W. Tresper Clarke High School
Encyclopedia
W. Tresper Clarke High School is a high school
in Westbury
(technically in Salisbury
) New York
, USA. It is operated by the East Meadow Union Free School District, also known as the East Meadow School District. The school opened in 1957, and was named in honor of W.(William) Tresper Clarke, a former president of the East Meadow School Board. The Class of 1959 was the first graduating class. The Class of 1960 was the first graduating class to have spent all three years of high school in Clarke. The school serves students living in South Westbury, East Meadow, and Levittown, New York
.
Clarke's school newspaper, The Vanguard, is an award winning publication that wins awards every year. Recently, the newspaper was awarded as being the Most Outstanding Newspaper in all of Long Island again at the 2010 Adelphi Press Day Awards Ceremony; a continuing success from the previous year. The newspaper began shortly after the launch of the Russian satellite, Sputnik. The paper was named after the U.S. Navy's satellite program, Project Vanguard. The paper was far more successful than Project Vanguard.
Clarke won the New York State High School Baseball Championships in 2002 and 2005, and won the New York Statewide High School Mock Trial Tournament in 2003. They have also won numerous Nassau County
and Long Island Championships. The school has a strong history and tradition in the sport of baseball throughout New York State. Clarke won the 1985 New York State Girls Varsity Soccer Championship to finish an undefeated season. Clarke's football team also beat the number two seed in the county in the playoffs to become the Big-4 champs in 2009, they were also 1997 Nassau County Champions and Long Island Finalist. The winner of the 2010 Wyndham Championship, Arjun Atwal
also attend Clarke for two years
The Clarke chapter of the Tri-M Music Honor Society (chapter #1768) was named the New York State Chapter of the Year in 2003. In 2006, the chapter repeated this feat, and in addition, was named National Chapter of the Year for that year. In 2007, the Tri-M chapter was named first runner-up for National Chapter of the Year.
The media spotlight was on the school in 1967 when Newsday
reported: 300 flag-waving protesters outside the building, and an enthusiastic crowd of 1,100 inside, folk singer Pete Seeger
came to W. Tresper Clarke High School on March 8, 1967, and he sang. The concert was a year late, but it was a victory against censorship. ``Mr. Seeger is a highly controversial figure, and as such, injecting him into our community in East Meadow we thought would stir passions, create discord, [and] disharmony ..., the school board said in December, 1965, as it canceled a scheduled Seeger appearance. The main question of controversy, the board said, was that on an earlier trip to the Soviet Union
, Seeger had sung songs opposing the Vietnam War.
Getting Seeger into the high school auditorium took court battles that went all the way to the State Court of Appeals. The state's highest court said that canceling an earlier invitation because of Seeger's controversial views violated both the state and federal Constitutions.
Playing a key role in the legal battle was the Nassau chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union
, which filed an amicus brief to the Court of Appeals. This is just one of the constitutional battles that the Nassau Cchapter has fought over the years. A number of them are featured in a traveling exhibit titled ``Challenging Censorship that is currently on display at the Levittown Public Library and will later appear at other libraries throughout the county.
``The First Amendment
is the basis of all other freedoms, said Barbara Bernstein, executive director of the Nassau chapter. ``You don't have any freedom unless you have free speech, and freedom of religion.
The high school was again brought into the media spotlight in January, 2007 when the school's principal barred a deaf student, John Cave, from bringing a service dog to school. The school stated that its decision was motivated by concerns over student welfare, such as allergies.
The student's parents responded in early February 2007 by filing a $150-million discrimination lawsuit against the East Meadow School District, claiming that school officials subjected the student to "bias, bigotry and prejudice,".
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Westbury
Westbury, New York
Westbury incorporated in 1932 as a village in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The population was 15,146 at the 2010 census.The Village of Westbury is in the Town of North Hempstead....
(technically in Salisbury
Salisbury, Nassau County, New York
Salisbury is a hamlet and census-designated place in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 12,093 at the 2010 census. Many but not all are housed in Levitt style homes adjacent to Eisenhower Park, formerly Salisbury Park. The region is also known by locals as South Westbury,...
