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05-02-2003, 03:00 PM
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#1 | ||
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: ...down the gravity well
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Student sues to be sole valedictorian
[url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-05-02-students-seeks-valedictorian_x.htm]
Student seeks to be sole valedictorian MOORESTOWN, N.J. (AP) — Blair Hornstine's latest report card had four A-plus grades in five courses. She scored a 1570 out of 1600 on the SAT and is deciding whether to attend Harvard, Stanford, Duke, Princeton or Cornell — all of which have accepted her. But despite her best-in-her-class grades, her school district wants to name her co-valedictorian with two other students. Hornstine, the 18-year-old daughter of a state Superior Court judge, has asked a federal judge to intervene, saying that being forced to share with students with lesser grades would detract from what she has accomplished. She has also filed a notice saying she plans to sue the school district in state court claiming the dispute has humiliated her. She said she would be asking for $200,000 in compensatory damages and $2.5 million in punitive damages. Her school district looks at the disagreement another way: Because of an immune deficiency, Hornstine is classified as a disabled student and has taken a class load that doesn't include physical education and involves her spending part of her school day studying at home. The two other Moorestown High School seniors with nearly perfect grades could not match her grade-point average, officials said, because classes like gym receive less weight in calculating the GPA. "After reviewing these issues, I was concerned about the fundamental fairness of the academic competition engaged in for the valedictorian and salutatorian awards," Superintendent Paul Kadri said in a court filing. "The level of competition ... had been compromised." U.S. District Judge Freda Wolfson set a hearing for May 8, and the Moorestown Board of Education planned to consider what to do about the situation at a May 12 meeting. Graduation is June 19. Hornstine, who said she plans to become a lawyer, is not the first student to sue over the right to be valedictorian of a high school class. In the last year alone, judges have been asked to consider similar cases in Ohio, Washington and Michigan. In two of the cases, students who wanted to be included as co-valedictorians were allowed by judges to be included. The third case, in Michigan, involves a student who wanted an A changed to an A+ so he would be more likely to be valedictorian. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here's one for discussion... |
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05-02-2003, 03:06 PM
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#2 |
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Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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I am suing to be the co-posting king with QuikSand. And I am suing for one million dollars!
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05-02-2003, 03:06 PM
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#3 | |
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College Starter
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: The Mad City, WI
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Re: Student sues to be sole valedictorian
Quote:
There's the friggin' shock of the century. |
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05-02-2003, 03:09 PM
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#4 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Here
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I hope she realises in that the next year at college, no one is going to give a damn if you're valedictorian, those schools probably have 100's of valedictorians there. Hell, I was 7th in my class and got into a better school than anyone else in the class (Very good SAT scores helped), and I really never cared, b/c I knew I was smarter than everyone else there (cocky, but true). IN the end, if you need titles such as that to make yourself feel good, you're a shallow person.
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05-02-2003, 03:13 PM
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#5 |
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General Manager
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: The Satellite of Love
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Asking for money like that is insane.
They should give her an F in human decentcy....and the fact that she got excempt from a class because of a disability while others had to take it and thus it effected their GPA adversely... Basically, the solution should be simple. Calculate the GPA of the other 2 students without including gym. If their GPA is higher or even, then they get valedictorian, if not, the bitchy greedy bitch does. |
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05-02-2003, 03:16 PM
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#6 |
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The boy who cried Trout
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: TX
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Self serving drivel at it's finest.
"This land is my land"- the American motto. |
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05-02-2003, 03:17 PM
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#7 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Here
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on a similar note, I was reading an article in the local paper about a high school baseball player.
The kid has like a 5.3 gpa? How the fuck is that possible. I know you get 5.0 for honors classes, but how can you get higher? Are GPA's that meaningless now? |
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05-02-2003, 03:23 PM
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#8 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Norman, OK
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I like when they have the Daily Oklahoman All-Academic All-City teams for various sports. The basketball and football ones are the most interesting. Guys have 4.24 GPAs and 22 on the ACT (which, by the way, is not good enough to get acceptence to the state university). My school doesn't do weighted GPA, and that's fine with me...I really don't care if I have to share it with other people (or might not, since I'm already in for college, and my grade in physics has gone from high priority to just behind OOTP4 and bidding for Mp3 players on eBay).
