Recognizing top 10 encourages success
I am truly saddened and outraged the members of the Warren County School Board have decided to cease recognizing the top 10 for their academic achievements. These students have worked extremely hard for the past four years to achieve this honor and now recognition for their success has been stolen from them.
Publishing the names of the top 10 in the Standard has been one of the few ways in which academic success has been praised in Warren County. The county seems to recognize students for other activities far more often than they do for academic success. And in a country where colleges are becoming more competitive every year, students should be encouraged to do well in the classroom at every available opportunity.
But if this minute piece of recognition is taken from them, how can their ambitions be supported? How are they to know their achievements are worthy? By taking away recognition, we are destroying their self-confidence at a time when they need it the most.
However, the members of the school board have forgotten a crucial fact in refusing to publish the names and rank of the top 10: freedom of the press.
The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press ?”
Therefore the school board cannot legally prohibit the announcement of the top 10 if the students and their parents choose to make that information public. I commend Nathan Maxwell and Kendra Savage for taking initiative and publishing their status in the top 10. And to the remaining members of the top 10, I encourage you to follow their example and publish your rank. You have worked hard and you deserve this recognition.
While the members of the school board do not seem to find academic achievement important, I assure you the rest of the world, especially the colleges to which you are applying, do find it important and you will be rewarded accordingly.
Delanie Sullivan,
Senior, Vanderbilt University, No. 6 of the Class of 2000