Opelika - The Opelika Sportsplex and Aquatic Center

Opelika:
A City of
Character
Character Education Program
Opelika High School
2009-2010
Term 2
Opelika:
A City of
Character
2009-2010
Special thanks to Opelika Observer, D. Mark Mitchell,
Opelika-Auburn News, Kate Larkin, Envision Opelika,
East Alabama Living, the Publishing Class—
Sara Bible, Martha Priester, Kathryn Spain, and Quentin Torbert—
and the fine people of Opelika, Alabama.
January 5-8, 2010
Courtney Lockhart
o
n
Medical School. Now in between
her third and fourth year of
medical school training, she is
dedicating a year to completing
a Master of Public Health degree
with a concentration in Family
and Community Health.
v
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Courtney Lockhart is originally
from Opelika, Alabama. While
in the Opelika City School
System, she was involved in
many extracurricular activities
that helped build her character,
while simultaneously receiving
academic
preparation
for
attending
and
successfully
completing college. M
o
ti
At Opelika High School, she was
the Sports Editor of the MainStreet
Gazette, which prepared her to
take on the position of Editor-InChief of the Tuskegee University
Campus Digest for two years. She
attended Tuskegee University
where she received a BS degree
in Biology.
2
Courtney has since been enrolled
as a medical student at Harvard
Courtney will train in pediatrics
and focus on pediatric chronic
diseases and associated societal
elements that these children may
face. She would like to use her
training in medicine and public
health to provide family support,
healthcare services, and other
resources through communitybased programs for children
disproportionately affected by
these diseases so they may fulfill
their highest physical, emotional,
and educational potential.§
OHS 2009-2010
Vocabulary
Objective (adjective)—unbiased; not subjective
Pliable (adjective)—flexible; not stubborn
Rescind (verb)—retract; repeal
Discussion
1. Write your own definition of motivation.
2. How has motivation defined Lockhart’s life?
“Wonder, rather than doubt, is the root of
knowledge.”
—Abraham Joshua Herschel
3
January 11-15, 2010
John Wesley Darden
ra
“As soon as he could get away he
went back to North Carolina to
marry Maude Jean Logan. She
was born June 26, 1890”.
“Soon after, John, making calls
with his new wife in his horse and
buggy, became a familiar sight
on the narrow dirt roads around
Opelika.”
e
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In their book Spoonbread and
Strawberry Wine Norma Jean
and Carol Darden have this to say
about their uncle, Dr. John Darden:
“From the age of ten, when he was
unable to find medical assistance
for his unconscious sister Annie,
John had one driving goal, and
that was to become a doctor”.
n
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to Wilson (N.C.) to share what he
had seen and learned of the world
and to encourage his brothers and
sisters in their pursuits. By the
time he was ready to put out his
shingle in 1903, Wilson already
had black medical service, so
John went deeper south, settling
John Wesley Darden, born Sept. in Opelika, Alabama, where as
27, 1876, in Wilson, NC., was the the only black doctor in a thirty
eldest child of Charles Henry and mile radius, he was greeted with
Dianah Scarborough Darden.
an eighteen-hour workday.”
P
e
rs
“At the age of thirteen, he was
sent by Papa Darden to high
school in Salisbury, N.C. Lean
years followed as he worked
his way through Livingstone
College, medical school and an
internship in Long Island, N.Y.
His was a long, hard struggle,
but when he made it the pattern
was established that the younger
ones would follow. Summer jobs
mainly on the railroad and ships
took John all over the country.
But he always found his way back
4
“John opened a drugstore on
Avenue A. His brother J.B. had
just earned his degree in pharmacy
from Howard University, so
he was recruited as a partner.
The two brothers dispensed
prescriptions, and cosmetics, ice
cream and a lot of good cheer,
and the store became a meeting
place for the community. Local
residents tell us that their Sunday
was not complete without a stroll
to the drugstore for a chat and a
OHS 2009-2010
scoop of John’s homemade ice invite children to her home for
cream.”
after-church tea parties. “She spent
so much time trying to better our
“Among Dr. Darden’s medical
speaking skills and our manners.
contemporaries was Dr. Homer
She really made us better people.
Bruce. Dr. Bruce held the black
They were both so interested in
doctor’s skills in high esteem and
the well being of the community,
unusual for their time, the doctor’s
especially the children. They only
frequently called each other in for
wanted the best for all of us—to
consultation. Dr. Yvonne Phillips
have a skill and to go to school.Ӥ
remembers that Mrs. Darden would
Vocabulary
Temper (verb)—to moderate; soften
Abstruse (adjective)—difficult to understand; obscure
Blunderbuss (noun)—1. ancient heavy gun that fired a wide pattern
of shot; 2. a clumsy person
Cringe (verb)—recoil; flinch; shy away
Discussion
1. What does it mean to have perseverance?
2. How did John Darden’s perseverance help the Opelika community?
“By stretching yourself beyond your perceived level
of confidence, you accelerate your development of
competence.”
—Michael Gelb & Tony Buzan
5
January 19-22, 2010
Jo Browning
of Michelin North America,
to convert to rotating shifts to
lower costs and improve quality
control.
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Activists are born in a lot of
different ways. Some are inspired
by a movement. Others learn
from parents or mentors. To tireplant worker Jo Browning of
Opelika, AL, activism was born
of a search for childcare.
To families like Ms. Browning’s,
the change meant living life on
shifting sands. Instead of the
stable weekday and weekend
crews of the past, the crews
began rotating among four cycles
combining eight- and 12-hour
shifts. The schedule capsized the
fragile balance Ms. Browning
and her husband had crafted. Few
child-care providers wanted to
rotate their hours to match plant
workers’. Two of Whitney’s
sitters quit within 18 months.
