To Whom It May Concern,

My name is Haley Wilson Cutler, I was a student at Logan High School from August 2003 to June 2007. In that time, I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in a number different extracurricular activities including Chauntaires, Crimson Colony, musicals (both Good News in Nov. '05 and 42nd Street in Nov. '06), cheerleading, and seminary council, as well as take a number of concurrent classes and AP English. I was recently made aware of Pat Hansen's and the school district's decision in no longer allowing students to participate in musical and either the drill team or spirit squad.

Limiting a student's participation in extracurricular activities is a huge mistake. I understand the difficulty that the district must be feeling with new state requirements for graduation, with even more time now required in core classes such as English, math, and science, and it must be difficult for students to fit in any kind of electives. However, just setting the problem to the side and not completely addressing student's benefits from extra curricular activities is not the best way to handle it.

To not allow your girls to participate in both musical and spirit squad or drill team is not only limiting these young girl's talent, but if you don't set the same requirements on boy student athletes, it is also sexist. I suspect you must realize that if you set the same requirements on the football team or on the band members, you'd end up leading an all-girl cast, as boys are less likely to choose musical over football. How many girls are you forcing to make a very difficult decision, one that they shouldn't even have to make? Those girls put in just as much time as football players, they attend every game, and invest just as much physical and emotional energy into their sport as the football players. If you are going to limit our state competitive hi-los, you should also set limits on our state competitive Grizzly football.

Ever since I watched my sister perform in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in Nov. '98, I knew that Logan High School, Mitzi Mecham, and Randy Smith set a high standard to produce top-quality musicals, something that I consider a great tradition at LHS. I ask you to consider the quality of past musicals- The Wizard of Oz, South Pacific, Anything Goes, and 42nd Street. One thing that made those performances so great was that they were open for everyone to participate in. What kind of quality shows will be produced now? Will it be honoring the great tradition that Logan High held for ten years?

Participating in a number of extracurricular activities has made me feel like a more well-rounded person. I take great pride in all that I was able to accomplish in my short four years. I always looked forward to my daughter one day experiencing all that I did. As a future concerned parent, as someone who enjoys both dancing and singing, as a Grizzly, I beg you to reconsider your decision sooner than later, and find a solution that can benefit everyone involved.


** This is an email that was sent to both the school district and Pat Hansen. If you feel strong enough to voice your opinion on the matter, here are the email addresses.

Pat Hansen: patricia.hansen@loganschools.org
School District: marshal.garrett@loganschools.org

Memo to Self...

When you decide to make a Potato-Bacon Torte courtesy of Melissa d'Arabian...

A) Make sure you actually have a PIE PAN. (Hope that cake pan works out!) :)
B) Make sure you have a big enough food processor so that when you attempt to make pastry dough, there's room for all of it!
C) Instead of praying that you weren't supposed to spray the pan, just spray it to make sure.
D) Don't start it when you're starving. It takes too long. Just order a pizza and try it tomorrow.
E) Check to make sure you have a full cup of butter, so you don't have to substitute eight butter chips for one stick.

I have approximately 30 minutes left until I pull my first torte out of the oven... I started the day make pastry dough, which I felt was successful and I was feeling like Wonder Woman. Now... well, now, my pinkies are crossed. Hope it works out!