Robert McQueen High School
"Quest for Excellence"
Location
Reno, Nevada, USA
Coordinates	39°32′04″N 119°53′01″W / 39.534431°N 119.883478°W / 39.534431; -119.883478Coordinates: 39°32′04″N 119°53′01″W / 39.534431°N 119.883478°W / 39.534431; -119.883478
Information
Type	Public secondary
Established	1982
Principal	John Carlson
Faculty	(2003) 125
Enrollment	(2008) 1,941
Color(s)	Blue and Gray
Mascot	Lancer
Information	(775) 746-5880
Campus surroundings	Suburban
Website	http://www.mcqueenhs.com/

Robert McQueen High School (McQ) is a public secondary school in Reno, Nevada, in the United States. Part of the Washoe County School District, its mascot is the Lancer and the school's colors are blue and gray. The school has earned the nickname "The Academy on the Hill"^{[citation needed]} because it is located in the foothills of northwest Reno and overlooks the Truckee Meadows.

Contents 1 History 2 Extracurricular Activities 2.1 Athletics 2.2 Music 2.3 Publications 3 Demographics 4 Notable alumni 5 References 6 External links

[edit] History

The school was named for Dr. Robert McQueen, emeritus professor of Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno. During his tenure from 1955-1991, Dr. McQueen headed UNR's scholarship program, served as department chair and dean, and was appointed to Nevada's first psychological board of examiners. Dr. McQueen served on the Washoe County School District Board of Trustees from 1969-1990, during which the district built several new schools, including Reed and McQueen. He also negotiated the purchase of McQueen's 60-acre site from the Bureau of Land Management for just one dollar.^[1]

When the school opened in 1982, adjoining Seventh Street and Robb Drive were only dirt roads extended out to allow access to the school. Some remarked the school was "in the middle of nowhere" as it was more than a mile from other buildings. Since then, the construction of numerous subdevelopments has resulted in overcrowding problems. Enrollment in 2008 was 1,960 students; the building was designed for an enrollment of 1600. In order to mitigate overcrowding concerns and comply with local fire regulations, several modular classrooms have been added to the campus.^[1]

In 2005, Newsweek listed McQueen as the 442nd best school in the United States^[2] using the ratio of number of AP exams taken to graduating students as its criterion.

[edit] Extracurricular Activities

[edit] Athletics

• The Lancers compete in the High Desert League, which belongs to the Northern Nevada 4A Region. McQueen competes in the 4A level, which is the large school category. In 2008, rivals.com named them the 75th Best Football Team in the nation. They beat Palo Verde High School in a rematch of the 2002 championship game on December 6, 2008 with a score of 13-12 for the Nevada 4A High School Football Championship. They finished ranked 48th in the nation by Rivals.com.^[3]

Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association State Championships

• Basketball (Girls) - 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
• Football - 1990, 1992, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2008
• Soccer (Girls) - 2003
• Softball - 2005, 2006
• Swimming (Girls) - 1995

[edit] Music

• The marching band has won the state championships twelve times.^[4] The band played in the Inauguration Parade for George W. Bush in January 2005.^[5]
• The school song^[6] is an arrangement of the Michigan State University Fight Song.
• The Robert McQueen High School Choir performed in Carnegie Hall in 2007.^[7]. The choir returned to Carnegie Hall in June 2009. ^[8].
• McQueen's Core Jazz vocal ensemble won the "Best in Nevada" award at the UNR Jazz Festival in 2005.^[9]
• The Marching Band performed at the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California on January 1, 2009 and at Bandfest at Pasadena City College.^[10]

[edit] Publications

• The Excalibur — monthly school newspaper, inducted into the National Scholastic Press Association's Hall of Fame in the fall of 2004,^[11] making it the only student publication in the state to be inducted
• "McQueen TV" — daily broadcast news show
• Chrysalis — annual literary magazine
• Caxton — yearbook, awarded the national Silver Crown award in 2006^[12], making it one of the top annual publications in the nation.

[edit] Demographics

In 2008, the school's total enrollment was 1,941, and its ethnic makeup was:^[13]

• Native American 32 (1.6%)
• Asian/Pacific Islander 220 (11.3%)
• Hispanic 267 (13.8%)
• Black 70 (3.6%)
• White 1,352 (69.7%)

[edit] Notable alumni

• 1985, Terri Ivens, actress
• 1987, Mädchen Amick, actress
• 1989, Nicole King, molecular biologist, professor, and MacArthur Fellowship winner
• 1996, Teresa Benitez, beauty pageant titleholder, 2002 Miss Nevada
• 1997, Chris Aguila, baseball outfielder, currently with the New York Mets
• 1998, April Meservy, singer and songwriter
• 1998, Kristen Walthers (now Kristen Remington), KTVN News Anchor, former Miss Teen Nevada USA
• 2001, Ryan Bader, American professional mixed martial arts fighter, Light Heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir
• 2001, Chris Carr, American football defensive back, currently with the Baltimore Ravens
• 2002, Jeff Rowe, American football quarterback, currently with the Seattle Seahawks

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Robert McQueen High School Webpage
• Live weather camera
• School marching band
• Football boosters site
• Class of 1985 site