“Why doesn’t [the sitter] like me
any more?” she once asked.
il
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There were few hints in her youth
that Ms. Browning, the softspoken daughter of an Air Force
medic, would one day grab the
microphone at a 2,500-delegate
Unites Steelworkers convention
and put down the corporate
bosses of America.
D
Ms. Browning agonized that her
child “had no stability in her life.”
Working from a list provided
by a local resource center, she
called 73 in-home sitters asking
for weekend care and got 73
no’s. She wasn’t alone. One coShe began work in 1984 building worker gave up sleep while on
tires at Uniroyal-Goodrich’s some 12-hour shifts, caring for
sprawling plant in Opelika, her children all day and working
all night. She napped on breaks.
Alabama.
In 1993, competitive pressures Angered, Ms. Browning started
childcare.
She
led Uniroyal-Goodrich, a unit researching
6
OHS 2009-2010
circulated a petition and keynoted problems.
a union-hall child-care meeting.
Ms. Browning asked an outside
“Ms. Browning went to the main agency to draw up a plan for an
office and talked to management innovative
seven-day-a-week
when nobody else would,” says childcare center. Ms. Browning
Mary Lynn Porter, founder of the spoke before a city planning
Child Care Resource Center. Ms. meeting to urge zoning approval;
Browning convinced Uniroyal- the center, funded by parent fees,
Goodrich to survey workers on opened in the fall in a new threechildcare and learned 86% of the bedroom house.§
workers in deed had child-care
Vocabulary
Envenom (verb)—to cause bitterness and bad feeling
Hedonism (noun)—self indulgence; pleasure-seeking
Laconic (adjective)—using few words; brief; to the point
Discussion
1. What does diligence mean to you?
2. How did Browning’s diligence help others?
3. Is it harder or easier to practice diligence in tough situations?
“For the diligent, a week has seven days; for the slothful,
seven tomorrows.”
-German Proverb
7
January 25-29, 2010
Jane Walker
Jane Walker graduated from
University of Georgia in 1948.
After graduating, Jane taught
elementary school for nine years
in Thomasville, West Point, and
Columbus, Georgia. In 1957, she
married Jacob Walker and moved
to Opelika, the town she grew to
love.
Council for Neglected and
Dependent Children, which is
known today as the Lee County
Youth Development Center.
R
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Walker loved the school children
she taught, and this love for
children continued throughout
her life. She taught Sunday
School, coordinated the church’s
children’s program for 21 years.
She led three Girl Scout troops
for nine years.
8
When the schools integrated,
Walker became an advocate
for children of all races as she
staunchly supported the public
schools. Walker was a tireless
PTA volunteer and leader, she
served on the Opelika School
Board for 15 years. Walker cared
deeply about the Opelika School
System throughout her life.
Walker also helped develop
Project Uplift, which pairs
Auburn University students
with underprivileged children.
Walker’s final project for the
children of Lee County was
the Boys and Girls Clubs. Jane
helped found the Boys and Girls
Clubs of Greater Lee County,
served as President and a Board
member, and received the award
for outstanding volunteer in the
Southeast for the Boys and Girls
Club in 1996.
When Walker learned that a child
accused of a mine crime had
spent the night in jail because
there was no other place to go,
Walker and Mrs. Cecil Morman
launched the Lee County
Walker loved Opelika and was
active in many civic groups
including the Opelika Arts
Association and the Opelika
Historic Preservation Committee,
where she helped initiate the
Main Street program. Walker
was vice-chair of the Opelika
Housing Authority and served as
chair of the Lee County Board of
Human Resources for 25 years,
OHS 2009-2010
during which time she served
two terms as president of the
Alabama State Association of
Human Resources Boards. §
Vocabulary
Oblique (adjective)—indirect; slanting
Plumage (noun)—feathers of a bird
Resignation (noun)—acceptance of fate
Tenacious (adjective)—stubborn; resolute; holding firm to a
purpose
Discussion
1. What traits show respect?
2. What is the relationship between respect for others and a career
in public service?
3. How does self-respect relate to respect for others?
“Men are respectable only as they respect.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
9
February 1-5, 2010
Roy Jackson
played Winter Ball, and it was there
his good friend and fellow Mets
pitcher Pete Falcone witnessed
to his teammate and invited the
Jacksons to a Bible-study.
L
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Back in the early seventies, Roy
Lee Jackson was an outstanding
baseball player pitching for the
Opelika Bulldogs; so outstanding
that in the spring of his senior
year, the Houston Astros had
high hopes for the young star and
picked Jackson in the 12th round of
the 1972 MLB draft. But Jackson
turned down that opportunity and
instead continued his education. He
signed a scholarship to play college
baseball at Tuskegee Institute, where
his success on the mound kept the
attention of the major league scouts.
In June 1975, following his junior
year at Tuskegee, his chance at big
time baseball came again when
he signed an amateur free agent
contract with he New York Mets.
Jackson played for the Mets for five
years being traded to the Toronto
Blue Jays in December 1980.
Their lives have never been the
same. Jackson says though his life on
the inside changed that night, things
were pretty much the same on the
baseball field. “I made a confession
and promised God I would live my
life for him,” Jackson says. “As a
believer, there wasn’t any change in
the intensity of my game, I just got
out there and played to the best of
my ability – only now I played for
God’s glory.”
That same year, he was named the
Blue Jay’s “Rolaids Relief Pitcher
of the Year,” and he, along with
four other Christian teammates
donned the cover of a baseball
magazine giving them the title of
“God Squad.” But just a year later,
Jackson was released by the Blue
Jays. “Believe it or not, the rumors
were swirling and complaints were
mounting that too many guys were
accepting the Lord,” Jackson says
shaking his head. “I guess being a
Christian wasn’t cool in the ‘80s.”
