Georgetown Prep vs. Sidwell

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's true, though. If you see a car driven by the Catholic Mafia, it's all about the Gonzaga or Prep bumper sticker. You never see a college bumper sticker.

Ridiculous, but it IS true that you are a bigot.

I'm not this poster, but I can't see how this observation is "bigoted" in any way.

The poster may be poking a little fun at these people, because he/she and their ilk think these people with these bumper stickers and their fierce allegiances to these high schools are ridiculous. He/she want these people to be aligned with their value system. He/she appears to think these people are silly and not necessarily bad people.

Of course, the Prep and GZA alums with the close life-long ties to these schools don't care at all about what this person thinks. They have their way, they believe in it, and its worked petty well for them for a very long time.

It's beyond poking fun -- this string of posts is mocking, prejudiced, and dismissive. It seeks to paint a large swath of Catholics with the same biased brush. You are similarly feeding into this all too prevalent bigotry, when you only mention Prep and Gonzaga and dismissively describe how "THEY" think . . .

+1 when you hear "they" or "those people" with wilsstereotyping it is bigotry just as if "they" were blacks or jews

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I brought it up as odd above. I am from NY and there are only two ways to go, get out of the city or go private if you can afford to. I didn't mean it as an insult, but I do get the religious angles locally here to an extent. But how far it seems to go is pretty incredible. It seems like DC people are a lot less transient than people from other metropolitan areas. I didn't see myself as living in NY as a given most of my adult life after growing up there. We lived in Chicago and more of the same. A lot of people multi generation, but many kids grow up and just leave.

Not these days. More people are staying and sending their kids to test-in / application publics.

[Anonymous]

I am sick of people telling me that someone who would consider Sidwell would never consider Prep. I currently have kids at both schools. Get over your selves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how the most insular, close minded and bigoted group in this area is the one that shrieks about prejudice against its sacred catholic schools.

Do you find no irony in your post? I am one of the previous posters noting that the Catholic "mafia" is a pejorative term. My kids go to Sidwell. It doesn't require a Catholic school education to conclude it is offensive to liken a group to the mafia. I just don't get what is possibly debatable about that point. It would seem like referring to a group as the episcopal KKK, the German Nazis, or the middle eastern ISIS, quite casually, and stating it was only indicate they cohesive group with closely held beliefs, you know, no negative implication at all. Hard to believe this notion is that controversial.

Totally agree with getting rid of the "Catholic mafia" term. I'm so tired of seeing it on DCUM and everyone just breezing over it like it's no big deal. It doesn't matter if a Catholic person is the one using it and seems to find it endearing. It's offensive.

I'm Catholic and I'm not a bit offended. I think it's funny.

But to the hyper-sensitive and the politically correct, this is a no-no.

And the first thing they resort to is a comparison to using "Nazis". (See above)

These are people who have never seen an Indian Reservation or a real American Indian, but are somehow convinced that the team nick-name of the Washington DC NFL is a big problem for them. Not alcoholism, or unemployment or indolence caused by Government support.

It's shallow thinking at best.

Funny this is I'm the pp you are demeaning and I've actually spent a fair amount if time working on Native American justice reform work. No, catholics being referred to as being mafia-like is not the end of the earth, but it is far from neutrally referring to a group that is tightly net with common norms and interest. It's an offensive term that people are free to use, and you are free to Google ad, of course. All I'm saying is that it's offensive when you think more than two seconds about it. Not that hard to understand, and doesn't take someone hypersensitive it to get it.

It's not offensive if no one takes offense.

I have no doubt you spend a lot of time trying to find these neutral references and expunge any possible offense from the language,

And if you know anything about the native Americans, you must appreciate how monumentally trivial and stupid this whole flap about the "Redskins" is. How insipid the discussion. How lightweight and shallow the people are that are voicing concern.

Its what passes for progress in the minds of the politically correct. It's a meaningless diversion that will accomplish nothing whatsoever.

[Anonymous]

Yes, thank God the Native Americans have you to speak for them. Those people are so lucky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am sick of people telling me that someone who would consider Sidwell would never consider Prep. I currently have kids at both schools. Get over your selves.

You are one out of 10,000.

"Never" might be too strong a term. How about "very, very, very rare"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, thank God the Native Americans have you to speak for them. Those people are so lucky.

Actually, by raising a fuss about the Redskins team name, you are the one presuming to speak for these tribes. I'm just suggesting your emphasis on "neutral" phrases is silly and trivial.

It's a waste of time and energy. If you want to help start with addressing the Alcoholism, unemployment, diet, disease and suicide.

Instead, we have people busy shuffling papers in DC working on "issues of Indian justice" thinking they are actually doing something.

[Anonymous]

Wow this thread careened from one ugly theme to another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how the most insular, close minded and bigoted group in this area is the one that shrieks about prejudice against its sacred catholic schools.

Do you find no irony in your post? I am one of the previous posters noting that the Catholic "mafia" is a pejorative term. My kids go to Sidwell. It doesn't require a Catholic school education to conclude it is offensive to liken a group to the mafia. I just don't get what is possibly debatable about that point. It would seem like referring to a group as the episcopal KKK, the German Nazis, or the middle eastern ISIS, quite casually, and stating it was only indicate they cohesive group with closely held beliefs, you know, no negative implication at all. Hard to believe this notion is that controversial.

Totally agree with getting rid of the "Catholic mafia" term. I'm so tired of seeing it on DCUM and everyone just breezing over it like it's no big deal. It doesn't matter if a Catholic person is the one using it and seems to find it endearing. It's offensive.

