# Archbishop Alter High School

Archbishop Alter High School, also known as Alter High School, is a Catholic high school in Kettering, Ohio, United States. It is operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati and is named after Archbishop Karl Joseph Alter.

## History

In October 1958, Catholics of the Dayton area pledged $4,953,050 to help pay the costs of building Catholic high schools in the area. Among the schools built with this money were Archbishop Alter High School and its mirror image, Carroll High School, built the previous year. Development of Alter High School was led by Reverend Paul F. Leibold, and, at the request of the people, the school was named after Archbishop Karl Alter. Archbishop Karl Alter was born on August 18, 1885, and died on August 23, 1977.
The school saw its first students on September 5, 1962, with an incoming class of 250 freshmen. In each of the next three years a new freshman class would be added, so, by the year 1965, the school offered grades 9 through 12, with the first class graduating in 1966.
Alter High's first principal was Reverend Edward F. Haskamp, serving from 1962 to 1970. In 2005, Alter High named Fr. James Manning, former pastor of St. Albert the Great Parish in Kettering, as its first President.

## Faculty

Alter High School's faculty is composed of diocesan priests of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Sisters of Charity of Mount St. Joseph, and lay teachers.

## Academics

Alter features a strong STEM Curriculum through a partnership with Project Lead the Way. Alter has earned a Governor's Award for STEM education and has added 6 new labs to the school since 2009. 20 Students participated in the State Science Fair and 4 earned perfect scores in 2014. Every student at Alter is now equipped with a laptop computer complete with Microsoft Office software. The OGT pass rate at Alter is 100%.
The school provides AP classes, which offer the prospect of college credit as well as a weighted grade.
The Taylor College Lab at Alter was provided by a generous donation and operated by Sinclair College, it offers students a way to take classes for college credit and remain on Alter's campus. Students may use this facility to take practice exams for ACT, SAT and other academic tests. They may also work on college résumés and applications in the lab and along with the guidance office was responsible for the $15,500,000 full and partial academic, athletic and arts scholarships generated by the Class of 2014.
A student's school day begins at 8:00 AM and ends at 3:05 PM and the schedule was changed for the 2009–2010 school year to include eight 46-minute class periods and a 25-minute lunch period, with three minutes between each period to change classes. This change has allowed the students more flexibility with choosing electives or study halls within their schedules.

## Performing arts at Alter

The school offers a number of opportunities in the creative and performing arts. Alter now has a performing arts wing, named the 'Christine Connor and Fred J. Miller Conservatory of the Arts' added to the building after many donations.

### Bands

Alter students can choose to participate in multiple ensembles during the year: the Marching Knights, Jazz Band, Pep Band, Wind Ensemble, String Ensemble, Woodwind and Brass Ensembles, Winter Guard and Winter Drumline. The music department has been under the direction of Todd Tucker since 2007.
The Marching Knights are the musical ambassadors for Archbishop Alter High School. In addition to their musical support and performances at football games, the band also appears at festivals and in parades in the community. Competitively, The Marching Knights perform on the Mid States Band Association (MSBA) circuit regionally, which includes bands from Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan, and the Bands of America (BOA) circuit nationally. The band has been an MSBA Class Champion 9 times since 2012, including a 6-year run from 2012-2017, and in 2022 the Marching Knights captured their first BOA Grand National Class A Championship in Indianapolis.
The Marching Knights typically field a membership of 35 students, but see success on the national scale despite their size. The band has been a BOA Regional Finalist by score at multiple competitions since 2012, and in 2016 won Class A at the BOA St. Louis Super Regional, notching their first Class A win at any BOA competition. Due to their performance at the 2013 Atlanta BOA Super Regional, the group was asked by Winter Guard International (WGI) to be one of 3 groups to help pilot their new division, WGI Winds, in the spring of 2014 by performing in exhibition at two WGI regional competitions.
Since 2009, the band has made annual trips to the BOA Grand National Championships in Indianapolis (excepting 2020, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic), and have seen increased success during that span. The Knights first broke into Grand National Semi-Finals in 2013 (i.e., were in the top four Class A bands), marking the first of 4 appearances over the next 5 years, and 6 appearances over the next 10. In 2014 and 2016, the Marching Knights found the podium in addition to their semi-finals appearance, where they finished 3rd in both years. In 2021, at Grand Nationals, the band returned to Semi-Finals for the first time since 2017, finished 2nd, and won the Class A Visual caption, marking both their highest placement to date and their first caption win at Nationals.
In 2022, the Marching Knights won Class A at the Bands of America Grand National Championships with their show "Overjoyed", which featured the music of Stevie Wonder. During their preliminary performance, the band scored an 81.500 and finished 37th, marking their highest overall finish at Grand Nationals. Their score of 79.400 in Semi-Finals is their highest final-show score at Grand Nationals.

