Newspaper Page Text
VOLUME 18 NUMBER 911
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Where have all
Laney’s students gone?
At Laney High, the
student body has
been doing a
disappearing act for
about a decade? How
much longer can it
continue before the
school ceases to exist
as we know it?
This is the first in a series focusing on the
dwindling student population at Lucy Craft
Laney Comprehensive High School. This ini
tial report offers survive enrollment difficulties
and proceed into the new millennium.)
By Timothy Cox
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
Lucy C. Laney Comprehensive
High School, once the crown
jewel of Augusta schools, is now
facing a crisis called enrollment
shrinkage. '
In recent years, the school has
witnessedasteadydeclinein the
numbers ‘of students walking
through its hallowed halls and
proudly wearing the maroon and
silver, according to school offi
cials.
The question remains whether
school higher-ups realize that if
an enrollment trend continues
to adversely impact the legend-
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Fashion Are hats making a comeback? Page 1A
Commentary Traveling while black Page 8\
Senving Merm& g&!fl%&&d the Centrugmng R&OS
ary school, will Laney High School
ultimately be forced to close its
doors?
When posed with this question,
Dr. Charles Larke was quick to
dispel any ideas that Laney would
suffer its eventual demise if the
student base continues todecline.
“There are no plans to discon
tinue Laney as a regular high
school,” said Larke, whoserves as
superintendent for the Richmond
County Board of Education. He
added that the recent completion
of a $6.2 million renovation project
at Laney is further evidence the
facility will continued to used by
students.
Sufferingsuch anill fate as shut
ting its doors would be devastat-
Ex-Josey star reaches out to kids
BJimmie Johnson’s
football camp
provides something
for coaches and the
youngest athlete.
By Adrienne Turner
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
Jimmie Johnson believes that
nothing is too good for his kids.
Thatis, the kids that attended his
summer football camp at his alma
mater, T. W. Josey, last week.
Mr. Johnson pulled out all the
stops and rolled out the red carpet
to ensure that his kids learned
from the best of the best in the
field of football.
“I’'ve been to a lot of camps that
were put on by my other col
leagues and saw how they ran and
I really wanted to do this before
the end of my career,” Mr. Johnson
Mr. Johnson has never forgot
ten what it was like to grow up as
a young boy in Augusta. When he
was coming up, he said, there
werenot many opportunities avail
able to learn from “the big time.”
Now that he is “the big time,” he
is making sure that those oppor
tunities are afforded to those in
his hometown that desire to fol
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There are so few students in some classes that teachers are
forced to rotate to other schools in seach of larger classes.
ing not only to the community,
but also to an established Laney
alumni base which includes many
of Augusta’s movers and shakers
in politics, religion, education,
business and the arts. Through
the years, this productive “new
South” citizenry has helped for
mulate the power basethat drives
Augusta’s economic engine.
While confirming Laney’s un
stable enrollment during the
19905, Larke presented methods
for counteracting student short
ages. Rezoningschool attendance
lines is one way of addressing the
problem, said the superintendent.
For example, he said, students
currently attending T.W. Josey or
the Academy of Richmond County
(ARC) high schools, would be al
lowed to attend Laney without
being affected by residential re
strictions. Larke also said that
Laney could be used to house a
magnet program. The superin
JUNE 24 - 30, 1999
tendent clarified that the school
wouldstill remain a conventional
“high school with regular classes,
but could be augmented by offer
ing specialized magnet programs
like vocational training or com
puterrepair. Such programs, said
Larke, could generate about 150
additional students at the school
annually, he said. |
Accordingtostatistics compiled
by the board of education, Laney
student enrollment has dropped
markedly since the first part of
this decade.
From a period starting in Au
gust 1993, Laney’s student popu
lation rate dipped annually four
consecutive years. While the
school boasted 1,047 students at
the start of the 1993-94 school
year, only 704 students finished
thejust-completed 1998-99 term.
Having witnessed a more than
See LANEY, page 3A
low in his footsteps.
“Not too many kids can afford to
attend camp,” acknowledged the
former tight end for the Philadel
phia Eagles who single-handedly
financed the football camp featur
ing coaches from all over the
United States, professional ath
letes and an NFL scout.
