Many schools have long-standing traditions. Some are fun and harmless, others not necessarily so.
In the case of Sequoia High School, one tradition most likely falls into the latter category as opposed to the former. What am I referring to?
The 'Lamp Fight.'
Indeed, this is an actual fight over the possession of a lamp!
The formal name of the lamp is Heliogabolas or "Helio" in short. Helio means "sun," but it also symbolizes wisdom.
Its history dates back quite a way.
One story from around 1907 is the lamp came from the Temple of Solomon the Wise.
Another, somewhat more plausible, is that it came from a Chinese emperor's garden. A missionary brought it to the US around 1849 during the gold rush days, where it came into the possession of Sequoia's second Principal, Mr. Rossiter. In 1900, he awarded the "lamp of learning" to the senior class. To this day, no one knows exactly how he came into possession of it.
Subsequently, each senior class gave it to the incoming senior class toward the end of the school year. The lamp was kept for the entire academic year. This tradition went on for some time.
However, it began to turn into somewhat of a competition. Underclassmen started making attempts to obtain the lamp from seniors. Real fights took place to gain possession of "the lamp."
In 1917, the senior class began adding a new link to the lamp's chain if they successfully maintained it in their possession. The year it took place was inscribed on it. Seniors who lost custody of it were highly embarrassed and got shamed by underclassmen.
The embarrassment of seniors losing possession occurred three different times: 1919, 1923 and 1929.
Rumor has it the antics involved in searching for it during the school year included wild chases through neighborhoods. In 1937, someone sustained a severe head injury during a "lamp fight."
The traditional "Lamp Fight" continued until the 1940s.
Additional lamp fights ensued long after that, which were pretty much brawls.
No one is quite certain what happened to the original lamp. Some say it was broken after being tossed onto the street. Others say it was thrown into the bay.
Suffice it to say "The Lamp" has been the subject of lore for over a century.
More recently, according to a 2017 edition of Sequoia's newspaper, a new lamp exists and sits in the school principal's office.
Everything else is just history.
Selected material from the Cherokee Manual, 1930 & 1941, contributed to this article.
Some of the photos used in this blog are courtesy of the Local History Room, Redwood City's best-kept secret. The Local History Collection covers all aspects of Redwood City's development, from the 1850s to the present day, with particular emphasis on businesses, public schools, civic organizations, city agencies, and early family histories. The Local History Room is not affiliated with the Redwood City Public Library, but it is inside it.
