Fairmont’s 27^th annual commencement ceremonies include speeches by seniors Annelise Bodary, Emily Miller and Tim Green, as well as a musical performance by senior members of the Concert Band with soloist Daniel Cassidy and senior choir members singing “Omnia Sol.”

Among the graduates receiving diplomas was Fairmont’s first class of International Baccalaureate diploma candidates. Students included: Annelise Bodary, Lauren Bruns, Allie Dyer, Andrew Slusher, Nathan Streithorst, Amanda Turner and Katherine Ygbuhay.

The commencement also marked Fairmont’s first single valedictorian and single salutatorian. Valedictorian Amanda Turner earned a weighted grade-point average of 4.4821 and was recognized as the top student in Montgomery County, while Emily Stienecker was the salutatorian with a 4.4000 GPA.

Another 32 graduates were named Summa Cum Laude Scholars for having achieved a GPA of 3.9 or higher.

Along with those honors, other graduates were recognized for awards that were voted on by the Fairmont faculty. The Dave Rayburn Citizenship Award went to Molly Becker, the Firebird Service Award to Kim Seitter, and the Firebird Seniors of the Year were Emily Miller and Mike Herman.

Words for the graduates came from James S. Trent, president of the Board of Education, and Fairmont Principal Dan Von Handorf. Von Handorf specifically recognized a wide range of graduates for their wide range of accomplishments, including the fact that the Class of 2010 earned just over $6.4 million in scholarships and college credits.

When it was their turn to address the audience of seniors, graduates and friends, the senior speakers offered words of encouragement and congratulations to their classmates and thanked their teachers and families.

Bodary noted the work of teachers “who stay long hours after school helping students, grading papers and preparing lessons” and the “compassion of the staff who cheerfully cater to the needs of the student body day in and day out.”

Miller told her fellow graduates that “life as we know it will never be the same.” But she encouraged students to remember the power of optimism when fighting fears and anxiety about the future. “Optimism will help you realize that no matter how tough it may seem, and no matter how overwhelmed you feel, you will succeed,” she said. “And I have no doubt that the graduating Fairmont Class of 2010 will be very, very successful.”

The final graduate to speak was Green. “The world is waiting for us, and all the pessimists are saying, ‘Wow, once those kids walk out there the world is going to happen to them,’” he said. But Green assured the seniors that they could handle the big challenges ahead. “It’s nothing we can’t handle. The world will not happen to us. We will happen to the world.”

After 37 years in the Kettering district, Interactive Media Teacher Karl Bremer has only great things to say. At Barnes Junior High, Bremer taught many things, including English, Reading, Social Studies, Math and Health. He was also asked if he wanted to coach the football team. Bremer always liked sports and he liked the kids, so he took up the offer. Once he started teaching at Fairmont High School, he taught Interactive Media and became WKET Station Manager.

“I guess I was in the right place at the right time,” said Bremer. He was never interviewed for his teaching job. When he student taught at Barnes Junior High, he was hired on the spot. “You make your own luck, but I guess I was just very lucky.”

After teaching many art, painting, speech, and photography classes, Fairmont Art Photo teacher Donna Wagner is ready to retire. Wagner said she loved teaching the high school age group. “It was a wonderful opportunity,” she said.

Teaching in the classroom for 27 years has Wagner ready to start a new chapter. For 22 of those years, she taught in the Kettering District. “It has been fun, but it’s time to move on to the next phase,” said Wagner.

Wagner’s next phase includes traveling, entertaining her friends and taking classes, like French or cooking.

Now that Bremer’s retiring, he knows exactly what he’s going to do. “I’m going to shoot some ball, exercise, and play with my grandkids,” he said.

Bill Jackson received his bachelor’s degree from Indiana State Teachers College in Terre Haute in 1956. He continued his education at Indiana University, Miami University, The Ohio State University and the University of Dayton. Jackson taught at different schools in Indiana and Ohio before coming to Fairmont in 1962. He was named coordinator of the Cooperative Office Education (COE) program in 1965 and taught at Fairmont East until the two high schools consolidated in 1983. He taught at Kettering Fairmont High School until his retirement in 1986.

Carl “Skip” Stiles attended The Ohio State University in 1960-61, before transferring to Morehead State University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in 1966. In 1970, he received his master’s degree in education from Xavier University. Stiles taught at Wayne Local Schools and Lebanon City Schools before he started teaching at Southdale Elementary School in 1969. In 1984, he became a gifted teacher and then in 1991 he became the gifted education coordinator for the district. Then, in 1994 he assumed duties as principal at Moraine Meadows Elementary Schools, as well as being the gifted education coordinator. Stiles retired in 1999.

