Word Power
Speech therapy: Joe Miller’s series on the lack of compassion of the MSHSAA resonated with me (“War of Words,” May 1, and “Word War 2,” May 8). During my senior year at Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, Kansas, the principal used a mandate from the corresponding Kansas high school-regulating organization to disqualify me from debate and the National Honor Society. This was because I remained a member of a high school fraternity, which the regulators had decided was unacceptable. The girls loved our formal parties, and I wasn’t about to cave in to some knucklehead regulators who really weren’t that interested in the students they were supposed to be helping.
These organizations have had the attitude he described for decades. (My experience was during the 1950-1951 school year.) These misguided outfits should either be abolished or reformed in Missouri and Kansas.
P.S.: I still managed to graduate from KU and Harvard Law School.
James F. Duncan
Olathe
Word view: I want to thank Joe Miller for his “Word War” articles. I am a seventh-grade teacher in the Kansas City area. Urban students face many challenges, both in and out of school, and I appreciate it when students excel in their lives and their educational careers are noticed.
In addition, the verbal applause Miller gave to Jane Rinehart in his article was both necessary and refreshing. I am a member of the Greater Kansas City Writing Project, as is Jane, and I worked with her in the past through the GKCWP. Her dedication was apparent then and is even more apparent as he wrote about the fight she is dealing with for her students. In a society where teachers are left out of important decisions concerning education and then blamed for student failure, and where teacher-student success is not always recognized (especially in urban environments), it was a beautiful thing to have Jane’s and Marcus’ (and the Central debate team’s) situation not only spoken of well but spoken of at all.
Elizabeth Faherty
Kansas City, Missouri
Westside story: I am a junior at Westside High School. I debate Lincoln-Douglas, the type of debate that Marcus doesn’t. Westside hosts one of the most prestigious tournaments in the Midwest every year.
About Marcus and Brandon: I first met the KCC varsity policy team about a year and a half ago, when they stayed at my house during the Westside tournament. Leo, Donnell, Brandon and Marcus all slept in my basement. I have seen them off and on throughout the year, but they weren’t able to come to our tournament due to their activities association, as I’m sure you are well aware of. I was disappointed not to see them all because other than being excellent debaters, they are all genuinely nice guys.
The varsity policy debaters on the Westside team would never admit this, but the KCC debaters are some of the only competitive teams at the local tournaments. Some two-year-out varsity policy debaters find local tournaments frivolous because it is such an easy piece of hardware for them.
Marcus and Brandon deserved to go to the TOC. I hope that just because their chance passed them by, you all won’t give up trying to change the rule.
Anna Everitt
Omaha, Nebraska
Small talk: I just read Joe Miller’s “Word War 2,” and I’d like to say that the travesty perpetrated on our young intellectuals is an outrage to all intelligent people (by this I am not referring to the majority of the human race).
“Anger may be foolish and absurd, and a man may be irritated when in the wrong, but a man is never outraged unless he is in some way at the bottom, right.” — Victor Hugo, Les Miserables.
Michael Bottoms
Lee’s Summit
Funny Faces
Freak out: First, this e-mail is late (working three jobs does that to you). Just wanted to drop a line and tell you that you guys are FREAKIN’ NUTS! AND I LOVE IT!
Gregory Weinkauf’s review of the movie Narc had tears in my eyes from laughing so dang hard (“Straining Day,” January 9). His review resembles what the hell is going on in Washington. (Especially between Bush and Maddass … oops! I meant Saddism. No, it’s Saddass. Oh well, take your pick, for they all fit!)
And what funny-ass planet did you get Jen Chen from! Don’t send her back, ‘cuz we here on this jacked-up planet need crazy-ass aliens like her.
Ed Hendricks
Kansas City, Missouri
Breakfast Club
Incredible edible egg: Regarding Charles Ferruzza’s “Moving on Up” (May 8): Like many former KC folks, there are a few obligatory stops we make every time we come home to KC: Bryants for barbecue, Kelly’s for a beer and Cascone’s for breakfast.
Frank, George, Lou Ann and staff do a great job, but more important, the food speaks for itself. As eggs are my business, I am critical most times of how people cook them. If anyone can find a better breakfast than Cascone’s two eggs over easy with Italian sausage, hash browns and red sauce with Roma toast, I’d sure appreciate them telling me. I would put their breakfasts up against any breakfast I’ve had in my many years of travel. Paris has nothing on the Northendor Cascone’s, and Rome has lost the art of breakfast in comparison.
Congrats to a great family.
Dean Hughson
Fountain Hills, Arizona
Soldier On
Whistling Dixie: Regarding David Cantwell’s piece on the Dixie Chicks (“Travelin’ Soldiers,” May 8): Great piece — best commentary I’ve read to date about this debacle.
Sarah Gonzales
Los Angeles
Over It
Overstep by step: Thank you for giving some well-deserved press to one of Kansas City’s hardest working bands, Overstep (Hear and Now, May 8). I would choose different words to describe some aspects of Overstep’s sound than “forgettable,” “jagged,” “overactive” and “hiccuping”; however, I don’t object to Geoff Harkness’ attempt at explaining an admittedly busy and somewhat harsh listen to the masses.
My objection with Mr. Harkness’ review lies with the glaring inaccuracy of his comparisons to Shiner. Overstep has an off-center raw sound with a distinctive hint of rockabilly roots. Despite the highly subjective nature of describing music, the word rockabilly would certainly never come to anyone’s mind after hearing a Shiner song.
Had an unfair comparison (as all band comparisons are inherently unfair and inaccurate) seemed absolutely necessary to Mr. Harkness, it would have been far more veracious to suggest that Overstep has more sonic and stylistic elements in common with former area rockers such as Giant’s Chair or Boy’s Life.
Finally, his suggesting that “Overstep seems to be trying to fill the void that was created when Shiner split up [in 2003]” with this 2001 release and their frequent live appearances since is surely among the most preposterous missteps ever written by a Pitch writer about any musical performers.
Mark Cuthbertson
Shawnee
Overstepping: Is Geoff Harkness just trying to attract attention to himself by dissing one of Kansas City’s better bands? What does it take to write two paragraphs about a year-old EP that totally trashes it?
To print such a harsh, personally directed review is not a good representation of your magazine’s standings in our already struggling attempt to have a music scene that cares what is going on outside of its tight, close-knit circles. Not that it is your responsibility, but you are the only magazine that has consistently reported news of the local music community, so in a way you have assumed this accountability.
For their genre, Overstep are heading in a very positive, productive direction and give our sound a good name while representing us out of town. The Shiner comparison says everything about Mr. Harkness’ knowledge, or lack thereof, of local bands. Shiner is not the forefather of the “KC sound” — only its most widely accepted prophet/purveyor.
There are other ways to say “I’m not interested in your little, one-town tag rag or its readers. I would rather be reviewing bands like Chimaira or Godsmack (who I also don’t like) for some national glossy magazine that pays me more money.” Which is OK. I don’t hate you for wanting more money or recognition; just don’t take your pent-up aggression out on us on your way to rock familiarity, journalism star.
John Westermann
Kansas City, Kansas
