To the editor:

I am writing in response to the letter to the editor from Marilyn Price-Mitchell which appeared in the April 8 edition of the Review. In her letter, Ms. Price-Mitchell asks that the Review “stop the out-dated practice of posting honor rolls” and instead feature “more authentic stories of ‘successful’ children and teens.”

There are implications in the above quotations that I find disturbing, the first of which is that the children who appear on the honor rolls are somehow not truly successful. The second is the request that the accomplishments of one group of people be deleted in favor of the accomplishments of another group of people.

While we all recognize the problem that undue emphasis on grades alone creates in terms of stress, we must also recognize that the grades are more than simply a statistic. They are one measure of academic achievement just as a batting average is a measure of athletic achievement.

I urge the Review to continue to post the honor rolls in our paper. Students who achieve academic excellence should be recognized by the community. In an era of grade inflation, SAT dilution and college admissions by video, we are in danger of losing the basics that constitute education.

We all want a happy, well-adjusted population, but to assume that goal is opposed to rigorous academic standards is erroneous. It is accepted that excellence in athletics, dance, music, all disciplines, demands rigorous discipline and training. Why should education be different?

Is there anything more valuable than a good education? It provides the basis for a life well and deeply lived. And a good education involves mastering an intellectual program that is often challenging and difficult, but, also, ultimately rewarding. The honor roll and honor societies are society’s way of underlining the value of these pursuits.

There are many ways individuals can excel. Coverage of youthful accomplishments in all areas belongs in a community newspaper. In this coverage please do not omit those who excel academically. Their hard-won achievement should be rewarded, not diminished. To do so is to cheat them and cheat our culture.

ABIGAIL NAZARETH

Bainbridge Island