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05-02-2003, 03:36 PM
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#9 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Colorado Springs
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In about 10 years, that same bitch is gonna be one of those people who sues someone for a zillion dollars because they offended the rights of ants or some similar shit.
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05-02-2003, 04:38 PM
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#10 |
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Resident Alien
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Coffee, you anti-antite bastard! I'll see you in court!
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05-02-2003, 04:49 PM
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#11 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Oct 2001
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I don't think we can judge the validity of her claim without pictures of her naked.
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05-02-2003, 04:59 PM
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#12 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Colorado Springs
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Quote:
Kodos, you are stifiling my right to be anti antist! I'll see you in court! |
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05-02-2003, 05:34 PM
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#13 | |
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Banned
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Placerville, CA
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Quote:
I'd like to second that. |
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05-02-2003, 06:47 PM
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#14 |
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Lethargic Hooligan
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: hello kitty found my wallet at a big tent revival and returned it with all the cash missing
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HornsManiacstine
__________________
donkey, donkey, walk a little faster |
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05-02-2003, 06:48 PM
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#15 | |
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Lethargic Hooligan
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: hello kitty found my wallet at a big tent revival and returned it with all the cash missing
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Quote:
But not the mineral rights - exxon motto
__________________
donkey, donkey, walk a little faster |
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05-02-2003, 07:04 PM
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#16 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Jul 2001
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Quote:
My high school started giving 6.0's for AP courses in addition to the 5.0 for honors courses at some point shortly after i graduated, around '96 or '97 i think. |
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05-02-2003, 07:06 PM
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#17 | |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Jan 2001
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Re: Student sues to be sole valedictorian
Quote:
Only 1570?! What a dumbass!  I guess now would be the time to teach the genius that she needs to make friends to get anywhere in life. I'm sure she's the butt of jokes after a ridiculous lawsuit like this. |
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05-02-2003, 07:07 PM
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#18 |
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Banned
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Placerville, CA
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I graduated with an 8.4 GPA
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05-02-2003, 07:08 PM
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#19 |
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Stadium Announcer
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Burke, VA
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so Robb, you and Franklin like naked disabled high school chicks, eh?
I think there's a special room in hell, located just down the hall from Pee Wee Herman, with your names on it. You guys will be sharing a double bed. 
__________________
I don't want the world. I just want your half. |
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05-02-2003, 07:09 PM
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#20 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Behind Enemy Lines in Athens, GA
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WTF are gym classes being included in the calculation for valedictorian in the first place?
__________________
"I lit another cigarette. Unless I specifically inform you to the contrary, I am always lighting another cigarette." - from a novel by Martin Amis |
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05-02-2003, 07:50 PM
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#21 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Iowa City, IA
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no kidding, nothing is more worthless than highschool pe.
I'm glad they don't count pe at my school... |
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05-02-2003, 07:51 PM
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#22 | |
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Stadium Announcer
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Burke, VA
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Quote:
To give the popular kids a better chance at denying geeks the Valedictorian crown. DUH!
__________________
I don't want the world. I just want your half. |
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05-02-2003, 07:55 PM
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#23 | |
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Coordinator
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Not too far away
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Quote:
Seriously there is a good reason for this: Americans are fat. If gym did not count towards something like this kids would likely not try at all during gym, thus producing a liklihood of more fat people. By including it in the GPA calculations the school district can ensure at least some kids will try in gym so as not to effect their GPA. |
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05-02-2003, 08:19 PM
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#24 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Behind Enemy Lines in Athens, GA
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If there's actually anyone who "tries" in PE, or gets graded on anything other than a "does the teacher like me" basis, I've never encountered it.
__________________
"I lit another cigarette. Unless I specifically inform you to the contrary, I am always lighting another cigarette." - from a novel by Martin Amis |
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05-02-2003, 08:33 PM
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#25 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: VA
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My gym class the only time I remotly try is when I play pick up basketball with my friends. That's only on Friday's. Sadly now gym class is more like health class, where don't actually do any physical activity. All you do is work. I remember when gym class was fun.
