CAITLYN MCDOWELL | STAFF EDITOR
In the opinion piece “Under-appreciated Artists,” published in Volume 31 Issue 3 of The Edition, Shannon Ford wrote, “I don’t think any other activity, including sports, can say they’ve spent [over 12 hours] at school in one day without leaving and returning.” An examination of the facts shows that on a game day, football players may spend an estimated 16 hours at school and with the team. Ford also states that “athletes can get to school at the same time as everyone else,” which may be true during off-season. However, during season, many athletes come to school before zero hour for conditioning, especially the wrestling, swim, and football teams.
The Edition staff and editors acknowledge the hurt feelings resulting from this opinion piece. We also acknowledge the significance at this situation. Students at La Cueva: athletes, musicians, artists, and the general school body should support one another. To bring one group up, someone else does not have to be brought down.
As an athlete at this school for the past four years, the tension between the support from athletics and other activities has only grown. However, if any school team is having a troublesome season, we should be quick to encourage them in their pursuit of success. Not everyone can understand the difficulties that each activity will bring, but that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t admire it. Hours spent in work or practice are particular to the activity, and don’t need to be compared. Although my days at La Cueva are almost up, I do hope to see a more supportive atmosphere in the future of the school. A place where people chose to pursue what they wish and are not only accepted, but encouraged to follow their interests, no matter what they are.
The Edition Online 
Even though she has every right to her opinion, everything that is published should be fact-checked, and that’s not all the editor’s fault. The writer should have started with accurate facts. It’s also the editor’s job to assure that the piece was not all ranting and hating on the athletes.
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Have you read the article? It isn’t all ranting about the athletes. The main focus of the article is that the school’s artists work just as hard as the athletes do, yet they don’t receive nearly as much credit for their activities. The author mentions that the athletes deserve their praise in the first line of her article, she’s just trying to point out the shadow sports cast over the other activities at school, especially fine arts.
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Yet, that is not the exact point in this. I understand that these students in the fine arts program work as hard as they do and put in as many hours. It just needed to be fact checked probably a couple of more times. I am not restricting Ford of any right. She is entitled to her opinion, yet facts are still of importance.
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If the editorial staff felt so strongly about this article, maybe they should have reviewed it before it was published in the paper. Isn’t that in the editor’s job description? No more bullying the copy writer.
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I can fully with this. I think an argument of the editorial staff being concerned about the article in the first place should be discussed.
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I can fully agree with this. I think an argument of the editorial staff being concerned about the article in the first place should be discussed.
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It was an opinion piece. She’s entitled to her opinion. Whatever happened to freedom of speech/press? [Comment edited.]
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Will Shannon Ford be removed from the Edition staff after this blunder? Or was it just an honest mistake?
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