Will Landon make any changes?

[Anonymous]

There were no "sweeping changes" with any of the sports programs though pp.

[Anonymous]

They need to change MS heads again. Maybe David Armstrong is reading DCUM and will do some research.

[Anonymous]

Why are you bumping all of the Landon posts up to page 1? You're really trying to keep this topic alive on here.

[Anonymous]

Yes, they've just announced a change. They are removing the solid burled walnut paneling from the boys lacrosse locker room and replacing it with synthetic wood grain.

[Anonymous]

Lovely.

[Anonymous]

wow

[Anonymous]

WOW...it is amazing how people can judge an entire community of hard working families that sacrifice to give their kids an outstanding education based on the actions of one alum that graduated over 4 years ago. I guess we can ignore the fine work the boys have done with Bethesda Cares, the young man recently selected as a Presidential Scholar and the Landon men attending top Universities and leading productive lives without ever having touched a lacrosse stick.

The thing that I find most troubling is the fact that ADULTS have verbally said mean and hurtful things to Landon BOYS (yes fifth and sixth graders) at recent baseball and lacrosse games in essence calling them future murderers. REALLY, these poor kids were 6 years old when the young man was at Landon! Yet, individuals feel empowered to be self righteous haters!

This incident has hit Landon hard. A number of Landon families are friendly with the family of the victim and knew the victim. So this is NOT a one sided saga. Society needs responsible adults to view these horrific events through a proper prism. Parents need to guide their children: the recent incidents at various schools in the area, including sexting, computer hacking, guns on campus, drugs, alcohol,etc. are problems facing all youth and they need the love, support and guidance from parents and the community to help guide them. This young man obviously had problems that can not be blamed on Mater Dei, Landon or UVA for that matter.

Unless you really know a Landon boy and his family, please keep you comments to yourself. They really are not productive.

[Anonymous]

I know a few Landon boys and families, though not terribly closely. They seem wonderful. I do know my son, who dreams of going to Landon ... and I must say, after being very positive about his hopes, I am wondering whether to discourage them now. Even BEFORE this incident, I had a people suggest that he could do better academically given his record and my DH found out several people he knows went to Landon (who just so happen to be arrogant, not so smart, and self-centered). Since the "Huguely incident," for lack of a better term, I have heard from a Landon parent telling me not to send my son there unless I want him to feel super-privileged and entitled, I have heard that some Landon moms got kicked out of a recent lax game for being too foul-mouthed and aggressive, and a colleague who met Landon men during college told me that she noted that they were maladept at dealing with women. SO -- my son still wants Landon badly for MS -- but though I really want to make him happy, I have to weigh the issue of sending him to a place that some proportion of people I know suggest might ruin his personality and decent sense of self (and relative self-importance), while also possible tainting him with a reputational slur that is bigger than him or the school. Bottom line - though I would love to support Landon -- it's too risky, if you have other options.

[Anonymous]

BTW, I am PP ... and the post of the prior PP drove me to post my entry, particularly the statement: "Unless you really know a Landon boy and his family, please keep you comments to yourself. They really are not productive."

My point: Landon needs to have new students, not just the ones already there. To that end, my family -- willing and able to pay full tuition with a 99th percentile child, academically and physically, who really wants to go to Landon -- is someone that I would expect the school to be interested in. And, in a time of crisis, I would expect existing parents would care, too.

As far as whether my comments could be productive ... my DH says DS is not going to Landon unless we hear that they have taken the issues seriously and have addressed them by cleaning some house, making some changes, and pledging awareness.

This is a chance for the school to improve, even if it couldn't predict Huguely's criminality. I certainly believe that is true, but wonder if the school lets in some kids of borderline personality as legacy admission, or because of wealthy parents, or sporting ability, or some other reason. Perhaps a serious look at the type of kids they admit is good place to start.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, they've just announced a change. They are removing the solid burled walnut paneling from the boys lacrosse locker room and replacing it with synthetic wood grain.

uh, there is no "boys lacrosse locker room" or "lacrosse locker room" of any sort.. there's one main locker room where all the upperschool boys (in every sport) get dressed. teams/grades aren't segregated from each other

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:). Since the "Huguely incident," for lack of a better term, I have heard from a Landon parent telling me not to send my son there unless I want him to feel super-privileged and entitled, I have heard that some Landon moms got kicked out of a recent lax game for being too foul-mouthed and aggressive, and a colleague who met Landon men during college told me that she noted that they were maladept at dealing with women. .

hahaha im sorry but this statement is clearly fabricated and factually false. nothing of that sort occurred. quit making things up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WOW...it is amazing how people can judge an entire community of hard working families that sacrifice to give their kids an outstanding education based on the actions of one alum that graduated over 4 years ago. I guess we can ignore the fine work the boys have done with Bethesda Cares, the young man recently selected as a Presidential Scholar and the Landon men attending top Universities and leading productive lives without ever having touched a lacrosse stick.

The thing that I find most troubling is the fact that ADULTS have verbally said mean and hurtful things to Landon BOYS (yes fifth and sixth graders) at recent baseball and lacrosse games in essence calling them future murderers. REALLY, these poor kids were 6 years old when the young man was at Landon! Yet, individuals feel empowered to be self righteous haters!

This incident has hit Landon hard. A number of Landon families are friendly with the family of the victim and knew the victim. So this is NOT a one sided saga. Society needs responsible adults to view these horrific events through a proper prism. Parents need to guide their children: the recent incidents at various schools in the area, including sexting, computer hacking, guns on campus, drugs, alcohol,etc. are problems facing all youth and they need the love, support and guidance from parents and the community to help guide them. This young man obviously had problems that can not be blamed on Mater Dei, Landon or UVA for that matter.

Unless you really know a Landon boy and his family, please keep you comments to yourself. They really are not productive.

Thank you. Finally somebody posts something logical and genuine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To answer OP -- no Landon will not change. It had the chance to change after the very public cheating scandal 7 or 8 years ago now. The story hit all of the papers and there was a huge story in the Washingtonian Magazine. Yet, the school was not shamed enough to make changes. Instead, the only boys kicked out from the group of 8 or so involved in the scandal were the non-lax players. I knew one of them. My husband was in banking with the mother.

Right, Landon made no effort to change.. except for that they fired their headmaster, replaced their upperschool head, and replaced their middle school head. Yeah, Landon really made NO changes after the SAT scandal haha...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh,boy...Whitman has excellent academics. That would be a move up on the academic side. What about boys who got out of Landon and went to a Big 3? Both examples of a move up the academic ladder. Boys are moving for academic reasons and there has been a large migration for the last 2 or 3 years. Landon's athletics are great and are the reason to stay at Landon.

You think Whitman has better academics than Landon? What in the world are you smoking...

[Anonymous]

PP: 23:54 Thank you for a well written post.

PP:0021. Why the last line drove you to post is drivng me nuts. You are not at the school and have no idea what goes on there. We get it. Your wonderful, perfect child will not grace the campus of Landon. The rest of the horrible, not smart, uncouth boys of Landon will never be able to advance in life and be succesful because your child won't be there. The only obnoxious, nasty people you have ever met went to Landon.

There are other schools. If you think that every other school is perfect and does not have issues then you have a lot to learn about private school. Every school lets in its legacies that may not be perfect. Every school is dealing with drugs, alchohol, etc. and before you go ahead and say well it is because of athletics, yes athletics are important at Landon just like Episcopal, Georgetown Prep, Gonzaga, Dematha, St.. Albans and Good Counsel. If you want a different environment, then apply to schools that don't.