Elmer L. Meyers Junior/Senior High School

Elmer L. Meyers Junior/Senior High School
Address
341 Carey Avenue
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 18702
United States
Coordinates 41°14′21″N 75°54′31″W / 41.239161°N 75.908629°W / 41.239161; -75.908629Coordinates: 41°14′21″N 75°54′31″W / 41.239161°N 75.908629°W / 41.239161; -75.908629
Information
Type Public Junior-Senior High School
Motto "Steadfast Forever, Meyers High"
Established 1930
School district Wilkes-Barre Area School District
Principal Patrick Peters
Staff 67
Grades 7–12
Enrollment 949
Color(s) Royal blue and Gold          
Nickname Mohawks
Rivals GAR Memorial Junior Senior High School, James M. Coughlin High School, And Holy Cross High School
Website School website

Elmer L. Meyers Junior/Senior High School (commonly known throughout the area as 'E. L. Meyers' or 'Meyers') is an urban, public school located on 341 Carey Avenue, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It is one of three public high schools in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District. Meyers is both a junior and senior public high school, offering education to approximately 898 students in grades 7–12.[1] The student to teacher ratio is approximately 12.6 students per teacher.[1] Meyers' sports teams are called "Mohawks". Meyers and G.A.R. High Schools have one of the longest standing sports rivalries in the Wyoming Valley.

History

Located on 341 Carey Avenue, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Elmer L. Meyers Junior/Senior High School opened in 1930.[2] Both a junior and senior public high school, it offers education to students in grades 7–12.[1]

The exterior of Meyers is made of brick walls with terra cotta lintels and stone cornices, and a number of parapets—some of which were removed for safety in 2007.[3] Attached to the school is Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium, which contains a track and American football field used for all of Wilkes-Barre Area School District's public high schools and Holy Redeemer High School.[4]

The school's main stairway is made of marble with brass railings[5] and the main auditorium features a stained glass work, including a ceiling with the state seal of the 48 states in the United States at the time of the school's construction.[6] The school has space designated as fallout shelter.[7] It was flooded in 1972 from Hurricane Agnes, but survived.

By the early 21st century, the school was seen to be in disrepair from apparent neglect,[8][9][10] with safety structures erected in front of building facade[11] and repairs needed for the attached stadium.[12][4][13] On June 10, 2016, the Wilkes-Barre Area School Board voted to consolidate the local schools, merging Meyers and Coughlin into a new 9th through 12th grade school to be built on the Coughlin site in downtown Wilkes-Barre. The 7th and 8th grades will be merged with Kistler Elementary to make that into a K-8th school.[14] The Board was unable to move forward with the plan to use the Coughlin site or another site in Wilkes-Barre.[15][16][17][18][19][20] In February 2018, the Board expressed a plan to use Meyers as a middle school.[21] On March 5, 2018, the Board voted to purchase land in Plains, Pennsylvania for the merged high school.[11]

The plans have faced vocal opposition,[21][22][23][24][25][26] with some proposing that the school be turned into a charter school.[27][28] The school has been listed as an "At Risk" for historic preservation location by Preservation Pennsylvania, who noted that "[a]s a Depression-era construction project, the school embodies the grand design of early 20th-century public architecture. It serves a diverse neighborhood, and is located in a central location that children can walk to."[29]

Demographics

Meyers provides education to approximately 898 students in grades 7–12,[1] with a teacher ratio of approximately 12.6 students per teacher.[1]

Traditions

The student body of Meyers is collectively referred to as "Mohawks". Meyers has many traditions that are still practiced today including Moving Up Day, a ceremony that officially marks the junior class move to senior status, as well as the senior class moving to the stage for graduation, which happens the day after in the school’s auditorium.[6] The school also celebrates senior tea, a tradition that was started in the 1930s.[30]

Visits

Meyer has had visits from various famous individuals. John Philip Sousa performed in the auditorium August 31, 1931.[6] Amelia Earhart visited in spring of 1936 after the Meyer’s High School Women’s Club brought her in to talk to students about “Adventures in Flying”.[6]

More recently, the school had Travis Clark and Hunter Thomsen from We The Kings perform an acoustic set in October 2009. After winning the High School Hookup V2.0 from local radio station 97 BHT, the two members performed a free show in the auditorium.[6]

Extracurricular Activities

The school offers many sports and activities for students to participate in. Traditionally having a similarly sized student body that pit them against each other in numerous activities, Meyers and G.A.R. High Schools have one of the longest standing sports rivalries in the Wyoming Valley.

Sports

Meyers offers sports in the Fall, Winter, and Spring that is open for all students to join. Those sports include; cheerleading, cross country, field hockey, football, golf, boys' and girls' soccer, girls' volleyball, boys' and girls' basketball, swimming & diving, wrestling, baseball, softball, and track & field.[31]

Clubs

Meyers offers year-round clubs that students can sign up and participate in. The clubs offered range from Meyers specific clubs, such as the Elmprint Club and Colophon Club, to national clubs and organizations, such as F.B.L.A. and National Honors Society.

