The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, January 21, 1971, Image 3
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
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