Hanover’s Loss is Lebanon’s Gain; Goodbye Mr. Smith

Mr. Smith along with Mr. Wolfe and Mr. Campbell greeting students as they enter the school in the morning.

For the past six years, class-cutting or infraction-committing students at Hanover High School had to pay a visit to the Dean of Students, Mr. Ian Smith. Chances are he treated them fairly and possibly even taught them something along the way. However, starting this fall, Hanover High’s offenders will have a different Dean as Mr. Smith has now been appointed as the new principal for Lebanon High School.

Although everybody may not know it, Mr. Smith, a 1988 Lebanon High graduate, may secretly be a true raider fan at heart despite having worked at his former rival school for nearly 15 years. Initially Mr. Smith was hired as a Social Studies teacher, but after nine years he moved into the administrative role he now holds, and it is very apparent that Mr. Smith truly does rule the school.

To describe Mr. Smith as the tall, intimidating man with the subtle limp may seem too simplistic. Hanover High senior Mason McNulty remembers that “when [she] was a freshman, Mr. Smith had a bad knee, and limped through the halls as if he was fresh from a fight. [She] was intimidated, to say the least.” Yet recently, Mr. Smith had a knee replacement, forcing him to rely on other means of intimidation. But when one gets to know Mr. Smith, one finds that he wants nothing more than for his students to succeed and become the best individuals they can be. He encourages every single student to set higher standards for themselves and their peers, and there is a great amount of respect for him throughout the entire district.

His duties as Dean of Students encompass more than dealing with students who have violated school rules. He faces one of the hardest jobs in school administration, because he is forced to deal with students in usually negative situations. Yet students believe that he is the most reasonable man they have ever met. Whether Mr. Smith is dealing with a cheating infraction or a parking ticket, he is always fair when selecting a consequence for the incident.

But Mr. Smith also finds time to enjoy his job. He is an avid fan of all Hanover sports, not afraid to join the student crowd at events. At football games, Mr. Smith blends right in, cheering proudly on the sidelines with the student body. He also strongly supports the music department and can be spotted at every musical performance. Mr. Smith makes certain that kids at Hanover are well rounded, and have excellent access to quality athletics, art and theatre programs.

It may come as a shock to some, but Mr. Smith has said that this was a very big and difficult decision for him. Having thrived at Hanover for so long, he has formed bonds with students and faculty. He has thrown himself into various school activities, and given so much to making the school a better place. Yet he is eager to help Lebanon move in a positive direction, as well as getting to spend more time with his family, as his children pass through Lebanon High School.

In his new position Mr. Smith will continue to have the opportunity to be a positive influence on the students with whom he comes in contact. As the old saying goes, “Hanover’s loss is Lebanon’s gain.” Although Hanover will sorely miss Mr. Smith, we wish him the best in his future endeavors at the school down the street.