July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Gelston had a negative impact
Letters to the Editor
To the editor:
I recently returned home to Portland and found a copy of the July 31 CR, including your “Gelston still a messenger” column, waiting for me in the guest room.
Dan Gelston may have grown into a fine journalist, but to be great at any job, you have to understand your audience, and you have to understand and adapt to the culture in which you are working. Dan made no attempt at either. Regardless of the teams’ records, no one who reads the CR is looking for the local sports writer to disparage the efforts of the kids. In fact, the purpose should be to highlight their dedication and hard work. I cannot speak to the reaction from the entire JCHS community, but I can certainly speak to the reaction from the students, as Dan’s arrival unfortunately coincided with my senior year.
The evening where the student section was “taunting” Dan at a basketball game was not sparked by his abundant negativity. It wasn’t even because of the way in which his writing made it seem that he took great joy in our athletes’ struggles. On that occasion — and I remember it well — we were standing up for a classmate. The prior evening’s paper had included a quarter-page picture from a recent gymnastics competition. This was a picture of one of the nicest young women you will ever meet, spread eagle, swinging from the high bar. There are not enough words in the English language to inflict that kind of emotional distress on a 20-something adult, but upon watching this 16-year-old girl sob through most of the day at school, you can be sure my friends and I gave it a shot.
You mention your disappointment in the community for not talking with Dan about their concerns with his coverage of local sports. On the occasion you referenced, that is exactly what I did. I sat down with Dan in the bleachers under the north basket, seeking only an apology for this girl, who was in attendance as a cheerleader. Instead, he chose to walk out of the gym, with my vitriol following him into the parking lot.
You mention your disappointment in the JCHS administration for “turning their heads” on our alleged inappropriate behavior, but you ignore the disappointment we all felt when the editor of our local paper allowed such a photograph to be published.
On that night or any other, if Dan wanted to have a conversation about how the students felt regarding his coverage, he knew where to find us. We were the people in the front row, actually supporting our athletic programs.
Tyler Tatman
Portland, Oregon
JCHS Class of 2000[[In-content Ad]]
I recently returned home to Portland and found a copy of the July 31 CR, including your “Gelston still a messenger” column, waiting for me in the guest room.
Dan Gelston may have grown into a fine journalist, but to be great at any job, you have to understand your audience, and you have to understand and adapt to the culture in which you are working. Dan made no attempt at either. Regardless of the teams’ records, no one who reads the CR is looking for the local sports writer to disparage the efforts of the kids. In fact, the purpose should be to highlight their dedication and hard work. I cannot speak to the reaction from the entire JCHS community, but I can certainly speak to the reaction from the students, as Dan’s arrival unfortunately coincided with my senior year.
The evening where the student section was “taunting” Dan at a basketball game was not sparked by his abundant negativity. It wasn’t even because of the way in which his writing made it seem that he took great joy in our athletes’ struggles. On that occasion — and I remember it well — we were standing up for a classmate. The prior evening’s paper had included a quarter-page picture from a recent gymnastics competition. This was a picture of one of the nicest young women you will ever meet, spread eagle, swinging from the high bar. There are not enough words in the English language to inflict that kind of emotional distress on a 20-something adult, but upon watching this 16-year-old girl sob through most of the day at school, you can be sure my friends and I gave it a shot.
You mention your disappointment in the community for not talking with Dan about their concerns with his coverage of local sports. On the occasion you referenced, that is exactly what I did. I sat down with Dan in the bleachers under the north basket, seeking only an apology for this girl, who was in attendance as a cheerleader. Instead, he chose to walk out of the gym, with my vitriol following him into the parking lot.
You mention your disappointment in the JCHS administration for “turning their heads” on our alleged inappropriate behavior, but you ignore the disappointment we all felt when the editor of our local paper allowed such a photograph to be published.
On that night or any other, if Dan wanted to have a conversation about how the students felt regarding his coverage, he knew where to find us. We were the people in the front row, actually supporting our athletic programs.
Tyler Tatman
Portland, Oregon
JCHS Class of 2000[[In-content Ad]]
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