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The Newberry Sun, Newberry, S. C., Thursday, January 21, 1971—PAGE 3 Response to column given by reader Mrs. Doris A. Sanders THE SUN 1101 Boyce Street Newberry, S. C. 29108 Dear Doris: Since we have known each other for thirty years or longer, I won’t waste words telling you that I am not easily provoked nor do I take issue to any great degree unless I feel ex tremely strong on a given situa tion. I find that your column in the January 14th issue of THE SUN has raised just such a rare incident and I cannot remain silent. Many, many times I have agreed with you when you took positions that would not have been called popular. Your last column, in my candid opinion, indicates that you and I cer tainly do not agree on what might be termed the important things in life. Your comments lead me to believe that you are not as well informed on some matters as I believed you to be but I will get to more specific matters. No doubt, you are better in formed than I am as to just what took place before, during and after the Board of Educa tion meeting that was held last week so this is not being con sidered at this time. Other state ments that you made are of concern to me and many other Newberry citizens. I certainly hope that I did misunderstand some of your statements because it appears to me that you are placing the rank and file teacher on the highest kind of pedestal and lowering the members of the athletic staff, who are also tea chers, to unmeasured depths. With this point of view, I take issue with you and anyone else that has not taken the time and effort to examine this si tuation. I don’t want to be misunder stood either, so I will state my opinion on several matters that are included in this situation. First, I am 100 per cent for education and thorough prepa ration for the future for all in dividuals. Next, I am very thankful for many, many ex cellent teachers and the dedi cated work that they have done and are doing. My next point is that I do not believe that all people have equal ability or interest in any profession and, therefore, do not merit equal reward for their endea vors. To be more specific, New berry High School is blessed with some excellent teachers but it is also cursed with some exceptionally poor ones. I have had this proved to me beyond a shadow of a doubt within the past several years since I have spent more time around N.H.S. than when I was going to school there many years ago. Your reference to the “hard-working Classroom teacher” is an ill- chosen phrase when several in dividuals that you refer to are apparently included. I will agree that many teachers merit additional pay but I also main tain that some are overpaid for what they are worth to the students at the present salaries. No dcubt, you are very fami liar with the time that a“hard- working” classroom teacher puts in each week of the school year but are you aware of the time that the N.H.S. athletic staff devotes to our youth? Take just a little of your valuable time to find out if you really are interested in being fair to all concerned in this matter. It may not be true in other areas but with our present coaching staff, the number of hours put in each week is in credible. These men have a seven day week most of the school year and for much of the summer when most regular classroom teachers are not giv ing one thought to their stu dents. You mention something about “the basic subject matter that will carry our children through life, rather than those who are furnishing entertainment for the citizens of Newberry every Fri day night.” Your choice of words was most regretable. As you are well aware, I have been deeply involved with young people for a number of years through the N.H.S. Band, the Bulldog Booster Club, church groups, etc. No one in this area is more interested in those things which will benefit these youngsters in years to come than I am. however, you have completely missed the prover bial boat on just what will be of lasting value. I agree that some subjects taken in school will be most helpful in the future of any students, however, tell me some subjects that will make life more worthwhile than a good strong body, an alert mind, ability to be part of a team as well as to exercise indivi dual initiative, self-discipline, courage, cooperation, learning the value of time and the abi lity to get along with people, even some you may not care too much for. To me, these are things that are everlasting be nefits derived from athletics that are often missed in the “hard-working classroom tea chers” class. You mentioned the band, a group that I have had the plea sure of being very closely as sociated with for a number of years. Certainly many of these students gain lasting benefits from participation in this group and many of the same things mentioned above may be de rived from being a member of the band. I believe that the number of band members would not compare too favorably with the total number participating in all forms of athletics in the high school age group but I would not argue this point too much without some further checking. As far as the emphasis plac ed on the athletic program at Newberry High School, I for one am most thankful that something has shown some marked improvement. Of course, there is no way to tell, but I am thoroughly convinced within my own mind that this emphasis on the athletic pro gram has spared our commu nity much of the grief that has been experienced by so many other areas and some of these were not very far away from Newberry. If this emphasis on the athletic program at New berry High has helped one iota in averting the turmoil that has beset many of our neighbor ing cities, then it is worth every bit of the effort that has been involved. I only hope that I will be around this town when the per formance of the average “hard working classroom teacher” at Newberry High School even ap proaches the dedication of the present athletic staff. That will be a great day in the history of Newberry. Our present radical leader ship has done everything within their power to exclude religion from the classroom. The pre sent athletic staff has instilled in many of our local young sters more religious tenets than many of pur local churches have been able to do. You can’t obtain education in most instances unless you stay in school and I know of a num ber of instances where athletics was the only reason that some students stayed in school long enough to graduate. Now, how can you discredit the value of athletics in that respect? I can never be thankful enough for the everlasting good that my three children have derived from athletics at N.H.S. Many of those benefits will be with them when the memories of most of the classroom sub jects will be forgotten. All three participated at one time or another with the band and this, too, has been most beneficial. Perhaps you would do well to thoroughly investigate some of the conditions under which our present athletic staff has been forced, at times, to ope rate. Apparently, your last para graph in your column was in tended to take the County Board of Education to task. If you were familiar in the least with many of the events at N.H.S. as far as the coaches are con cerned, you would have the answer to your question but then, or at least it appears to me, you are not interested in that aspect of the matter. If this lengthy letter gives you an idea that I am in total disagreement with you on this topic, then it has served its purpose. For your information, at least some of the band mem bers at Newberry High took —— — your last column as a direct insult to them. I cannot help but share their feelings. To say that you were most insulting to every coach at N.H.S. is a gross understatement. In fact, in my opinion, you have pro verbially “spit in the face” of every supporter of Newberry High School athletics and that takes in most of the local popu lation. I count myself in that group. It is such qpe-sided and biased comments as contained in your column that is making the public lose confidence in the present news media.. If you should happen to dis agree with some or all of the contents of this letter, that is your privilege. I hope that I never live long enough to agree with the views that you ex pressed. Your most disappointed reader, Gordon S. Leslie, Jr. P.S. In spite of all the above, I still consider you a friend. You are just dead wrong on this matter and I cannot face myself, my family or my friends without letting you know just how I feel. This goes doubly for my young friends. I trust that your next column will reveal that you have re ceived this letter from me. This is an open letter in every sense of the word. Driver dies; had kin here James Ellis Driver, 66, of Belton, died Thursday. Born in Anderson County, son of the late Edward and Cal- donia Shifflett Driver, he was a retired textile employee. Survivors include a brother, Ossia Driver of Newberry. CARD OF THANKS: We, the Wilson Family wish at this time, to express our grateful appreciation to our many, many friends for their kind expressions and thought fulness during the loss of our beloved mother, Mrs. Mattie Clark Wilson. We deeply appreciate the many cards, telegrams, florals, trays of food and other sym pathy shown during our be reavement hours. The services of Rev. David Carter, Rev. E. E. Gaulden, Rev. T. J. Crossen, The Bethle hem Baptist Church, Enoree Baptist Church, the Staff of Newberry Memorial Hospital, Whitney Funeral Home, socie ties and all who made our be reavement easier to bear. Again many thanks to each of you and may God ever bless you. The Wilson Family A Home. Buy Now Or Wait? Savings and Loan Associations finance over half the homes in the country. More than all other financial institutions combined. Have helped make this country a nation of homeowners. Have, in so doing, helped the economy and added to the living standards of millions of families. The longer you wait, the more you will have to pay for your home. Buy now, it makes sense. AVINGS AND Loan ASSOCIATION