__________________
Chicago Eagles 2 time ZFL champions We're "rebuilding" |
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05-02-2003, 08:55 PM
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#26 | |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Catonsville, MD
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Quote:
In our High School PE classes we had to take tests on the rules of sports, fully participate in the playing of that sport, fully participate in the opening exercises, and so forth. We receivied three grades which were then averaged: Test grades, composite: Physical performance, which could not be lower than a C: Effort: Therefore, if you received an A in effort and tests, but a C in performance, you'd still get an A. But performance actually did count for something. We grade people on their minds in every other class. And we all know that people are born with different mental capacities. So, how is receiving a grade in a classroom "Fair" when it is based, in large part, on natural ability? It's fair, of course, because you are grading product. Production is what is matters in this world, so it is a factor of grades. That's why it also is ne factor in determining a PE grade. Oh yeah, Advanced PE, an elective? It was weighted. -Anxiety
__________________
Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent |
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05-02-2003, 09:05 PM
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#27 |
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High School JV
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Austin, TX
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Of all the idiotic...
Maybe this is just training for his future career or something. For goodness sakes, when colleges look at class standing, the fact that you were sole valedictorian or co-valedictiorian bears little to no weight. Either way you look at it, you're in the top 1%, and are #1 in your class. I understand that it would be nice to say that you have the top-top honor, but, for goodness sakes, a lawsuit? At what point does it become a matter of braging rights and personal pride? Why not live with the knowledge that if push came to shove, you were on top and just leave it at that? Are you really so shallow and insecure as a person that you need to have your self-worth handed to you on an official piece of paper?
__________________
"I'm evil." "Oh you are not!" "Oh I am too." -- Brak Last edited by ACStrider : 05-02-2003 at 09:08 PM. |
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05-02-2003, 09:11 PM
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#28 |
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General Manager
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: The Satellite of Love
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"Maybe this is just training for his future career or something. For goodness sakes, when colleges look at class standing, the fact that you were sole valedictorian or co-valedictiorian bears little to no weight."
And that doesn't matter since the article said she's already been accepted to the schools. She's sueing because she was "humiliated".... |
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05-02-2003, 09:37 PM
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#29 | |
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Coordinator
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Quote:
I don't think they need to be used for valedvictorian (I think that'd be either the school or school districts choice), though I'm pretty sure that for national merit scholarships PE needs to be counted. |
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05-02-2003, 09:47 PM
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#30 | |
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World Champion Mis-speller
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Covington, Ga.
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Quote:
100% agree with this post. With the huge problems with budgeting for schools, how can this person (and I use the term loosely) sue a school system and drain thousands of dollars in legal fees out of the classroom? And, what if she won (which is doubtful, but could happen)? A couple of million would build a new school building. The simple way of handling her? The colleges that excepted her now retract her position because of fear of future lawsuits. |
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05-02-2003, 09:58 PM
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#31 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Berkeley
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She'd probably sue the colleges if the retracted admission now...
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05-02-2003, 11:09 PM
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#32 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Newburgh, NY
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Here's betting this has a lot to do with a girl that never fit in and wants to show everyone she is in fact better than them. If it smells like angst...
__________________
To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.. - Mr. Rogers |
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05-02-2003, 11:46 PM
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#33 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: The Mad City, WI
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I actually tried in P.E. most of the time, and agree that it's as valid a class as anything else.
