Beware the all-or-nothing mentality in our schools
Re: “Valor Christian isn’t the only Colorado high school lost to ‘gladiator culture’,” May 15 editorial
I do not follow high school athletics, but I did teach adolescents, so I read the editorial about school sports with interest.
If we want to understand the toxic nature of competition in our schools, we only need to look in the mirror. Holding fame and fortune as the primary focus for student effort has always been present, but it has gotten out of hand. The bell curve reminds us that only a small percentage of our students will achieve measurable fame and fortune, but the majority of them should be able to achieve, with the support of parents, teachers and the community, a level of personal satisfaction and empowerment.
I personally witnessed the crippling effect on students who were otherwise “pretty darn good” when the adults around them implied that being the best was the only acceptable outcome. Success is not going to college or making over $200k a year. Happiness is not having more money and power than your neighbors. It is not the job of schools or colleges to provide a culling vehicle for professional sports or any competitive business environment.
As adults, our job is to help children find and improve their strengths and learn from their mistakes. They will encounter plenty of toxicity without us adding to it. We are reading about the increased number of young people who are mentally “dropping out.” We have made it clear to them that they will never be “the best.” They are the collateral damage of our gladiator culture.
A. Lynn Buschhoffl, Denver
Can no longer recommend Naval Academy path
Re: “Naval Academy removes nearly 400 books from library,” April 3 news story
Recent actions by the U.S. Naval Academy – my alma mater – and the service academies at West Point and Colorado Springs have serious ramifications for the education, training, and commissioning of junior officers. Books removed from library shelves, classes censored or dropped, speakers disinvited, all to comply with both the letter and spirit of executive orders issued by a protofascist – these have all the hallmarks of cowardice in the face of creeping authoritarianism.
While the military leadership at the academies may be in a tough position – balancing their oaths to the Constitution with their commitment to provide well-rounded, educated, and principled graduates to American forces at home and abroad – there is a reason the superintendents of these schools tend to be in their final tour of duty. They should be able to speak their minds, stand their ground, and take stands against illiteracy and bigotry.
For more than 10 years I served as a “Blue and Gold Officer” for the Naval Academy. In that capacity, I’ve spoken with hundreds of Colorado high schoolers from the Western Slope to Yuma, interviewed dozens of interested applicants, and recommended the top academic, athletic, and patriotic young men and women to the Admissions Board in Annapolis, Md. As of this year, I’ve resigned from that position and cannot in good conscience tell a Colorado student that they should pursue a spot at any of the academies, not until the leadership there explains their actions, inactions, and silence.
Travis Klempan, Morrison
Appreciating the Dolores and efforts to keep it preserved
Dear Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper,
In early June of 2023 the water was high and we rafted the Dolores from Bradfield Park all the way to Dewey Bridge on the Colorado River. It was 184 miles in nine days, and eight nights camping out. It was some of the most spectacular scenery, wildlife and challenging rapids I’ve encountered in 35 years of rafting.
The Dolores watershed is truly a gem that should be preserved and restored for future generations.
Thank you for your efforts in this regard.
Joe Mollica, Glenwood Springs
Sign up for Sound Off to get a weekly roundup of our columns, editorials and more.
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.