Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 31, 1995 TAG: 9508310035
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Note your Aug. 23 picture of Mary Baldwin's president giving a personal, warm greeting to a student in the new program, a student who is enjoying an obviously pleasant meal at the college, surrounded by her happy, smiling family. (No mention of any filthy words in red paint on the front of her family's house, I'm glad to see.) On the same page, another picture shows fellow students helping the young lady get settled in. Television pictures showed stuffed animals and other comforts of home being brought into the dorm rooms. Your article (``Women salute alternative'') quoted the girls as saying they had the ``feeling of being wanted.''
Your front-page article on Aug. 27 (``Blistering step on leadership path''), with pictures, was followed by another full page with more pictures, showing the girls' first week of training. My daughter has very similar pictures of her experiences at 4-H camp.
One girl in your pictures is shown rappelling down a hill and over a pond. In fact, she couldn't fall if she wanted to, considering the way she's strapped into the very safe gear, as was my daughter. In other pictures, you show the hiking, canoeing and campfire, complete with a tepee. This must give a little chuckle to those who have had scouting and 4-H experience. The most obvious difference seems to be that 4-H members and Scouts don't get, or seem to need, the glowing publicity.
Had Faulkner been given as warm a welcome as the girls at Mary Baldwin, she probably would still be at The Citadel. They're experiencing few of the real hardships Faulkner experienced. I suggest these girls be given their well-deserved merit badges, and then get them off the front page. Enough, already!
CAROL WEEKS
VINTON
Calling all baseball fans
A COOLING breeze and the summer twilight greets one on the first trip to the new Salem baseball park, and three thoughts emerge: ``Magnificent, let's play two, and Double A.'' Inspiration, determination, skill and hard work have accomplished the first two. Fan support will determine the feasibility of the last.
ROGER D. TIMS
ROANOKE
Getting over the Clinton sickness
MANY Americans were probably startled by, and in this age of burgeoning syndromes are perhaps even scoffing at, the president's declaration recently that his critics suffer from some kind of addiction, and that criticizing him is an indication of sickness. But, he's right. This addiction is no less degrading than any other.
Once, while passing through the television department at Sears during the news hour, for example, I made a rude exclamation in front of other bewildered shoppers and sales clerks. They averted their eyes as I hastened out, for they knew what I was then unprepared to admit: I have a disease.
Fortunately, the principles of treating addiction can be readily adapted to this problem. Here are the steps:
You must first admit you have a problem. Stand up, take a deep breath, and just say it: ``I can't stand that guy.'' There's no shame in this. If your contempt for duplicity has become pathological, it's your parents' fault.
Make amends to those you have injured. This is especially important if you voted for him in '92. You must tell your friends, family and co-workers about this problem, and ask for their forgiveness. Many will turn away from you with scorn; you must accept that without protest as part of the price you pay. But others you haven't suspected will confess that they, too, have been struggling with this. All, privately or publicly, will respect your efforts to become well and whole again.
You must help others overcome this problem. How you do this is up to you, but placing a sign reading ``Anyone but Clinton in '96'' on your front lawn would probably help you feel better right away, and give your neighbors something to think about.
Ask your God for his help. You should seek, specifically, an Election Day blizzard that keeps Democrats at home.
Good luck as you struggle to wellness, friend!
ROBERT M. FELTON
ROANOKE
The pullups pull down girls' scores
MY FAMILY received in the mail recently a booklet called ``New Horizons.'' The booklet was about goals for the Roanoke city schools, and there was one goal I really didn't agree with. Under the heading of ``Physical Fitness,'' it read, ``The percent of students passing all four parts of the fitness test will increase by 7 percent each year for three years.''
I'm 14 years old, play softball and volleyball, and consider myself athletic and physically fit. On the last fitness tests I took, I got 8:40 minutes on the mile run, 60 sit-ups in 1 minute, 10 inches on the V-sit and reach, and a big 0 on pullups.
I, along with hundreds of girls of all ages, have never passed all four fitness tests because of pullups! In my gym classes over the years, an average of about two girls are able to do the required one pullup. When I asked my fourth-grade brother (who can do three pullups) how many girls can usually pass pullups in his class, he said that only one, maybe two, can.
It's most certainly not that girls aren't physically fit. It's just extremely difficult for most girls (with the exception of those who are small with lots of upper-arm strength) to do pullups. I think, in fairness, pullups shouldn't be a test of physical fitness, at least not for girls. If the School Board plans on the percentage of students passing all four tests to increase, it better rethink the tests.
MICKEY LANGSTON
ROANOKE
by CNB