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Show "Good Things" . - Y i - ' of his DNA. I could see in his philosophy the impact these good people had on his life and the lives of so many other young people in our community. As I interviewed Layne Anderson over breakfast, we had some good laughs about the days he was in school. He said how much he appreciated teachers that really cared about him and didn't see him as just" another WPU. The WPU is the amount of money a school receives for each student. He spoke with such fondness about his experience in FFA under the direction of Wayne Cornaby, who taught welding, small gas engines and agriculture. Mr. Cornaby's students used to call him Uncle Wayne. He was almost like a second father or a favorite uncle to many of these young people. For Lincoln's birthday, I visited elementary schools in our area dressed as President Abraham Lincoln. After finishing with one class, the teacher asked me if I wouldn't go to a school where her friend taught fourth grade. She said that this particular friend loved Lincoln and taught in a school where there were lots of kids in poverty. I agreed. One class soon turned into five classes. As I looked into the eyes of these young people and told them stories from the life of Abraham Lincoln, I thought about how far we have come since Lincoln was a boy or even since he was President of the United States. As I looked into the eyes of the young African American students I thought back to the days they and their family members would have been sold like farm animals. I thought of the days it was illegal for black people to learn to read. Today one is President. I thought of the day Lincoln died. Black people were openly weeping in the streets of Washington D.C. The man who had freed them was dead. That gloomy rainy April morning in Washington was a day of mourning and a day of celebration. Those who hated Lincoln, like John Wilkes Booth, were thrilled with the news of his death. The vast majority of Americans felt great sadness. The wounds of the Civil War were still deep I interviewed Coach Moore in the office he shares with other coaches. He gave me the best chair to sit on. I mentioned in my article about Coach Moore, that he had been crowned state champ in his junior year. What I did not mention was that in his senior year, he brought home the bronze medal. He knew the thrill of victory as well as the agony of defeat. I was impressed with how he teaches the boys to set goals and work for them. When I walked into his weight training class you could sense the order in the classroom. There was a place for everything and everything was in its place. Students were on task. Even with all the success Coach Moore has enjoyed, many people noted how humble he was but when it came to wrestling and his classroom, he was very much in charge. It was clear that those who had coached Coach Moore over the years had made a positive impact on his life. In a sense, they had become part by Mark Bezzant I was deeply touched by my interviews with wrestling Coach Moore and IFA President Layne Anderson. Both were products of Pleasant Grove schools and this community. As I was leaving the high school, I visited with several people, including the new principal at Pleasant Grove High. After my interview with Layne Anderson I returned to the yearbook archives in Pleasant Grove High. and the nation was deeply divided. As I left the last school, I looked up at the American flag that hung from the beautiful flag pole in front of the school, 50 stars, one nation. A relative of Lincoln's had looked at him in his crib and declared that little Abe would never amount "Bezzant" continued on Page 3 "Bezwnt" 'continued from Page 2 to much. The fact is that Lincoln changed the course of history and is still considered America's greatest president. Sometimes it is tempting to look at people and think the same thing Lincoln's relative thought of him. I doubt that Coach Henry ever thought Brock Moore would ever stand in his shoes and coach the Viking wrestlers to a state championship. I doubt that Wayne Cornaby ever thought Layne Anderson would be the President of IFA. I am absolutely sure Coach Henry and Mr. Cornaby (Uncle Wayne) saw great potential in each of these young men and did all they could to make champions of them. The great teachers I saw, as Abe Lincoln, were doing their level best to see the good in every child. What a great country! |