I'm a student at Starr's Mill, and I'm writing this letter in response to all of the complaints printed about Starr's Mill not deserving their own high quality stadium.

The fact is, it is only fair that Starr's Mill gets a nice new stadium that is better than, or at least equal to the stadiums of McIntosh, Fayette, and Sandy Creek. When those schools were built, they all got what was considered at the time a "state of the art" or "high quality" stadium. So why can't we?

I would especially like to respond to a letter written by Mr. Tom Dunn of Peachtree City.

First off, Mr. Dunn wrote a letter about how Starr's Mill has this awesome gym, wrestling room, and ooh! even a nice weight room! He claimed that it is unfair that we have such a nice athletic training area, and McIntosh is stuck with a "small" weight room, and a shabby stadium/school and what not. Then, poor Sandy Creek has to use a hallway for their weight training area.

Well, sorry, sir, but I would expect that any school that is brand new would have a nice, big weight room. If Sandy Creek doesn't like their little hallway weight room, maybe they should have used their brains in designing the place, and actually included a weight room in the plans.

As far as our "indoor track," I wouldn't exactly call it that. It is not the accurate 400 meters that a regular track is. It is more of a walkway than a track. Our track team had to practice their 100-meter dash in our school hallways last year because our indoor track is not the accurate distance. As far as I know, it is used for PE classes, basketball and volleyball spectators, and the occasional people power walking or jogging to keep in shape.

As far as the wrestling room, well, I've seen the wrestlers practice in it many times. During the school day when the wrestlers aren't using it, my aerobics class uses it. And if the dance team uses it sometimes, well hey! We've actually found three uses for that wrestling room!

Now, Mr. Dunn poses the question, "How would you feel if your child were being sent to a school whose facilities are inferior in every way to the new school?"

My sister is a senior at McIntosh, and she has no problem with their athletic facilities. The reason that Starr's Mill has better athletic facilities is because, once again, we are a new school. Why would they build a new school and make it have crappy facilities? Well, excluding the fact that we have no stadium, soccer field, or baseball field....

So, if McIntosh is in such dire need of upgrades, where has all of that booster club money been going? You've been a school for 18-some-odd years, so you've had plenty of time to raise a few bucks for repairs to your athletic facilities.

The more you parents whine, complain, and argue about this, the more time and money we are wasting. If we start building the stadium now, we might be able to get it finished for our upcoming football season (Go, Panthers!).

The class of 2000 will be graduating next year. McIntosh will be graduating in their nice little stadium that has bathrooms, and even an announcer's booth!

Where will Starr's Mill's charter class be graduating? Tiger Stadium? Wow, what memories.... graduating in a stadium that isn't even for your school.