Maureen Dowd column on Landon

[Anonymous]

Whoops. I should have said I was responding to the PP who suggested Landon teach Ethics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Problem starts at home. But Landon's jock culture doesn't seem to help (all 5 of the boys were lax players, for example).

For what it's worth, STA also has a really unappealing lacrosse culture right now--into posing as slacker partying stoner "bros"--and not all that respectful of girls.

Posing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Problem starts at home. But Landon's jock culture doesn't seem to help (all 5 of the boys were lax players, for example).

For what it's worth, STA also has a really unappealing lacrosse culture right now--into posing as slacker partying stoner "bros"--and not all that respectful of girls.

Posing?

I hope it is mostly posing--playing the "role" that they think is expected of them as lacrosse players. I am trying to take an optimistic view, anyway. Thank heavens for all the cross-country runners at STA, who don't have to play into the "lax bro" stereotype. . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They do try. They established a prefect system a few years ago and the job of the prefects is to help inculcate a sense of honor. They review what the honor system is suppose to mean on a regular basis. They have speaker series on the topic of ethics named for the fine young Landon grad who died in a lacrosse accident at Cornell a few years ago--you all might remember reading about him and how his plans to teach at an Indian reservation were disrupted by his untimely death. Or maybe not--didn't fit the stereotype.

I have found that, as the mother of only boys, I have to spend time educating them on the idea that girls see things differently than boys - things that boys would brush off or even see as a positive, girls may not like (with all due caveats about individual variation, etc.). Does Landon, as an all-boys school, include that sort of thing in their Ethics teaching?

[Anonymous]

No. Their honor code, ethics and all the rest are gone over at the first of the year with the boys. They have to sign typical agreements. They have a couple of lectures through the academic year. FYI, the lead perp in this slampig horror either sleeps or pretends to sleep when lectures are presented. This has gone on for at least 3 years--my ds was in the 9th grade this year (and earlier grades) at Landon with the slampig group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. Their honor code, ethics and all the rest are gone over at the first of the year with the boys. They have to sign typical agreements. They have a couple of lectures through the academic year. FYI, the lead perp in this slampig horror either sleeps or pretends to sleep when lectures are presented. This has gone on for at least 3 years--my ds was in the 9th grade this year (and earlier grades) at Landon with the slampig group.

PP, did the punishment at the beginning of the year seem to reach any of the involved boys, so far as you can see? Or maybe they are growing out of an unpleasant phase? Or did they seem to exhibit the same kind of negative leadership post-incident and your sons class is stuck with them?

[Anonymous]

They are still nasty boys. The Sept. punishment was the in schoolsuspension. Their parents did very little--as usual. There have been numerous chances to expel these kids; this being the most obvious. I wish counsel would come up with a way to 'buy' these families out of Landon. Expulsion can't be retro, but maybe something else can be done to get them out of the school.This is going to follow the class and these boys are going to be business as usual. This is strange and destructive behavior and doesn't 'only' involve poor treatment of girls. Much more.

[Anonymous]

That is too bad. Any school can get a bad nucleus that sets a tone and does a lot to sour the experience of the rest of the class. I know some great Landon kids and families and feel bad this has become such an issue. Maybe something good will come out of it and the school will be somewhat more willing to "not invite back" kids with a pattern of nastiness. A number of schools around here quietly do that and I think it helps not just the school but sometimes is a wake-up call for the student/family asked not to return.

[Anonymous]

I completely agree and hope Landon decides to have some fiduciary duties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I completely agree and hope Landon decides to have some fiduciary duties.

fiduciary? They should refund tuition?

[Anonymous]

Landon already has in place an annual " invite back" letter where the school invites the student back or not. This opportunity has not been used by the school to disinvite bad apples in a class. There have also been recent classes at Landon where several bad apples in a class keep being reinvited back, even after faculty have tried for years to force the school to do something. The administrators never do. Very disconcerting. Hopefully this will now change.

[Anonymous]

Second that. Perhaps all this bad publicity will make the school realize that the donations from these families will never match all the bad press that Landon keeps getting from these kids.

[Anonymous]

These families aren't big donors. 2 of the mothers like to run the fundraisers and have high profiles. One kid is a legacy with a graduated sibling--however, this kid is an athlete. He and the high profile kid and one of the other perps play lacrosse. One of these boys is a stellar athlete. The other two/three boys aren't star
athletes--this includes the ringleader, but work at Lax all the same. Group mentality in the lax arena.

