<p>A kid at my school this past year recieved $975,000 worth of awards and scholarships!</p>
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<p>Sure, I guess you can draw that nuance. But I don’t particularly look at being a “ranter” in a more positive light than a “whiner”. After all, people generally talk about lunatics “ranting and raving”. But if people feel better to think their complaints are ranting, fine by me.</p>
<p>I’d also say it might be possible to characterize various posts on here by either of your definiftions. After all, if someone feels they have been done an injustice by an unscrupulous system, and they do nothing about it in a tangible way, just complain, then that is “victimhood” to me.</p>
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<p>I don’t either. I was just answering the question about the difference between the two concepts.</p>
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You must not follow Blossom’s posts. I think that’s a common theme for her.</p>
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<p>Sure, it’s probably “better” to call it the most improved student in Subject X if that more accurately describes in, but I don’t see why it’s any skin off your back either way. Really, the world won’t come to a screeching halt if your bright daughter is not deemed the best student in Perfectville High School in any given subject. </p>
<p>There are lessons about calculus and chemistry and Latin and such, and there are lessons about pettiness and not giving in to it. I think it is petty to insist that awards be renamed so that that the criteria is perfectly apparent to all because you wouldn’t want anyone inadvertently thinking that Timmy is the best student in Chemistry when in fact it’s your daughter. </p>
<p>I wonder why you haven’t thought about why it MATTERS so much if others think Timmy is better in Chemistry than your daughter. You still haven’t answered what the big deal is if a bunch of high school classmates that your daughter is leaving in the dust anyway think that Timmy’s better than she is in chemistry.</p>
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<p>Of course it’s possible, and nobody here knows whether your daughter was admitted based on her academic other stats alone. From what you write, she very likely would have been admitted regardless. But people do know, at least for male athletics, that recruited athlete is a huge hook at many schools and are accepted at far greater levels than equally worthy non-athletes, and in some cases over academically superior non-athletes (again, not specifically your daughter).</p>
<p>So, knowing nothing more about your daughter there are likely many people who resent her for her “hook” (if indeed it is one). Just like people resent URMs and other hooked sudents.</p>
<p>I think these types of rants and resentments are equally pointless. Unless you are going to fight Title 9 application to women’s athletics, or affirmative action in court. THat’s always your prerogative.</p>
<p>As far as why I have interest in this thread - I believe it highlights a lot of issues aside from any personal situation. Equity in society, cynicism, existence or absence of horribly unfair and in some cases near criminal behavior of teachers and administrators, or the importance of awards for awards sake. I mean, there are lots of issues here. If people want a thread that is basically “I’m just ranting, nobody respond unless you agree” thread, maybe it’s possible to start one.</p>
<p>Awards given by public schools should be accurately named, all evaluation criteria should be published early and often, and the results of the evaluation by faculty and administration should be made public.</p>
<p>I think it might be a good time to close this thread and move on… Anyone agree with me??</p>
<p>One more rant / question:</p>
<p>Why did D’s school have an “awards” night, and still presented further meaningless awards at the graduation ceremony???</p>
<p>The most obnoxious: Legacy award. About 20 students got an “award” because they went to the same high school as Mom or Dad. :eek: Ok, please tell me how they “earned” that award…
Good grief.</p>
<p>momfirst3: ^^^Yes…Amen!</p>
<p>Noooooooooooo, not yet. I’m not finished secretly gloating that our hs seems to get the Senior Awards ceremony right, and our community seems to be generous and appreciative and supportive of students in all the right ways.</p>
<p>1sokkermom–is there any money attached to the legacy award? If not, let them have their piece of paper. </p>
<p>Except for the time you wasted sitting through the award-giving, what’s the big deal?</p>
<p>Archiemom, hahahaha… :-)</p>
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<p>I think if you were a sports fan you would know why. </p>
<p>The dominant culture in the US is made up of sports fans. People have favorite colleges along the same lines as their sports preferences. If the huge reaction from the crowd involved some people shouting, “Go Tar Heels!”… that’s what it was all about.</p>
<p>I’ve got another rant. How about instead of chose cheesy plastic medals, and plaques no one wants, you just give us a check. :)</p>
<p>This an “anti-rant”: at DD’s school, there is kid who is not a good student, socially challenged, I would say a bit of an outcast. During the awards ceremony she was not even there. However, during the baccalauriat (sp?), when Department awards were distributed, she got a foreign language award. All the other awards went to the “usual suspects” who often get awards (and in general deserve them).</p>
<p>It was very moving to see her be recognized and to see her big smile when she went to get her cord.</p>
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<p>Our middle school has a pep rally devoted to honoring the Special Olympics participants. Even though the kids had already received their medals at the event, the school gave each of them one of those cheap plastic medals. I thought it was kind of insulting to them until I saw that one young man was utterly delighted…he held it up and ran to show it to his teacher and hug her. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an Olympic Gold Medal winner express such sheer delight!</p>
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<p>But this seems to be your attitude and worldview as well. Some other parents’ kids ended up with all the pieces of the “award” pizza… and you are not happy about it. Never mind that for 4 years of high school, your daughter got a piece of the “varsity team” pizza, and she got pieces of the “team captain” pizza and the “goals and records” pizza – now they are passing out the “athletic award” pizza, she doesn’t get a piece, you aren’t happy. Somebody else got the award, so therefore that is something that kid “took away” from your child… and you are now the one who is feeling “angry and jealous”.</p>
<p>It is suggested to you that maybe the “award pizza” is based on other criteria, but you persist in seeing the situation as unfair and unjust. </p>
<p>Analogy: All the other pizzas had meat toppings. This time they bring in a veggie pizza, and they say, “We’re sorry your d. didn’t get a slice, but we really wanted to make sure there was something for the people who weren’t able to partake of the meat-topping pizzas. It’s not that we don’t like your meat-eating kid, but we’ve noticed over the years that she’s gotten more than her share of the pepperoni pizza and the sausage pizza and the ground beef pizza… so this time around we wanted to give the mushroom and artichoke eaters a chance at the piece. Sorry there wasn’t enough to go around.” </p>
<p>And your response is that some other kid ate the slice of the veggie pizza that should have gone to your daughter; you can show that by pointing to all the times over the years that your daughter ate the pepperoni and sausage and ground beef and all that other kid did was nibble around the edges; and if the pizza doesn’t have meat on it they shouldn’t call it “pizza” anyway, if they call it pizza how are you to know it isn’t meant to feed the meat eaters?</p>
<p>Maybe the other families weren’t “angry and jealous” over the years. Maybe some of them were actually cheering your kid on or providing support to help her meet her goals… but all of that time their kids weren’t getting pizza while your daughter got hers… and now that it is the end of the run and it is clear that your daughter has been well fed on pizza an is headed off to a place where there will be an abundance of delicious food – they want to turn their attention to those who were overlooked in the past.</p>
<p>Okay, I give up. I tried to get everyone to move on but to no avail… It was worth a try though. haha</p>
<p>You get an award anyway :-)</p>