I was #1 in my class for a year. Of course, that was when I took a math class at the H.S. in 8th grade and was the only freshman to have any credits when we started H.S.  |
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05-02-2003, 11:57 PM
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#34 | |
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Coordinator
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Quote:
I know of few people who in my school who do/did stuff like that, be it going to take high school math courses in middle school, or college courses while in high school. I think it would have been helpful to have the opposite of that though. "Oh, you're leaving to take a class? What courses are you enrolled in at the college?" "No, not at college. I'm heading on down to the middle school. First I gotta go to math class, and then I think I have a test in science after that." |
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05-02-2003, 11:58 PM
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#35 | |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Iowa City, IA
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Quote:
probably right... I almost feel sorry for her, that she feels this desperate to get attention. Kind of sad |
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05-03-2003, 12:00 AM
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#36 | |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Iowa City, IA
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Quote:
When I was in 7th grade, there was a 9th grader that had to do that. He would come to my Middle School for a couple periods everyday, he was very special. |
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05-03-2003, 12:14 AM
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#37 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: NYC
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Quote:
It all depends on the weighting of the school district. In my high school, an A+ was a 4.6, an A a 4.3, an A- a 4.0, a B+ a 3.6, etc... AP classes and honors classes got an additional point higher, making an A+ a 5.6, a B+ a 4.6, etc... |
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05-03-2003, 12:19 AM
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#38 | |
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Lethargic Hooligan
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: hello kitty found my wallet at a big tent revival and returned it with all the cash missing
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Quote:
lower your nose
__________________
donkey, donkey, walk a little faster |
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05-03-2003, 12:21 AM
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#39 |
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Lethargic Hooligan
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: hello kitty found my wallet at a big tent revival and returned it with all the cash missing
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I think where i went to school valedictorian was not 100% grades based. Other things like school involvment played a role.
I keep telling myself there is a reason I didn't get it.
__________________
donkey, donkey, walk a little faster Last edited by Fritz : 05-03-2003 at 12:22 AM. |
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05-03-2003, 09:09 AM
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#40 |
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H.S. Freshman Team
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Jersey
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I actually live less than 20 minutes away from Moorestown High, and graduated from one of their rivals. All I can tell you is that as ridiculous as this suit sounds, it is not surprising that it comes from there...I can only hope someone will return the favor by suing this spoiled little bitch for well...being a spoiled little bitch...
The only sad part about this is if she should win this suit, I will not be able to attend in person so I can cordially tell her what to do with her money... Of course, I won't be able to make such an announcement, because I, like similar apparently inferior mere humans, must go to work in my little inferior cubicle, drive my inferior car, return to my inferior apartment where i take an inferior pee in an an inferior toilet, eat an inferior dinner, followed by watching inferior entertainment on an inferior tv, then get to repeat the same thing tomorrow... And for what it's worth, I was the valedictorian of my class of similar size, half-assed my way through college, took a bullshit job, and I wouldn't have it any other way (honestly)... |
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05-03-2003, 01:00 PM
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#41 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Canada eh
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On the same note as BFleming, wonder when the other two 'co valedictorians' will turn around and sue her for embarassing them. I know if I was one of those two, as soon as I heard about this lawsuit, and her main reason behind it, I wouldn't be very happy.
Wonder if she'll still be a lawyer if she gets her total 2.7 million, or whether she'll step off curbs in front of turning cars then sue for a living after that.
__________________
"I don't want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it." - Rogers Hornsby |
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05-03-2003, 01:35 PM
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#42 |
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General Manager
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: The Satellite of Love
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omg, I just noticed where this is happening (didn't read town and state before) . It's like 20 minutes from me. Great, as if I wasn't pissed at her before for bringing in a stupid lawsuit, now she's wasting MY tax dollars in doing so.
Interesting developement. She's now going to sue herself because she's say she feels humilated at herself because of the attention the lawsuit has gotten.  |
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05-03-2003, 03:16 PM
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#43 | |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Back in Houston!
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Quote:
Let's be honest here: she's suing because her dad is a lawyer. The Bard was right (wasn't it Willie who said something about killing all of the lawyers?) I think this is a good time to remind everyone that as soon as I can find a lawyer, I'd like to champion the "People vs Stupid People" class action suit. I will dig up every mindless, firvolous lawsuit I can find and sue those people. Every time some bitch spills coffee on herself and sues McDonalds, I want my money back. Every time a bastard breaks into a house and then sues the homeowner for injuries, I want my money back. Every time some bitch sues to become valedectorian, I wany my money back. Each of these lawsuits costs me money in terms of cost increases, insurance, or taxes. And if they were purely punitive damages, why should he/she be the sole beneficiary when all of us frequent those establishements and use those services. SI
__________________
Houston Hippopotami, III.3: 20th Anniversary Thread - All former HT players are encouraged to check it out! Janos: "Only America could produce an imbecile of your caliber!" Freakazoid: "That's because we make lots of things better than other people!" |
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05-03-2003, 03:33 PM
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#44 |
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This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off.
