UHEF & Uni News

16

Sep, 2014

Remembering Denny Miller, Uni’s “Tarzan”

By: admin | Tags: Tarzan, Denny Miller | Comments: 2

[Posted September 16, 2014] There’s a long and close relationship between Uni and the entertainment industry that was blossoming when the school opened in 1924. Pictured above: Denny Miller as “Tarzan the Ape Man” in an MGM movie poster for the 1959 film. But only one Uni grad has played the famed role of “Tarzan”: Denny Miller, who passed away on September 9 at age 80. Born in 1934, Miller attended Uni in the early 1950s and went on to UCLA, where he played basketball for legendary coach John Wooden. […]

9

Sep, 2014

Uni to get new football field and all-weather track . . . at last!

By: admin | Tags: LAUSD Facilities Division, baseball, football, track & field, Eric Davidson, Wendy Axel, FieldTurf | Comments: 0

[Posted September 9, 2014] A lengthy campaign to updated Uni’s ancient athletic facilities will finally reach fruition with the start of construction later this month on a new FieldTurf football field, surrounded by an eight-lane, all-weather track. Pictured above: An archived aerial view of Uni, with Cavanagh Field in the middle, circa 2008 (before the current gymnasium was built). [Google Earth photograph] The Facilities Division of the Los Angeles Unified School District has confirmed the project, with groundbreaking slated for late September. Completion is expected in the spring, perhaps even […]

9

Sep, 2014

Hilarious Shakespeare Romp is Uni’s featured Fall performance

By: admin | Tags: Complete Works of Williams Shakespeare (Abridged), Theatre Arts, Ronnie Sperling | Comments: 0

[Posted September 8, 2014] William Shakespeare wrote 37-plus plays, many of which are considered among the finest ever conceived in the English language. Pictured above: A not-completely-thrilled William Shakespeare will have all 37 of his works featured – in one night – by the Uni Theatre Arts corps in November. If you’d like to see them all (sort of) in a single sitting, check out “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” from the Uni Theatre Arts department, offered in four performances this November. The work is a hilarious send-up […]

1

Sep, 2014

New “Warriors & Wildcats Report” debuts

By: admin | Tags: | Comments: 0

[Posted September 1, 2014] What’s happening at Uni? What reunions are coming up? What’s with the new construction inside the fence at Westgate & Ohio? All these questions and more are covered in the new “Warriors & Wildcats Report.” It’s designed as a once- or twice-a-month update from the Uni Hi Education Foundation to keep the Warrior and Wildcat family informed during the school year. It’s free and sent via e-mail. Tell your friends to sign up via the “Subscribe now” button on the home page of the UHEF.org site. […]

25

Aug, 2014

Class of ‘74 Donates to Uni Theatre Arts Program

By: admin | Tags: Class of 1974, Theatre Arts | Comments: 1

[Posted August 25, 2014] A revitalized theatre arts program at Uni will benefit from an unexpected donation from the Class of 1974 reunion held last March. Pictured above: An ecstatic Ronnie Sperling ‘76, director of Uni’s Theatre Arts programs, accepts the Class of ‘74 donation from Rich Perelman and Lisa Duffy Atkin. (Photo courtesy UHEF) The Chenoa Class organizers decided quite late to add a raffle to the reunion, selling tickets on-site to enter a drawing for items offered by class members: shooting lessons, a celebrity-chef-cooked dinner, kitchen makeover and […]

19

Aug, 2014

Emerson Middle School getting an overdue makeover

By: admin | Tags: Emerson Middle School | Comments: 4

[Posted August 19, 2014] For almost as long as Uni has been around, Emerson Middle School has been one of its core feeder schools. Now, that campus is finally getting a long overdue overhaul. Pictured above: A giant new gymnasium rising on the Emerson Middle School campus. (Photos courtesy UHEF) The Emerson campus, named for 19th Century American literary star Ralph Waldo Emerson, was originally built on 8.7 acres from 1935-40. Since then, a series of bungalows and small additions have been added, but no significant new buildings or added […]

17

Aug, 2014

Remembering Mel Patton, Uni’s greatest athlete

By: admin | Tags: Mel Patton, Jim Pursell, Olympic Games | Comments: 0

[Posted August 17, 2014] In the 90-plus years of University High School, there has been one athlete who accomplishments stand above all others: Mel Patton. The two-time track & field gold medalist from the 1948 Olympic Games in London died at age 89 on May 9 in Fallbrook, California, south of San Clemente. Pictured above: Patton winning the 200 meters at the 1948 Olympic Games in London, just ahead of American teammate Barney Ewell. Patton attended Uni, then a three-year high school, in 1941-42-43 before entering the U.S. Navy to […]

11

Aug, 2014

Big crowd at Class of 1974 Reunion

By: admin | Tags: Lisa Duffy, David Duffy, Tino Ito Rosenberg. Lisa Stalvy, Class of 1974, Steve Kirsch, Danny Ezralow, Danny McQuoid, Peggy Curry | Comments: 1

[Posted August 11, 2014] The experts will tell you that 40-year class reunions are often small, with some folks retired, others who have passed and without the pull of the 50-year celebration to come. Pictured above: Classmates Steve Kirsch, Jaye-Jo (Portanova) Cooperman, Danny McQuoid, Tim Riddle and Ellen (Kierstein) Bass at the Class of ‘74 reunion on March 29 (Photo courtesy Danny McQuoid). But the Uni class of 1974 continued its tradition of cohesion with an overflow crowd of 182 classmates, spouses and friends at its 40-year reunion held March […]

10

Jul, 2014

Uni Star Artist: Ken Price

By: admin | Tags: | Comments: 0

Ken Price W’53 is a Big Deal! Nationally and internationally recognized as one of America’s most significant contemporary sculptors, Price has made a powerful mark in the art world. Currently, a Price exhibit is at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and last year LACMA held an important retrospective that drew large crowds. Price graduated from University High School in 1953 where he served as a cartoonist for the school newspaper in 1952-1953. We are fairly sure that Price also designed endpapers for the yearbook.* Price knew from the beginning […]

10

Jul, 2014

Alumni Summer Production of Rent Dazzles Audience

By: admin | Tags: | Comments: 0

Note: Former Uni Drama teacher Jack Mitchell who currently serves as the Secondary Arts Consultant, California Department of Education, brought Uni alum together for a production of Rent on July 19 and 20. Modest assistance from UHEF and a dedicated cast supported the production. For a backstage peek at the collaboration, witness the dialogue between Mitchell and drama Alum, Uni graduate Alex Grabarchuk ‘05 below. Mitchell: We all know that theatre has the capacity to entertain, instruct, and enrich the lives of both performers and audience members. Since leaving Uni […]