Tags: print
Dec. 21, 2002
Vikings are getting disgruntled, Blazer style
This humor piece is a response to the article Vikings are going down, Blazer style and the comments that followed it.
First off, let me say this: Wow.
The reason I type this statement of surprise is twofold --
One: I had no idea it was possible for a story to get this many comments.
Two: I can't believe Blair and Whitman are, judging from the responses on this page, made up almost completely of four and five year olds.
Guys, this is a dumb argument to put it bluntly and simply. I was a tad thrown that so many Whitman students (I'm assuming here that it’s more than one and not just the same person posting over and over) were so offended by this article. Sure he pokes fun at your school and throws out a couple stats you may not like, but I mean come on, it's not that serious.
That being said, I do think some aspects of Ben’s article were a bit over-the-top so I can understand why there was a little resentment.
I'd also like to say to people like "JM": grow up or at least stop commenting. You're making your school look bad. Tape your fingers together if you have to or remove the keyboard from the computer. I have no problems with Whitman, just the people representing it in the comments section.
Comments like this are what really got me: "[A]s a Whitman student, let me apologize for having smart, hard-working parents. Next allow me to apologize for the fact that Whitman has better athletes and a better newspaper."
It's interesting that you should point out your parents are hard working. The way you presented that comment was, I'd say, a pretty clear jab at the people of Blair. The parents of Blair students work at least as hard as Whitman's and in some cases harder. Consider that Blair is made up mostly of minority students. Consider that racism does still exist even in liberal areas such as our own. Put two and two together and you realize that the average Blair parent probably has to work harder than the average Whitman parent to get jobs and maintain them. This isn’t meant as criticism of Whitman parents so don’t have a fit kids. My family’s white so we have just as easy as the majority of Whitman families and 30% of Blair.
As to the second half of the comment reposted above, I won’t comment because I don’t think bragging about a newspaper you work for is very professional. However I will say that our Online staff is the best so BOOYA!
Woops. Sorry folks, I meant to say that we’re a very humble bunch.
I’m sure there were plenty of stupid posts by Blair students as well so don’t come crying because I didn’t complain about any of them. The fact is, I really couldn’t be bothered to go back and read the same regurgitated slurs and jibes over and over again.
If you’re like me in that respect, I’ve prepared a quick summary of nearly every post on this board that I’ve glanced at:
Posted by: Clever Name that Either Pokes Fun at the Opposing School or Boasts about My School Pride :: 12/20/2002
I was terribly offended by (that last clearly uninformed post/this terrible article). Because the views of one person clearly represent your entire school, I find it necessary to reply in kind. (Blair/Whitman) is the worst school ever and (Whitman/Blair) is far superior. We have better sports teams that could kick your team’s butt any day of the week or year. Your school newspaper is made up of eggheads who don’t rite grammar good or make sentences that sound well. I will now write a bunch of random “facts" that “justify" my stated opinion. (“Facts" declared) Now I will take random “words" from other posts and “put them" in “quotes" to show I know what I’m talking “about." Let me finish up by taking a final cheap shot at (Blair/Whitman) followed by a couple more words in “quotes."
Of course there were a couple exceptions to this general summary such as Izaak’s comment (Izaak, man! You’re supposed to talk about how bad the other school is, dude!), but these exceptions are few and far between.
At any rate, I’ve already taken up enough space so let me finish up by saying that Whitman is made up of egotistical maniacs and now I have to go eat “lunch."
First off, let me say this: Wow.
The reason I type this statement of surprise is twofold --
One: I had no idea it was possible for a story to get this many comments.
Two: I can't believe Blair and Whitman are, judging from the responses on this page, made up almost completely of four and five year olds.
Guys, this is a dumb argument to put it bluntly and simply. I was a tad thrown that so many Whitman students (I'm assuming here that it’s more than one and not just the same person posting over and over) were so offended by this article. Sure he pokes fun at your school and throws out a couple stats you may not like, but I mean come on, it's not that serious.
That being said, I do think some aspects of Ben’s article were a bit over-the-top so I can understand why there was a little resentment.
I'd also like to say to people like "JM": grow up or at least stop commenting. You're making your school look bad. Tape your fingers together if you have to or remove the keyboard from the computer. I have no problems with Whitman, just the people representing it in the comments section.
Comments like this are what really got me: "[A]s a Whitman student, let me apologize for having smart, hard-working parents. Next allow me to apologize for the fact that Whitman has better athletes and a better newspaper."
It's interesting that you should point out your parents are hard working. The way you presented that comment was, I'd say, a pretty clear jab at the people of Blair. The parents of Blair students work at least as hard as Whitman's and in some cases harder. Consider that Blair is made up mostly of minority students. Consider that racism does still exist even in liberal areas such as our own. Put two and two together and you realize that the average Blair parent probably has to work harder than the average Whitman parent to get jobs and maintain them. This isn’t meant as criticism of Whitman parents so don’t have a fit kids. My family’s white so we have just as easy as the majority of Whitman families and 30% of Blair.
