Marvelous News From Central High School

  • Monday, May 2, 2016

To Roy Exum:

    With all the recent news of major dysfunctions within our educational system, I thought I might alert you to something better. About a year ago you ventured up Highway 58 to Central High School to represent your late grandfather, Roy McDonald, as he was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus during the annual Senior Day festivities. I sort of expected you to write of this experience in one of your opinion columns, but I have not seen one to date, and I apologize if I missed it.

     This past Thursday, another six remarkable Central grads and teachers joined your grandfather. His new cronies include three teachers, a judge, an opera singer, and a civic volunteer.  I write to tell you this because we Central alums may have been remiss in not inviting you back to Senior Day this year, and I think you would have found these events to be newsworthy. Incidentally, this year's theme was "Life is a Journey".

    Back when I was a senior at Central in 1963, Senior Day was an hour or so of pomp and circumstance, highlighted by the crowning of a Mr. and Miss Central, with a few obligatory speeches thrown in. Things have changed, Roy, and for the better.  Now the program includes significantly more participation by the alums and retired teachers via having combined the Distinguished Alumni Awards with the previously mentioned Coronation. Here's what happened last Thursday, Roy:

    After the senior class had marched in and been seated, the court, consisting of paired royalty nominees, marched in. While everyone waited to find out who was to be crowned, the old folks took over. First the three teachers were honored -- Marjorie Ogle and Dorothy Stone with 85 combined years of teaching, 75 of them at Central, and the late Paul Starnes, who taught high school and served as a college administrator, as well as 10 years a state legislator promoting educational causes. The acceptance speeches from the two living teachers quickly turned into lectures for the graduating class in a way only experienced teachers can pull off, and both were dynamite. Then Mr. Starnes' widow, Mary, accepting in his behalf, just flat knocked it out of the park. While the audience was recovering from three rousing events in a row, Judge Pam Fleenor gave us a change of pace with something that sounded like a one-person pep rally. Incidentally, Roy, Judge Fleenor still looks like a high school cheerleader, though it has been some 39 years since she graduated from Central.

    I had been a little concerned that the youngster in the bunch, Richard Cox, an opera star at age 42, would be outdone by his older and more experienced colleagues, but his connection with the students in describing how he had achieved his goals was polished and sincere. If Mr. Cox isn't a legend already, he is one under construction. Finally, Nancy Collum, a lady who has devoted her life to civic causes since her graduation from college, told of her journeys. It was clear that her work is far from finished.

The coronation ceremony that followed was almost anti-climactic. After congratulatory messages to the new royalty were delivered by each class representative, we were all again treated to a rather long but heartfelt lecture from the Senior Class Dedicatory for 2016, Rick May. He currently teaches history and is the girls' basketball coach at Central. The man truly enjoys his craft. Another one out of the park.

Now that's the hard news from up Highway 58, Roy, but since this is also a feature, I've saved the most relevant for last. Imagine this, Roy - here was an audience of perhaps 100-150 old folks and a thousand or so young folks. And guess what? The youngsters were paying attention, too. For nearly two and a half hours. No movies, video, or special effects. From all we've been reading about the unrest and, sometimes, near anarchy in our public schools, this seemed unreal. The kids applauded, laughed, and cheered at appropriate moments. Otherwise they sat quietly. No cue cards. No one giving hand signals from the stage. This outrageous display of proper decorum has to placed at the feet of the person in charge - Principal Finley King.

Consider this, Roy  -- in at least one school in Hamilton County, teachers still teach and students still listen, and there is no better way to learn from others than by listening. Here's a suggestion, Roy: in addition to attending those silly school board meetings that raise your blood pressure sky high, you and other folks charged with keeping us informed take off for Central High and other like places of education to see if this is an isolated incident. Some of us would relish reading something positive about our schools, and it's not likely you'll be finding it at headquarters anytime soon.

 Wouldn't it be something if, in spite of the circus at headquarters, that troops in the field are still functioning, maybe even flourishing? If this is happening elsewhere in the school system, then maybe it wouldn't be too much a pipe dream that these youngsters who are listening and learning from folks apparently wiser than the ones hanging out over at Hickory Valley Road, may someday take over and fix the system once and for all.

There may be a much bigger story here, but for now, us old folks are still marveling at what we saw and heard last week at Central High School.

You shoulda been there, Roy.

Charlie Sedman


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