Jackson was released on April
Fool’s Day 1985.
Jackson pitched a total of 280
games for five MLB teams before
retiring from the game in 1987: the
The Jacksons spent the off-season NY Mets, the Toronto Blue Jays,
of 1979 in Venezuela where Jackson
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OHS 2009-2010
the San Diego Padres, the Minnesota
Twins, and the Milwaukee Brewers.
He has a full page of impressive stats
and accolades, and his face on more
than 15 baseball cards.
“Roy Lee lets these young men see
firsthand how a man is supposed
to treat a woman,” Mary says. “He
cooks, he cleans, and he treats me
like a queen. So many of these boys
were raised by a single mother and
really have no idea how to be a good
husband. Through his Holy Spirit,
God ‘showed’ Roy how to treat a
wife, so he serves as an example to
these men.
After retirement, Jackson became an
ordained minister. He and his wife,
Mary, began a “home church” in
their living room. “We’re small in
number, but we’re a strong church,”
Jackson said. The Jacksons never
had children of their own, but they
opened their home to countless
Auburn University students, giving
them a place to hang out together, all
the while teaching God’s Word and
leading by example.
Scott Reppert of Scott Reppert
Baseball Cards in Fairmont, W. VA,
called Jackson “one of my Real
Heroes of Baseball.” “To me, he is
the greatest ‘Man of God’ to ever
play Major League Baseball.Ӥ
Vocabulary
Accolade (noun)—tribute; honor; praise
Bolster (verb)—support; prop up
Cryptic (adjective)—puzzling; enigmatic
Ephemeral (adjective)—short-lived
Discussion
1. What strengths does a loving person demonstrate?
2. What would you say is Roy Jackson’s definition of love?
“A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge.”
-Thomas Carlyle
11
February 8-12, 2010
Patsy Jones
Patricia A. Jones (known as
“Patsy”) is a native of Opelika,
Alabama. She studied in her
home state, earning with Honors
a B.S. and a M.Ed. from Alabama
State University in Montgomery;
additionally, she is certified in
Municipal Government.
also the first African American
woman elected President Pro Tem
of the Opelika City Council.
y
During her tenure in local
government,
Councilwoman
Jones has had a solid track
record for supporting legislation
enhancing the welfare of people
in her district and Opelika;
for
promoting
economic
development; and for working to
get a new tax passed, earmarked
for the Opelika City Schools.
Other achievements include
allocating monies to renovate a
new recreational addition to the
Covington Community Center,
getting an ordinance passed for
weed abatement and demolition
of abandoned buildings and
homes, sponsoring a program
designed to train and educated
parents and children for a better
life, and purchasing ceiling fans
for all elderly residents of her
o
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As an English teacher in the
Tallapoosa
County
School
System for 24 years, she
touched the lives of many
students and yielded outstanding
accomplishments. Leaving the
classroom in 1998, she joined the
staff of the Alabama Education
Association (AEA) where she is
currently a UniServ Director for
District 19 (Chambers and Lee
Counties).
L
A trailblazer in her own
community, Patsy Jones was the
first woman appointed in 1992
by the Mayor of Opelika to be
on the Board of Commissioners
of the Housing Authority, and
the first woman elected Vice
Chair of that Board. Continuing
to make history, she became the
first African American woman
to be elected to the Opelika City
Council in 1995, completing an
unexpired term and re-elected
for two full terms. She was
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OHS 2009-2010
district in the Opelika Housing brought her numerous awards,
Authority.
including recognition in Who’s
Who Among America’s Teachers,
Councilwoman Jones provides Notable Women of East Alabama,
leadership in many civic, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
professional,
and
political Hall of Fame, and 2004 Women
organizations. Her dedication to of Achievement of Girls Scouts
the causes close to her heart has Concharty Council. §
Vocabulary
Lamentation (noun)—expression of regret or sorrow
Obliterate (verb)—destroy; demolish; eradicate
Plummet (verb)—fall suddenly and steeply
Resolution (noun)—determination
Discussion
1. Write your own definition of loyalty.
2. Why is loyalty important in high offices?
3. How does loyalty go along with leadership?
“A good leader is not the person who does things
right, but the person who finds the right things to
do.”
—Anthony T. Dadovano
13
February 16-19, 2010
Mike Spain
ss
of that war. After he finished his tour,
he returned to Alabama, married,
and worked his way through Auburn
University majoring in Social Studies
Education.
e
Spain taught his entire career in
Opelika, beginning in 1972 at the
junior high school in the old Clift
High building located by Moore
stadium where the Brownfield House
now stands. He then moved to the
present Middle School campus when
the new high school was opened
the next year. For nineteen years
he taught seventh and eighth-grade
social studies, then moved to Opelika
High School in 1991 where he taught
tenth through twelfth-grade history,
government, and economics. He was
named the District 2 Teacher of the
Year for the 1999-2000 school year,
among other teaching honors he
collected over his career.
C
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Mike Spain had a laugh that filled
a room—and a hall, and a building,
and many lives. During his 32year career, he taught thousands
of students. They remember his
dedication to his classes, his skill
as a historian, his care for his
students—and every single one of
them remember his laugh. When
that full-throated laugh would pierce
walls into other classrooms, people
would smile and say, “That’s Mr.
