We've compiled previously-published teenedge.com articles to give you a glimpse into the culture of seven Nashville-area high schools. Discover the advantages, disadvantages, and unique components of each one through the eyes of its students, and see how it compares to your own high school environment.
Featured schools include: CPA, Pearl-Cohn, Harpeth Hall, Hume-Fogg, NSA, Davidson, and East Lit.
Christ Presbyterian Academy (CPA)
I am a member of the thirteen years club! Ok, now for those of you that have no idea what I am talking about, for the last thirteen years of my life I have attended Christ Presbyterian Academy. The more people I meet, the more I realize how uncommom it is to attend the same school from kindergarden through twelfth grade. But, in my graduating class, there are at least ten other people who have had the same experience as me. And for the others, most of them have been at CPA for a good bit of their years as well. This is one of the things that makes the environment at CPA special.
Going to school with people for thirteen years helps build pretty strong relationships. I have become so comfortable with most all of my classmates that they are like brothers and sisters. Everyone becomes relaxed around one another, and the feel of the school is warm and friendly. It is almost every morning that I walk into the lobby to see our principal chatting with a student about whatever interest they may have that morning, or they may be planning a fishing trip for the first nice weekend that comes their way. Whatever the issue, ninety-nine percent of the time both people are smiling and enjoying a good talk. Along with these qualities, there are many more that make CPA unique. I don't know what other schools are like, obviously, but I am willing to guess that CPA is and will always be different!
--Megan Hardwick
Pearl-Cohn
If you put Pearl High and Cohn High together, what do you get? You get the newly renovated Pearl-Cohn Comprehensive Business Magnet High School, and I don't mean construction wise. Many people have put Pearl-Cohn in a negative perspective whereas this is not true. Here at Pearl we have young, bright, talented, and smart students but people fail to see that... Ever since the policy of "no child left behind", we have had exceptional progress. Faculty, staff, and students were excited about the news so we decided to celebrate by playing "Celebrate" by Kool and the Gang at the end of the day.
Our mascot, the firebird, represents our school as a whole extremely well. I say this because birds fly and faculty and students here soar to achieve more levels than ever before, academic and sports-wise. PCH has and has had some of the best athletes around. (i.e. John Henderson, Ron Slay, Maurice Fitzgearld, Marshall Hyler, just to name a few) Our athletic department continues to rise each year as we become more involved in sports, which motivates us to do well in the classroom. The upside of Pearl-Cohn are the athletes. Pearl has been known for some of the worst things possible, but when you look at how many students are involved in extra-curricular activities you can just take it all back. Speaking of extra-curricular activities we have: "I Have A Future", "S.T.A.R.S" (Students Taking a Right Stand), "B.P.A." (Business Professionals of America), "A.O.F." (Academy of Finance), chorus, debate team, and a newspaper team. All of these activities reflect positive images of our school, but we're not finished yet because we still have more to come.
--Kasteesha Cosby
Harpeth Hall
When a fellow teenager asks me where I go to school, I hesitate, and then utter, “Harpeth Hall.” Of course, I always proceed to tell them what a great place it really can be. But how do you think it makes me feel when people glare and walk off or simply say, “I’m sorry”? Your school is something you should be proud of, no matter what, but when I’m out, there’s always that hesitation. I think, “Will they immediately assume I’m a snob?” Or even, “will they hate me?”. To understand Harpeth Hall, and for me to prove to you that we’re not all rich snobs, I have to show you the girls, tell you the stories, and portray our never-ending list of fun traditions.
It’s Monday morning. I’m just as tired and unmotivated for school as the next kid. Here’s the difference: UNIFORMS. It’s hard to express my fondness and near obsession with the illustrious plaid skirt. Uniforms make it so easy for me in the mornings. I never have to waste precious morning minutes trying to decide what I should wear. Ask any of my friends, and they too will tell you how grateful they are that they wear uniforms. It is a well-known fact that Harpeth Hall is a wealthy school. I, however, am not what you would call rich. Having uniforms is a way to make us equal, to bring us together, and to unite us as a community. I have a great group of friends at Harpeth Hall. There are so many girls who are gifted, friendly, sweet, and compassionate. Most of them play sports and contribute to our great sports program. Others dance, or act, in quarterly performances that display the immense talent that exists in our community. I run track and cross-country, two teams that I am fortunate enough to be a part of. The programs and opportunities provided to us are awesome.