I have been baffled as to why these kids have been allowed to ruin things for other boys. Athletics appears to be the link.

[Anonymous]

First time poster here! I just learned about this website and boy do some of you guys have a lot of time on your hands. Just how credible is this website - when everyone is anonymous.

As a Landon alum, I think what these Landon boys did was wrong, I have a daughter who attends SR and a younger boy heading into 7th grade at Landon - he has loved his time at Landon thus far.

As a previous poster said, if you put a microscope under any private school in the are, you will find some skeletons in the closet.

The Washington Post IMO has a fixation with the Landon school for boys. Is it because its not affiliated with a church? maybe? Just this past winter, several junior boys from Georgetown Prep were caught smoking dope in the dorms - including some lax players, and yes one stud lacrosse player. There was never article in the post about this - nor should there be. (and yes the Prep lacrosse player is still in school too)

A STA student brings a hand gun to campus and shoots it off in the woods - one of them was an STA lacrosse player. Were those boys expelled. The post had a tiny blurb the next day in the Metro section about this.

St. Stephens - best lacrosse player this year, was just expelled from SS.SA for dealing pot on campus. A few other kids were involved - the post never reported that story.

A few Whitman students were recently caught trading pornographic pictures of young student - the Post didn't seem to cover this story.

Lets not forget about the "tea bagging" days at Georgetown Prep when football and lacrosse players would stick their testicles in the mouths of rookie players making the varsity.

As for Landon's SAT scandal, if you think, the landon boys were the only boys cheating that morning in the Holton Arms library that morning - you are mistaken.

Again, I'm not defending these current Landon students but I ask - why was this article even covered in the first place. Is there nothing else for Maureen Dowd to write about ( PS Maureen Dowd had two nephews who attended Georgetown Prep) For all you moms out there, if you don't think your 8th grade son has ever looked at porn or thought about "scoring" at a party, you are in la la land. If you don't think other kids at other private schools are dreaming about having sex with their female friends, your living on another planet. These boys were dumb enough to post this crap on the internet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First time poster here! I just learned about this website and boy do some of you guys have a lot of time on your hands. Just how credible is this website - when everyone is anonymous.

As a Landon alum, I think what these Landon boys did was wrong, I have a daughter who attends SR and a younger boy heading into 7th grade at Landon - he has loved his time at Landon thus far.

As a previous poster said, if you put a microscope under any private school in the are, you will find some skeletons in the closet.

The Washington Post IMO has a fixation with the Landon school for boys. Is it because its not affiliated with a church? maybe? Just this past winter, several junior boys from Georgetown Prep were caught smoking dope in the dorms - including some lax players, and yes one stud lacrosse player. There was never article in the post about this - nor should there be. (and yes the Prep lacrosse player is still in school too)

STA lax player was asked to leave. Other STA students also went bye bye. Some athletes.

A STA student brings a hand gun to campus and shoots it off in the woods - one of them was an STA lacrosse player. Were those boys expelled. The post had a tiny blurb the next day in the Metro section about this.

Excuse me? You clearly live on another planet. 1 boy had a BB gun in his car. It hit the national news [print and TV].

St. Stephens - best lacrosse player this year, was just expelled from SS.SA for dealing pot on campus. A few other kids were involved - the post never reported that story.

expelled.

A few Whitman students were recently caught trading pornographic pictures of young student - the Post didn't seem to cover this story.
I learned of this on the news.

Lets not forget about the "tea bagging" days at Georgetown Prep when football and lacrosse players would stick their testicles in the mouths of rookie players making the varsity.

As for Landon's SAT scandal, if you think, the landon boys were the only boys cheating that morning in the Holton Arms library that morning - you are mistaken.
And these fine Landon lads would not have spilled the dirt on STA or Prep guys? What planet are you on?



Again, I'm not defending these current Landon students but I ask - why was this article even covered in the first place. Is there nothing else for Maureen Dowd to write about ( PS Maureen Dowd had two nephews who attended Georgetown Prep) For all you moms out there, if you don't think your 8th grade son has ever looked at porn or thought about "scoring" at a party, you are in la la land. If you don't think other kids at other private schools are dreaming about having sex with their female friends, your living on another planet. These boys were dumb enough to post this crap on the internet.

These creeps set up an organized ranking and betting pool like a fantasy football league. That's a big leap from calling a girl hot and hoping to date and eventually hook-up with her. Or just hook-up at a party. [i]