Sandy Lawson Stremel attended Miami University, Oxford, and graduated in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in English education. She received her master’s degree in education from Wright State University in 1975. She taught at Mad River Schools before coming to Kettering to teach English at Van Buren Junior High (Now Van Buren Middle School.) In 2005, Stremel came to Fairmont High School, where she taught English until her retirement in 2008. Today, Stremel continues to sub for the Kettering City Schools.

The cast performed the play for local elementary schools on Friday, May 14.

The cast, under the direction of Fairmont English/Drama teacher Darren McGarvey, has been practicing from 3:15 to 4:30 every week day.

Senior Justin Miles plays Dumbkopf, the lead male role who travels into a forest in search of his brothers, played by seniors Arber Troni and Nathan Streithorst. Instead, he finds an elderly woman, played by senior Kat Ygbuhay, who rewards him with a “lucky” golden goose for his kindness.

“This is a story of a young man who finds happiness and love from that one gift of kindness,” said McGarvey of the 45-minute “Golden Goose.” The goose gives Dumbkopf a strange power that leads him on a comical quest to find the King, played by senior TJ Klopfstein. Up-and-coming freshman actress Caroline Grogan provides the “love interest” as the Princess courted by Dumbkopf.

Other actors include seniors Matt Letteri, Allie Dyer and April Holland; juniors Lexi Muller and Patrick Taylor; sophomores Alex Meyer and Melanie West; and freshman Cassidy Fink.

The IB students are taking donations for this organization. Their goal is to raise $2,000, but a donation as small as $10 can provide a share of sheep to an impoverished family.

Senior IB diploma candidate Allie Dyer thinks Heifer International is a great organization. “We chose Heifer International because we liked its message of helping people help themselves. It empowers people to make a livelihood with livestock,” she said. “We really liked the fact that this one donation can positively affect a community in a sustainable way.”

The Class of 2010 IB students will be the first IB diploma candidates to graduate from Fairmont. Anyone wishing to make a donation can do so in the Activities Office.

The whole brouhaha began when Constance McMillen, a lesbian senior at Itawamba Agricultural High School, asked school officials if she could wear a tuxedo to prom and bring her girlfriend as her date. School officials told her that neither action was allowed under school policies. When McMillen contested the decision, the school board responded by canceling the event completely.

“I don’t think that anything like what happened in Itawamba Agricultural High School would ever happen at Fairmont,” said Fairmont Activities Director Jenny Borchers. “I know we have had same-sex couples at previous dances, and it has never been an issue. We are lucky to have an inclusive, diverse school community. We do not question who a student brings.”

But at Itawamba, they did. On March 10, the Board of Education announced its decision to cancel the prom, due to the distractions it said McMillen caused at the high school. Students are outraged, parents are disappointed, and McMillen feels badly about precipitating the canceling of the prom, but is still proud of who she is.

Opinions vary on McMillen’s actions. Some people say McMillen took things way out of hand and the school did the right thing, while others firmly disagree.

One of those people is Fairmont sophomore Gracie Townsend. “How could the school do this? It should be up to the student who he or she brings to the prom, and the school shouldn’t cancel prom just because one of the students is bringing a date of the same sex,” she said.

School demanded opposite-sex dates

On Feb. 5, 2010, the Mississippi school sent a memo to all the students stating the rules for the 2010 prom. One of the requirements was that students must take a date of the opposite sex.

“Their policies are ridiculous,” said Fairmont German teacher Jennifer Yuker. “It’s amazing to me that school officials are being so closed-minded.”

Upon receiving the memo, McMillen asked school officials if she could break that policy. They told her no. In an effort to preserve her senior prom experience, McMillen contacted the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition, an advocacy center for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. They put her in touch with the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which agreed to get involved in the fast-growing conflict.

When the school board canceled the prom, the ACLU sent a scathing memo to school officials demanding they reinstate the dance and uphold McMillen’s 14^th Amendment rights to equal protection under the law, meaning that she should be treated like any other high school student, and her First Amendment right of freedom of expression, the right in this case to wear a tuxedo. Still, the school did nothing and refused to lift the cancellation of the prom.

School officials urged private citizens to organize an event for the junior and senior classes. They refused to host it themselves.

The ACLU, on McMillen’s behalf, then filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, claiming that the First Amendment gives students the right to bring a date of the same-sex to school dances. In an opinion recently handed down, a federal judge ruled that the school had violated McMillen’s First Amendment rights; however, he ruled that the school did not have to reinstate its prom because school officials claimed that a private prom would be held at which McMillen would be invited.

