Everyone Gets a Trophy

I’m old school when it comes to schools and education and make no apologies for being so. Spending 30 years in the classroom as a teacher should allow me to at least voice an opinion on the school system and the board’s decisions. I’m taking the liberty of putting my thoughts on a recent change to the status quo.  

The Knox County School Board announced that it is changing the way academic success is acknowledged in each year’s graduating class. The change will begin in 2030. In its “infinite wisdom,” the board has decided to do away with the naming of valedictorians and salutations. In place of this practice, schools will begin recognizing the top 5% of the class by using the Latin honors system. That one confers the top 5% withsumma cum laude,which means “with highest honors.” 

The reason for adopting this system over the long-used valedictorian/salutatorian system is that it recognizes larger numbers of students for academic achievement. Yep, the board defaulted to the ol’ “everybody gets a trophy” way of doing things. Why, we don’t want to hurt a student’s feelings by not publicly recognizing them. No longer is self-satisfaction with one’s hard work enough. A top grade isn’t reward.  

The hard, cold fact is that winners and losers exist in the world. In schools, one student outshines all others in the year’s class. Yes, ties exist, but the weight of course difficulty break them. Instead of honoring the one person who stand above all others in academic achievement, if only by the slimmest percentage point, the school board caves to the multiple awards idea.  

I suspect that another reason exists for the board’s changing merit system. More than one parent has pitched a fit when their children lost out to a classmate in the academic competition. The last thing board members want is a meeting room full of upset parents. So, the politician sides come out, and they begin to contort an accepted practice so that something new will soothe sore parents.  

If a student graduates with excellent grades, she will receive money from Tennessee. The universities to which students go will offer academic scholarships and other rewards. Thousands of grants and scholarships are available to students. Perhaps parental anger could fuel Internet searches for those funds that are never taken by students. Yes, that way moms and dads can invest some time to uncover financial aid for their children. 

Folks, not everything old is bad. The naming of a valedictorian for a class is a time-honored tradition. The competition is sometimes brutal, and, yes, all but one who enter the fray will lose, but they will have gained so much from the process, and our country will have profited by the development of students who have so much to offer. 

Parents say they want schools that provide quality educations. If that is the case, then they should demand the Knox County School Board retain the valedictorian/salutatorian system. Tell the board that following national trends is not necessarily the right thing to do. At the same, I doubt that keeping things the same will lead to hundreds of students swapping schools to find an easier place to become the top student. I sometimes wonder whether those in central offices and on boards realize that high school is so much more than just grades. It’s about friends, and activities, and heart breaks, and championships, and lifetime friends. Folks, step back and let students learn how to become happy, eager individuals.  

 I’m glad that I no longer have to deal with the unimportant things of education. For this manufactured change, the response to a change to give more people a trophy and to keep disgruntled parent out of school offices might be “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it!”  

New Music

I love music. No, that doesn’t include every genre. Hip-hop is one that I don’t understand; neither am I a fan of opera. Otherwise, I’ll lend an ear to music, at least for a song or two. My life can be traced through the songs that were playing at any point in time. When television offers nothing on the hundreds of channels and streaming services, a visit to You Tube to listen to “one hit wonders” from several years ago is just the right activity 

My iPhone contains a partial library of songs I enjoy. Many of them played on the radio during my teen years. Others were popular when I attended college, met Amy, and fell head-over-heels in love. Yes, some remind me of the times when Lacey and Dallas were young and as we tried to figure out how to be everywhere at the same time.  

A simple song can light up my face with the playing the first couple of notes. The song “39-21-40 Shape” is humorous simply because of the numbers, but I smile as that song takes me back to being a high school freshman who sat in a garage and listened to the neighborhood kids work on their set lists. By my senior year, Chicago and Blood Sweat and Tears became my favorites. Sprinkled in were other such classics as “Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “My Girl.”  

Instead of “my life being measured out in coffee,” it’s been set in motion with 4/4 or 3/4 times. I never was a listener to only one genre of music. I liked the early Beatles stuff, but I also stayed true to Elvis. At some point, rock music strayed into the strange   phase just a bit too much for me, and I became a country fan. To this day, I like artists who have that unique sound that mixes twang with lyrics about broken hearts or muddy water and bar rooms. 

I celebrated another birthday not long ago, and since then, I’ve been feeling old. Many people would quickly agree that I am a senior citizen, and that’s all right. The benefits of being freed from conventions and appropriate behavior works just fine for me. The problem with getting old is that I don’t seem to be able to find any new music. Of course, I’m speaking metaphorically. All I hear are the same things from a lifetime of good and bad times 

We of the Baby Boom generation still take up plenty of space on this planet, but in so many ways were “stuck in the mud” of what used to be. Our only hope is to find new things to try. My woodworking hobby has been a blessing, although I’ve managed to cut off one finger, and still struggle to saw a straight line or align pieces of projects.  

