6 Rustler In-Depth December 2014 December 2014 Rustler In-Depth 7

Senior Isaac Torres Ruiz grinds down a test plate for his project. The dual-credit class meets every day during first block at FHS. Torres Ruiz must wear protective clothing and a welding mask while he works.

FHS industrial technology teacher Brad Ryun explains how to weld a pipe flange to seniors Ethan Dannelly, Nathan Houser and Rider Taylor. This intensive dual-credit course challenges students to learn complex welding strategies, along with four other courses in one school year.

Junior Jacob Wilson welds his project in a secure welding room. Wilson said the students in the class hold their welds to a high standard. Each weld is tested by the course instructors.

Fremont senior Nathan Houser and Archbishop Bergan senior Rider Taylor help each other weld a table together. Houser said the class is run like a job site, so teamwork is often required to get the job done.

Giesselmann is one of 11 students in the new Metropolitan Community College dual-credit welding course offered at FHS this year.

FHS industrial technology teacher Brad Ryun, who co-teaches the course with Jim Weyer, said the new class allows students to learn the welding processes necessary to become a certified welder.

“It’s an FHS and Metro dual-credit program,” Ryun said. “It’s designed to give students the opportunity to get college level classes in high school.”

The class includes five Metro courses in one: Welding Print Reading, Industrial Cutting, Steel 1, Steel 2 and Flux Cored Arc Welding. To have all of the capabilities for the class, the room had to undergo renovation during the summer after the 2013-2014 school year.

The renovations began on May 22, and finished before the 2014-2015 school year. Additional machines were continually being added during the first semester. The new additions and advancements to the classroom cost around $500,000.

“We upgraded all the equipment, CNC plasma cutting equipment, and industrial cutting equipment,” said Ryun. “All the money was donated through private donations, grants and community support. We’ve been interested in the program for the last seven

years.”Certain machines and changes to the room

include 10 Miller XMT 350 welding machines with multi-process capabilities. This allows the students to be able to use three different types of weld: gas metal arc welding, shielding metal arc welding, and gas tungsten arc welding. An air carbon arc gauge, which removes material from the machine, is also in the classroom.

The room contains three new plasma cutting machines with a Hypertherm 85. It allows students to cut metal with electrical arc by hand, and a CNC plasma cutter.

The new room also includes a manifold system used for shielding the gas supply and a ventilation system to remove toxic fumes. With the new class comes a set of two new class books.

“The upgraded welding shop drastically

improves the education that the FHS industrial technology classes give,” said Ryun.

The students in the new class have already created some test plates. They have previously used their skills for fabrication projects to create objects-such as tables for the workshop-using the welds they have learned in class.

“I think we’re doing really well,” said Ryun. “We’re ahead of schedule. The class, as a whole, has a really good work ethic. With their welds being held at industrial standards as high schoolers and where they are at, it’s really impressive.”

Ryun said students interested in the course do not necessarily have to have taken an industrial technology class before applying for the course.

“In order to be in metals, they have to be juniors and seniors and have to be accepted

Cool class, big sparksNew welding

course at FHS offers students a dual-credit

opportunity.

Senior Tyler Schroedter sands down metal for his project. Schroedter has been involved in the industrial technology program all four of his high school years. The picture in the story above is a metal plate created by one of the students in the new dual-credit welding course offered at FHS this year.

into the Metro program,” said Ryun.Eleven FHS students are part of the

program: Giesselmann, Justin Bewley, Zachary Cram, Ethan Dannelly, Hunter Gustafson, Devin Hoge, Nathan Houser, Tyler Schroedter, Isaac Torres Ruiz and Jacob Wilson. Bergan High School student Rider Taylor also takes the course.

“I’m interested in being an industrial tech teacher and it’s one of the things I’ll have to know,” Giesselmann said. “It’ll get me ready for college. You get a lot more experience and you get a lot more done. You get to do welds you don’t normally. It’s like an advanced math class. It teaches you to do more in a short amount of time.”

For Giesselmann, being one of the first students in the new class at FHS is an exciting opportunity.

“It feels pretty good,” said Giesselmann. “Later on, they’re going to add more stuff, so that’s a disadvantage, but it’s cool to be the first ones on the machines.”

Story by Allie Gamache & Photos by Molly Schiermeyer

As Fremont High School senior Joe Giesselmann enters his first block class,

the first thing he does is put on his green welding jacket, an apron, some gloves and his protective eye wear. Now he’s ready to make sparks fly.

Allie GamacheFremont High SchoolNewspaper LayoutDecember 2014