I'm Catholic and I'm not a bit offended. I think it's funny.

But to the hyper-sensitive and the politically correct, this is a no-no.

And the first thing they resort to is a comparison to using "Nazis". (See above)

These are people who have never seen an Indian Reservation or a real American Indian, but are somehow convinced that the team nick-name of the Washington DC NFL is a big problem for them. Not alcoholism, or unemployment or indolence caused by Government support.

It's shallow thinking at best.

Funny this is I'm the pp you are demeaning and I've actually spent a fair amount if time working on Native American justice reform work. No, catholics being referred to as being mafia-like is not the end of the earth, but it is far from neutrally referring to a group that is tightly net with common norms and interest. It's an offensive term that people are free to use, and you are free to Google ad, of course. All I'm saying is that it's offensive when you think more than two seconds about it. Not that hard to understand, and doesn't take someone hypersensitive it to get it.

It's not offensive if no one takes offense.

I have no doubt you spend a lot of time trying to find these neutral references and expunge any possible offense from the language,

And if you know anything about the native Americans, you must appreciate how monumentally trivial and stupid this whole flap about the "Redskins" is. How insipid the discussion. How lightweight and shallow the people are that are voicing concern.

Again the PP you are demeaning. I haven't had any involvement or sated any views on the Redskins name. And if you want to go around sounding like a dolt by making derogatory comments. apparently without realizing the obvious, have at it. Actually, next time you're at work, why don't you start referring to a tight-knit group there as some category of mafia? You know, not to offend or anything? Or do you reserve your passive aggression for the web? And implying that because someone can use a dictionary and has done volunteer work that they are hypersensitive or lack understanding of much graver issues is a pathetic and weak way of defending your position. How hard would it actually be to respond, "Oh, I'm sorry for referring to your group as a form of mafia, I didn't realize the connotation (because I'm unable to use a dictionary) but won't use the term again." Pretty hard for you I guess. Talk about petty and hypersensitive.

Its what passes for progress in the minds of the politically correct. It's a meaningless diversion that will accomplish nothing whatsoever.

[Anonymous]

http://connectedcommunities.us/showthread.php?t=72291

No national merit semi finalists from GP, Landon, Bullis. One from Heights. MoCo publics an excellent showing.

Same list for DC has 3 GDS, 3 Maret, 4 NCS, 16 from Sidwell, 6 from STA, 4 St Johns

Same list on the Fairfax County side showed a ridiculous number for Thomas Jefferson HS showed over 160. Not a typo.

At least in terms of National Merit Scholar Semifinalists, this is a pretty objective measure in favor of Sidwell and then STA and St Johns. Horrendous for the MoCo preps. Very impressive for some of the MoCo publics, and a surprise to me by the count. Thomas Jefferson -- well, WOW.

[Anonymous]

I am a non-Catholic whose son attends one of these school with the people that you have called "insular Catholics". The student body at his school is 30% non-catholic. There are agnostics, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Jews, etc. attending the school.

I have never felt anything but welcomed by the Catholic community at the school.

It's okay to prefer one school or one environment over another, but I don't understand why people feel the need to bash anyone else's choice. If you would never consider sending your child to a Catholic school, that's perfectly fine.

[Anonymous]

Looked a few more years backward, and wow. The lax bro schools just whiff. Average of less than one per year at Landon, about 1 at GP and none in recent history at Bullis.

I guess that is one stereotype that holds up on this very testy thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://connectedcommunities.us/showthread.php?t=72291

No national merit semi finalists from GP, Landon, Bullis. One from Heights. MoCo publics an excellent showing.

Same list for DC has 3 GDS, 3 Maret, 4 NCS, 16 from Sidwell, 6 from STA, 4 St Johns

Same list on the Fairfax County side showed a ridiculous number for Thomas Jefferson HS showed over 160. Not a typo.

At least in terms of National Merit Scholar Semifinalists, this is a pretty objective measure in favor of Sidwell and then STA and St Johns. Horrendous for the MoCo preps. Very impressive for some of the MoCo publics, and a surprise to me by the count. Thomas Jefferson -- well, WOW.

While it may be a valid measure, that does not mean it is objective; rather, it may only suggest that Sidwell/STA place a greater emphasis on test scores in the admissions process. Good scores for entry likely support good NMSF rates down the road. Certainly that is the case with TJ. Again, this is not criticism of any of the schools, there is certainly nothing wrong with great NMSF.

[Anonymous]

"While it may be a valid measure, that does not mean it is objective; rather, it may only suggest that Sidwell/STA place a greater emphasis on test scores in the admissions process. Good scores for entry likely support good NMSF rates down the road. Certainly that is the case with TJ. Again, this is not criticism of any of the schools, there is certainly nothing wrong with great NMSF."

Isn't that a little like saying, Sidwell may be just as good at sports as GP but GP places a greater emphasis on athleticism in the admissions process? I guess I don't follow your logic.

[Anonymous]

The logic is being defensive. It is just one measure, but a valid one and an objective one. An easier test isn't handed out to the Sidwell kids to ace. It probably does suggest that Sidwell/STA, TJ and the MoCo publics do put a greater emphasis on test scores as an academic input in a competitive admissions process.

PP wrote that by that logic Sidwell could easily beat GP and Landon and Bullis in sports if they just focused on it more over academics. Jesus, that would really go over with the boozy bro dads. Can't wait for the next post.