Since Spain viewed history as one
Spain.”
big story, he considered himself a
Spain came from Florence, Alabama,
storyteller. His gift was working
where his mother’s family lived
closely with all types of students—
close to the TVA dam, or “on the
from those that struggled to gifted
dam road” as he used to tell his
scholars. He was the natural choice
friends. He graduated from Coffee
to begin the high school’s tutoring
High School and began college as a
program that prepares students to
cadet at Annapolis, the United States
pass the High School Graduation
Naval Academy, but he resigned to
Exam. He also worked among the
enlist in the regular navy thinking
faculty as the “Morale Officer” or
he’d get to his dream quicker, being
“MO,” sending encouraging emails
a “deep water” sailor. Instead, he was
to teachers each day. Each of his
assigned to a loading dock deep in
students has a story about a day that
Viet Nam with a Marine unit during
“Mr. Spain made us laugh,” whether it
some of the most dangerous months
was introducing himself as a science
14
OHS 2009-2010
teacher on the first day of class while
having students check their schedules
to be sure they were assigned to a
science class, or working a Bob Dylan
song into a history lecture. Many of
his students have his slick-headed
photo because each year he promised
to shave his head if the track team
won the state title.
When he was diagnosed with a brain
tumor in the fall of 2003, a sadness
fell over the whole school system.
Spain wouldn’t allow that sadness.
When his health would allow him, he
worked as a substitute teacher at the
Middle School where he discovered
a whole new group of students to
enjoy. His obituary, which he wrote
himself, began, “If you are reading
this in the obituaries then the report
of Mike Spain’s death was evidently
not exaggerated as in the case of Mark
Twain. Nor was his death unexpected.”
He died on September 26, 2005, but
as he wrote toward the end of his
obituary, “If a dollar value could be
placed on family ties and friendship
and fulfillment on the job then Mike
died far and away the wealthiest man
in the world.” Now heaven rings with
that laugh, and everyone says, “That’s
Mr. Spain.Ӥ
Vocabulary
Tentative (adjective)—not certain
Acquiesce (verb)—to agree to; give in to
Bombast (noun)—arrogant, pompous language
Discussion
1. What attributes did Mr. Spain have that showed cheerfulness?
2. In what ways can you display cheerfulness?
“I am a part of all that I have met.”
—Alfred Tennyson
15
February 22-26, 2010
Phyllis Peters
T
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pilot educational program at the
beginning of the fall of 1967, Mrs.
Peters transferred to Opelika High
School, located where Opelika
Middle School is now. She was not
alone. That year 12 seniors (8 boys/4
girls), 6 juniors, 8 sophomores, 3
freshmen and 1 teacher made that
same journey. Of the 12 seniors,
10 graduated in May of 1968. The
1967-68 school year was the first
year that African-American students
Phyllis Mills Peters was born in could attend classes in the all white
Macon County in 1950. Back then public high school.
African Americans were denied
admission to what was then Lee That year was not easy, yet there
County Hospital (now EAMC). were no major negative experiences.
While her mother was a high “We were all under a microscope.
school graduate, her father was a At OHS we found new books with
truck driver with only a 5th-grade updated copyrights, up to date and
education because he had to quit better equipped science labs, more
school to work during the depression robust curriculum and many more
to help his family. She often heard course offerings, and smaller class
her father pray for his children to sizes.” Her three years at Darden
High school prepared her for the
get an education.
educational challenges at OHS. She
Mrs. Peters’ educational journey participated in the Beta Club and
began around the age of four. She Pep Club. She gave up being named
attended “Miss Bessie’s School.” valedictorian at Darden and lost
Mrs. Bessie Brady taught children possible scholarships by the transfer.
in her home on York Street. Being That was her biggest sacrifice. She
there encouraged Mrs. Peters to graduated with honors from OHS.
learn and inspired her to want to
teach some day. From kindergarten Four years later, Mrs. Peters graduated
she was promoted to the 2nd grade from Auburn University in June of
(but she attended 1st grade). From 1972 fulfilling the requirements in
the 1st grade through her junior the schools of Arts and Sciences
year in high school, she attended and the school of Education, with
segregated schools. As part of a a BA in Sociology and minors in
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OHS 2009-2010
Psychology and History. She earned
a Masters in Counselor Education in
1976. She began working in Opelika
City Schools in the fall of 1972, the
year that the new OHS was built. She
taught social studies for 16 years and
has been our guidance counselor for
21 years.
confidence than courage. I owe it all
to many people. I am very thankful for
loving nurturing parents, supportive
teachers and administrators, a
supportive husband, and an awesome
God. It is not often that a homegrown
girl gets the opportunity to experience
two wonderful educational careers in
the same educational system. Both of
“In retrospect,” said Mrs. Peters, my grown children are graduates of
“as a 17-year-old, I think I had more OHS.”§
Vocabulary
Curtail (verb)—cut short
Epicure (noun)—someone who appreciates good food and drink
Heed (verb)—listen to
Lampoon (verb)—ridicule; spoof
Discussion
1. What is tolerance?
2. In the midst of turmoil, how did Peters show tolerance?
“ Men are not the prisoners of fate, but only
prisoners of their own mind.”
– Franklin D. Roosevelt17
March 8-12, 2010
James S. Voss
D
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Colonel James S. Voss (Ret.)
was born March 3, 1949,
in Cordova, Alabama, but
considers Opelika, Alabama,
to be his hometown. He enjoys
woodworking, skiing, softball,
racquetball, scuba diving, and
flying an airplane he built
himself. As an undergraduate,
he participated on the Auburn
University Wrestling Team.
a
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with the 2nd Battalion 48th
Infantry in Germany as a platoon
leader, intelligence staff officer,
and company commander. On
returning to the United States,
he attended the Infantry Officer
Advanced Course, and then
taught for three years in the
Department of Mechanics at the
U.S. Military Academy. After
attending the U.S. Naval Test Pilot
School and the Armed Forces
Staff College, Voss was assigned
to the U.S. Army Aviation
Engineering Flight Activity as
a Flight Test Engineer/Research
and Development Coordinator.
He was involved in several major
flight test projects before being
detailed to NASA’s Lyndon B.
