Lettermen are the elite competitors at school. Their commitment to teamwork, dedication and hard work is what earns them that red letter on their jacket.

But at LHS, many students who excel in their co-curricular activities aren’t recognized that way. Currently, students can letter in sports, music and speech classes. That leaves out visual arts, journalism, media courses, academics and other areas where students do work just as impressive as what you might see on a football field. The opportunities to letter should be expanded.

“My thought on lettering is that it should be obtainable for all, but not just giving it away,” wrestling coach Pat Naughton said. “A letter should be earned.”

With requirements like this, it seems plausible for the policy to be changed to include activities like journalism or art classes outside of the normal Kansas State High School Activities Association’s programs.

Already, non-sport letters are earned with high standards. In debate, only the top 50 percent of students usually letter.

Forensics averages one out of four students who letter.

Photo teacher Angelia Perkins said she would like to see the policy include the visual arts and would fight for that to happen. After talking to The Budget about the possibility of visual arts students lettering, she began looking at options.

She is currently talking to staff at the district office for a lettering program to be implemented similar to the programs in other schools.

“I think that it is an outward visual of a major accomplishment and acknowledgement of someone’s hard work and dedication,” Perkins said of what it means to letter.

Debate and forensics have the National Forensics League that goes hand in hand with lettering. Quill and Scroll is the honor society for high school journalism students.

Journalism teacher Barbara Tholen is currently looking into getting a chapter of Quill and Scroll started along with a letterman possibility if students show enough interest.

“Students need to tell the teachers and advisers that, ‘This would be really special to us if we could letter in these activities,’ and then maybe it’s just a matter of that we need to work with [students] to see if we could make that happen,” Tholen said. “I’ve heard a couple of people ask me about it, and if [lettering] really is that important then it’s one of those things that we should pursue.”

If students want to see a change in the current policy, it is up to them to help make it happen.