LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Submitted January 14, 2023
Posted January 19, 2023
Dear Editor:
Our Granddaughter Olivia Garren is a 7th grader at T.J.H.S. Like many junior high Students this week she was excited to have the opportunity to try out for the THS Spring Musical.
Tryouts were opened to both high school and jr. high school students with no caveats listed limiting roles. They were told they could try out for any role they wished.
Olivia tied out on Tuesday and was given a “call back” along with two other girls on Thursday regarding the role of Annie.
Yesterday at the High School Choir Room Kathy Fergin and Mr. Chase, directors of the play, announced to a room full of students and adults the cast of the upcoming Spring Musical Annie. Oliva was given the role of “Annie”.
Last evening a video as well as a list of the cast was also posted on Facebook.
This morning my daughter and son in law received a phone call from Kathy Fergin saying that she is being “forced” by Principal Matt Hutchison and Superintendent Chris Doughertry to remove Olivia from the lead ‘Annie’ role and give it to the understudy who is a high school student because she and her parents are not happy. Now let me also mention that said student’s father is a teacher at THS.
Why even bother to hire a play director and waste their time if the principal and superintendent
want to cast the roles of the play. How pathetic is it that a girl doesn’t get what SHE feels she deserves so we’ll just do it the ‘good old underhanded, good old boy backdoor way’!
Why doesn’t Matt Hutchison and Chris Dougherty choose the team members for football, basketball, volleyball, track, baseball, soccer, and any other activities. They could save the district a ton of money.
My point being IT IS NOT THEIR JOB TO STICK THEIR NOSES IN where disgruntled students and parents who can’t deal with not being chosen reside.
The principle and superintendent are educators. The duty of educators is to teach. What are they teaching with this decision. If you lose the game, just change the rules after the game is over. You educators get a grade of F-.
Skip and Marlane Miller
Taylorville
