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Show \2 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2007 -N ommunity ews E \V S - Spanish Fork Letters to the Editor 280 North Main St. Spanish Fork, UT 84660 Lane Henderson Publisher Namon Bills Editor Dana Robinson . . Assoc. Editor The Spanish Fork News is published each Wednesday for S37.50 per year in area and $41.50 out of area byJ-Mart, 280 North Main St., Spanish Fork Utah 84660. Email stories to cditor@spforjcnews.com Email ads to ads@spforkjiews.com Call us at 794-4964 POSTMASTER Send address changes to Spanish Fork News 280 North Main St. Spanish Fork, Utah 84660 The entire content of this newspaper is Copyright© 2007 Spanish Fork News. Al! rights reserved. No part of [his publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the editor or publisher. DEADLINES Weddings, anniversaries, missionaries, 1st birthdays, articles, photos, letters to the editor Friday, 12 p.m. Display advertising and classified advertising Friday, 12 p.m. Letters to the Editor do Covering what matters most not necessarily reflect the view of The Pied Piper of SFHS My own student has been in the high school In the Oct. 31, 2007 edition of the News, Annette Wells wrote a letter entitled "Too choir program. During participation in this proMuch of a Good Thing" in which she insinuated gram he developed a sense of self-confidence that the endeavors of Rick Lunt and staff in and poise that I doubt could have happened for the Spanish Fork High School choir program him in any other way. The program fulfilled a are tantamount to the Pied Piper of Hamelin need for a social network and gave him a sense leading children away "from the safety of their of purpose that brought true passion for life. homes." What is the immeasurable value of such a fabulous program in the lives of our students? It saddens me that fellow educator would suggest that the incredible work of a school Even beyond the musical talents, which they teacher like Rick Lunt has a perilous effect on develop and will appreciate throughout their lives, they must strengthen crucial skills such as our youth. The story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin is attention'to detail, procedural memory, active about a city infested with rats which plagued working memory, coordination, multitasking, the people so horribly that they promised to rapid learning and recall, self expression and pay a piper, who claimed to posses a "secret poise. charm" to lure the rats away from the city. The They must develop time management skills, piper effectively did lead the rats to the river stamina, and perhaps most important of all, an Weser to drown, and freed the city people of attitude of excellence and the understanding of the rat plague. The townsmen refused to pay the price'that must be paid to accomplish such the piper the guaranteed sum. In revenge, the excellence. Pied Piper played his musical pipe to lead the Is it not an inherent contradiction to say "too city children into a mountain cavern, never to much of a good thing?" The choir program at be heard from again. SFHS' is great because of the magnificent effort Maybe not the analogy you want to use to on the part of so many, especially Mr. Lunt. describe the efforts of overworked, underpaid If we put less effort in the program, we have educators trying to make a difference in our less of a program; instead of a "good thing" we school system. However, if you want to use have a fair thing that doesn't attract, enrich, or such an analogy, you must remember that lift our students the way the current program the initial arrangement with the piper was to does. serve the towns people by ridding them of a rat How can anyone claim to appreciate the infestation. excellence of the music program at SFHS and Does an educator with creative genius say in the same breath it takes too much effort help rid us of any rats? How about the rat of on the part of students and parents? Should idleness among our youth? How about the we give 'our kids the message that they should rats of ignorance, low self-esteem and lack strive only to enjoy and accomplish a measure of social skills or social connectedness? of mediocrity? If our students are to accomplish How many rats of gang activity, substance great things in life, they will certainly face abuse, sexual promiscuity, etc. are avoided more difficult challenges in their futures than because our youth have meaningful juggline high school academics with a practice programs to occupy their time, build their scheduiirfor choir, athletics, cheer, band, or self esteem and satisfy their need for social any other extracurricular activity. integration? Should we not have an attitude of encourag- ing them to learn effective time management and pay the price to develop a well-balanced set of personal skills, attributes and character? Is the type of experience that Mr. Lunt's program, and other school programs that require something of our students, not a contribution to college and life preparation rather than a distraction? Certainly the resource commitment to be part of any high school program is not for every student or family, Every student and person faces a unique set of challenges that affect how he or she can pursue their goals, and none should be made to feel less for the course they pursue. If the program Mr. Lunt has established doesn't work for your student or family, there are other programs, other schools, or other endeavors. Why not just make a change, instead of tearing down that which enriches so many? In conjunction with your analogy to the Pied Piper, has this community paid Piper Lunt and his staff for the incredible enrichment they have brought to the lives of our youth and community? The man certainly has used his "secret charm" to influence our community for good. Personal and family sacrifice to produce a program of unparalleled caliber certainly cannot be adequately reimbursed monetarily. The least we as a community could do is to repay with support, gratitude and less criticism. The most tragic consequence to not paying respect to any of our wonderful educators who go the extra mile would be to lose their talent and influence. 