According to Franklin Mack, a
coach at Orangeburg-Wilkinson
High School in Orangeburg, South
Carolina, one of the coaches at
this year’s camp, Mr. Johnson’s
camp is an excellent recruiting
tool.
“Kids may not remember your
name, but they will always re
member your face. In the game of
football, it is good to go places
where you know people. If a kid
remembers you, he’ll be more
likely tojoin your team,” Mr. Mack
said.
The camp gave young people a
chance to talk todifferent coaches
and learn different strategies.ll
- Boris Ealy said that he
attended the camp, in large part,
to see where he stood in regards
to a future in football. Because of
his aspirations of attending
Grambling University and play
ing professionally for the Atlanta
Falcons, Boris said that he was
relieved to find that he placed
among the tops in his age group.
However, Boris added that, in
addition tofootball, he alsolearned
It’s “Too Tall”
for CSRA Classic
BFormer Dallas Cow
boy defensive star will
Join previous CSRA
Classic legends at the
organization’s formal
banquet and weekend
of activities.
By Adrienne Turner
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
The CSRA Classic announced
thisweek that Ed “Too Tall” Jones,
former left defensive end for the
Dallas Cowboys will be the fea
tured guest. Each year a well
known, highly respected athlete
is invited to give the keynote ad
dress at the formal banquet held
each year to kickoff the Classic
weekend.
More than just a showpiece,
however, the celebrity athletes
agree to visit area schools and
make local appearances for the
benefit of fans and classic support
ers. The celebrity athlete also
serves as the grand marshal dur
ing the collegiate football game.
This year’s athlete is Ed “Too
Tall” Jones, former left defensive
end for the Dallas Cowboys.
As the CSRA Classic continues
in its mission to provide a family
oriented weekend of cultural and
sportingactivities, it strengthened
its resolve by joining forces with
not only civic and Greek letter
organizations but with area min
isters, as well.
“Itis our goal to bring the entire
family together. Unite the home,
church and community. Because
inorder for it (the Classic) tobe as
successful as it can be, we have to
have church involvement,” said
Senator Charles W. Walker, hon
orary chairman of the CSRA Clas
sic, Inc., during a meeting with
area ministers last week.
Local ministers pledged their
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alot about self-discipline and say
ing no to drugs.
12-year-old D'Vante Leewassim
ply excited to learn from profes
sionals and coaches how to make
itto the big time. Though, he lists
Jimmie Johnson as his primary
reason for attending the camp.
Detroit Lions linebacker George
Jamison made an appearanre at
the earmn 4 ar
during a rap session on the lus.
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Ed “Too Tall” Jones
support to the Classic in the first
of many scheduled meetings with
members of the Classic board.
Despite the fact that the Classic
began as an initiative to bring
college football back to Augusta,
the Classic is about far more than
that, the organizers stressed.
Asdefined by the mission state
ment, the CSRA Classic, Inc. is
committed to providing the com
munity with activities that en
hancethelivesofthe participants.
It seeks to develop leaders by
shaping the attitudes, skill and
abilities of young people. And
providing a medium thatis condu
cive to intellectual exchange and
produces citizens who challenge
the present and enrich the future.
“We plan to make this year’s
Classic the most successful ever.
Everything is geared toward get
ting the community more in
volved,” stated Ellis Albright, ex
ecutivedirector ofthe CSRA Clas
sic, Inc.
Two of the newest changes that
has the Classic board excited are
the parade and black college fair
that will be held during this year’s
Classic weekend in addition to
annual classic events.
According to Mr. Albright, the
See CLASSIC, page 3A i
day of the camp.
He attempted to dispel myths
about being a victim of circum
stance and encourage the youth
to achieve their goals by telling
them of his own humble begin
nings in a single-parent home, in
the projects of New Jersey.
Mr. Jamison advised the youth
to be di=~inli~-1 work hard and
wee ruv i BALL CAMP, page 2A
50 CENTS
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Cloudy, hot
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NO. 302 AUGUSTA GA |
(Above)
Former NFL
player Jimmy
Johnsonis
surrounded
by young
athletes last
week athis
annuca!
footbail
camp.
Pholoby Charles Jones