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Old 07-28-2013, 07:58   #22
Richard
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NorCal
Posts: 15,370
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peregrino View Post
Just remember - this is all being pushed by the same people who thought the school Debate Team deserved the same Varsity Letter as the Football Team.
I miss the point. Although I do not agree with all that seems to be happening with the on-going gender wars, I am one of those who believe those who represent a school in interscholastic competition on a sponsored academic team do, in fact, deserve the same "Varsity Letter" as those who represent the school in interscholastic athletic competition.

The "Varsity Letter" is awarded students who represent the school while competing in extracurricular activities - whether academic (debate, robotics, academic decathalon, etc) or athletic - and perform to a specified standard for a specified period of time.

The letter is a symbol of having risen to the challenge, and there are specific pins which are attached to the letter to show the activity in which one excelled. For example, crossed rifles for either JROTC drill team or marksmanship team, a tennis racquet for tennis team, a megaphone for cheerleading, a gavel for mock trial competition, etc. Many schools also use a sew-on patch with a year to indicate sports participation - e.g., a small football or basketball or winged foot sewn on the jacket's sleeve with the year for each year the student played and earned letter recognition in the sport.

Many schools - and we were one - also allow faculty to purchase "varsity letter jackets" for wear to such extracurricular competitions as a show of (1) pride in their students and school as well as (2) recognition of their role in "coaching" (mentoring) them and its importance to their academic and extracurricular success.

Just my $.02 to consider.

Richard
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“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)… There are just some kind of men who – who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.” - To Kill A Mockingbird (Atticus Finch)

“Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.” - Robert Heinlein
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