Dec. 3, 2003

By Staff
Croom: Give him a chance
To the editor:
Mississippi has a wonderful opportunity to erase the negative stereotype is has in regards to its position and treatment of people who are not white. Sylvester Croom has accepted the head coaching job at Mississippi State and he is going to need support. He is taking on new territory and will be watched closely as the first black coach in the SEC.
As many sports broadcasters have stated, Jackie Sherrill does not leave a team that does not have a chance of returning to what was. As I watched ESPN Classic and saw Mississippi State beat Mississippi in 1999, it brought tears to my eyes and a longing for us to become a powerhouse in the SEC once again.
In sum, Croom is going to need support as would any new coach. All I ask is give him a chance.
Cleveland Hayes
Salt Lake City, Utah
Knights driven by love for students
To the editor:
I had the privilege of being a student in Denise Knight's homeroom when I was in sixth grade, and still nervous from transferring to a new school (it was only my second year at Southeast). She made me feel welcomed, important and showed me how much fun learning can be.
My best friend while in school was her niece, and I often found myself calling Mr. and Mrs. Knight, Uncle Joey and Aunt Denise. It was because of Mrs. Knight that I entered and won my very first school science fair, and even made it as far as the state competition. I can remember making cinnamon gingerbread ornaments, playing "The Oregon Trail" on the computer, and making crossword puzzles with my spelling words. Those are the memories that fueled my desire to be a teacher, and those are the memories that make me doubt what Mr. and Mrs. Knight are accused of.
I do not agree with the accusations and refuse to believe that the Knights are guilty of anything. If they are guilty of one thing, it's of loving kids and wanting to infuse the love of education in them as they did in me.
Stacey M. Carr
Meridian
Customer finds true service at local pharmacy
To the editor:
It is my contention that we are living in an age where courtesy and good service are rare commodities. I cannot count the number of times I've encountered clerks, waiters, tellers, receptionists, etc. who were disinterested, impolite and downright rude.
As a matter of fact, many times people in the service industry act as though customers are bothering them, and they do not fail to make customers aware that they resent the intrusion. Well, the pharmacy I use for my prescription medicine is an exception to the all too often rule of poor service.
The store has a drive-through window, which is typical of this instant age in which we live; however, if you think that this lessens the service they provide, you could not be further from the truth.
My daughter recently had surgery and the hospital asked where we wanted our prescription filled. I promptly and proudly replied, "Eckerd's at College Park." My daughter reminded me, as she often does, that this was not a reasonable answer in that I live within "spitting" distance of several other drug stores. The following account should create an accurate picture of why I use Eckerd's at College Park.
As I approached the counter, the pharmacist, Mr. Cheatham, called out a pleasant, "Hello, I'll be with you in a minute." As I waited, a customer arrived at the drive-through window, and Ms. Dianne, the pharmacy technician, retrieved the customer's prescription. Mr. Cheatham walked to the window to give some additional advice about keeping the medicine in the refrigerator and watching for allergic reactions. He also wanted to know if the customer knew that this was not an ordinary dosage. Once he was satisfied with the customer's understanding of the particulars, he apologized for the time he had taken, asked her to have a good day, and asked her to come again.
Good service? I'd say so. And guess what, this is par for the course. When it was my turn to be served, the staff was just as diligent and treated me equally well. We talked a bit about medicine, allergic reactions, basketball, school, country roads and people we all knew.
Thanks to the entire staff at Eckerd's at College Park for retaining the basic tenets of quality service and customer appreciation. Although gas prices are inflated and the buying power of my money decreases with each paycheck. I'll continue patronizing an out-of-my-way drugstore that believes in courtesy.
Kathi Wilson
DeKalb