Johnson Space Center.
Col. Voss graduated from Opelika
High School, Opelika, Alabama;
received a Bachelor of Science
degree in Aerospace Engineering
from Auburn University in 1972.
Upon graduation from Auburn
and commissioning as a 2nd
Lieutenant, Voss went directly
to the University of Colorado to
obtain his masters degree under
the Army Graduate Fellowship
Program. After attending the
Infantry Basic Course, Airborne
and Ranger schools, he served
18
Selected as an astronaut
candidate by NASA in June
1987, Voss completed a one-year
training and evaluation program
in August 1988, which qualified
him for assignment as a mission
specialist on Space Shuttle
flights.
Jim retired from NASA in 2003
to serve as Associate Dean
of Engineering for External
Affairs at Auburn University,
assisting with student projects
and development for the College
and teaching a class in Aerospace
Engineering on human spacecraft
design.
Voss has space flight experience
on the Atlantis (November 24 December 1, 1991), Discovery
(December 2-9, 1992), and
Endeavour (September 7-18,
1995).
During the Atlantis
OHS 2009-2010
(May 19-29, 2000) expedition,
Jim conducted spacewalks in
both U.S. and Russian space
suits and was the first person to
operate the Space Station Robotic
Manipulator System, Canadarm2.
In completing this mission, Voss
logged a total of 167 days in
space, including 2 spacewalks
totaling 9 hours and 5 minutes of
EVA time.§
Vocabulary
Oblivious (adjective)—totally unaware
Podium (noun)—raised platform
Resonant (adjective)—echoing
Tenuous (adjective)—flimsy; not solid
Discussion
1. How did James Voss show determination to get where he wanted
to be?
2. List three ways determination relates to school.
“Little strokes
Fell great oaks.”
—Benjamin Franklin
19
March 22-26, 2010
Peter Amos
Peter Amos founded CoachComm in 1991 as a one-man
operation. Amos had created a
user-interface specific to football
for Auburn University that
significantly enhanced sideline
communications performance. It
was this technology that attracted
the attention of Division 1A and
professional football teams. Almost instantly it was adopted
as the standard in sideline
communications.
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As the high-end headset business
was taking off, Peter began
to create an entire business,
CoachComm,
around
this
advance in communication
technology. He planned to sell
headset systems to Division 1A
football teams and high schools
across the country. Over the
ensuing years, CoachComm
began catering to high school
level products. First, these
offerings were limited to headsets
based off of Telex technology
and later included less expensive
two-way radio based systems.
the country. Based in Auburn,
AL, CoachComm offers the
best sideline communications
equipment and coaching tools
available on the market today.
P
A o
ttisi
Over the years, CoachComm’s
strength has been as a high profile
marketing based company that
positions itself as a professional
provider of great electronic
equipment to sports teams.
CoachComm’s
partnership
with companies like GamePlan,
JVC, Microboards, Eiki, and
Canon continues to position
CoachComm as the industry
leader in all areas of sports
CoachComm is now the wireless electronics and communication. sideline communications provider
for 95% of Division 1A colleges Amos is very glad to have been
and thousands of high school and educated in the Opelika City
small college programs across School System. It was there that
20
OHS 2009-2010
he met many life-long friends and
learned many life lessons that he
has carried with him through his
professional development.
went to Auburn University and
majored in accounting. Even
though he is not an accountant
by trade, not a day goes by that
he does not use the knowledge
In particular, he recalls taking gained in those classes in the
accounting from Mrs. Claire Plott. management of his business.
Mrs. Plott helped him to gain an
appreciation of many business Amos believes that students who
principles and the accounting apply themselves can do great
behind them. After graduation things with an education from the
from Opelika High School, he Opelika City School System.§
Vocabulary
Acrid (adjective)—sharp; pungent (used of smells and tastes)
Boorish (adjective)—ill-mannered
Cynical (adjective)—believing that people act only out of selfish
motives
Epistle (noun)—a letter (form of communication)
Discussion
1. Define positive attitude.
2. Explain two other traits needed in addition to positive attitude to
succeed in high school?
“Just one great idea can completely revolutionize your life.”
—Earl Nightingale
21
March 29-April 2, 2010
Tommie Agee
Emmitt Smith. But by 1994, Agee
had had enough.
n
t
“I played football for as long as I
wanted to,” he says. “It was time
to go, and I wanted to quit before a
coach told me he couldn’t use me
anymore. I wanted to leave on my
terms.”
e
m
Tommie Agee is best known in
“these parts” for his playing days as
a fullback with the Auburn Tigers
in the mid ’80s. When he wasn’t
carrying the football, he was blocking
for some running back named Bo
Jackson, still one of Agee’s closest
friends.
“I figured I’d take a year off and just
relax and enjoy the easy life,” Agee
says.
One day Tommie got a call from
Opelika Parks and Recreation
Director Bill Harrelson who wanted
to meet with him.
C
o
m
m
it
“I’ll never forget it. It was about 1:30
in the afternoon when I was on my
way to the meeting with Bill. I got
A lot has happened in the game of to the corner of Second Avenue and
life since those days to bring Agee Fifth Street and the thought hit me
full circle, back to Alabama, to its like a brick, ‘he’s going to offer me
a job. This is what I’ve been praying
people and to a job he loves.
for’.”
Agee completed his college football
eligibility at Auburn in 1986, and the “When the board met to discuss
Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round the characteristics we were looking
for, Bill said he would like to find
of the 1987 NFL draft picked him.
somebody ‘like Tommie Agee’,”
Agee spent one more year with the board chair Rusty Melnick says. “I
Seahawks before making a free agent said if we were looking for somebody
deal with the Kansas City Chiefs in like Tommie, then why don’t we just
1989. After that season, the Dallas offer the job to Tommie?”
Cowboys lassoed him.
