent Living (12th grade) |
| Family and Consumer Science (these are actually two electives, 11th and 12th) |
| Industrial Technology |
|---|
| Practical Technology Education (any grade) |
| Woodworking (any grade) |
| Advanced Woodworking (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Metalworking (any grade) |
| Advanced Metalworking (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Auto Owner (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Power Mechanics (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Advanced Power Mechanics: Power Trans and Suspension and Engines (These are two separate classes; 11th and 12th for first and 10th, 11th, and 12th for Engines) |
| Industrial Arts (These are three separate classes; 11th and 12th) |
| Art |
|---|
| Art 1 (any grade) |
| Art 2 (any grade) |
| Art 3 (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Art Major (12th grade) |
| Ceramics (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Advanced Ceramics (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Creative Jewelry (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Creative Photography (10th, 11th, 12th) |
| Music |
|---|
| Chorus (any grade) |
| Sound Coalition (any grade, auditioned group) |
| Sound Connection (any grade, auditioned group, only females can audition but in the 2009-2010 school year they allowed males to join) |
| Band (any grade) |
| Jazz Band (any grade, auditioned group) |
| Other |
|---|
| Resource Room |
| Columbus 101 (9th grade, introduced in the 2008-2009 school year) |
Athletics
Columbus supports a wide variety of athletic programs, some of which have been very successful.The Sailor baseball team made their first appearance in the summer state baseball tournament in 2008.
The Sailor volleyball team had a streak of 5 consecutive trips to the state tournament, going all the way to the state championship match in 2007 before losing. (04-08)
The Sailors won the Class 3A football championships (1976, 1986) and 2A football championship in 2004.
The school also has a long history of very successful competitors in girl's tennis. Girl's Tennis Coach Dave "Chester" Will won the National High School Women's Tennis Coach Award in 2004.
Columbus boys' tennis has sported the individual state champion or runner-up in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2010.
-Elliot Rausa teamed with brother Nathan in 2004 and 2005 as runners-up and then champions, respectively.
-Elliot Rausa was the individual runner-up in 2006.
-Brothers Joe and Jim Nora won the state doubles championship in 2007 and were runners-up in 2008.
-Michael Goerdt and Alex Bernt won the state doubles championship in 2010.
Columbus's boys' tennis team won the Class 1A State Team Title in 2010.
Columbus's wrestling team won the Class 2A Title in 2004.
-Zach "Bubba" Kressley and Sam Hansen both individual champions
Columbus boys golf team won the Class 2A Title in 2004.
- Tim "Threat" Hansen was the individual champion
Columbus boys golf team won the Class 3A state title in 1999, 2000, and 2002.
The Sailors were victorious in the 2004 Class 2A state golf tournament, as Tim "Threat" Hansen was crowned individual champion and lead his team to another state title.
- Ben Hanson was the individual champion in 2002
The boys basketball team made the State Tournament in 2003 behind a powerful student section called The 6th Man. The sixth man made a comeback during the 2007-2008 season, carrying the team deep into the tournament before the team lost on a last second buzzer-beater in the sub-state final.
Notable alumni
- Dr. Tim CordesTim CordesTim Cordes is a blind American physician who earned an Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2005, and is the second blind person ever to be accepted to an American school of medicine...
, a blind AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physician - Tracie SpencerTracie SpencerTracie Monique Spencer is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, actress, and model.-Biography:She began singing by the age of three and modeling in pageant competitions at age five. Tracie performed, produced and directed her first music videos before she was ten years of age...
, Winner of Star SearchStar SearchStar Search is a television show that was produced from 1983-95, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Alfred Masini. A relaunch was produced in 2003-04. The show was originally filmed at the old Earl Carroll Theatre at 6230 Sunset Blvd...
in 1987 as a singer, recorded music across many genres, acted and modeled - Larry Nemmers, NFL Referee
- Chuck Yagla, two-time NCAA wrestling champion at the University of IowaUniversity of IowaThe University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
and a wrestler on the 1980 Olympic team. - Michael HoganMichael Hogan (academic)Michael J. Hogan is an American academic who has served in the administrations or on the faculty of many American universities, wrote or edited numerous books, contributed as an adviser to the U. S. Department of State and several documentaries....
, President of the University of Illinois former University of ConnecticutUniversity of ConnecticutThe admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
President, past Provost of the University of IowaUniversity of IowaThe University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...