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: In Absentia
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Ha! I love the anti-lawyer crap.
I think it's ridiculous that she's suing for "humiliation" and all of that, but frankly, that's like adding "loss of consortium" (i.e., intimacy) to a wrongful injury/death lawsuit. You just pile on every claim you can think of, knowing that if one of them sticks, you're in a better negotiating position. The one thing I can think of that would be a legitimate reason to sue, would be scholarship opportunities based on being named valedictorian. That'd be reason enough for me to sue. I actually got screwed out of valedictorian in high school. My high school didn't use grade-point average, but grade average. I was #1 going into my senior year with something like a 97.3, but two guys transferred in from separate private schools after they were told what their grade average would be if they transferred. I finished 3rd, since they benefitted from a different scoring structure and came in ahead of me. I thought it was BS that they got to slide in for one year and get the honors. Then, in college, I got screwed the other way. I transferred after my freshman year and would have been #1 in my college class, but I was ineligible since I didn't spend my entire 4 years there. And I didn't sue anyone. How about that?
__________________
M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete." |
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05-03-2003, 03:47 PM
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#45 | |
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College Starter
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: The Mad City, WI
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Quote:
So why'd they let you into law school?? |
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05-03-2003, 03:54 PM
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#46 |
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This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off.
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: In Absentia
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Why, I lied of course!
__________________
M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete." |
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05-03-2003, 04:08 PM
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#47 |
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College Starter
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: The Mad City, WI
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OK, that's more like it.
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05-03-2003, 04:11 PM
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#48 |
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General Manager
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: The Satellite of Love
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"Why, I lied of course!"
Spoken like a true lawyer. Ksyrup, for me, issue isn't that she's sueing, it's that she's sueing for 2.5 million fuckin dollars. On the scholarship point. Most, if not all, scholarships are already pretty much finalized. And besides, it's like they are saying she won't be val, they were saying they'll be more than one. I did a little research on our friend (since it's happening close to me) and I found out she's one of those "involved in EVERYTHING" type of people. I also found out that she already has been accepted to get a $25,000 a year scholarship. So I doubt scholarship money is the issue. And if it were, I'd still be against it because of the money she's asking for. If she claimed that because of this, she lost, say $5,000 a year, in scholarship money then I could see her sueing to get the $20,000 (5,000 x 4 years). But she's not. She's sueing for 2.5 million. And I know the whole thing about sue for everythign you can think because you'll have a higher chance of it sticking (I had a few law classes in college). But it seems like, at least according to the article, humiliation is the prime reason. And that's BS. So basically what I'm saying is this. If she was sueing for any real lost damages, or if she were sueing merely to be name sole val I would have no problems with it. (EDIT: Well, I might still have a problem with it...but I probably wouldn't care...) She's sueing for $200,000 and $2.5 million. That's what I have a problem with. She can't possibly claim (or prove imo) that her being named co-val instead of sole val (In frickin HIGH SCHOOL!!!) will cost her that much money. Last edited by sabotai : 05-03-2003 at 04:12 PM. |
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05-03-2003, 04:25 PM
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#49 |
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This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off.
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: In Absentia
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Again, it's all posturing. The more money you ask for, the more you tend to get. You preemptively raise the bar. It's part negotiating tactic, and if it gets to a jury, part psychology.
Juries buy that kind of crap all the time. Someone sues for $10 Million on a case worth $250,000 tops, and the jury thinks they've been fair when they award $500,000.
__________________
M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete." |
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05-03-2003, 04:31 PM
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#50 |
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Coordinator
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Hopefully the court will rule that not only she gets nothing, but due to her not taking required courses (skipping physical education) she is not eligable to be validvictorian.
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