Dear GEORGE SCHISLER

I. E. WILL CLOSE DOWN ITS DOORS BY ThE END OF THIS YEAR. Yes, simple like that. It could not be worst. Our "GIGANTE DO BOQUEIRÃO", open to education, ethics, civics, religion, and sports since 1919, will not be registering students next year. This is already its last semester of activities. The central office in São Paulo has decided its closure due to the continuous economic losses in these past several years. the announcement was made to the employees, and then to the public by our local newspapers - O Nacional and Diário da Manhã - last saturday.

I know you are devasted by now with the tragic news. So did I.

Regardless of the emotion that this situation can cause, we should analyse without emotion. here are some reasons for the final bankrupcy:

1) "Internato" has no place in modern education; IE maintained it for decades, with a satisfactory income;

2) Most cities around Passo Fundo (Carazinho, Soledade, Marau, Erexim, just to mention some) have created a better education structure for their youths, with development of a better school system. students still come to passo fundo, not for schools, but to attend our University;

3) At least three new high schools were created recently in Passo Fundo. Our "enemies" Conceição and Notre Dame have also made progress and followed the rules of competitiveness and modern technology in education;

4) IE, however, HAS NOT MADE ITS HOMEWORK, as far as I know. The Dallas building is still decorated with the ugly and old-style furniture, very limited technology was added. Marketing and search for "clients" (new students) was always limited and not focused.

5) The events that made IE so different (Dia das Mães, Olimpíadas Metodistas, Salão Nobre activities, to mention just few ones) have all gone. In other words, ThE IE TRADITION HAS FADE AWAY.

6) Most of the "diretores" of these past 15-20 years were incompetent and unprepared for the job. Your father William Schisler and Eduardo Gustavo Otto would be horrified with the scenario. Exception has to be made for the last "diretora" Jussara Benck, who worked diligently to bring IE to its former status.

7) IE lost many students recently. I believe that most of the current students were sons and daughters of former students; even so, many parents decided to change school due to the low level of education;

8) Last, but not least, Passo Fundo is loosing a great deal of economic entities that made tradition here: "frigorífico" Z.D. Costi, factories like Pepsi, Menegaz, Brahma, business like Burlamaque (Chevrolet dealer), and many others. It seems that our economy has no place for many activities at the same time. it is a nice but poor city, typical of all latin america countries, were the wealth belongs to few, and poverty to the majority. We are loosing rapidly our middle class, engine of the economy in any country. it is sad to tell, but it is true.

My friend George, these are my own toughts about ie and its current situation. it may have a response from the community, but it is hard to antecipate it. remember that the possibility to donate individual money for institutions and deduce from the income Tax is quite different than in the US. So, the chance to have money from Passo Fundo is very limited. Also, the image lost will need more than one generation to get back.

The greatness of the Olimpiadas (athletes and coaches like "Casquinha" - prof. Cláudio Wagner), the extreme care in education in the first days (prof. Lurdes Pithan) and all other days (prof. Mariquinha, Beverly and Ned Walther, Luiz Spalding, Letícia Wagner, Thalita Mendonça), the honesty and hard work of the directors (William Schisler, Eduardo G. Otto), the smell of the hot-dog ("bar do seu Erwino), the unflexible rules of the Internato (Mr. Kneipp), the vibrant mornings and afternoons with all those small kids running and screaming, the leadership and capacity to work and win learnt by thousands and thousands of students throughout these decades. Well, George, if this will all become history, it was a nice and decent history. You and me were characters of this history in different decades with the same spirit for our institution. Like anything else in life, it will born and die. Sorry to make the letter long. It looks like a session of psychoanalysis... Your friend, Osvandré Lech My first home was in frot of IE. My first years of school were inside IE copy to: Claúdio Wagner, Paulo Sérgio Crusius, Acioly e Tânia rosing and Eurípedes Fachini, enviada em setembro de 2004