Jackson High School memoirs
[A great nation is saved] by speaking, writing, voting reasonably; by smiting corruption swiftly; by good temper between parties; by the people knowing true men when they see them, and preferring them as leaders to rabid partisans and empty quacks -William James
The fanatic is always concealing a secret doubt. -Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, 2001 film, O'Connor & StraughanWould you let your child play football?
Growing up, football and basketball were my favorite sports. I played plenty of tackle and touch football, on teams and with friends and family. Yet later as parents, when our boys played high school sports, my wife and I did not allow them to play tackle football: We felt that with the amount and severity of injuries in football, the risk was too high. Given the recent revelations of long-term injuries in football, the question can be asked anew: Would we have let our children play football today, or more urgently, would we want our grandchildren to play football today?
Memories of Ann Williams
I was sad to hear that Ann Williams died, and I extend my sympathies to her family. Ann Williams was my English teacher at Jackson High School during my Junior year. Miss Williams, as we knew her, was an involved and caring teacher. Her love of literature was apparent in her teaching. As a class, for example, she had us do a full reading of Macbeth, with assigned parts, which gave us all, the great majority of us with no dramatic experience, a serious exposure to the beauty of his language, a personal glimpse into the difficulties of "playing" a part, and for my part, contributed to a life-long appreciation of Shakespeare and of Shakespeare done well.
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