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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, February 28, 1992                   TAG: 9202280401
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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WHAT KIDS LEARN FROM EACH OTHER

A FEB. 15 news article and photo described Valentine's Day activities at Northside High School. The office was awash in red hearts, flowers, ribbons and balloons for students lucky or popular enough to have received one of these expressions of undying love.

Can't you imagine the excitement as delivery trucks arrive? Imagine the anticipation, waiting to see who will be next on Cupid's delivery route.

While you're at it, imagine the feelings of those who went home empty-handed, hurt, embarrassed, their self-esteem torpedoed once again. Multiply this by all our high schools and include the junior highs too. Such a wonderful learning environment!

All of the information that goes into our children's minds at school is not put there by professional teachers. A large part is learned from their fellow students. They learn that their worth is determined by their popularity, their number and ranking of friends, their grades, clothes, hairstyle, athletic ability, etc., and if all these are equal, the relative worth of their parents.

Where on Earth did our children learn these things in the first place? How did they get such warped, selfish values? Who taught them that everyone above is lucky or dishonest and everyone below is lazy or stupid?

Join me as I squirm uncomfortably. I believe it was Pogo who said, "We have met the enemy, and he is us." CLONNIE H. YEAROUT ROANOKE

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