As we approach the 50th anniversary of Shorewood’s opening in 1975, changes made over the years still can’t seem to cover up the old Shorewood that still thrives. As we take a deep dive into Shorewood history, looking at past work students left behind, we are able to gauge what Shorewood used to be like. Through pictures, newspaper clippings, and some investigative work, the Tempest staff was able to uncover the “old Shorewood” that still shines.
Chris Cornell:
Washington state is known as the home to some of the greatest grunge and rock bands of the century. Bands like the Foo Fighters, Nirvana, and Soundgarden all originated from this rainy state. So it comes as no surprise that Chris Cornell, the lead singer of Soundgarden, once graced Shorewood’s halls with his presence and not-so-good attendance. The singer lived in Seattle and attended Shorewood High School for his junior year but later dropped out to start Soundgarden with his friends, and other students who subsequently went to Western Washington University. Cornell is not only known for Soundgarden but also as a vocalist for Audioslave, Temple of the Dog, and as a solo artist. The singer and lyricist passed away in 2017, leaving behind a local legacy.
Sig Hansen:
Before Netflix and HBO dominated the streaming world, surfing the channels to find an interesting show was part of the daily ritual for many. When scrolling through, one show might have caught your attention. Hook, line, and sinker, the show “Deadliest Catch” captivated an enormous audience. Not only did this show spotlight the dangers of the ocean and working on a crab boat, but it also introduced the world to a Shorewood alum, Sig Hansen. Hansen attended Shorewood High School in 1984, later leaving Shorewood’s graduating stage straight to work on his father’s crab boat. Hansen is now the captain of the F/V Northwestern and is still filming the show today and living in Seattle.
Blake Snell:
Shorewood is known to have an array of sports. From football to baseball we got it all. But when Blake Snell entered Shorewood’s batting cage, he set the stage for his career in professional baseball. Snell attended Shorewood High School in 2011 where his sheer talent of baseball truly shined. Snell was admitted to the University of Washington to play baseball but decided to play professionally instead after being drafted in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft. Throughout his career, Snell has dominated the MLB and won the National League Cy Young Award twice, first in 2019 and in 2023. Currently playing for the San Deigo Padres, he continues to show his support by attending UW football games, as well as showing his support for Shorewood after recently attending a boy’s basketball game against Monroe.
Jill Filipovic- New York Times:
Among the many who have left the graduation stage of Shorewood High School is Jill Filipovic. Driven, passionate, and with a talent for writing, Filipovic is the only Shorewood alumni to have worked at the New York Times as a writer, and at Cosmopolitan as the senior political writer. After graduating high school, she attended New York University in New York City. After college her career started to bloom, expanding as far as being a columnist for The Guardian, Time, Washington Post, and Foreign Policy. Aside from being a journalist, Filipovic has mastered the world of literature, after writing two books, The H-Spot: “The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness” (2017), and “Ok Boomer, Let’s Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind” (2020), and becoming a lawyer. Although she is a nonpracticing lawyer at the moment, she shows her love she politics and law through her writing, showcased more recently in her work with the New York Times. Filipovic is an astonishing young woman, that will always have a place at Shorewood High School.
Old Shorewood High School:
Ever wonder how our school came to be? Originally built in 1975 the school sported a much different look than it does today. As we approach the 50th anniversary of the school’s opening, we take a step back in time as we remember what Shorewood used to be. When you imagine a school that was built in 1975, Shorewoods old building was probably what would pop into your head. Before the school was remolded in 2012-2013, Shorewood sported a “California-style school”, with portables, lockers, and even hallways being outdoors. But the school itself isn’t the only thing that’s changed. We all know our beloved student store.
You might think that our current student store couldn’t be beat, but you’d be sadly mistaken. Take our standing tables in the student store and replace them with couches, rugs, and a stereo. Security at the school also used to be different. Forget the automatic lock doors right when the bell rings at 7:50, no, instead the school had large metal gates that teachers would have to unlock and lock every time they walked the school grounds. Although the whole of Shorewood changed, there was one piece of it left behind. The old brick building that is our school’s orchestra and black box once was a museum. Part of the original school that was built in the 20s; the brick building was turned into a museum, showcasing the history of shoreline and of Shorewood. Now turned into Shorewood black box, used for drama rehearsals and shows, our school’s rich history can continue to play out, showcasing the true talent and past talent of Shorewood High School.
