On the back page of this week’s issue, you’ll find a collection of essays from Opelika City School students defining what sportsmanship means to them.
We encourage you to read them, to see how Opelika’s young people define important virtues and traits being taught to them as a part of the school system’s character education program.
We’ve been running these essays for months. We’ll continue to run them as long as the school system keeps sending them to us because we think the program is beneficial and we believe you should know about it.
Character education is an important part of a complete education, especially now.
Kids today are bombarded with images of what not to do.
Drug-fueled celebrity meltdowns and the misbehavior of professional athletes are talked about on the evening news and endlessly on repeat on the 24-hour news networks.
“Reality” TV stars on channels like MTV extol the virtues of heavy drinking, partying and gratuitous allusions to risky sexual behaviors.
Violence and hate spew from music, video games and media.
Thank goodness our school system has thought to try to repair some of that damage by focusing on admirable virtues that should be emulated.
Last year’s character education program focused on traits and good behaviors embodied by notable Opelika citizens, both folks still here and former citizens who have left from here to be beacons in their new communities.
In those booklets, we found the story of Courtney Lockhart, an Opelika alumna whose sense of determination and motivation has taken her to Harvard Medical School.
A story on City Council President Pro Tem Patsy Jones teaches us about loyalty, the late Mike Spain embodies the spirit of cheerfulness and Col. Jim Voss, Opelika alum and astronaut, teaches our kids about determination.
We’re fortunate to have so many fine examples of virtue to draw from here, but we aren’t surprised by this.
Opelika is and has been a community built on character.
However, we must not become complacent and allow these few prominent citizens to have a monopoly on good character.
We must all strive to be good examples to all around us.
We must attempt to be better than we think ourselves capable, living our lives in a fashion that brings out the best in ourselves and each other.
If we want our kids to be able to continue to define these characteristics, we have to show them what these virtues mean by living them in our daily lives and dealings.
Leaving them to define their values from popular culture and the world around them could and probably will prove disastrous.
Schools, please continue this wonderful program. We hope it will continue to make a positive impact on the lives of Opelika’s children as well as adults.
Citizens, let’s do our part.
It doesn’t take much. Just act like somebody you’d like to know.
Treat others fairly and well.
Be honest and truthful.
Seems simple, doesn’t it? Let’s hope so.
No comments:
Post a Comment