By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer contributor

WEST CHESTER TWP. - Instead of a student-led prayer at Lakota West High School's graduation, there will be a moment of reflection.

That compromise was reached after the school's 12-member graduation committee disagreed about the propriety of prayer during the June 7 ceremony at the Shoemaker Center.

Students on both sides of the issue brought their concerns to the Lakota Board of Education last week after learning the district had no policy on the matter.

"I do not want to be forced to say any prayer," said senior Carl Schottmiller, 18, of Liberty Township. "This year, the compromise works because we're not forced to pray."

Senior Class President Scott Sutton said he was pleased with the committee's compromise, but urged the board to establish guidelines.

"Graduation can't become a platform for religious dogma," Sutton said. "(We can't allow) a captive audience to become an unwilling congregation. That's not right."

Lakota West Principal Richard Hamilton said there are strong feelings on both sides of the issue among the school's 559 graduating seniors. After the committee voted to keep the benediction and invocation in the program, the compromise of using a moment of silence or reflection was agreed.

"It's been a huge issue at West," said Senior Rukku Singla. "My own personal opinion is no student should be made to feel awkward."

At Lakota East, the graduation program includes a student-written welcome and closing remarks but no invocation or benediction, said Keith Kline, an assistant principal. The school's 450 graduating seniors have not brought up the topic of prayer, Klein said.

"I'm completely against banning it (prayer) altogether," said Jennifer Campbell, who will speak at Lakota West's ceremony. "Asking people to join a moment of silence allows them to recollect the past, think about the future or to pray. I hope the board of education sees this (compromise) as good and keeps it."

Jennifer's father, Bill Campbell, would like the board to take a position so that "it doesn't come up every year and doesn't have students fighting with each other."

The board will meet with attorneys before crafting a policy or set of guidelines, said Joan Powell, president of the Lakota Board of Education.

"We want to be as knowledgeable as possible about the law (before we begin)," Powell said. "The fact that the students have reached a compromise gives us a little more time. This is not a lost issue."

Both Hamilton and Campbell say they hope the compromise reached will allow the graduation program to remain focused on the culmination of 13 years of formal education - not a controversy over prayer.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime event for these students," Hamilton said.

E-mail suek@infionline.net