<p>I hope that the person who chose the winners now realizes that it’s a bad idea to have only one person make such a decision. It’s always a good idea to make such decisions with a real committee instead of leaving them in the hands of one person. It’s too easy to make mistakes or to overlook important information. Should people have questions afterward, it’s far better to be able to provide an explanation that comes from a committee that is a group selected for their informed perspectives instead of having a committee of one.</p>
<p>Somehow, I think that the person who made the decision really did it based on gpa and that’s why that criterion was mentioned at the dinner and in the media. After realizing he made a mistake, I think he’s now trying to cover his tracks by giving other reasons, which is why what he wrote sounded convoluted.</p>
<p>Of course, there’s nothing to do about it except accept the decision with grace, which is what you’ve done. However, I truly hope that the committee of one learned his lesson, and will put into place written criteria, and have a real committee make future selections.</p>
<p>I know Brandon and that’s exactly what he would do. He is normally so extraordinarily gracious and lavish with praise for his peers, I’d be surprised if he didn’t congratulate his friend last night before leaving the banquet. Of course I will ascertain this when I see him at home tonight. </p>
<p>He may have no tact with us at home, but he’s looked upon as a terrific guy by his friends and their families!</p>
<p>I totally agree Northstarmom. In the case of the scholar/athlete award in my city, the committee (both to choose the 25 nominees and then the eventual 1,2 and 3 place winners) is made up of academic deans of the area colleges, Rice, UH and TSU. By having those three schools represented on the committee, it is impartial (no hs administrators or parents involved) and it covers all spectrums of academia. It is prestigious enough to be named a nominee-as there are hundreds of entrants sent by the numerous hs coaches in the area. The selection is based on GPA, test scores, EC’s, character, personal qualities, recommendations, football accolades (ie number of years on varsity, all district awards, D1 recruits, etc), and other unquantifiable things. As I stated earlier, it seemed pretty apparent that in some cases pure academic merit was not the deciding factor, economics seemed to have a lot to do with it. And, honestly, all 25 of the kids were pretty darn amazing! One of the kids that won did not have as high a GPA or test scores as most, but, considering what he went through to do what he had accomplished, he deserved all the merit he was awarded!</p>
<p>We looked at it like the “academy awards” lol - the honor is in the nomination, beyond that, considering your peers, anything else is gravy!</p>
<p>b-mom, you handled the whole thing with grace. Congrats for everything.</p>
<p>I am glad you inquired about this given the way the award was presented at the banquet, in the program and in the paper. You had a valid question as to the selection criteria, not “why didn’t my son win the award?” I agree with others that a committee of one is not adequate. As well, the criteria for the award should be made clear. If it included things beyond GPA, that’s fine and if your son didn’t win even if he had the highest GPA, that really is fine too because more went into it, even some subjective qualities.</p>
<p>The mistake here is that the banquet program, newspaper, and announcement at the banquet were all misleading to say it was based on highest GPA or that the winner had the highest GPA which is not true (according to what he is saying now at least). They should have announced what the award was for or simply just called it Scholar Athlete and the criteria could be made known for those who asked or those who must nominate or written in the official program. </p>
<p>I am glad that you responded to this letter the way you did. It showed that you were not coming across as “why not my kid?” but had reason to not understand the criteria as it was presented as highest GPA and you knew your son had the highest GPA and so once this guy explained that it went beyond GPA (though he was convoluted about it!), you were able to show that that was f ine indeed now that he explained it, but also point out to him that you were not the only one confused by how it was announced and published that it was for the athlete with the highest GPA. Hopefully, he will look to handle this differently next year and make the criteria known and have more than one person decide who meets it best and when they do select the winner, publish what the award is truly for. </p>
<p>I actually support the selection going beyond merely GPA and only using that as one factor. But the criteria should be clear and surely at an award ceremony! The way they did it was misleading and by doing so, made it seem “unfair” since your son had the highest GPA when in fact, the award had other factors that went into it and I can see how someone who didn’t have the highest GPA could still win.</p>
<p>I know the “right” response is to now drop it, and I agree with that. Mostly. However, my local newspaper prints corrections when something is reported erroneously. It would be nice if the newpaper would be informed that the award in question was NOT due to highest GPA, and that information was incorrect. Not that anyone outside your closest group of acquaintances is keeping track, but now anyone who cared believes that Brandon’s (and everybody else on the team’s) GPA is less than that stated. It would be nice to negate that generalization.</p>
