Worried about negative attention after campus brawl, Hoover High students explore ‘identity, respect and unity’
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To some, a perception of Hoover High School began to form in the months following an on-campus brawl on Oct. 3 that included conflicts between students of different backgrounds. Also, the fight and events afterward drew a torrent of media attention.
The fight, the suspensions, the cancellation of the Glendale-Hoover football rivalry game, a walkout by Hoover students and an investigation that left many in the community disappointed cast a shadow some Hoover students felt was undeserved.
A group of those students, with help from the school’s Media Arts Academy, fought back against the negative perceptions.
Hoover High students and teachers built a student art gallery adjacent to the main quad and opened its first showing, titled “INSIGHT,” on Friday afternoon.
“Many of my students were upset by the negative attention given to our school back in October,” said Allison Stewart, the academy’s director. “They did not feel the reports, which focused on the actions of a relatively small group of students in a population of 1,600, were an accurate depiction of the Hoover community at large. So they decided to do something about it.”
The exhibit’s goal is, “to explore the identity, respect and unity at Hoover and in our Glendale community.” The exhibit is curated by seniors Jaime Calica, Julia Loughlin and Amanda Martinez.
Loughlin said she thinks that diversity can be shown “through the pieces of art that represent each individual [and] how they choose to represent themselves. By having student-submitted art, the gallery becomes our diversity.”
The gallery is open during lunch, Monday through Friday, from 12:20 to 12:50 p.m. until March 31. It will also be open during Hoover High’s open house from 6 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 28.
Parties interested in viewing the gallery can contact Stewart at astewart@gusd.net.
Inside the gallery, about 60 pieces, including paintings, photography, ceramics, sculptures, installation art pieces, videos and performances, are on display.
“This art gallery is something that the Hoover art teachers and I dreamed of years ago,” said Jennifer Earl, Hoover’s principal. “We are elated that our dream has come to fruition. Public high school students being given the opportunity to curate a show at the high-school level is extraordinary, and we are so proud.”
The art was submitted by Hoover students, ranging from freshmen to seniors, while academy students participated in various aspects.
“The students of [the Media Arts Academy] helped install the artwork. They advertised the event on their social media, made posters and fliers and encouraged students to collaborate with them and attend the event,” Stewart said.
Even some Hoover clubs were involved in the gallery, such as students in the Distinguished Scholars Academy, which submitted a large sculpture of a dove with wings, depicting various national flags.
“This would represent us all coming together from different places, working together to achieve a common goal,” said Catherine Grigorian, student president of the Distinguished Scholars Academy. “In this case, the common goal would be educating ourselves, graduating high school and being on the right path to a successful future.”
Staff photographer Raul Roa contributed to this article.