My golf game has progressed slightly. Being unable to swing hard has actually improved my game as shots tend to go in the general direction I am aiming. Golf is a young man’s sport. I watched brother Jim’s grandson crush balls that resembled homeruns in ballparks. I like the game of golf; however, I know the day after I’ll be reaching for the Ben Gay and swallowing a handful of Tylenol. 

Many people would suggest I just sit back and enjoy my golden years. That’s not something I can do. The old adage is that when an old man sits down, he is marking time until the end comes. Besides, I am too easily bored to sit around all day. Amy swears I am always piddling to keep from spending time with her, but that’s not true. I want to keep moving as long as my old body allows me.  

For several years, I’ve visited a workout facilty at least a couple of times each week. Even though I hate weight-training, I hate being sedentary more. Last week, I managed to in some way pull, strain, rupture, or break something. My gym days are on hold as my body tries to fix what is out of whack. I’m hoping that comes sooner than later because an old guy like me can put on the pounds quickly.  

I’ve always enjoyed new music. As the years pass, my ear turns more toward religious songs. Old hymns are wonderful, and new some new songs also bring comfort and enjoyment. Heck, I’ve even sung a couple of solos at church. They aren’t spectacular, but I made it through them without anyone running for the doors or God sending an angry bolt of lightning at me to shut me up. Maybe I am finding a couple of new types of music in this remaining time on earth.  

I hope all are able to enjoy the music that fills their stories on this earth. I also hope folks will find new music that excites them and gives them the energy to push on through. Live hard now! Hear new melodies in the waning years of life We will have plenty of time to rest before long.  

Three Keys for Survival

Well, another birthday has come and gone, and life is back to normal. The rain has made the month of May a soppy time, and most of us are doing our best to stay ahead of the growing grass. For the most part, I’ve had plenty of time to sit on the screened porch or in the basement where I watch You Tube or take risks to make things without cutting off another finger.  

If a person were to visit our country for the first time, he would be struck by how plentiful things are. He’d also detect and uneasiness among the population. For the last few years, the greatest country in the world has struggled to find its footing and determine its mission. Factions argue and battle others; most of the time the disagreements occur in dialogue. Only a small fraction of folks have resorted to the use of weapons to settle arguments. For that we can be thankful. 

Sometimes, actually, most of the time, I’m slow to pick up things. My studying of modern American society had uncovered several truths. While they aren’t earthshaking revelations, these things have cleared many points for me.  

We are a divided nation. The divisions include breaks between political parties, religious sects, and races. Other chasms exist, but they are for another day’s discussion. Right here are enough to ponder for days.  

The most obvious divide is the one between political parties. For years, elected representatives were able to hold different points of view. They battled for their sides of arguments, but when the day was over, members of both parties became friends once again. They were able to break bread and share amenable conversations.  

These days, speaking to a member of the other party leads to questions about loyalty to party and its agenda. The line can’t be crossed; the other side is the enemy. Compromise is out of the question.  

For years, religion has fueled a steady distrust. Conservatives don’t associate with more liberal groups. One side declares that the other is bound for hell because its beliefs are so much against God. The fact is that those beliefs are against the group itself, not against the good lord. Most religious sects are intent on worshipping God, the entity that guides, guards, and directs us. We have different interpretations of what God’s words say, but that should never cause us to break the very commandments that God has given. The heart is the place where a person’s true connection with a Creator exists. We have no right to judge whether an individual’s beliefs are right or wrong. Fighting among all faiths is the antithesis of God’s plan.  

As for race, it’s become clear to me that our quarrels aren’t about skin color. Instead, our battles arise over disputes about cultures. We expect others to act like us, hold in esteem the same things, and to abide by the same rules. When folks from other countries or races don’t accept our rules for acceptable behavior, at are riled up. How dare those people refuse to follow our lead,” we complain.  

I’m not sure if our great country can survive the changes that are coming in these areas. Yes, it is true that for the U.S.A. to remain a great country those who come to our land learn the language and accept the rules of the culture. They can stir in bits of their former culture to make the life blood of this nation richer 

 We must set aside the hateful thoughts and actions that exist today. Only through give and take can we possibly survive in this world. Loving and accepting hearts will give us the ingredients for continued success. Otherwise, we will be another great country that lies buried in the dust of history.