History comes alive for Rebel

Published 12:16 am Thursday, January 24, 2013

Michael Kerekes | The Natchez Democrat — Coach Gill Morris, left, teaches American history at Adams County Christian School. Pete Guedon, a sophomore on the Rebel basketball team, said history is his favorite subject because of Morris’ teaching methods.

NATCHEZ — History may be Pete Guedon’s toughest subject, but it’s also his favorite, thanks to having coach Gill Morris as his teacher.

Guedon, a sophomore guard for the Adams County Christian School basketball team, is in Morris’ American history class, and though history doesn’t come easy for him, Guedon said Morris is an excellent teacher.

“He explains things well and makes it interesting,” Guedon said.

Email newsletter signup

Morris also talks to his class a lot instead of simply lecturing his students, Guedon said, and Morris said he tries to make open discussion a point of emphasis when he teaches.

“My whole career I’ve strived to make the discussion of history stimulating,” Morris said. “I’ll compare something that happened five years ago to something that happened 150 years ago and relate it.”

Guedon is not always as vocal as other students, but Morris said Pete still contributes.

“He’s a good student who listens well and asks questions in class,” Morris said. “I’ve never had a problem with him.”

Whether he’s comparing progressive ideas today to the ones from the Progressive Era from the early 1900s or teaching on different wars during America’s history, Morris said he tries to be balanced about his views.

“When you look at history from an economic, social or religious standpoint, or you look at why wars happened, there’s always two sides to it,” Morris said. “I try to bring that out, even if it’s not in the book. I try to make students think.”

Guedon said he prefers that approach instead of simply regurgitating information straight from the textbook.

“His tests are more of what he tells you and less of what’s in the book,” Guedon said. “I like the way he does it.”

When he’s not discussing history, Guedon said Morris will often talk college football, much to the chagrin of many of his students.

“He’s a big Alabama football fan, and he talks a lot of smack and gets into arguments with the LSU fans,” Guedon said. “I’m a Mississippi State fan, and State usually gets blown out by Alabama, so I don’t bring it up with him.”

Morris insisted, though, that he’s never the one who starts those discussions.

“Not unless they start on me,” he said. “The LSU fans speak up, and no one else has any room to talk.”

An A-B student, Guedon said he spends very little time actually studying.

“It depends on whether it’s a hard test,” Guedon said.

In addition to basketball, Guedon also plays football and tennis. Of the three, Guedon said he prefers tennis, especially since his friend, Jordan Arnold, is his doubles partner.

“He’s easy to get along with,” Guedon said. “Tennis is my favorite because it’s just me and one other person.”

Guedon comes from a large family with three brothers, one half-brother, one stepbrother and one sister. Since all of his brothers play or have played sports, Guedon said there’s pressure on him to perform well athletically, but he does have one trump card when the pressure becomes too much.

“I make better grades than them,” Guedon said.

Guedon is the son of Jenny and Dr. Frank Guedon.