education?
ed-yu-kay-shun.
ehhhhhhh. education is a touchy subject, methinks. not touchy as in ooh-bad-she's-gonna-get-bitchy type of touchy, but touchy because it's a difficult topic in general.
why all these odd thoughts about education?
gps.
and no, that's not the global positioning system. that's girls preparatory school, my trusty high school alma mater. girls with power and strength, or whatever cheesy motto they came up with in the dwindling hours of my senior year there.
it seems like a decade ago since i was last in chattanooga, floundering around the southern town in my colorful school uniforms, overly-packed backpack, and thoughts of SAT and whatever else on my mind. it's been a half-decade at least.
tonight, in the throes of washington, dc, just steps away from grand ole white house, gps had an alumnae gathering. a centennial celebration of sorts because it's officially 100 this year. happy bday, dear. random alumnae from all years, who happen to have found themselves in this capitol city, got together and awkwardly said hello and how are you doing and g'bye. it was fun, kinda strange, and definitely amusing. like the baseball fan i am, i'm also a conflicted high school grad. as odd as that school is, and as contradictory as its practices and traditions and goals are, i thoroughly enjoyed my time there, and i appreciate everything that i learned and absorbed as a student.
but it's hard to stay complacent about those things. nowadays, kiddos in 8th grade are being bogged down with college information and dreaded thoughts of transcripts and expectations and standardized test scores. whyyyyyyy. gps, in all its glory and success, is a complete contradiction of terms. situated in a small city in the buckle of the bible belt, it preaches (though not in a strictly christian manner, or so it attempts to) the power and ability of girls to succeed in a crazy world. but we wear uniforms, and family status and old money are almost as important as academic achievements.. and just as significant is the car you drive, the sneakers you wear, and the dress you acquire for the fertility celebration of may day. girls are told to embrace their individuality and their interests, told to open their arms to the open world. but a good 60% remain in the south for college. granted, almost 100% go to college, which is awesome. but in the cookie-cutter mold that's presented, it wouldn't be acceptable to NOT go to college. the community, though relatively accepting, is not diverse, and although the graduates find themselves with grand opportunities for career exploration and whatnot, SO many return to marry and repopulate.
there's no solution; it's just a commentary on a bizarre bizarre experience.
and better yet, i remain conflicted about mit. and with the news about lacrosse players at duke and a now-rejected and plagiarizing fool of an author at harvard, i have to wonder why there's so much hype about ed-yu-kay-shun. everything.. everything is relative.
and this week's Newsweek cover is.... 2006: America's Best High Schools. The Top 100. hmm.
ehhhhhhh. education is a touchy subject, methinks. not touchy as in ooh-bad-she's-gonna-get-bitchy type of touchy, but touchy because it's a difficult topic in general.
why all these odd thoughts about education?
gps.
and no, that's not the global positioning system. that's girls preparatory school, my trusty high school alma mater. girls with power and strength, or whatever cheesy motto they came up with in the dwindling hours of my senior year there.
it seems like a decade ago since i was last in chattanooga, floundering around the southern town in my colorful school uniforms, overly-packed backpack, and thoughts of SAT and whatever else on my mind. it's been a half-decade at least.
tonight, in the throes of washington, dc, just steps away from grand ole white house, gps had an alumnae gathering. a centennial celebration of sorts because it's officially 100 this year. happy bday, dear. random alumnae from all years, who happen to have found themselves in this capitol city, got together and awkwardly said hello and how are you doing and g'bye. it was fun, kinda strange, and definitely amusing. like the baseball fan i am, i'm also a conflicted high school grad. as odd as that school is, and as contradictory as its practices and traditions and goals are, i thoroughly enjoyed my time there, and i appreciate everything that i learned and absorbed as a student.
but it's hard to stay complacent about those things. nowadays, kiddos in 8th grade are being bogged down with college information and dreaded thoughts of transcripts and expectations and standardized test scores. whyyyyyyy. gps, in all its glory and success, is a complete contradiction of terms. situated in a small city in the buckle of the bible belt, it preaches (though not in a strictly christian manner, or so it attempts to) the power and ability of girls to succeed in a crazy world. but we wear uniforms, and family status and old money are almost as important as academic achievements.. and just as significant is the car you drive, the sneakers you wear, and the dress you acquire for the fertility celebration of may day. girls are told to embrace their individuality and their interests, told to open their arms to the open world. but a good 60% remain in the south for college. granted, almost 100% go to college, which is awesome. but in the cookie-cutter mold that's presented, it wouldn't be acceptable to NOT go to college. the community, though relatively accepting, is not diverse, and although the graduates find themselves with grand opportunities for career exploration and whatnot, SO many return to marry and repopulate.
there's no solution; it's just a commentary on a bizarre bizarre experience.
and better yet, i remain conflicted about mit. and with the news about lacrosse players at duke and a now-rejected and plagiarizing fool of an author at harvard, i have to wonder why there's so much hype about ed-yu-kay-shun. everything.. everything is relative.
and this week's Newsweek cover is.... 2006: America's Best High Schools. The Top 100. hmm.
posted by steph at 7:40 PM
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