Leslie’s Accusation Taints Morningside Academic Record

I was recently shocked, offended and appalled by an article that appeared in your newspaper (Aug. 23). The article was about former Morningside High basketball star Lisa Leslie and her accusation that Morningside’s faculty and curriculum left her grossly unprepared for the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Leslie stated that the teachers were to blame (but of course not Frank Scott, her beloved coach) and were not doing their jobs. Because of this and other factors, coaches have been forced to reapply for their jobs while adhering to new district standards.

When I read this article my heart sank. First of all, Leslie was a sophomore when I was a senior at Morningside, and I always had admired her athletic as well as academic ability. But any remaining admiration I had for her flew out the window. I am a graduating senior majoring in biology/pre-med at Tuskegee University in Alabama. I hold a 3.4 cumulative grade-point average and will be entering medical school next fall. During my years at Morningside, I cheered for all four years, participated in student council for three years and was Miss Morningside my senior year. So I, too, balanced academics with extra-curricular activities while in high school.

As a high school junior I scored 980 on the SAT with no problem. I am one of four children, all of whom graduated from Morningside and all of whom scored more than Leslie’s simple goal of 700 out of 1,600 on the first try at taking the SAT. I speak for many Morningside graduates when I say that the education offered at Morningside is ideal, and it does prepare students not only for the SAT but for college as well. My inspiration to pursue a career in medicine stems from the attention and instruction given to me by my freshman biology teacher at Morningside, Patricia Richardson . . . and the list goes on and on.

For Lisa Leslie to turn her back on Morningside like this is inexcusable. What is also impossible to accept is the lack of discipline and preparation on Leslie’s part academically that caused her to be unsuccessful (in her first two tries) to score 700 on the SAT. Her problem was not being able to retain information given to her by excellent faculty, and because of this she paid the price. Leslie was irresponsible to blame others for her failure.

It is no secret that Morningside is not located in Pacific Palisades or Bel-Air. But just because Morningside’s student population is predominantly African-American and Hispanic and the school is located in the inner city does not make it any less of a school academically, nor does it indicate that the teachers care any less.

I was once so proud of Leslie that I kept a poster of her from USC on my bedroom wall while here at Tuskegee. That poster is now circularly filed, along with any respect I had for someone who would stoop so low as to turn her back on what was once her home. For those who read Leslie’s unfair slander of Morningside, I hope you can now see that Morningside is not only a track school or a basketball school. It is also an academic school where doctors, lawyers and leaders are produced as well as athletes.

KIMBERLY D. DRAPER

Morningside class of 1988