As to the second half of the comment reposted above, I won’t comment because I don’t think bragging about a newspaper you work for is very professional. However I will say that our Online staff is the best so BOOYA!
Woops. Sorry folks, I meant to say that we’re a very humble bunch.
I’m sure there were plenty of stupid posts by Blair students as well so don’t come crying because I didn’t complain about any of them. The fact is, I really couldn’t be bothered to go back and read the same regurgitated slurs and jibes over and over again.
If you’re like me in that respect, I’ve prepared a quick summary of nearly every post on this board that I’ve glanced at:
Posted by: Clever Name that Either Pokes Fun at the Opposing School or Boasts about My School Pride :: 12/20/2002
I was terribly offended by (that last clearly uninformed post/this terrible article). Because the views of one person clearly represent your entire school, I find it necessary to reply in kind. (Blair/Whitman) is the worst school ever and (Whitman/Blair) is far superior. We have better sports teams that could kick your team’s butt any day of the week or year. Your school newspaper is made up of eggheads who don’t rite grammar good or make sentences that sound well. I will now write a bunch of random “facts" that “justify" my stated opinion. (“Facts" declared) Now I will take random “words" from other posts and “put them" in “quotes" to show I know what I’m talking “about." Let me finish up by taking a final cheap shot at (Blair/Whitman) followed by a couple more words in “quotes."
Of course there were a couple exceptions to this general summary such as Izaak’s comment (Izaak, man! You’re supposed to talk about how bad the other school is, dude!), but these exceptions are few and far between.
At any rate, I’ve already taken up enough space so let me finish up by saying that Whitman is made up of egotistical maniacs and now I have to go eat “lunch."
Discuss this Article
And on that note, good luck in the eight final sporting contests, which of course you will loose.
Jacob, Whit'e'man
Merry Christmas.
Whitman had the opporunity to take the high road, and not every student took it. But neither did Blair students who used Ben's column as an excuse to make some pretty offensive allegations of racism and elitism. After reading the personal note Ben sent to a Whitman student explaining his article, I understand better what he was trying to do by writing the column, and I don't think he meant his comments to be as insulting as Whitman kids interpreted them to be. I'm not defending what he wrote by any means-- just because he passed off what he wrote as a "humor column" doesn't mean he can get away with saying whatever he wants. As editor of Whitman's paper, I would hope that our staff wouldn't run an opinion piece that makes personal attacks on another school's students. But at the same time, I know that the Black & White has made its share of mistakes, and run some stories it shouldn't have. Even though I consider this article a lapse in judgment, it won't permanently change my views of Silver Chips or Blair students. Prejudiced, snobby students exist at both schools-- and that has nothing to do with diversity or median income.
I respect Ben's attempt to boost school spirit, but socioeconomic status and minority representation should have nothing to do with the Blair-Whitman competition. Instead of making this a battle of opposites--rich/poor, homogeneous/diverse, whatever-- consider for a moment how similar we are. Our schools both have excellent sports teams, strong musical programs, respected newspapers. That sounds like plenty to fuel a rivalry to me.
I thought you Whitman people are academically advanced enough to realize that you can use a grammar error to prove a point.
It's obvious what KC was implying when he wrote "who don’t rite grammar good."
The summary said at the end that comments all ended with a cheap shot and something in quotes. Thus I ended my article with a cheap shot and something in quotes. That's the joke.
mainly both schools' representatives' stupidity
number 1, whats the difference between whitman parents and blair parents? they're all parents, they all live in maryland and are trying to make a living... whats your point?
number 2, you go on to say that you think that the comments from whitman that say our atheletes and school paper are better are not necessary then you go on to say 'However I will say that our Online staff is the best so BOOYA!' so your basically calling yourself a hypocrite
and just for kicks... did you happen to see the scoreboard last night?!
U sayed that godd. Well jobb! Godder then evry1 else...
(Note to everyone who didn't understand that comment:
It's a joke. Thank you.)
The Blair article that started this was crass and bigoted.
But the following Whitman responses were too.
I don't know much about sport teams, and I don't care. But in terms of people, I don't think you can make a [expletive] judgement about the people in the other school unless you've gone there. And that makes me, and Anushka Sunder (a senior who also went to Blair as a freshman) eligible. I don't know about Sunder's opinions, but I think that the people at each school are fine.
Silver Chips is an incredible newspaper, and I think that the Black and White pales in comparison.
But the Blair yearbook is a piece of trash; Whitman's is far superior, an opinion even shared by many of my Blazer friends.
Such rivalry is often unfounded and completely stupid, on both parts.
The pompous on both sides need a strict beating with a wooden plank.
http://silverchips.mbhs.edu/inside.php?sid=4023