Klarinet Archive - Posting 000582.txt from 2001/05

From: rgarrett@-----.edu
Subj: Re: [kl] School Board
Date: Thu, 24 May 2001 20:13:15 -0400

At 04:52 PM 05/24/2001 -0400, you wrote:
> What is happening is this: The Athletic Department at my school is
> telling band and choir students that the letters that they earn in band
> or choir are not as important as athletic letters, so therefore the students
>that have band and choir letters are being required to get a different
>letter jacket. As you can probably see, there are a lot of upset band
>students and parents of students in the music program. This has gone before
>the school board twice, and they have not made a decision. The problem is
>that the wrestling coach and the athletic director have both been there
>FOREVER (like over 30 years for the wrestling coach and the A.D. went to
>HS there), and they do not want to see anything changed. Unfortuantely
>they are teaching to many students at my school that the students who are
>in band or choir do not work as hard as students that are in a sport.

Why is it important to get a Letter put on the same kind of jacket as the
athletic department? In fact, why earn Letters at all? Why not
demonstrate success in other ways?

Just curious.........

I do understand about wanting to be seen as the equivalent of the athletic
programs - but music programs have and never will be viewed on an equal
basis. Thus it is in the real world too - pro sports vs. the arts.......

Best wishes,
Roger Garrett

PS - anyone going to be at the opening recital of the Oklahoma Clarinet
Symposium in June??

Roger Garrett
Clarinet Professor
Director, Symphonic Winds
Illinois Wesleyan University
School of Music
Bloomington, IL 61702-2900
Phone: (309) 556-3268
Fax: (309) 556-3121

"A man never discloses his own character so clearly as when he describes
another's."
Jean Paul Richter (1763-1825)

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