7/27/2019 Letter to the Editor, Ruston Daly Leader Jan 12 2014

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The following is myLetter to the Editor printed in the Sunday Jan 12 edition of the Ruston DailyLeader:

Regarding the Thursday, January 9 story "GSU: Lab Schools Do Have Heaters", !ould lie tores#ond to the co$$ents o% &ill Sutton, Director o% 'ublic Relations at Gra$bling StateUniversity ( since his state$ents taen verbati$ %ro$ the co$$ents section o% the )*+

!ebsite co$#rised the $a-ority o% the article. /r. Sutton said, "there are only t!o classroo$sthat have heat issues." 0et the school #urchased t!elve s#ace heaters ( si1 %or each school ( touse in the classroo$s and hall!ays. t2s #u33ling ho! the schools did not have heat issues inthe $a-ority o% the$ but bought these heaters to use in the classroo$s and "colder than nor$al"hall!ays. 4nd !hat !as the reason given %or the hall!ays being colder than nor$al5 The articleneither ass nor tells us. Ho! cold !as "colder than nor$al"5 The article neither ass nor tellsus. &e no! the !eather outside got into the teens, 67s, and 87s highs o% 8 and 8; /ondayand Tuesday< during the %irst #art o% the !ee. /r. Sutton hi$sel% ( in a nice tangent that told usnothing about conditions inside the lab schools or the !el%are o% students in classes ( detailedhi$sel% ho! harsh the !eather has been all over the country. So that $ight give us so$e cluesas to ho! to begin to ans!er these unased =uestions.

4ccording to the *ational De#art$ent o% nergy, "S$all s#ace heaters are ty#ically used !henthe $ain heating syste$ is inade=uate or !hen central heating is too costly to install or o#erate.n so$e cases, s$all s#ace heaters can be less e1#ensive to use i% you only !ant to heat oneroo$ or su##le$ent inade=uate heating in one roo$." So !ere the $ain heating syste$s atGra$bling High School and Gra$bling /iddle /agnet inade=uate5 &ere they "too costly" torun5 So$ething else5 4gain, the article neither ass these and other< =uestions nor gives usthe ans!ers directly. +ne thing !e do no! %ro$ 0+UR state$ents, /r. Sutton, is these s#aceheaters !ere not used to heat -ust one roo$> at least t!o roo$s and entire hall!ays !ere to beheated !ith these by your con%ession. That2s a lot o% o#en s#ace to cover ( even %or hal% a do3enheaters #er school.

The article su$$ari3ed /r. Sutton2s assess$ent o% the student2s e$ail about conditions at the

schools as "overin%lated." /aybe it is the ad$inistration2s esti$ation o% their service to thestudents that has been overin%lated. /aybe !e should dig dee#er and not -ust tae /r. Sutton2s

!ord %or it they2ve got this handled, es#ecially !hen so$ething so valuable is at stae.

!ill give credit to /r. Sutton that the university and lab schools are in need o% %inancial su##ortand hel# !ith %acilities issues. +ur schools continue to deal !ith cuts that challenge their abilityto serve their #ur#ose. t shortchanges the ids and the #ublic as !hole because !e !ould allbene%it %ro$ the$ getting the best education #ossible in an environ$ent conducive to that end.That is a genuine concern. Since you are asing %or donations, /r. Sutton, #art o% your -ob asDirector o% 'ublic Relations should be to assure staeholders su##ort they o%%er !ill be used tothe best to serve the students2 needs. Right no!, 2$ not even con%ident you and thead$inistration no! !hat those needs are, let alone ho! to $eet the$. Sho! us other!ise,

#lease.

ho#e the ne1t ti$e so$eone runs an article o% your online co$$ents it !ill be because you didsho! us other!ise and !e !ill be saluting your great !or. 4nd loo %or!ard our ?ourth stateinvestigating and u#dating us on this #rogress, as there is so $uch at stae.

Joi @had!ic