Mountie Stadium Renamed

Whitey Smith Honored For Supporting Youth

— Mountie Stadium has a new name.

Whitey Smith was honored Tuesday night for the more than $1 million he has raised for Rogers youth through his chicken cooks. Rogers School Board members voted to name the stadium after Smith, a 50-year fixture of Saturday morning chicken cooked in a pit at the corner of Second and Locust streets. This year Smith and his crew cooked donated chicken 40 times for athletic teams, school and civic clubs to sell as fundraisers.

At A Glance

Smart Core requirements*:

• English, four units

• Oral communication, half unit

• Mathematics, four units to include Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and either pre-calculus, calculus, trigonometry, statistics, Algebra III or advanced placement mathematics

• Natural science, three units with lab with options of physical science, biology, chemistry or physics

• Social studies, three units — world and U.S. history are required, but students have the option of a unit of civics or a mix of a half unit of civics and half unit of economics

• Physical education, the state requires a half unit; Rogers requires a full unit

• Health and safety, half unit

• Fine arts, half unit

• Career focus, six units

"*" Rogers requires 24 credits to graduate instead of the state’s requirement of 22.

Source: Staff Report

Team affiliations, whether Mounties, War Eagles or any of the other groups are all important to him, said Lisa Anderson, a board member.

Smith received a standing ovation when the board announced the honor.

Jackets zipped up to their chins, members of Whitey’s Chicken Cookin’ Crew waited for the announcement before revealing their blue T-shirts emblazoned with a picture of the stadium at Rogers High School and the words “Whitey Smith Stadium.”

“I appreciate it dearly,” Smith said as he headed outside to celebrate.

Smith and his crew volunteer in all weather, said Jerry Carmichael, board president.

“It was time,” Carmichael said after the meeting.

Administrators called Rogers Principal Robert Moore last week to clear the name change. Moore said he could not think of a person more deserving of the honor.

Smith is known for the phrase, “It’s always about the kids,” Moore said.

“If he would have spoke tonight that’s what he would have said,” Moore said.

In other business, the board passed two policies that will turn up in high school course catalogs this spring. Board members voted to approve changes to core classes needed for graduation and Smart Core changes and changed an academic guarantee policy.

Prior to this year, students had the option of taking a two-year algebra class and a two-year geometry class. Now there are three state-required classes: Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II. Rogers, however, requires four units of math in high school, so students will have to select a fourth class, said Phil Eickstaedt, executive director of secondary curriculum and instruction.

“You don’t want to not take math for a year before going to college or into the work force,” Eickstaedt said. “They miss practicing math.”

A second change gives students the option of mixing a half credit of civics with a half credit of economics, although the full credit of civics will still be offered for the next year.

Core graduation requirements could change to more closely mirror Smart Core because of new Common Core standards, Eickstaedt said. Common Core standards will be implemented in high schools this fall, but state requirements are still fluid.

Students moving forward will not have the option to take the old algebra and geometry courses, but there are no plans to remove those credits from their academic record, Eickstaedt said.

“This should not affect any student not being able to graduate or not being able to get Smart Core,” Eickstaedt said.

A second policy change means students who request the district to pay for remedial college classes through the academic guarantee will now have to demonstrate that they took an ACT preparatory program to bring up their test scores. No student has ever attempted to take the district up on the offer, which requires an ACT score of 19 or above.

The board also heard from 10 volleyball parents, students and several former players at Rogers High School who said they had quit the program in frustration. One graduate broke into tears saying she could no longer enjoys the game; several complained about infighting.

Board members referred the matter back to the administration.

Moore, principal at the school said the administration is working to make sure the volleyball program meets the needs and expectations of all students.

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