High school senior Blair Hornstine is suing her high school for
making her share the valedictorian honor with two other students
with slightly lower GPAs (which are due to the fact that they took
P.E. ““ a class Hornstine was excused from). Do you think it
is right for Hornstine to sue her school? Should colleges take her
lawsuit into account in their admission decisions? Jason Chiu
Third-year, mechanical engineering
“The valedictorian honor is awarded by the school.
It’s not like it is a right given to the students; it’s
a privilege. The school dictates who it deems worthy enough to give
the honor to. She’s not the one determining who should be
honored. If the school thinks the other two students are worthy,
it’s not her right to say who should be given the honor. She
should be lucky enough to be one of the few honored.” Jenna
Sarti
First-year, psychology
“I think that being valedictorian should only have
personal value. She shouldn’t care whether people know she
was the only one; she should care that at least she was honored to
be a valedictorian. And it is wrong that she is suing the school,
which gave her the honor in the first place.” Liz Chiba
First-year, undeclared
“It seems really selfish of her, and she shouldn’t
be such a brat, to put it plainly. She will still get her honor,
and why can’t she let other people, who worked just as hard,
enjoy the same benefits? It’s not like sharing a cake; she
doesn’t have less merit. It’s the same honor that they
will all have.” Van Dang
Fourth-year, biology
“In high school things are really competitive, so you want
to be recognized above everyone else. She seems to only want to be
the best by herself, and if she is sharing with other people, she
won’t be. So, I see her reasons to take action. But it shows
that students care way too much about these petty things in high
school.” Phil Seltzer
Second-year, political science
“Maybe it’s unfair that the other two students took
P.E. and it lowered their GPAs, but simply, if she’s No. 1,
then she should be No. 1. But suing the school seems a bit extreme.
I don’t think this necessarily reflects her academic
achievements, so colleges shouldn’t take this lawsuit into
consideration in their decision. If anything it reflects her drive
to be No. 1 in her school.” Stephanie Zee
Fourth-year, ecology, behavior and evolution
“I don’t think there is a reason for her to sue her
high school, and she should share the honors, (especially) if P.E.
is the only reason why the other two students’ GPAs are
lower. I remember how hard you compete in high school, and when you
finally get honored for your work, you think it’s unfair that
you have to share. At the same time, the school does give the
honor, and it has a better judgment of who deserves the honor based
on the classes taken.” Compiled by Kelsey Hicks