The day after the school board canceled prom, McMillen, at the urging of her father, returned to school to a mad group of peers. She was confronted by one classmate who said, “Thanks for ruining my senior year.”

But according to McMillen, she never meant for it to go this far. She was quoted on Advocate.com as saying, “All I wanted was the same chance to enjoy my prom night like any other student.”

In the end, a private prom was indeed held for the students of Itawamba Agricultural High School. In fact, there were two: one that McMillen was invited to at which there were only a handful of students and another much bigger one that McMillen wasn’t invited to and most of the other students attended.

What does Fairmont require?

In light of the growing controversy, many Fairmont students are taking a hard look at Fairmont’s own prom policy, but Borchers assures everyone there is nothing to worry about and that there are few requirements to attend prom.

In fact, the only requirement to attend a Fairmont prom is that at least one member of the couple must be a Fairmont junior or senior. The other member can be a freshman or sophomore from Fairmont, a high school student from another school, or any other person as long as they’re under the age of 21. If, however, a Fairmont student is bringing a person who does not attend Fairmont, a paper must be submitted with information about the person for the purpose of keeping school records. This paper requires a parent’s signature. Without one, the guest will not be admitted to Fairmont’s prom.

According to Borchers, when one Fairmont junior or senior buys two tickets, it does not matter if the other ticket is for a person of the same sex or not. And at Fairmont, unlike Itawamba, a girl would be able to wear a tux. However, Borchers said it would be up to a principal to settle the question of whether a boy could wear a dress. Each request would be assessed on its own individual standing.

The controversy currently surrounding Itwamba Agricultural High School is likely to continue for the next few months. However, the controversy will most likely stay in Mississippi and not spread to Kettering. According to the Activities Office, Fairmont has a very inclusive prom policy that would not allow for something like what happened in Mississippi to happen here.

“I’m very happy with our prom policy,” Borchers said. “I think we take several measures to ensure student safety, but we don’t hassle students to a point where they no longer have fun.”

Aracri has been with the Firebird football program for nine years, most recently as an assistant coach and the defensive coordinator.

Aracri is a Fairmont and Miami University grad and was signed as a free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2001. He played for the British Columbia Lions and the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL and for the Los Angeles Avengers and the Cincinnati Swarm of the AFL. 

In addition to coaching, Aracri is a health and physical education teacher at Fairmont. 

Before he announced his resignation, Blevins had been a staple of the football program at Fairmont for seven years, compiling a 33-37 record and giving the school its first-ever playoff berth in 2008. He will remain in coaching as he is heading to Wayne High School to be the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. “I want to help what is a pretty good program get to the next level,” said Blevins.

Blevins says his resignation is no mark against Fairmont; instead, it’s all about family to him. “I am very pleased with the progress I have made with Fairmont,” said Blevins. “And now I’m taking an opportunity that I feel is best for my family.”

After Blevins’ resignation, the school posted the heach coaching position both internally and externally.  Just before spring break, Donoher said he expected to make a decision soon. “ I told the parents and players that this wouldn’t be a long process, and I don’t see it becoming one,” Donoher said then.

The Ohio Real World Design Challenge is a state and nationwide contest geared at finding a solution to engineering problems experienced in the world today. The three seniors were required to learn a design software program and use it to find a way to make a business jet more fuel efficient. To do this, the students used the engineering process they learned from their instructor, David Lord.

First, they researched the aerodynamics of flying and sought advice from a research engineer at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Jeff Donbar. The three students were then able to use the software they had learned to test their new tail design and find a solution to the problem.

Gov. Ted Strickland presented the first-place award to the engineering trio during the afternoon news conference at the Design Challenge. The first place winners, Catrine, Timmer and Wehner, will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., where they will compete against other winners from across the U.S. While there, the students will take their design one step further by redesigning the jet’s wings to make it even more fuel efficient.

Next year, the Fairmont students plan to earn their associate’s degrees at Sinclair Community College before moving on to a four-year university to get their bachelor’s degrees in engineering. The three hope that winning the Ohio Real World Design Competition will open doors to scholarship opportunities and improve their resumes.

“I don’t want us to have to go to the community and ask for more money now, but I don’t think I have a choice,” said Dr. James Schoenlein, Kettering superintendent. “Each year, inflation creeps up along with the money needed to pay for the daily operations of a school. At the same time, the amount of money we’re allowed to collect from taxpayers has to remain constant due to Ohio law. On top of that, state funding is reduced each year.”

Schoenlein said that with these three economic forces at work, every school district in Ohio has to go back to the voters for more operating money sooner or later. For Kettering, he said, the time is now. “We really need this money,” he said.