### Band shows

| Year | Show Title | MSBA Score | MSBA Placement (Class) | BOA Score | BOA Placement in Class |
| 2007 | Cirque Du Soleil | 63.7 | 5th (A) | Did not Compete in BOA | |
| 2008 | Salvation | 70.50 | 7th (tie) (A) | Did not Compete in BOA | |
| 2009 | In the Dark of [K]night | 59.6 | 12th (A) | 59.40 | 13th |
| 2010 | The Gift | 75.90 | 5th (A) | 60.10 | 11th |
| 2011 | New Orleans Sketches | 83.70 | 2nd (A) | 57.95 | 16th |
| 2012 | Blue Moon | 88.50 | 1st (A) | 64.90 | 8th |
| 2013 | Magic Show | 88.90 | 1st (A) | 69.50 | 4th* |
| 2014 | Assembly Required | 77.20 | 1st (A) | 71.25 | 3rd* |
| 2015 | Hangar 18 | 77.70 | 1st (A) | 71.85 | 6th |
| 2016 | Ghost Story | 84.60 | 1st (A) | 73.20 | 3rd* |
| 2017 | arOund | 77.50 | 1st (A) | 72.800 | 4th* |
| 2018 | JustinTime | 74.80 | 6th (AA) | 66.300 | 7th |
| 2019 | Sherlock | 85.8 | 1st (tie) (AA) | 73.950 | 5th |
| 2020 | The Long and Winding Road | Cancelled | Due to COVID-19 | Cancelled | Due to COVID-19 |
| 2021 | Feels So Good | 79.5 | 1st (A) | 74.850 | 2nd* |
| 2022 | Overjoyed | 80.2 | 1st (A) | 79.400 | 1st* |
| 2023 | Scenes from an Italian Restaurant | 79.7 | 2nd (A) | 75.650 | 5th |
*Semi-Finals Appearance
Winter Guard shows:
    2014 Seize the Day
    2015 Music Box
    2016 It Gets Better
    2017 Rise to Power
    2018 The Original Imagineer
    2019 Workin' it Out!
WGI Winds
    2014 Magic Show (as exhibition)
    2015 fiVe
    2016-Present: Did not compete

### Theatre

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Alter's theatre program grew into its own department with additional classes and very impressive productions. Several shows since 2001 have brought first and second place state awards in categories of Group Musical, Solo, Lighting, Sound, Design, Duet and Playwrighting, including How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, Teahouse of the August Moon, Anything Goes and Cabaret. Alter has gained acclaim within the Miami Valley for excellence in arts education. This due to strong support from the community and administration and a tradition of excellence over the years by theatre directors Bob Heman, Trace Crawford, Bryan Wallingford, Katie Arber, and (currently) Megan Wean-Sears. The school's Theatre department has produced many stellar productions (see list below). Another unique facet of the program is Alter's Thespian Troupe (#5802), a chapter of an international organization dedicated to the celebration of achievement in theatre arts education. Alter proudly takes place in many thespian-related activities.

### Past productions

* 2022-23 - Clue, The Anxiety Project, Alter's Got Talent, Singin' in the Rain
* 2021-22 - The Play That Goes Wrong, The Lightning Thief, Newsies
* 2020-21 - Breaking the Fifth Wall, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
* 2019-20 - 26 Pebbles, Freaky Friday, Once on This Island
* 2018-19 - The Guys, Steel Magnolias, Songs for a New World, Thoroughly Modern Millie
* 2017-18 - Lost in Yonkers, Godspell
* 2016-17 - And Then They Came for Me, The Drowsy Chaperone
* 2015-16 - Blithe Spirit, Aida
* 2014-15 - The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, Into the Woods
* 2013-14 - Boeing-Boeing, Children of Eden
* 2012-13 - The Bad Seed, Beauty and the Beast
* 2011-12 - Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Bye Bye Birdie
* 2010-11 - The Snow Queen, Oklahoma!
* 2009-10 - Once Upon a Pandora's Box, Cinderella
* 2008-09 - Miss Nelson Is Missing!, Grease
* 2007-08 - Inspecting Carol, Thoroughly Modern Millie
* 2006-07 - Romeo and Juliet, Little Shop of Horrors
* 2005-06 - Arsenic and Old Lace, Seussical
* 2004-05 - Epic Proportions, Godspell
* 2003-04 - The Odd Couple, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
* 2002-03 - The Teahouse of the August Moon, 42nd Street
* 2001-02 - The Witching Hour, Anything Goes
* 2000-01 - The Rivals, Into the Woods
* 1999-2000 - The Visit, Will Rogers Follies
* 1998-99 - Don't Drink the Water, Guys and Dolls
* 1997-98 - The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, Little Shop of Horrors
* 1977-78 - Oliver

### Dance

Alter High School is home to the largest all female high school dance team in the state of Ohio, the Lancerettes. The Lancerettes are an all female non-competing team lead by Cynthia Duckro Jecker, a graduate of the school in 1994. The Lancerettes perform during halftime at 4-5 football, basketball, and soccer games every season. The Lancerettes of Alter High School currently have 74 members and are known for their white boots and high kick routines.