The school offers two clubs dedicated to publishing the school newspaper, Elmprint, and producing the yearbook, Colophon. Other clubs offered include the Art Club, Chess Club, Computer Club, Diversity Club, Drama Club, Envirothon, F.B.L.A., Key Club, Math Club, National Honors Society, Scholastic Scrimmage, Ski Club, Spanish Club, Speech and Debate, Stage Crew, Student Council, and Watershed Project.[32]

In terms of musical groups, the school offers chorus, jazz band, marching band, and orchestra.[32]

STEM

The school obtained grants to start a STEM lab in 2014, which includes a 3D printer and zScape machine.[33][34]

Speech and Debate

E. L. Meyers High School is known across the country for its speech and debate team. Founded in 1997, Meyers hosts the Martin Luther King Open Speech and Debate Tournament every January. The team was tied for a national championship with four other schools in 2009 at the National Catholic Forensic League championships held in Albany, New York.[35][36][37]

The team offers students a host of events to choose to compete in. Some of the events that the team hosts include Lincoln–Douglas debate, policy debate, public forum debate, extemporaneous speaking, declamation, oral interpretation, original oratory, duo interpretation of literature, and dramatic interpretation.[37]

Notable alumni

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Elmer L Meyers Junior/Senior High School". SchoolDigger. Archived from the original on 2016-04-20. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
  2. ↑ Skrapits, Elizabeth (February 21, 2012). "Options for new Wilkes-Barre Area high school come with a price". Citizens Voice. Citizens Voice. Archived from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-10-23. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  4. 1 2 "WB Memorial Stadium to be closed for start of high school football season - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  5. ↑ "The History Of Meyers High School Should Be Preserved | Reading Eagle - AP". Reading Eagle. Archived from the original on 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Richards, Olivia (April 8, 2015). "Meyers' auditorium: Steeped in history, tradition and genuine Mohawk pride". Citizens Voice. Citizens Voice. Archived from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  8. ↑ "WB Area school-repair bills keep mounting - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  9. ↑ "New structural report finds more problems at Meyers, deems it still safe - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  10. ↑ Buffer, By Michael P. "Structural reports: Coughlin, Meyers can't be 'feasibly restored'". Archived from the original on 2015-04-27. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  11. 1 2 "W-B Area: OK to $4.25 million Plains land buy; security in focus - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2018-03-06. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  12. ↑ "Our view: WBA dropped the ball on stadium issue - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2017-08-27. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  13. ↑ "Superintendent: Memorial Stadium tunnel can't be repaired - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2016-09-29. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  14. ↑ "W-B Area School Board Votes To Build New High School, Close Others". WNEP.com. 2015-06-10. Archived from the original on 2016-03-02. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
  15. ↑ "Residents get their say on possible WB Area high school site Monday - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  16. ↑ "W-B Area settles on Plains Twp. high school site, limits tax increase - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2018-01-09. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  17. ↑ "Superintendent: Coughlin High School draws interest from buyers - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  18. ↑ "Kistler elementary expansion on hold because of high school costs - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2018-02-07. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  19. ↑ "Geisinger offers land donation for W-B Area high school - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-28. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  20. ↑ "Back to the future for W-B Area school site - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  21. 1 2 "Your view: No basis for consolidation plan - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2018-02-18. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  22. ↑ "Our View: Segregation charge wrong, but issues for WBA remain - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  23. ↑ "Amid more segregation debate, W-B Area moves toward high school choice - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2018-02-13. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  24. ↑ "Your view: Don't let WBA board walk away from Meyers - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  25. ↑ "WBA School Board open-floor approach brings extensive comment, criticism - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  26. ↑ "Heavy hitters lining up against Wilkes-Barre Area high school consolidation - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2016-02-12. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  27. ↑ "Meeting about new WB Area school turns to new charter school at Meyers - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2018-01-30. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  28. ↑ "Their view: Charter school pitch a smart plan for Meyers - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2018-02-04. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  29. ↑ "Pennsylvania at Risk - a list of the Commonwealth's most endangered resources". preservationpa.org. Archived from the original on 2017-10-12. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  30. ↑ Leader, The Times. "Wilkes-Barre, news, sports, obituaries, and classifieds for Luzerne County and Scranton | The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Scranton PA - timesleader.com". archives.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-31. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
  31. ↑ "Athletics". www.wbasd.k12.pa.us. Archived from the original on 2016-04-02. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
  32. 1 2 "Activities". www.wbasd.k12.pa.us. Archived from the original on 2016-04-02. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
  33. ↑ "- Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  34. ↑ "W-B Area students get annual STEM award and new Fine Arts award - Times Leader". www.timesleader.com. Archived from the original on 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  35. ↑ "Meyers shares national debate title". June 24, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-06-24. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
  36. ↑ "NCFL 2009 Consolidated Final Results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-09-26. Retrieved 2010-10-19.
  37. 1 2 "E.L.Meyers Speech and Debate". Meyersspeechanddebate.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2011-06-08.
  38. ↑ Moran, Malcolm (October 6, 1991). "Seminoles Flatten Syracuse". New York Times:New York Edition. p. 8.1. Archived from the original on May 25, 2015. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  39. 1 2 Wiley, Ralph (September 25, 1989). "The Light And The Lightning". Sports Illustrated. Time Inc. p. 4. Archived from the original on August 16, 2010. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  40. 1 2 Jenkins, Sally (October 19, 1992). "Call Him Qadry". Sports Illustrated. Time Inc. p. 1. Archived from the original on August 8, 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  41. ↑ Anderson, Dave (November 1, 1990). "The Rocket: Caring, Shy, Compelling". New York Times: New York Edition. p. B13. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  42. ↑ Maugh II and Rosie Mestel, Thomas H. (July 23, 2004). "Edward B. Lewis, 86; Nobel Winner Helped Unlock Secrets of Genetics". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
  43. ↑ "Biographical Memoirs: Edward B. Lewis" (PDF). Proceedings Of The American Philosophical Society. 150 (2). June 2006: 382. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
  44. ↑ "Dan Chariton". IMDb. Archived from the original on 2015-12-13. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
  45. ↑ Longsdorf, Amy (September 5, 2013). "Wilkes-Barre screenwriter sets film near hometown". The Morning Call. The Morning Call. Archived from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
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