) New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA. It is operated by the East Meadow Union Free School District, also known as the East Meadow School District. The school opened in 1957, and was named in honor of W.(William) Tresper Clarke, a former president of the East Meadow School Board. The Class of 1959 was the first graduating class. The Class of 1960 was the first graduating class to have spent all three years of high school in Clarke. The school serves students living in South Westbury, East Meadow, and Levittown, New York
Levittown, New York
Levittown is a hamlet in the Town of Hempstead located on Long Island in Nassau County, New York. Levittown is midway between the villages of Hempstead and Farmingdale. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 51,881....
.
Clarke's school newspaper, The Vanguard, is an award winning publication that wins awards every year. Recently, the newspaper was awarded as being the Most Outstanding Newspaper in all of Long Island again at the 2010 Adelphi Press Day Awards Ceremony; a continuing success from the previous year. The newspaper began shortly after the launch of the Russian satellite, Sputnik. The paper was named after the U.S. Navy's satellite program, Project Vanguard. The paper was far more successful than Project Vanguard.
Clarke won the New York State High School Baseball Championships in 2002 and 2005, and won the New York Statewide High School Mock Trial Tournament in 2003. They have also won numerous Nassau County
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
and Long Island Championships. The school has a strong history and tradition in the sport of baseball throughout New York State. Clarke won the 1985 New York State Girls Varsity Soccer Championship to finish an undefeated season. Clarke's football team also beat the number two seed in the county in the playoffs to become the Big-4 champs in 2009, they were also 1997 Nassau County Champions and Long Island Finalist. The winner of the 2010 Wyndham Championship, Arjun Atwal
Arjun Atwal
Arjun Singh Atwal is an Indian professional golfer who has played on the Asian Tour and the European Tour and is the first player born in India to become a member of, and later win on the U.S.-based PGA Tour.-Early life:...
also attend Clarke for two years
The Clarke chapter of the Tri-M Music Honor Society (chapter #1768) was named the New York State Chapter of the Year in 2003. In 2006, the chapter repeated this feat, and in addition, was named National Chapter of the Year for that year. In 2007, the Tri-M chapter was named first runner-up for National Chapter of the Year.
The media spotlight was on the school in 1967 when Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
reported: 300 flag-waving protesters outside the building, and an enthusiastic crowd of 1,100 inside, folk singer Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
came to W. Tresper Clarke High School on March 8, 1967, and he sang. The concert was a year late, but it was a victory against censorship. ``Mr. Seeger is a highly controversial figure, and as such, injecting him into our community in East Meadow we thought would stir passions, create discord, [and] disharmony ..., the school board said in December, 1965, as it canceled a scheduled Seeger appearance. The main question of controversy, the board said, was that on an earlier trip to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, Seeger had sung songs opposing the Vietnam War.
Getting Seeger into the high school auditorium took court battles that went all the way to the State Court of Appeals. The state's highest court said that canceling an earlier invitation because of Seeger's controversial views violated both the state and federal Constitutions.
Playing a key role in the legal battle was the Nassau chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union
New York Civil Liberties Union
The New York Civil Liberties Union is an civil rights organization in the United States. Founded in 1951 as the New York affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, it is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization with nearly 50,000 members across New York State.NYCLU's stated mission is to...
, which filed an amicus brief to the Court of Appeals. This is just one of the constitutional battles that the Nassau Cchapter has fought over the years. A number of them are featured in a traveling exhibit titled ``Challenging Censorship that is currently on display at the Levittown Public Library and will later appear at other libraries throughout the county.
``The First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
is the basis of all other freedoms, said Barbara Bernstein, executive director of the Nassau chapter. ``You don't have any freedom unless you have free speech, and freedom of religion.
The high school was again brought into the media spotlight in January, 2007 when the school's principal barred a deaf student, John Cave, from bringing a service dog to school. The school stated that its decision was motivated by concerns over student welfare, such as allergies.
The student's parents responded in early February 2007 by filing a $150-million discrimination lawsuit against the East Meadow School District, claiming that school officials subjected the student to "bias, bigotry and prejudice,".