“But I still feel sorry for Blair Hornstine. Because all the hard work and courage it took to get where she is will forever be eclipsed by what she’s come to represent: A system that’s gone so far to level the playing field that it’s created a culture of entitlement instead of gratitude.|A society that seeks redress of every slight in a lawsuit, no matter how frivolous. A culture in which young people are groomed to be so competitive that they value advantage over everything else.|And because of that, Blair Hornstine is now an object of ridicule rather than a role model worthy of well-earned respect.” Jill Porter reflects on the high school student, already accepted by Harvard, who sued to prevent the school board from naming someone else co-valedictorian. —For Blair, It’s Victory She Can’t Really SavorPhiladelphia Daily News)
As I write this, my freshman comp students are writing a final exam in which they take a stand on how grading has impacted their education. My guess is that Blair Hornstine has learned quite a lot about grading, but little about the real world. Let’s hope that Harvard really does dish her up a challenge that will cause this little Veruca (“I want an Ooompaloompa!”) Salt to grow, rather than cause her turn to litigation to get what she wants.