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Letters To The Editor
Student Supports Catrett
Dear Editor:
I'm not tryirag to break bad on anyone, but
as a present student of Chattooga High School
I object on Mr. Catrett leaving us. Let me
reword that, I object on Mr. Catrett being made
to leave us.
Mr. Catrett has made so many changes, and
all for the better. He came to Chattooga Coun
ty with nothing but good intentions. He has
made so many changes and all for the better.
I believe that we will face a huge loss when Mr.
Catrett doesn't come back next year.
Yes, it is true that Mr. Hayes makes his
visits to all of the schools and walks through
the halls, but he isn't there every day seeing
the changes being made. I'm sure he is aware
of what is going on but it's not the same, you've
just got to be there.
One thing I find extremely unfair is the fact
that Mr. Hayes can't explain his unnecessary
actions. I hate to be blunt about things but Mr.
Hayes is doing nothing but hurting himself and
Students Support Catrett
Dear Editor:
We know that Mr. Catrett is very disap
pointed in us for walking out Monday like we
did but we can't and won't let him go because
he is the best thing that has ever happened to
this school.
The people know that he has done
something to change this place from good to
better an(f nobody efse coultf — no matter what.
He has brought much unity to the school
and everybody appreciates it.
Look at the changes he has made — There
Jail Griping Tired Reading
Dear Editor:
The ongoing griping about conditions in the
county jail is becoming tired reading. In respon
ding to Mr. Calaway's letter, Phillip Bruce,
writing on March 9, remarked: *...don't
underestimate the hellishness of being locked
24 hours a day in a tiny room for months on
end..." " Has Mr. Bruce ever been aboard a
navy ship, particularly, a destroyer?
Ships provide systems of ‘‘incarceration”
that are more effective than any prison could
ever make. No lockdown is needed — there's no
room to riot, and no place to run. Every foot
of space is utilized for a particular purpose.
They are marvels of design.
In viewing The News photo of that cell, I
was struck by the personal comforts and the
incredible waste of space. The navy would rear
range that. Those comfortable beds, and that
desk would be tossed over the side. one would
sit on the deck and use his thigh for a table if
he found time to write. Navy would hang fold
up bunks, with thin mattresses, three or four
to a bulkhead (wall). No less than six, possibly
eight men would be housed in thagos ace.
Underneath the bottom bunks would be Yong.
flat lockers that would contain all of the per
sonal belongings of each of those men.
A day room with TV? You must be kidding!
I counted 13 men — maybe I missed a few —
milling about in a room large enough to play
Praises Effie Cox
Dear Editor:
I am writing this letter in regard of the story
about Marvin Powell.
Now Mr. Powell is a good man and a hard
worker, but there is someone else that works
there too, who also cleans every office in the
courthouse and across the street in the tax and
EOA offices.
I am speaking of Effie Cox, and the lady
works hard, even when court is going on she's
Warns About Alecohol, Drugs
Dear Editor:
I'm writing this letter in hopes that I can
say something that might spare someone and
their families the tragic pain and anguish that
I have caused myself and mine.
I'm Tommy E. Hartline, and I'm an addict
and an alcoholic. I have been for the last 17
years that I know of, and will be for the rest
of my life. I }ust didn't realize it all that time.
Y}(')u see, | have a disease. A disease that I
have no power or control over. This disease rul
ed my life and destroyed everything I was at
one time, and all I ever wanted to be. This
disease is of addiction and alcoholism.
Through this disease ['ve lost homes, have
ruined three marriages, have gotten three
prison sentences, directly due to drugs and
alcohol, and most importantly of all the love
and time from my wonderful children is without
measure. I served honorably in the Marine
Corps during the Vietnam Era. Ready and will
ing to do all I could for the love and calling of
my country. Those dreams and ideals were long
lost in the bottom of an empty pill bottle.
It has been said that I was one of the
greatest athletes to ever come out of this coun
ty, but a drunk can'’t hold a football too good,
and a shattered drug fed mind can’t keep score.
I've done everything under the influence of this
disease a man could do, except purposely try
to kill myself.
I didn’t have to, drugs and alcohol were do
ing a good enou%h job of it, because this disease
is a progressively fatal disease. If it's pursued
long enough you will surely die. There's no cure
for this disease, but there is hOfie and there is
help. I'm livinfi proof. I know that I can't use
drugs or drink any more, but that's okay,
becanse I don't need them to be happy and
Commentary
from editorial page
ed bodyslam and Russian leg-sweep, and
demonstrated how they leap into the air
and ram their fists into the heads of their
opponents.
* : * *
AFTER THEY were through, and I
had gained consciousness again, I had a
new understanding of these guys and their
sport. In my Feb. 2 column, I said, “Hav
our school.
We have established so much pride within
our school in the past seven months and it is
disappointing just knowing that the one per
son who helped us gain that pride is leavm(f.
As many people have noticed, our grade
averages have increased tremendously, and
without some of the programs that have been
started with Mr. Catrett's help, there is no tell
ing where our school would be standing.
