COMING SUNDAY
The Times Free Press’ annual Valedictorian Salute runs on Sunday, May 29, in the Life section. The issue lists the name, college and major of valedictorians from 73 high schools in Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.
This Sunday, our paper will trot out its annual valedictorian honor roll in the Life section.
It's one of my favorite traditions of the Times Free Press.
It's cool, because universally, all of us who graduated high school can understand and respect the effort it takes over four years to graduate first or second in your class. And how many things can pass from generation to generation with this much clarity?
Plus, it's one of the most public and respected ways we honor academic achievement among students.
Yes, athletic accomplishments are routinely celebrated in print and in the community. But the milestones of the academic stars - the real mission of high schools everywhere - far too often pass by in silence.
Well, a North Carolina school board recently made that silence even more deafening.
Wake County school officials, citing "unhealthy" competition among students, will phase out the valedictorian designation.
Say what?
It's unhealthy for kids to want to get the best grades among their peers?
Quashing competition is not sparing hurt feelings, it's simply delaying hurt feelings.
It also limits those striving to be the best, and in a world that becomes more and more competitive with each passing generation, this is a failure for all of us, regardless of where your grade-point average ranked.
Which leads us to
Students at Oberlin College have become the next wave of college fools making demands that stretch the reaches of the imagination.
After a list of faux outrage protests from college campuses across the country, the hard-charging Oberlin activists have generated more than 1,300 signatures for a movement to do away with any grade lower than a C, with one woman even wanting to do away with written exams.
Issue involving the mayor
By now everyone is well aware of what Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke has been accused of and how that may or may not have led to a domestic violence incident involving his senior adviser Lacie Stone and her husband.
It's important to remember what's important in this matter. First, domestic violence is a real problem that demands all of our attention, and that's the most pressing measure here between the Stones.
As for the mayor's involvement, well, it's certainly a story of importance.
This isn't about juicy details or middle-school gossip, though. This is about honesty and trustworthiness.
Think of it this way: We are depending on and trusting in our elected officials to conduct their business with a certain level of honesty. And if they can't be honest or loyal to their significant others, then that's an important detail of their character.
But we don't know if that's the case.
I have no idea about the inner workings of the personal lives of the mayor and his advisers.
As for the truth from our public officials, well, we should all demand that.
Saturday stars
On this Memorial Day weekend, a salute to all the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in protecting this great nation.
Also, to the Scouts planting the flags this weekend at Chattanooga National Cemetery.
If you are looking for a way to help or pay tribute, remember that the cemetery needs help collecting the flags Tuesday morning. If you have any questions, you can visit the cemetery's website at http://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/chattanooga.asp.
Thanks to all who served, and all those who support those who served.
Happy Memorial Day, everybody.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6273.