Within weeks, Agee was moving his
A stellar career with the Cowboys very pregnant wife and two young
included winning two Super Bowls sons to Opelika where they have
over the Buffalo Bills in 1992 and been ever since.
1993, playing with his dear friend
22
OHS 2009-2010
The Covington Recreation Center
that Agee manages today hardly
resembles the same place he walked
into 10 years ago. Freshly painted
throughout — by Agee and his
colleagues — an addition to the
building, and countless new programs
for everyone from preschoolers to
senior adults transformed the facility
into a hustling, bustling place for fun
and fellowship.
“Tommie is a tireless worker who
takes a great deal of pride in his
work and his programs,” Melnick
says. “He was an excellent choice
and has done and been more than we
could ever have hoped for.”
So why is Agee, owner of two Super
Bowl rings, rolling white paint on
the bottom of an empty swimming
pool? Because he wants to.
“I love working with my crew, and
I’ve always wanted to work with
kids, so I’m in a dream job right
now,” Agee says. “I’ve always
wanted to give back. I want to give
of myself. I want to protect my
future — and theirs. I want to make
a difference.Ӥ
Vocabulary
Heresy (noun)—against orthodox opinion
Lance (noun)—spear; spike; javelin
Obscure (adjective)—difficult to understand; partially hidden
Poignant (adjective)—deeply moving; strongly affecting the
emotions
Discussion
1. How can you tell if a person has commitment?
2. How does Agee show commitment?
3. Which is more impressive, his two Superbowl rings or the paint
roller in his hand mentioned in the 12th paragraph?
“Don’t tell me how talented you are. Tell me how hard
you work.”
— Artur Rubinstein
23
April 5-9, 2010
Tim Gore
There are things in life that are
always constant, the old adage
about death and taxes aside.
I know, without a shadow of a
doubt, that when someone asks
Tim Gore how he’s doing, he
will respond, “I’m doing better
than I deserve.” Always. No
exceptions.
Cliff McCollum, a family friend,
says he is blessed to have known
Tim Gore his entire life. When
describing Mr. Tim, Cliff says,
“It is rare that you run across a
truly selfless person. There are
certainly those who feign such
behavior, to gain accolades or
higher positions, climbing the
ladder in a very underhanded and
ultimately unrewarding way.
H
u
m
il
it
y
Mary Louise and Anna (both
Opelika High School graduates),
“there are countless accounts of
Dad’s random acts of kindness,
whether it is taking a stranger
to get something to eat because
they can’t afford it, going the
extra mile to deliver an order
from his business, or lending a
hand to help someone park their
“Tim Gore is the genuine article.
car at church.
He truly cares about people and
will do whatever he can to help “Dad is honest in business, never
someone out.”
short-handing customers or
looking to get ahead, but instead
Tim Gore is a doer, one who
looking to serve and provide for
serves the needs of others as much
his family the best way he can.
as he can, the sort of person, as
To him, business is all about
Jerry Herman would say, “who
the service. He will do anything
puts himself last so that you can
he can to make someone’s day,
come first.”
looking for nothing in return.
According to his daughters, Our dad is the definition of
character and it has made quite an
24
OHS 2009-2010
impression on us. He has taught extend friendship and kindness
us to love and serve others, to to everyone.Ӥ
Vocabulary
Respite (noun)—a break; intermission
Terse (adjective)—concise; to the point
Bourgeois (noun)—middle class
Discussion
1. How does kindness relate to humility?
2. Why would it be hard to have humility in the business world?
3. To what extent do you show humility?
Humility is to make a right estimate of one’s self.”
— C. H. Spurgeon
25
April 12-16
Winston Smith T
of
Southview
Elementary
School and the Morris Avenue
Elementary School as well
as numerous expansions and
renovations of existing schools,
including the construction of the
Opelika Center for the Performing
Arts at the high school.
it
y
He served on the board of the
Opelika Chamber of Commerce,
the Opelika Arts Association,
the 1st Federal Savings &
Loan Lee County, and the First
National Bank of Opelika (now
BancorpSouth). He also was
appointed by Governor Fob
James to the Alabama Historical
Commission where he served
as vice-chairman. In addition,
he served as vice-chairman of
the Lee County Chapter of the
Salvation Army and served on
the board of the Museum of East
Alabama.
H
u
m
il
Winston Smith T graduated
from Clift High School in 1951
and then graduated with high
honors from Princeton University
where he majored in politics in
1955. After Princeton he served
in Germany as a Field Artillery
first lieutenant, then returned to
Opelika to the building-supply
business started by his father and
Opelika’s mayor described Smith
now run by his son, Dozier.
T as an outstanding citizen whose
Known as one of Opelika’s understated manner led to many
historians
and
community acts of kindness and generosity
volunteers Winston was a that were only known to the
member for 20 years on the recipient. He was certainly a true
Opelika School Board, serving gentleman, the mayor said. §
as its chairman for many years.
During his tenure, the School
Board oversaw the building
26
OHS 2009-2010
Vocabulary
Debility (noun)—weakness; incapacity
Hiatus (noun)—interruption; pause
Languid (adjective)—tired; slow
Obscured (adjective)—hidden; covered; buried
Discussion
1. Compare the humility of Smith T with that of Gore from last
week’s lesson.
2. How does John D. Rockerfeller’s quote tie into humility?
“I believe that every right implies a responsibility;
every opportunity, an obligation; every possession,
a duty.”
—John D. Rockerfeller
27
April 19-23, 2010
Joe Zaccaro
fire and flames. Add to that the sound
and speed of jet powered race cars,
40-50 foot fire balls, billowing smoke
and thundering burner pops, everyone
who witnesses them is excited and
amazed. Racers, spectators and pit
crews alike stop and watch when the
jets come to the starting line.