## Clubs and activities

The school's Latin Club functions as a local chapter of both the Ohio Junior Classical League (OJCL) and the National Junior Classical League (NJCL).

## Sports

Archbishop Alter High School's team nickname is the Knights; their colors are brown and gold. In general, both the boys' and girls' teams belong to the GCL-CoEd (Greater Catholic League).
Home basketball and volleyball games are played in the school gym. The school also owns a soccer field encircled by a track, where the soccer team plays its home games and the track and field team practices. Although they have a four lane track, Alter High School does not own a football field, so home football games are typically held at other local high schools such as Fairmont High School or Centerville High School.

### Ohio High School Athletic Association state championships

* Boys' Football - 2008, 2009
* Boys' Basketball - 1978, 1999, 2001, 2024
* Boys' Cross Country - 1996
* Boys' Golf - 1992, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2022, 2023, 2024
* Boys' Soccer - 1987, 1988, 1996, 1998, 2016
* Girls' Soccer - 2016, 2019
* Girls' Volleyball - 2002, 2003, 2006
* Girls' Basketball - 2008, 2015 (completed a perfect 30-0 2014-2015 season), 2016, 2017, 2022
* Girls' Cross Country- 2007

### Other athletic accomplishments

* Boys' Tennis - team state champs 1976*
* Girls' Tennis - team state champs 2001*
* Boys Volleyball - team state champs 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017*
    *Note - The OHSAA does not hold team state championship tournaments for girls and boys tennis. Rather, they are administered by the state coaches' association of their respective sports. Boys volleyball was also administered by the state coaches' association until becoming a sanctioned OHSAA sport beginning with the 2022–2023 academic year.

### Boys' sports

A full listing of the boys' sports offered at Alter High School:
* Golf
* Soccer
* Football
* Cross Country
* Basketball
* Bowling
* Swimming & Diving
* Wrestling
* Tennis
* Ice Hockey
* Lacrosse
* Baseball
* Track & Field
* Volleyball

### Girls' sports

A full listing of the girls' sports offered at Alter High School:
* Cheerleading
* Soccer
* Cross Country
* Golf
* Volleyball
* Tennis
* Basketball
* Bowling
* Gymnastics
* Swimming & Diving
* Softball
* Track & Field

### Rivalries

Alter High has a number of sports rivals. Depending on the sport, the school's biggest games each year are against local public school rivals Kettering Fairmont High School (Ohio) or Centerville High School. Chaminade-Julienne High School, Bishop Fenwick High School (Franklin, Ohio) and Carroll High School are the three local Catholic School rivals. Alter has won 10 GCL All-Sports Trophies in a row.

## Spirit

Alter High School is marked by the school spirit of its students. Every Friday is Spirit Day, on which students are allowed to wear a spirit shirt of the school colors along with the standard uniform pants. Sporting events, especially football and basketball games, are well-attended by students. A tradition of dress up "themes" for each of the home football games has developed as a fun display of school spirit. Past themes include "Knight Night" and "Alter Teacher Night." The theme of the homecoming game is always "Toga Night." Pep rallies are common on the days of rivalry games.

### Alma mater

The alma mater is played by the school band at the end of every pep rally and on various other occasions. While it is played, students extend their arms over the shoulders and neck of those to their left and right and sway together with the music. When the lyrics reach "High in Hope and Spirit," the student unjoin and proceed to raise and lower their right arms, index finger extended as if pointing, holding the position at the end of each line until the song ends. The Alma Mater was written by one of the first nuns to teach at the school.

### Fight song

Although not as common as the Alma Mater, Alter High School also has a fight song. This may be sung on occasions such as a team bus ride to a sporting event or after a victory, but is most commonly sung on the bus after a football victory. After the game, the team will go over to the student section and sing the fight song. The Fight Song was written by one of the first nuns to teach at Alter.

## Notable alumni

* Connor Bazelak - football player (NCAA)
* Chris Borland - football player (NFL)
* David Bradley - inventor of the Control-Alt-Delete keyboard combination
* Megan Courtney - volleyball player
* Jeff Graham - football player (NFL)
* Theresa Gavarone - politician
* Timothy Keating - retired Admiral, United States Navy
* Randy Leen - low amateur, 1996 U.S. Open
* Holley Mangold - Olympic weightlifter
* Nick Mangold - football player, New York Jets (NFL)
* Steve Martino - director (Ice Age: Continental Drift and Horton Hears a Who!)
* Jim Paxson - basketball player and general manager (NBA)
* John Paxson - basketball player and general manager (NBA)
* Jeff Reboulet - baseball player (MLB)
* Madeline Rogero - first female mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee
* Stephen Scaia - producer, writer
* Chris Thomas - basketball coach
* Joe Thuney - football player, Chicago Bears (NFL)
* Malik Zaire - football player (NCAA)