Smoking sections: Yay or Nay
What do you usually do during your nutrition break? Talk to friends, grab a snack, visit the student store? Past Shorewood students probably would have said the same thing, with, of course, the additional activity of smoking. Although present students couldn’t fathom the idea of smoking on campus, it was a daily activity for many of Shorewood’s past alumni. Shorewood’s old campus was fitted with a smoking section in the outdoor quad, where many of Shorewood’s past students took it upon themselves to “light up” during the break, passing periods, and lunch. In 1976 school administration implemented “smoking rules,” allowing students who felt the need to smoke, to do so behind the gym. Although this seems normal now, students then were not too pleased with the inconvenience, causing controversy and debate between faculty and student body.
Campus Day activities:
As the school year comes to a close, students set aside their backpacks and enjoy the fun-filled day known as Campus Day. Not only are classes cut short- but students get to enjoy ice cream, games, face painting, and the added fun and chaos that comes with… yearbook signings. This is not a new tradition, no. Campus Day has been an activity that Shorewood students have enjoyed since the school opened in 1975.
From Dunk tanks, and entertaining band performances, to student lip-synching battles, Campus Day has always been a fun-filled tradition at Shorewood High School and will continue to end the year on a high note as students make the transition into summer break. But some traditions seem to have been left in the dust. Shorewood High School once hosted a powder puff tournament, where girls competed in an elaborate game of touch or flag football. The history of the Powder Puff is an interesting one, the first game being played in 1945. The game follows the same guidelines as football except for one thing. The sport opposes the common gender roles that come with football that we often see played out in the NFL. Due to this, women are on the field, and the men are on the sidelines cheering them on. This beloved tradition has fallen off the bandwagon, and I have to ask Shorewood, why?
Past classes that were offered:
With the old Shorewood out and the new shiny Shorewood campus in, it seems that we may have left some things to collect dust. As the end of the school year approaches, the stressful class registration looms over the heads of many students. But, have you ever wished there were more class options? This is only a struggle present students at Shorewood seem to face; students at Shorewood in 1982 didn’t have this issue. With the wide variety of class options being offered, I’d imagine no students were run dry with possibilities. Classes such as child psychology were offered, and even supported by the old Shorewood daycare center, allowing students in particular classes to have one-on-one interactions with children.
Other classes still offered, such as health, have also changed. The tedious health class that every incoming freshman is tasked to take used to be left until high schoolers’ Junior or Senior year. This caused some controversy at Shorewood, as some staff and students felt the class should have been offered earlier in order to teach kids the importance of safe sex and prevention.
As it seems, Shorewood isn’t the only school in the area that seems to have made some radical changes to classes over time. Shoreline Community College is the runner-up, having once offered a cosmetology course. This class was attended by any student interested in learning how to massage, do their hair, and do makeup. Although these classes were most likely left in the past due to their outdated ideals in our society now, they still presented students with more options other than college.
SAS class:
Along with the gains and losses of classes over time, is the never-ending debate over SAS. Not so long ago, Shorewood students weren’t plagued with the inconvenience of SAS class but instead could roam the school for the open 45-minute period. This allowed students to visit the classes they needed without the tedious aspect of SAS passes. So now we have to ask, why did Shorewood change it? The past period that we now call SAS used to be known as STAR, Student Teacher… STAR was an ‘open’ period, where students could meet with teachers to discuss school work or talk to friends in the commons. Attendance wasn’t taken during this period, technically allowing students to also leave campus if they wanted. So why did STAR end?
According to Bill Dunbar, Principal at Shorewood, the 45-minute free period came to an end due to scheduling and there not being enough class time. Due to Shorewood being a public high school funded by the state, Shorewood needs to have a certain amount of class time for students in order to get money for school needs, and what would be tuition for students. Although the change from STAR to SAS may seem like a downgrade to many, it isn’t that big of a change.
Lip Dub video:
We’ve all heard a good comeback story. Tortoise and the Hare, Chicken Little, the mouse and the lion. But one that rings true within the Shoreline community is the Lip Dub comeback. What started as a challenge from one video production class to another, turned into one of the largest lip dub showdowns in Shoreline history.
In 2010 Shorecrest’s video production class debuted a lip dub video, and later that week challenged our own video production teacher Mr. Ballew, and his class to do the same. The rules were simple, whoever had the most views on YouTube won. Having only two and a half weeks to film and produce a video before winter break, Ballew and his crew worked tirelessly every day to beat the clock. Over the next weeks, Shorecrest’s video built up an enormous amount of views, standing at 213,000, but in the end, it didn’t come close to Shorewood’s final tally of 2.4 million views on YouTube. Ballew and Javier Caceres, a current student at the time who massively helped with the lip dub, later went on to the Rachel Ray show to talk about the viral video; also making the Nightly National News. This year Shorewood is producing another Lip Dub video to rival Shorecrest. Will we be able to live up to the expectations the last video set, we shall see.