I have talked to friends of mine at public schools around the Nashville community, and one thing they have made clear to me is that traditions are not a significant element in their high school experience. I, on the other hand, enjoy many fun Harpeth Hall traditions, including intramural clubs, step singing, and senior work out day, to name a few. Since I’m a rising Senior, I get many privileges, from parking in the Senior lot and getting to use the Senior house, to enjoying Senior work out day from a somewhat different perspective. For those of you who run cross-country, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve witnessed the entertaining events of Senior work out day at the Steeplechase. It’s one day near the close of the season, when Seniors get to bond with the underclassmen by playing messy games, and then we all enjoy loads of candy together afterwards. There are four intramural clubs at Harpeth Hall, Eccowasin, Angkor, Ariston, and Triad. We do all sorts of fun competitions, like quiz bowl, field day, and song competition at the end of the year. The traditions are by far the most fun thing about Harpeth Hall, and I’m glad to take part in things that have been continuously incorporated in our school.
I guess I’m really lucky to attend Harpeth Hall, because of its close-knit community and fun traditions, but it’s simply another school in Nashville, and therefore we should be treated as such. So the next time you see a Harpeth Hall girl out and about around town, stop her, and ask her how she likes sporting the plaid, or what intramural club she’s in. Chances are, she’ll be friendly, outgoing, and willing to tell you about our school. Who knows, maybe by giving us a chance, you’ll make friends with some pretty awesome girls.
--Dylan Taylor-Smith
Hume-Fogg
Founded in 1912 with the combination of Hume and Fogg High Schools, Hume-Fogg was the first public school in Nashville. Ninety-one years later, it's still going strong, now as Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School. Still part of the Metro Public Schools, Hume-Fogg mixes the diverse public school atmosphere with a high quality of education.
To qualify, students must have certain grades and standardized test scores. Then, out of those who meet this standard, a "lottery" is held, in which students who will get to attend are selected at random.
One of the reasons I love going to Hume-Fogg is that we are given an incredible amount of freedom. At lunch, for example, we can eat wherever we want throughout the school. Seniors have off-campus eating privileges, and there are certain days when the whole school is allowed to go out to eat. The dress code is also somewhat modified, as they allow us to wear flip-flops even though the Metro handbook says otherwise.
One of the coolest things about Hume-Fogg is its location. Being in the midst of downtown has numerous benefits. Teachers take us on some pretty fun "field trips", sometimes just spur the moment. I've gotten to go to the Frist Center, the Capitol Building, Goten 2, the park, and of course, the downtown library, as well as other places. Hanging out after school is convenient as well because of all the cool places within walking distance. "The Arcade" is a particular hot spot, as it has a collection of restaurants and small shops connected to a sort of courtyard area.
A disadvantage of being downtown, though, is that we don't have any sports facilities. We can't exactly knock down the Gaylord Entertainment Center to build a baseball field! Instead, our sports teams practice at other schools. Soccer and volleyball practice at West End Junior High, and the track team runs on the Pearl-Cohn track. We also don't have a full-sized gym. Basketball practice is sometimes held at the First Baptist Recreational Center, and other sports teams meet at various locations. Since the appearance of Hume-Fogg closely resembles a castle, we are, appropriately, the Blue Knights. That HFA spirit shines through when we attend sports games and matches throughout the year.
Another disadvantage of Hume-Fogg, one that is present in all magnet schools, is that the students live anywhere around Davidson County. This is inconvenient for social gatherings, as people sometimes live almost an hour apart. It also means that most people have to drive farther than average to get to school in the morning. In addition, because of the large area in which people live, we don't have regular school buses. We ride the city buses instead, which are considerably convenient and make stops fairly close to our school. Despite the distance factor, we find ways to manage.
Hume-Fogg is smaller than most public schools, with about 860 students, but that gives us the advantage of more personal attention in the classroom. Teachers have the opportunity to get to know us and, as a result, we gain their trust. Due to the size, our school also acts as more of a community. People at Hume-Fogg seem to be more laid-back than most, which means less "teen drama". Some people care a lot about what they wear, but many wear their pajamas to school regularly. It's nice to be in an environment where you feel comfortable doing so. In our school, there also seems to be less division between people of different social groups. People don't belong to just one group of friends, but always seem to get along with many groups. I love Hume-Fogg and the people there, so I'm glad I picked it for my "high school experience", because I know it'll be a great one!
--Kat Formosa
Nashville School of the Arts (NSA)
Nashville School of the Arts (NSA) offers arts such as theatre, art, dance, vocal, instrumental, cinema, and mass media. NSA has changed a lot over the years, one change being the big move to Tennessee Preparatory School (TPS). Last year Mr. Bob Wilson, the principal, wanted to move to TPS for two to three years. During these two to three years a new building is going to be built over by the Bicentennial Mall. Last year, the students, faculty, and staff had to vote if moving to TPS was the right decision. The votes were tallied and we were off to TPS. Adjusting to the new building has had its good points and bad points. One of the bad points is that many people who live by the old NSA have to travel all the way across town to TPS. The new building has a lot of narrow hallways, and it is tough getting to class and the temperature is very cold. The good points are that we finally have an auditorium and a gym instead of just a gym. Last year the plays and dances took place in the gym on a built-in stage. We have better dance rooms and bigger classrooms. Also, in the new building everything is on one level.