1 thank God for all of the wonderful educators who have had a profound affect on the lives of my children and for Rick Lunt's contribution to my son's life through his extraordinary vision, creative genius, dedication and personal sacrifice. John Bennett Spanish Fork SF News. Heartfelt response Because of Spanish Fork High School's choir program, hundreds of students have graduated with greater memories, greater friendships, greater family support, greater preparation for professional settings, and, yes, greater educations. Obviously, Ms. Wells is a concerned citizen, and I do not doubt that she loves the youth and music, or she would not have taken the time to publish her letter entitled "Too much of a good thing?". However, I believe she has been misinformed, and I suspect she has not had children of her own in this program. Ever since Elmo Keck and Rick Lunt established their fine music programs, the anticipation of choir auditions has inspired hundreds to develop their talents at a younger age. More and more students want to be a part of something excellent, and now excellence is available. Hundreds of children and youth also spend time participating in little league teams in preparation for high school athletic team try-outs. Football, baseball, basketball, golf, cheerleading, and drill team have been supported by the school and community for years, in their travels and in their time commitment. I am grateful that with our choirs as an option, there are more choices for more students with varying interests to spend time on wholesome extracurricular activities. Letter to the Editor Sincere thanks On behalf of the Chad Gillman family, we would like to express our deepest appreciation for all the wonderful acts of kindness. There are not enough words to tell everyone how much we have been touched with the out pouring of friendship, love and support. With sincere thanks, Jennifer Gillman and family Glade W. Gillman and family Lynn Jones and family Tim Jones and family News about people you know By people you know -NEWS- Spanish Fork Locally owned and operated. Mr. Lunt directs some of Spanish Fork's finest students, with amazingly high cumulative GPAs and ACT scores. His classes prepare many to pursue music as a major in college, and studies have shown that "66 percent of music majors who applied to medical school were admitted, the highest percentage of any group," (The Case for Music in the Schools," Phi Delta Kappan, February 1994). Because they have learned how to balance and master academics and the arts, his students are better prepared for almost any career. Each choir student is made very aware of their future time commitment before registering or auditioning for a specific choir group. Families can decide together what is best for their children before ever becoming involved. Most parents have learned that with great sacrifices come great rewards, and this choir's rewards are unmistakable. Spanish Fork High School's choir performances inspire the entire community. Some high schools encourage only parents and grandparents to attend the traditional two-tothree choir concerts each school year. Because the bar has been raised, our productions provide quality music enrichment and entertainment for everyone in our great town. Talk to the hundreds of graduates who have been forever inspired by our music program. Talk to those from years past who say choir is what made high school bearable. Listen to their words, and see their tears of gratitude. Watch them as they go on to live great lives and contribute to their own communities. Rick Lunt does all that he has done unselfishly. He gives and gives endlessly of his own time and resources in order for you to see your children swell with self-confidence at a time when most youth are faltering. I am forever grateful to this man for courageously finding and encouraging the very best in our kids. Judy Barrowes Spanish Fork Honoring the heroes among us Mike Morley GUEST EDITORIAL It was so touching to watch the news a month or so ago to see 132 World War n veterans and hear their remarks following their return from Hero Flight. Their destination, the WWII Memorial in Washington D.C., is a favorite of mine. The monument takes on a reverence which is unique and unmistakable. It is a tribute befitting the heroes who fought in that war, those who returned and those who did not. As I watched the men of this greatest generation, all in their 80s and 90s, file down the stairs from the plane, some were spry and active belying their advanced years. Most walked slowly and carefully, aided by canes and companions. Yet, in each pair of eyes showed a pride that can come only from great accomplishment preceded by great sacrifice. Their white hair and hunched frames bear little resemblance now to the once young and active soldiers, sailors and airmen who, over 60 years ago, fought the greatest fight the world has ever known and won liberty for countries all over the globe and for generations yet unborn. Heroics were the order of the day back then. Even now, you rarely hear one of them speak of their achievements. It's hard to know if they're too humble or if they just don't realize how truly remarkable and important and significant their efforts were. No less heroic are the veterans of the hundreds of engagements in a dozen or more fields of battle since then — Korea, Vietnam, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Iraq. They all have important traits in common, traits shared by their predecessors from Belleau Woods, Gettysburg and Yorktown. What drives a man to be willing to sacrifice to that extent, to endure pain and deprivation, to leave homes and families and loved ones to face death in battle? In one word — liberty. Liberty, as a concept, is sometimes hard to quantify. Thomas Jefferson said, "I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than those attending too small a degree of it." From Samuel Adams comes the charge, "The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution, are worth defending at all hazards". In truth, liberty is easier to understand as it is evident in our everyday lives. Liberty is choosing our form and place of worship, or none at all. Liberty means education and safety for our children. Liberty means the right, even the obligation to debate issues of great and of little importance without fear of reprisal. Liberty is summer evenings at the baseball field, parades, Memorial Day and Independence Day, flags rippling in the breeze, fireworks and the national anthem. Liberty is the essence of America and so much a part of our makeup that it is as the water we drink and the air we breath. We have enjoyed it for over 200 years and believe it will always be ours. So, to the heroes we say thank you. It's not enough. It will never be enough, but we say thank you anyway. r\ |