When our county elected Mr. Hayes to be
our school superintendent, we thougl?:,t he had
good intentions to help our school, but now all
he is doing is destroying it by making a great
princiral leave. One of the bad things is there
1s no logical reasons, whatsoever!
I'm not discriminating upon anyone, but
something needs to be done. We neeX our prin
cipal, and as most other students would agree,
we want him to stay!
Gina Cook and other CHS students
Summerville
are less fights, the blacks and whites have learn
ed to get along, less drug problems.
He has all of our support and our love. We
are behind him 100 percent. We think we prov
ed our point too by what we did. We fee{) and
believe that this was our constitutional right.
(You know the constitution does include teens
too).
CHS students,
Cynthia Millican
Terri Ponder
tennis. With ?roperly installed bunks, the en
tire jail population could be berthed in that
room. So, what's all of this chatter about over
crowded jails? The problem seems to be im
properly utilized space.
Yes, I know that the sheriff isn't responsi
ble for that mess; nor are any of the county of
ficials. The current problem of prison over
crowding and disarray can be traced to a federal
judiciary that seems determined to scrap the
10th Amendment, and to intrude, at the
slightest provocation, into every facet of state's
affairs. It's out of hand and it's here to stay.
Want to read a shocker? It's the most re
cent in judicial outrages and prisoner coddling.
In lowa, a federal judge, one Harold Vietor, has
ordered the state to provide pornographic
magazines to the 900 convicted t%(l)ons housed
in the Anamosa Men's Reformatory.
**Prisoners’ riihts” it's called. It is reported
that many of those inmates are imprisoned for
sex offenses. Taxpayers of lowa wifi)pick up the
tab. One reporter, referring to the recently
defeated Congressional pay raise, asked: ‘‘How
many out there think' Judge Vietor should get
a pay raise?"’
Impeacehment, followed by psychiatric
treatment would seem to be a more fitting
procedure.
Tom Greeson
LaFayette
the one who stays over to clean up the
courtroom.
Don't get me wrong, Marvin is a good man,
but I believe in giving credit where credit is due.
If you can praise one, then get the other one
who works just as hard and that would be Mrs.
Cox,
Roy Warren
Summerville
serene today. I have no more need to be ter
minally hip or fatally cool anymore.
I have the love and mercy and forgiveness
of a higher power, which I choose to call God,
to help me where I couldn’t help myself.
I have the love and fellowship ofy other ad
dicts and alcoholics. I have the 12 steps of a
successful program that helps keep me drug
free and sober one day at a time. And for those
of you, my friends, wKo think you might be ad
dicted or alcohlic you have me, and thousands
like me, who honestly love you, and care if you
live or die.
There are treatment centers all around.
There are outpatient programs, and people
right beside you with life saving knowledge on
addiction, alcoholism, and recovery. Please do
something. After all, it is your life I'm talking
about. Don't let pride, or shame, or vain glory
keep you from seeking help if you need it. 'fi)ose
things won't help you wfien you're dead.
I always wanted to be the best at
something, anything so that when I died, I
could be remembered.
Well, my addiction and alcoholism set a goal
for me, and you know what, I almost made it.
I gave it my best shot, and I worked so hard
to achieve that goal.
I almost got my very own monument, with
my name alone on it, erected just for me — it's
called a tombstone!
My friends, it doesn’'t matter how low
you've gone, or how deep you've bottomed out,
if no one has told you that they care if you live
or die, or that they love you today. Tommy
Hartline sure does.
Thanks,
Tommy E. Hartline
ing a guy leap into the air and slam his
elbow into one's esophagus does not con
stitute wrestling.”” I considered changing
my opinion after Friday night.
Right now, it's Monday afternoon, and
I have an appointment with some of the
plastic surgeons I mentioned in the earlier
column. Maybe I didn't get my eyes goug
ed out with a fork, but I think I could use
a treatment or two anyway.
6-A ... . . The Summerville News, Thursday, March 23, 1989
Boyd
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Cheri’s
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By Cheri Teague il
"
Perils Of Cheri
TOWARD THE END of the quarter, when finals are
rolling around, 1 suppose every college student'’s life
becomes a little hectic. I'm no exception to this rule.
Last week I was to have a drama test at 10 a.m. Tugs
day. Of course, I put off most of my studying for the test
until Monday night. I stayed up until 4 a.m. studying for
the test. Then I decided that if I was going to go to bed,
it was time to do it.
* * *
I USUALLY set my alarm to wake me up at 8:30 a.m.
so I can make it to the class on time. But, that particular
morning !'m not sure what happened.
Maybe I didn't set my alarm, or maybe I turned it off
in my sleep. I've always been prone to walking, talking
and doing other things in my sleep. At any rate, the alarm
didn't go off.
* * *
I SUPPOSE my guardian angel decided to wake me
up, because I just happened to wake up at 9:20 a.m.