<p>It’s not me; it’s the little gremlin on my shoulder whispering “It’s not fair.”</p>
<p>He said he will not contact our local paper to correct the “error” about the Scholar-Athlete award being given to the player with the highest GPA on the All-Star team. He told me the paper errs all the time and they can do nothing about it. </p>
<p>Funny . . . I didn’t ask him to correct the paper. Wonder why he took the trouble to email me about that. </p>
<p>This is hilarious. I thought the matter was over with; he apparently wants to continue. </p>
<p>I’m not bothering to email him back. </p>
<p>I believe it’s fair to say that their “committee of 1” knows that we know he screwed up! It’ll be interesting to see if he avoids us like the plague at the game tonight. </p>
<p>As for us, we’re just looking forward to seeing Brandon play. Our enitre extended family who lives here is coming to the game also. They are expecting over 7,000 people tonight. </p>
<p>Brandon congratulated his good friend at the banquet, by the way. I would expect nothing less from him. </p>
<p>Thanks again to everyone here for all of the support!</p>
<p>Funny…papers do err and they do retract the erroneous statements as I do when I make mistakes, along with an apology. A little defensive, I think. Enjoy your son play, and congratulations for having such a great son. His reaction to all of this is exlempary, and it’s clear where he learned this. And congratulations to him for his achievements.</p>
<p>Funny that the same “error” that the award is given to the player with the highest GPA was also in the banquet program and announced out loud at the banquet. It hardly was a “mistake” on the newspaper’s end.</p>
<p>I think you are doing well to ignore his email at this point. I think it shows that you had a valid issue about how it was handled in terms of the public criteria vs. whatever the real criteria was. The fact that he wrote you again implies that he realizes your question pointed out a “problem” with this whole deal. You made the point and so feel good about that. </p>
<p>Now go and enjoy the game. Let’s hope they change the "system’ and how it is handled next year.</p>
<p>Maybe the committee of one is reading this thread and that is why he emailed saying he would not have the newspaper article corrected Hope the game goes well tonight.</p>
<p>For that matter, in all of the written materials about this award, the word “committee” should not even be used which is also misleading. It should be Mr. X selected boy Y as…</p>
<p>Clearly, the committee of one wanted to pick the boys that he did, and he simply picked them without having any criteria. Of course, the local paper would gladly correct the error if the committee of one wanted them to.</p>
<p>To the OP-- You and your S have done a nice job of handling this with great grace. Enjoy the game tonight. Do feel free to pass along a friendly hello to the committee of one from CC. Indeed, I bet the committee of one would love to meet your extended family and get their gracious, warm wishes. :)</p>
<p>I have worked for plenty of newspapers, which certainly do gladly correct errors.</p>
<p>The committee of one deserves to be trashed here because he not only made a mistake – which happens to everyone – but he compounded the mistake by lying about it and not correcting it. It was also unacceptable for him to select the award winners himself. That’s simply not the way to make decisions about things like this. He also clearly lied about the selection including acting as if a committee made the choice, not just him.</p>
<p>I hope that the graciousness by the OP and her son will cause the committee of one to rethink his ways of doing things.</p>
<p>Not quite sure why dstark’s post made me feel compelled to respond, but here goes:</p>
<p>
True, but most will print a correction (though it may be buried in a hard to find “corrections” column) if the error is brought to their attention. I tend to agree that it’s not worth it here.</p>
<p>
Perhaps, though I don’t see the basis for that assessment in this thread.</p>
<p>
Again, perhaps, but based on the evidence above, I think it’s more likely that this is an award where 1 guy thought he was basing it on highest GPA, made a mistake, and now doesn’t want to admit the mistake.</p>
<p>
I agree.</p>
<p>
Agree again.</p>
<p>
This statement may be true, but not in the positive sense you probably intended.</p>
<p>
Absolutely.</p>
<p>And let me add my kudos to the OP and her son for the gracious way they handled the situation.</p>
<p>Oh, I think it would be kind of entertaining if the emails from the “committee of 1” found their way to the newspaper in question. I wonder what the newspaper’s chief editor would think if s/he knew that it was said that the paper doesn’t correct errors. </p>
<p>It’s a shame there isn’t some way of having those emails find their way to the top editor’s desk without Brandon’s mom being involved…</p>
<p>^^ Tempting, but impractical, unfortunately. But what is also troubling is that if there were three young men as finalists for the award, and the “committee of 1” went to the trouble to pick two, well, why not just go ahead and recognize all three of them? I mean, where is the sense of eliminating one of three?</p>
Hope the game goes well tonight.</p>