The Observation Deck

While at the middle school boundary meeting today I was struck that they mentioned that all middle school students in Lakewood will be attending new middle schools. I didn't think that seemed quite right. The buildings might be new but the institution of Harding Middle School is not at all new.

Is it time to rename Harding Middle School? Garfield Middle School is a new school, since it previously was a elementary school. Will Harding really seem like a new middle school if it retains the old name?

Kate,

The point you raise is certainly interesting, and there are merits to it. President Harding's administration was apparently controversial, to say the least. I can think of many other presidents whom I would prefer to have a school named for.

But,

I went to Harding, as did thousands of other Lakewoodites.

Dad taught at Harding, and wrote "The Harding March". Harding was a respected school statewide for its music programs, as well as many other stellar students and achievements. The school has a great history.

School spirit dies hard, and so, by the way, do school mascot names. Those of us involved with the Native American community will tell you how hard it is even to get a school to abandon its Native American mascot names. To our credit, I do not think that we have any of those in Lakewood.

Yes, school spirit dies hard.

I would think that you'd hear a huge hue and cry, if you were to try to get the new Harding's name changed. Of course, I may be wrong. The older I get, the more change I see. (and generally, the less I like it)

School spirit does die hard.....and that is why the Learning Resource Center inside the new Harding will be called the Madison Learning Resource Center....in honor of the school on which the new Harding site sits.