If passed, the school levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $17.58 per month, or $211 annually. According to school officials, the extra money is essential for the continued operation of the school district. If the operating levy doesn’t pass in 2010, officials estimate the district will face a $6.5 million deficit in the 2011-12 school year, which will then increase to a $20 million deficit in 2012-13.

However, a school district is not allowed to have a deficit, as Kettering School Board President Jim Trent points out. “By law, we can’t go into debt. The treasurer and Board of Education president have to sign documents that prove we have enough money to justify our budgets. If we don’t pass this levy, we have to make damaging cuts,” he said.

A wise investment … or not practical?

The prospect of lasting scars on the district because of budget cuts greatly worries school administrators. “The effects of cutting back, to the extent that would be necessary, would be devastating,” said Schoenlein. “Class sizes would rise and test scores would suffer. These effects, along with many others, would significantly diminish what is now a great school system.”

The superintendent added that the negative effects of cutbacks wouldn’t be confined to what’s inside the school house gates. “All people have an interest in voting for this levy,” said Schoenlein. “People should look at it as an investment – an investment in keeping their property values up and an investment in young people. Taxes for education are critical to the wellbeing of any community.”

Although investing in young people sounds good, some Kettering residents say it’s just not practical in today’s tough economic times. Bill and Marynel Bradley, longtime Kettering residents and tutors at John F. Kennedy Elementary School, are two of those people.

“Obviously, I’ve always been a strong supporter for education, especially as a teacher myself, but it’s a very hard time, especially for those in Kettering. Even though it will behoove the community to pass this levy, it’s going to be a very hard sell,” said Marynel Bradley.

Bill Bradley agrees. “The only people getting raises right now are the ones employed by the government,” he said. “A lot of people aren’t able to afford things they’ve always taken for granted. Houses are foreclosing, people aren’t going on vacation – the list goes on and on. Debt is becoming a normal part of our society. To pile on more taxes right now is just not right.”

Urgent need … or lack of belt-tightening?

Trent agrees that now is not a good time to be going to the community for money, but the money is needed now. If the levy doesn’t pass in May, the school board could try putting it back on the ballot in November, but so far the members are keeping an optimistic attitude. “No decision has been made about what we’re going to do if the levy doesn’t pass,” Trent said. “However, we don’t want to be thinking about what we could be doing in November. We just hope it will pass in May.”

Schoenlein is trying to maintain the same optimistic perspective optimism, but he also wants the community to understand urgency of passing the school levy sooner rather than later. If the levy doesn’t pass in 2010, there will be a one-year delay before the district would see any additional funds.

“You can always try again next summer,” he said. “But what people need to realize is that taxes are collected in the year after the vote, so even if, for some reason, we don’t pass the levy until next year, we wouldn’t begin getting the new money from the levy until 2012, and the district would be about $5 million in the red for that year. As a result we would have to make severe cuts over the summer of 2011.”

Some citizens, however, question whether the school board has really tightened its belt as much as it could.

“People’s approval of elected officials is the lowest it’s ever been, right now in the middle of this recession,” said Bill Bradley. “Most elected officials, such as the members of the school board, can’t control spending. They’re pitching it like it’s a fight for kids, but everyone else has tried to watch the way they’re spending money. Has the school board thought about doing that and maybe cutting down a little?”

School officials say the answer to that question is “yes.” According to Schoenlein, the district has tried to make significant cuts, wherever possible, without negatively impacting the education school instructors are providing to students. Over the past four years, Kettering Schools have made $7.6 million in cuts, including the elimination of 57 positions.

Voting yes … or voting no?

Despite these efforts, many people still believe that the school board should try to cut down more, instead of seeking more tax money from the residents of Kettering.

“Kettering has always had a long and very rich history of supporting the schools, but now is not the time for them to be pushing more taxes on us. They should be tightening their belts like everyone else. The bottom line is for people on a fixed income like us, a lot of people want our money. Vectren wants a few dollars, and so do AT&T and then the trash company, and when you only get say $2,000 a month, things start to build up and something has to give,” said Marynel Bradley.

But other Kettering citizens don’t think that taxes for schools should be the thing that gives. Kettering resident Annette Smith has a daughter who attends Fairmont High School. “I know times are tough, but we’ve got to pass this thing for the good of the schools,” she said. “I want my daughter to get the best education possible, and that’s why I’m going to vote for the levy on May 4.”

Schoenlein understands the Bradleys’ concerns, but he hopes many citizens will come to the same conclusion that Smith has.

“I absolutely understand these are tough economic times. I get that,” Schoenlein said. “I just hope that the citizens of Kettering can see that taxes for the school are a great investment that will pay off hugely in the end.”