NSA had another big change: all students who wish to go to NSA have to audition to get in. NSA had auditions in the past but they also had the lottery in which they drew numbers from a slot, essays that students would write explaining why they would like to attend NSA, and their middle school called Wharton Arts Magnet School that let students be automatically accepted to NSA if you went to it. I asked some students who attend NSA what they think about NSA and about the big move. One student said, "This school is a better location and the thing that makes NSA different from any other high school is that we have a more understanding of the arts." I am glad that we got rid of the lottery and they are letting people audition. So now the students are more interested in the arts. Students come to NSA to fulfill what they do in their art. I feel NSA will help each student become successful in his or her art interest.
--Vincent Leggett
Davidson Academy
Davidson Academy, acknowledged for its Christian values and academic atmosphere, is one of the top schools in the city of Nashville, Tennessee. Davidson Academy is a private, co-educational, college preparatory day school for students in grades K3 through 12th. As the school’s motto goes, Davidson Academy prepares students for college, life, and eternity. Davidson Academy’s current year enrollment is 639 students, with only 290 of those in 9th through 12th grade. It’s a very small school, population and layout size wise. Davidson Academy consists of two buildings, an elementary and a high school. The elementary and high schools only have 4 hallways in each building. This, obviously, makes very tight living space! Nevertheless, the students are proud to call it their home away from home.
In 2001, Davidson Academy received the honor of the Blue Ribbon Schools award, which makes it a national school of excellence. That year, Davidson was the only school in Tennessee to receive the honor. It took many hours, extensive labor, and much patience, but in the end, Davidson Academy was presented the award that summer in Washington, D.C.
Sports also play a key role in Davidson Academy’s daily routine. Davidson Academy offers sports such as football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, golf, and many more! This year’s varsity football team is headed to the playoffs in Wayne County for their wonderful game play throughout the season. The girls’ golf team holds the title of 8 times winning state champions! Those are just a few examples of the wonderful teams, and honors, that Davidson Academy consists of.
Many advantages come along with attending Davidson Academy. A main advantage is its location. Davidson is located on Old Hickory Blvd, which is a main road in Nashville. Many students don’t have to travel far, which makes the turnouts of activities a major success. Another advantage is the small population. Everyone knows everyone! It’s always good to surround yourself with friends, and with such a small population, it’s easy to do so. There’s usually no separation between grades because of this. Everyone has grown up together.
Of course, there are also disadvantages. The main two are dress code and tuition. Davidson Academy started using uniforms as dress code about two years ago. But, every Friday, students are allowed to wear jeans and a school related shirt. The dress code isn’t too strict, but why would anyone be happy to have uniforms! Tuition, as I said, is a major disadvantage to Davidson Academy. Every year, since I’ve attended in K-5, it has risen. Currently, the cost to attend is $6,025. Of course, the school does offer financial aid.
Davidson Academy is, in my opinion, an excellent school. If any parents are looking for a Christian environment, where their children can learn to grow spiritually and intellectually, then Davidson Academy is the school to attend.
--Rachael McMurtry
East Lit
East Literature Magnet School is a high school with many faces. Not only does the school center their curriculum around the written word, but their library is the largest public school library in Davidson county.
According to librarians Ms. Sherri Lamb and Ms. Lura Battle, "We not only have books that students need to read, we have books that students want to read." Sophomore Tim Battle states that "the library is his favorite place."
The small student body fosters a close-knit, communal atmosphere where everyone knows each other. To many students, this is comforting, but junior Jessica Lindsey admits that occasionally, "There's too much gossip!"
East Lit's principal, Ms. Stewart, truly cares about the students and encourages them to come talk to her about anything they feel like. When asked what she likes best about East, she replied automatically, "The students." Ms. Stewart is an avid supporter of literature and states that the written word is a part of all culture.
The extracurricular activities at East Lit go beyond sports, although the various teams such as basketball, baseball, soccer, and cheerleading are very active and enthusiastic. The Student Technology Leadership Team, a competitive web-design program in which East has won first place before, is "exciting and fun," according to junior class president, Mateen. There is also a drama club, a poetry group, and a forensics team.
Dr. Whitley, a US History and Linguistics teacher has been teaching for thirty-five years, but this is her fourth year with East. "It's a good school," she says. "Students are very motivated and actually want to learn."
--Impressions gathered by members of the Teenedge Internship Program, when visiting East Lit for a “school blitz”