Last Saturday a fund-raiser basketball game was held between the Harlem Wizards and the Massapequa All-Stars. I am a junior at Massapequa High School and was scheduled to play in this game. The All-Stars were supposed to include teachers, students, and other members of the community. However, the nine students who were to represent the high school were no longer permitted to play in this basketball game which benefited the music department.

As of Thursday, March 26, the students were removed from the team. The question you are probably asking yourselves is, Why aren't they participating?

Last Thursday, social studies teacher Brian Dowd was absent from school because he was involved with the negotiations in the contract dispute between the teachers and the school district. I'm sure that during the day, he was negotiating for a new contract, but that is not the only thing he accomplished. Dowd brought to the attention of the school district a 1984 memo that states students may not play adults, according to New York State.

Now this ruling is obviously to protect the students from being injured in a real game, but this is not a serious basketball game.

Isn't it an amazing coincidence that this discovery was made on the one thousandth day that the teachers have been without a contract?

This may just be the action of one teacher, but as vice president of the teachers union, his actions reflect all the teachers who are in the union. I feel that every teacher has the right to negotiate for a new and fair contract, but why must their actions affect the students?

Two years ago, this same fund raiser was held at this high school. If Mr. Dowd was so concerned for the students' safety, why did it take him until this Thursday to bring it to the school districts attention?

Nine students wanted to help the MHS music department in a positive way, but are now just spectators to this event. I would like to pose this question to the community: Why?