Zacarro
is
a
self-employed
businessman currently making his
home in Opelika, Alabama. In 1984
he bought his first jet car, Ground
Zero powered by a Westinghouse
J-34. 1990-1995 Joe was the driver
for the Lone Star Lightning and
Texas Thunder cars owned by Charlie
Hand, two of the first jets to go 300
+ M.P.H .in 4 seconds in the quarter
mile.
The Zaccaro Motorsports Race
Team is proud to present the White
Lightning and Thunderbolt Jet
Dragsters which epitomize the
aforementioned qualities. These two
cars represent the ultimate style,
design, technology and speed in the
world of jet car racing.
ti
v
a
ti
o
n
Joe Zaccaro is an ex-motorcycle
and speedboat racer. He became
interested in drag racing in 1964
starting with a front engine A-Fuel
dragster. Joe also raced AA/Fuel
Funny cars for two years and then
went back to A-Fuel and blown AA/
Fuel dragsters.
M
o
His all time top speed is 313 M.P.H.
in 4.96 seconds at Thunder Valley
Dragway in July of 1995 driving
Charlie Hand’s Lone Star Lightning
car.
The race team is the culmination of
42 years of research and development
by Joe Zaccaro and his associates.
They are listed as one of the top
rated jet competitors in the country
today. Their cars are being raced at
tracks around the country and are
consistently running in the mid to
low 5 second E.T.’s in the 285-295
M.P.H. range.
Since the evolution of jet car racing
in the early 70’s, people have been
fascinated by their explosive power, These race cars are in a long line of
28
OHS 2009-2010
high performance race cars owned
by this racing team. The White
Lightning Jet Dragster was built in
Denver, Colorado by Mark Stevens
and Joe Zaccaro in early 2008 and is
the most beautiful Jet Dragster built
to date. All the latest technology
was used to assure maximum
performance, style and speed. All you
have to do is take a look and you will
appreciate the time and dedication
that has gone into the construction
and design of these cars.
The Zaccaro Motorsports Race
Team is headquartered in Opelika,
Alabama in a 24,000 sq. ft. building
large enough to house their truck,
trailer and cars, but most importantly
affords them the room to design and
build new cars and to constantly
improve performance on existing
and upcoming cars.
Jet cars like White Lightning and
Thunderbolt , are rapidly becoming
the hottest, most sought after form
of exhibition racing at drag strips
around the world as they attract
and hold the crowds by bringing an
exciting memory making experience
to each and every race.§
Vocabulary
Poised (adjective)—calm; collected; self-possessed
Resplendent (adjective)—shining; glowing
Therapeutic (adjective)—medicinal; curative
Acuity (noun)—sharpness (mental or visual)
Discussion
1. How does Zaccaro fit the definition of motivation that you wrote for
the Jan. 5 character ed lesson?
2. What is the relationship between the motivation needed in sports and
the motivation needed in life?
“With patience and saliva, the elephant
swallows an ant.”
—Colombian Proverb
29
April 26-30, 2010
Clifford Jones
Rev. Jones received a B.S. degree in
Agriculture Education from Alcorn
State University; a Master of
Religion Education from GordonConwell Seminary in Hamilton,
Massachusetts; Master of Education
in Personnel Administration from
Tuskegee University in Tuskegee,
Alabama; and he pursued graduate
work at Billy Graham School
of Evangelism. Reverend Jones
worked for the United States
Department of Agriculture in
National Resources Conservation
prior to his retirement.
C
o
m
m
u
n
Reverend Clifford E. Jones, the
pastor of Greater Peace Baptist
located on Jeter Avenue, is the
epitome of integrity, love and
concern. His concern for the young
and those in need prompted him to
start the Greater Peace Community
Development Corporation (GPCDC)
with board members who share Rev.
Jones’ vision for affordable childcare
and housing. A man of action, Rev.
Jones and the GPCDC board
members have spearheaded the
purchase of homes in the Jeter
community and renovated them to
offer quality affordable homes for
rent and they joined in partnership
with Fred Bennett to provide
affordable new homes in Jordan
Gates for families that would not be
able to purchase them but who could
rent to own. These homes are of
the highest quality with many
amenities and the community is
designed to promote a safe
environment for children as well as
opportunities to use technology.
ic
ati
o
n
Two other projects of the GPCDC
include the Greater Peace Child
Care Center that provides affordable
child care for parents and the Youth
Leadership Academy that provides
opportunities for high school
students in Lee County to develop
leadership skills and character traits
to impact their lives as well as the
community.
30
Dedicated to improvement of the
adjoining communities of Auburn
and Opelika, Clifford Jones serves
on the Auburn School Board
and is president of Lee County
Interdenominational
Ministers
Alliance. He has also served as
president of Alabama Association
of
Community
Development
Associations; he is co-founder and
teacher for Montgomery Bible
Institute and Theology Center and
OHS 2009-2010
serves on the Board of Directors for
the Boys and Girls Club of Greater
Lee County, Salvation Army, Lee
County Red Cross, and East Alabama
Food Bank. Reverend Jones is a
charter member of People of Action
for Community Enrichment (PACE),
and chaplain for the Lee County
Sheriff Department.
