This letter is in response to a comment posted on the Dec. 17 article, Drama instructor directs theatrical growth.

Dear Jody Langford,

I have a feeling that that may be a pseudonym used to mask the true identity of a frustrated Fresno Christian student or parent, but whatever the case, I feel that I must defend those who you claim “have some soul-searching to do.”

First let me say this. I was extremely and deeply saddened by the situation that presented itself near the end of the first semester of school. I will miss Mr. Mac very much and words cannot describe how much I have learned from him in the three years I have had him in drama and one year in Bible.

So I guess you could say that I agree with your frustration and with the fact that you are angry by what has happened, but I will not under any circumstances agree with the way you worded your frustration.

I apologize if my comment comes across as an attack and I hope that you know that that is not my intent at all. Maybe you simply worded your sentence more acrimoniously than you intended, but since I have no way of knowing that, I will continue in the defense of those you have criticized. Now let me begin.

For some reason the wording of your sentence “should not be laid off at a secular school” has me scratching my head. I am not sure if you meant “would” instead of “should”, but I will play to both words just in case you meant something other than you typed.

If you think that something that a situation like this “would” not happen at a secular school, presumably public, then I would like to let you know that you are mistaken.

Approximately 14,000 to 15,000 teachers have received layoff notices this year. (http://obrag.org/?p=756) That’s an article I read on the Internet. If you meant that this situation “should” not happen at a secular school, I will say that it all depends on the standpoint that you are looking at the layoffs from.

If you are looking at it from a parent whose child’s favorite 3rd grade teacher was laid off, you would have every reason to be upset, but it is highly unlikely that that parent knows some or any of the details of the situations.

The other viewpoint that this situation with the 3rd grade teacher could be looked at from a school principal who is facing one of the biggest economic crises in years and his school’s budget is feeling the crunch.

In order to continue to provide an optimum learning environment for all of his students, he has to make employee cuts in order to have the funds to maintain that environment, no matter how much it may grieve him. It should not happen, but it has to.

So from both standpoints mentioned above, the layoff example above “should” not happen, but it has to in order to continue providing the best learning environment for the students. The reactions to the situation will vary though based on the amount of information the person viewing the situation has.

Now when you said that our school claims to be Christian, I have a feeling that you think that our school is not. That it is simply a school with a Christian label but doesn’t have the morals to back it up.

I would have agreed with that statement all the way up to my junior year, because I believed that it was true. I felt that the Lord wanted to move in a mighty way but was being held back by the spiritual atmosphere of the campus. But now, being in my senior year, I respectfully disagree with that statment you have posed and the same one I supported until this past summer.

I do not know if you have been on campus at all in the past year or if you have noticed what i have noticed, but God is moving in our school unlike any way I have seen in my time as a Fresno Christian High schooler. He is going to sweep through our campus like a mighty wind and he is going to bring spiritual revival and cleansing with him.

The Lord has stirred in my heart a call to revival and I fully intend to see exactly that on our campus this year. So mark my words, you will see the school you think “claims to be Christian” lit on fire by the Holy Spirit by the end of this school year, for the Lord is on the move and he is stirring the hearts of his people.

And finally, the last part of your comment. You claimed that the people responsible for the layoffs of the teachers at school “have some soul-searching to do.” I would love to know your rationale behind this thought so if you feel like talking, please feel free contact me.

School as you probably know starts on Monday, Jan. 12, and I would be honored to sit down and chat during lunch which is from 12:30 to 1:15. I find this comment box much more informal than I would like, but right now it is my only option. I would just like to let you know that the people that had to make this decision probably are some of the bravest people I can ever dream to be.

If you for one minute think that they did not consult their Heavenly Father on this decision, I will bet all that I am that you are very mistaken. I can not imagine that they went into this situation, obviously knowing how many people they would have questioning the decision that was made. So I admire the bravery that those people have, and I am glad to know that I go to a school under the leadership of those people.

I am not necesarrily happy with their decision, but I am satisfied and find comfort in the fact that they made this decision not on their own, but with the guidance of someone who knows the best plan of action.

So I hope that you can find peace within this situation, and that you know that I am not attacking you in any way; I am simply stating my disagreement with your comment.

Thanks for reading. I pray that this situation will not form biterness within you.

Scott Orcutt is a senior at FCHS and the student body president.