By Thomas Sellers Jr.
The second AFL-NFL World Championship Game of professional football, also known as Super Bowl II, was played on January 14, 1968, at the Orange Bowl in Miami. On Feb. 4, 2018 the Second Annual English/Math Tutoring Big Game Mentoring was held in the Millington Central High School Cafeteria. This year’s event held for more than 5 hours was bigger than the 2016 kickoff. “This year we offered English, Math, Science, Spanish and Credit Recovery,” Millington Assistant Principal and event creator Andrew Taylor said. “The school’s teachers came in and volunteered their time. And we had a special guest speaker in Mr. Trent McVay. He came and spoke on decisions. “We had a lot of kids come out,” he continued. “They got one-on-one help. Some kids took advantage of the credit recovery and tutoring that day.” The first tutoring and mentoring event was held Dec. 9, 2016 with community spiritual leaders like Fred Bailey Sr., Dr. Jeri Jackson, Luke Sadler and Carl Marshall speaking to the children. Taylor’s plan was to combine education, spirituality and entertainment centered around the children’s love of sports. The first event was centered around basketball and football on the big screen. The second mentorship gathering had the backdrop of the Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots. “We had the big screen, two Play Stations hooked up,” Taylor said. “We also had a Nintendo Wii. Young Life provided a picnic type Jenga and lots of other picnic games. They brought foosball table. “It’s important because some students will never experience a Super Bowl party,” he added. “I know a lot of students are going through things. So just to have a chance to come here, have clean fun, learn at the same time and hear from somebody who has been where they are, you can just see it. When these people come back it means something to them.” McVay was the guest this year sharing his message and story on how he became a principal serving at MCHS. He is a community leader and serves through his church at St. Mark Missionary Baptist. Also present for the event tutoring and providing food were Jewell Gates, Suan Sprunger, Katie Niemann, Ana Hawkins, Katherine Watkins, Christina Withers, Shirley Garner, Sonja Harris, Rudolph Ritter, Kelsey Mobley, Beth Hale and Richard Fisher. “I love the Super Bowl,” Taylor declared. “But it is more important to me to help these kids and move a handful if I can. I want to move them in the right direction. Knowing there was a possibility of snow, the kids walked up here. Some took Uber to get here. That was amazing to me.” Taylor said with dozens and dozens of students showing up, he saw a diverse group eager to learn and interact with peers. There were boys and girls, freshmen to seniors and all ethnics groups. “This will continue in the future — only if the 49ers don’t go to the Bowl,” Taylor declared. “I might take some suggestions and do March Madness one year. Or the College Football Championship, Pro Bowl, so the window is open to change it. “As long as I got the teachers to help with the tutoring part,” he concluded. “That’s the most important part. The concepts these children learn to keep them moving, they will want more one-on-one. They want it to be individualize. They won’t be afraid because it’s just them and that teacher.”
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