Clifford Jones is married to Lillie
M. Jones and he has two children,
Clarinda Marie and Clifton Paul; and
two grandsons, James Keyshon and
Kylin Christopher. Although he is
very busy with community projects,
Clifford enjoys fishing, golfing,
racquetball, classical music and
simply helping people.§
Vocabulary
Braggart (noun)—someone who boasts
Debunk (verb)—expose false claims or myths
Epitomized (adjective)—typified; characterized; personified
Hidebound (adjective)—rigid in opinions
Discussion
1. Why is communication an important skill?
2. How does Rev. Jones communicate love for people in Opelika?
“We have two ears to hear both sides”
—Noah benShea
31
May 3-7, 2010
Dr. Annie Wyatt
Dr. Annie Arnold Wyatt was
an educator for more than 40
years serving the children of
her community as assistant
superintendent,
director
of
instruction, and principal for
Opelika City Schools prior to her
retirement. She also served as a
principal, library media specialist
and teacher in Russell County.
in a board meeting. Because of
her patient personality, principals
were comfortable talking to her.
Dr. Wyatt is also active in the
community. She works with
several organizations including the
Opelika Chamber of Commerce,
the Opelika Historic Preservation
Board, and the Foundation Board
for the Achievement Center. She
devotes much of her time to the
programs of her church, Greater
Peace Baptist Church. All of her
activities have a concern for other
people as a common factor.
ce
Graduating from Mother Mary
Mission High School in Phenix
City, Dr. Wyatt received a B.S.
degree from Tuskegee University,
M.Ed. degree from Georgia
State University, and Ed.D. from
Auburn University.
P
ati
e
n
Wyatt has served area youth as a
board member with both the Boys
and Girls Clubs of Greater Lee
County and the National Youth
Sports Program Board at Auburn
University. During her career, she
worked with universities as well as
the state and federal governments
in all aspects of education.
Her gift, though, is working with
individuals, making each person
feel special. She could deal
with a five-year-old kicking and
screaming and then go consult with
an angry parent. She would finish
the day making a presentation
32
The Girls Scouts recognized
Wyatt as a Distinguished
Alumnus at Auburn University’s
Centennial Celebration of the
Admission of Women, a Woman
of Achievement. She was also one
OHS 2009-2010
of the recipients of the Hometown Family is very important to
High Achiever Award in Phenix Wyatt so she spends time reading,
City in 2001.
cooking, vacationing and spending
quality time with her children and
Dr. Wyatt is the widow of Willie grandchildren.
Wyatt and is mother to two sons,
Fred and Bryan Primm. Through “If she counts you as a friend,”
marriage she has seven children says Susan Bruce, “your life is a
and twenty-two grandchildren. lot better.Ӥ
Vocabulary
Languish (verb)—decay; fade away; get weaker
Polemical (adjective)—causing debate or argument
Thwart (verb)—prevent; frustrate
Adamant (adjective)—forceful; inflexible
Discussion
1. How has patience been an asset to Dr. Wyatt?
2. What are some specific ways you can show patience as an OHS
student?
“Failure is success if we learn from it.”
—Malcolm Forbes
33
May 10-14, 2010
Nancy Parker
recorder and a dream.
e
lf
-R
e
Nancy Parker’s affair with New
Orleans began when she was about
12 years old. Her parents attended
a convention and brought her
along. She found the texture of the
place mesmerizing. As she and her
family left, she remembers looking
back longingly at this wonderfully
exciting and curious place. She
didn’t know then that this city would
become her home.
sp
e
c
t
In 1988, she graduated with a major
in Journalism from the University of
Alabama in Tuscaloosa where she
served on the School of Journalism’s
Alumni Advisory Board and
received several journalism honors,
the most recent being recognized
as a Distinguished Journalism
Professional.
Her
broadcast
aspirations began to unfold. First
she was a reporter/photographer
at WTVM in Columbus, Georgia;
then she went to WSFA TV in
Montgomery. Next, she spent
six years working at WAFB in
Baton Rouge. She was there when
Hurricane Andrew decided to pay
Louisiana a visit.
S
As a native of Opelika, Alabama, the
southern charm of New Orleans was
not far from her roots. Her curiosity
about life and events made news her
automatic calling. She started her
broadcast career as a high school
senior. She landed a job doing
evening drive news at WJHO, a
local AM radio station. She juggled
school events while covering news
in the evenings with a little tape
34
In 1996 she signed on to WVUE
in New Orleans. The same little
girl, who was sad to leave New
Orleans almost 20 years earlier,
put down roots there. The time
she has spent there has given her
experiences beyond her wildest
dreams. She was honored to cover
Pope John Paul the II’s St. Louis
visit in 1999. Traveling to Rome for
the canonization of St. Katherine
Drexel was also a highlight. In 2006
she was one of only four gulf coast
reporters invited to the White House
for a one-on-one interview with
President George W. Bush on the
Katrina Recovery.
OHS 2009-2010
The stories she loves most are
the ones packed with emotion,
stories that can change lives.
When her colleague Bob Breck’s
wife Paula died, Parker told their
story and to increase awareness
about the dangers of blood clots.
A documentary on the subject
later won an Edward R. Murrow
Award. A story of descendents of
slaves buying the plantation that
their ancestors built in St. John
Parish, an account of lives coming
full circle, won an Emmy Award.
years on the board of Big Brothers
Big Sisters; she has worked with
the organization Dress for Success
that gives women suits to restart
their lives in new employment. She
loves working with the Beautiful
Foundation, that gives self esteem
to young girls, and she gives school
talks every opportunity she can.
Also, she is committed to the fight
against Breast Cancer, and does
whatever the local American Cancer
Society asks. Her mom Patsy Parker
is a 14-year survivor.§
She enjoys being active in her
community. She has served three
Vocabulary
Brawny (adjective)—muscular
Equivocate (verb)—speak ambiguously; avoid telling the truth
Obsession (noun)—a dominating concern
Ponderous (adjective)—weighty; slow and heavy
Discussion
1. What are the qualities that make up self-respect
2. How is self-respect related to success?
“You will never be the person you can be if pressure,
tension, and discipline are taken out of your life.”
—James G. Billay
35
Notes
36