I jumped out of bed and managed to make it to class,
which is a good 10-minute walk away, on time.
* * *
THE FIRST thing the teacher said was for us to turn
in our papers which were due the week before on a day
when class had been cangelled. She said she had to have
the papers before we could take the test.
Naturally I had left my paper on my desk back in
Creswell Hall. The only hope I had was to run back and
get my paper. So, I took off. I ran back knowing that the
time to take my test was ticking away.
* * *
WHAT A DUMMY'! I got all the way back to the dorm
when I realized I had left my room key in the classroom
in the Joseph Brown building. I also didn’t have my stu
dent ID, which you need to check out another key.
I called Alex and asked him to come down and bring
his ID so I could get a key. Naturally his question was,
*Did you lose your keys again?"' I told him to just get his
happy self down to the lobby fast. He did.
* * *
I RAN UP to the room and got my paper. Then I ran
back to class. By this time I only had about 35 minutes
to take the test.
I couldn’t believe it! It had five essay questions and
four others. It was the hardest test we had had all year!
* * *
I FLEW THROUGH it. I'm sure my teacher had a
hard time deciphering my test. I mean it's hard enough
to read my writing when I'm not in a hurry.
I guess everything always comes out in the wash.
* * *
I MANAGED to write about five pages in that time
and to pass the test.
TRO R MoRAN }?Z
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Guest Column
Dropout Solutions
“SCHOOLS HAVE a single problem:
the students they lose.”” — Quote from
Letter to a Teacher, a book written by
eight teen-age boys who dropped out of
school, then completed their education and
taught other youngsters.
According to most experts, Georgia's
dropout rate is approximately 40 percent.
That is, out of 100 youngsters who entered
the system 12 years ago, only about 60 will
actually graduate from high school this
year.
* * *
THIS IS AN enormous human and
social problem. At the same time, key cor
porate executives have warned us of the
economic consequences of our dropout
crisis. These business leaders have called
for action and model legislation. Still, the
kids keep leaving our schools in droves.
What steps can a community, a school
district, a social service agency, or even an
individual take to reduce this tragedy?
What I have observed in almost 20 years
of studying the problem is that four fac
tors are needed to make the effort to
reduce our dropout problem successful.
* * *
FIRST, WE need the political will to
solve it. We must set goals and expend the
resources from kindergarten to 12th grade
so each child who enters school graduates
reading, voting and working to help
himself or herself and others. Some money
is needed, but money by itself cannot solve
the reason students leave school.
Second, we need caring people to deal
with this problem. Finding people who can
work with youngsters and can give
students a belief that they can learn and
a reason to learn is still key. Do I care? Can
I teach that person? Will what she or he
learns help the young adult earn? Will I
share myself with that youngster? These
four characteristics — care, learn, earn and
share — remain the four sides to the desk
at which every student sits and decides to
stay in school or go to the streets.
* * *
THIRD, THE students themselves,
the dropouts, need to be involved with
school and community personnel in work
ing on the short term, as well as the
strategic, issues of the dropout problem.
Finally, the 186 local school districts in
Georgia need to put into place policies ad
dressing the dropout problem. This is lack
ing now. In fact, many localities still use
the outdated definition of dropouts that
has historically grossly understated the
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number and needs of Lheze youngsters.
* *
FOR STARTERS, surely each local
school district could record and report an
nually the number of youngsters who start
school and drop out before graduation.
Each local educator and concerned
citizen could review Goal 2 from the Quali
ty Basic Education Act found in the Of
ficial Code of Georgia. This calls for:
* * *
“A DECREASE in the percentage and
number of students who enter school but
drop out prior to graduation.”
Each local school board and
superintendent could put into motion a
plan to carry out the Position Statement
7.7 passed by the Georgia School Boards
Association in the summer of 1988. This
states, “GSBA supports the development
of local dropout prevention programs with
state and federal assistance based on a
uniform definition of dropouts.”
* * *
THIS DECLARATION needs im
plementation in policy, regulation and pro
grams for each community by the 1989-90
school year.
In order to secure funds to assist after
a policy framework is in place, each local
district can take advantage of already ex
isting federal funding provided under the
Elementary and Secondary School Im
provement Amendment of 1988 (Public
Law 100-297). As its name implies, this
legislation covers all elementary and
secondary sch(;ols in the country.
* *
ONE SECTION of this legislation
specifically addresses the need for greater
efforts to encourage students to stay in
school. The law calls for:
“1. Programs to meet the education
needs of students at risk of failure in
school and of dropping out . ..”
* * *
THUS, WITHOUT reinventing the
wheel, each school district in the state
could adopt and quantify a state Quality
Basic Education goal, implement a
Georgia School Boards Association posi
tion, and use some existing monies to
develop dropout programs. What more is
needed?
* * *
TOM KEATING, director of Govern
mental Relations for the Atlanta Public
Schools, has extensive experience with
dropout issues. Copyright 1989 by the
Georgia Forum.
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