The problem w Landon - from an alum

[Anonymous]

OP I agree with you

[Anonymous]

OP, thanks for a calm, well-reasoned post. I think that Landon as a school may underestimate the negativity that much of the outside world still attaches to the "Landon is Lacrosse" brand identity, and it might have been better not to highlight that. Seeing the whole email, it does sound like they are also making some efforts to make sure they highlight other elements of school culture.

[Anonymous]

Laughing out loud at Landon again after reading this thread. Detractors make it sound awful and supporters are over the top. So glad my sons' private school doesn't generate these ridiculous posts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Laughing out loud at Landon again after reading this thread. Detractors make it sound awful and supporters are over the top. So glad my sons' private school doesn't generate these ridiculous posts.

Name it and let's see what happens. Dare ya.

[Anonymous]

PP - wait until someone connected to your DS's private school murders someone - or cheats on a test - or gets implicated in some other crime. Every single school on the planet has one or more weirdo alums or current students ... there but for the grace ... Given your smugness, I hope your DS's school gets taken down a few notches soon...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To pp: thanks for providing the necessary context. I had my suspicions a out OP. now he (or she because I doubt it was alum who started this unbalanced thread) is busted.

I am OP - I am an alum, not a parent. Not sure how to prove it to you guys b/c this board always reverts to name calling and "prove it" BS.

I spent 8 years at the school - and when I was there it had some of the best teachers I have ever had (Murray, Sorkin, Swinehart, Mora, DocBrock, Farnstroms) including college and grad school.

But lax jock culture dominated then and it seems that it still too much today. I also witnessed in my era some truly abhorent and awful lax culture behavior certainly not discouraged by Coach B. The reverence to Lax players and coach in my era reminds me of how D-1 football players must be treated at placed like Ohio State - except there's no TV money at stake here so school must know that many parents send their kids to Landon for the lacrosse and therefore lacrosse is a tuition revenue and admissions yield source for them

There are certainly more facets to the school beyond lacrosse and my OP did not say otherwise if you bothered to read it.

I guess it just bugs me that a school chooses to place the LAX emphasis in the paragraph of an email blast to alums where it is touting college admits - in what seems to be a good year for admits.

I cant think of elite DC schools like STA, Sidwell, GDS, Maret, Potomac writing that same paragraph.

Landon has come a long way from the Dowd, NYT, LAX scandal days but still has a way to go.

We can agree to disagree.

Still have no idea why you think coming on this site anonymously will cause Landon to understand your concern. You have plenty of outlets at the school (communications office, alumni head, alumni board, headmaster) to voice your displeasure.

[Anonymous]

Still have no idea why you think coming on this site anonymously will cause Landon to understand your concern. You have plenty of outlets at the school (communications office, alumni head, alumni board, headmaster) to voice your displeasure.

Prefer this forum

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Still have no idea why you think coming on this site anonymously will cause Landon to understand your concern. You have plenty of outlets at the school (communications office, alumni head, alumni board, headmaster) to voice your displeasure.

Prefer this forum


Exactly. Your really not interested in trying to change anything. You want to generate negative publicity, complain about something and don't have the guts to let the school know who you are.

[Anonymous]

PP here. My sons could be at STA, Sidwell, Gonzaga, SSSAS, GP or most others and you wouldn't/don't get a fraction of the vitriolic posts and opinions associated with Landon. Sure, all schools have issues, just not to the extent of Landon's issues, year after year.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell gets trashed on this website as does Landon.

[Anonymous]

I think you're over thinking it.

Almost any school public or private will tout athletics vis-a-vis college admissions. Not many schools seem to have such strong athletic programs in one sport like Landon - but they tout them nonetheless.

A friend's son graduated from Thomas Jefferson in VA and was "the first athletic scholarship" athlete (he went to Div1 Lax and eventually captained their team). Another friend's son was at Sidwell Friends (another Captain) and went to another school to play Lax and it was noted prominently. A daughter's friend was a lax player who was recruited into Wellesley (sp??) blah blah blah.

Every school does it. I wouldn't worry about it.

Landon's obviously has some image issues - but hopefully that makes the school stronger and better to those that wish to change that reputation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, thanks for a calm, well-reasoned post. I think that Landon as a school may underestimate the negativity that much of the outside world still attaches to the "Landon is Lacrosse" brand identity, and it might have been better not to highlight that. Seeing the whole email, it does sound like they are also making some efforts to make sure they highlight other elements of school culture.

NP here with zero tie to the school -- no idea why I clicked on the thread, actually.

My observation in response to the PP would be that this is an email to alums, not a public press release to the outside world.

OP, my opinions and knowledge of Landon are formed pretty much only by what I've seen on DCUM and unfortunately the UVa murder. That being said, if it turns out that other boys had gotten athletic scholarships (or other full ride scholarships based on music, theater or something else) as part of those early admissions results and they weren't mentioned, I'd be appalled. Otherwise, as part of the outside world, I'm not horrified by the email.

My .02

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, thanks for a calm, well-reasoned post. I think that Landon as a school may underestimate the negativity that much of the outside world still attaches to the "Landon is Lacrosse" brand identity, and it might have been better not to highlight that. Seeing the whole email, it does sound like they are also making some efforts to make sure they highlight other elements of school culture.

NP here with zero tie to the school -- no idea why I clicked on the thread, actually.

My observation in response to the PP would be that this is an email to alums, not a public press release to the outside world.

OP, my opinions and knowledge of Landon are formed pretty much only by what I've seen on DCUM and unfortunately the UVa murder. That being said, if it turns out that other boys had gotten athletic scholarships (or other full ride scholarships based on music, theater or something else) as part of those early admissions results and they weren't mentioned, I'd be appalled. Otherwise, as part of the outside world, I'm not horrified by the email.

My .02

Just a general question about college scholarships. I know for sports there are signing days and it is in the paper. Are other scholarships "public".

I know my neice got an academic scholarship but nobody went around talking about it because it seemed a little braggy and rude. So nobody really knew except for family. Do the schools know about this type of scholarship?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Landon's communications department this year has done a pretty solid job promoting the well roundness of the school. I am an alum and we typically receive an email every 2 or 3 months from the alumni director or from the headmaster titled "Inside Landon". I believe the email which went out on Friday or Thursday last week was the 3rd email we received this year. If you truly want to get a sense of what the school is promoting check out the schools website.. www.landon.net and check out the main headlines.

I thought the email was pretty fair and balanced if you ask me. I have been told they have 10 lacrosse players now committed to D1 schools and they don't have any other seniors committed to play D1 for another sport at this time. A few baseball players are trying to play DIII as well as hockey but its not official and none of them have signed so why publish something if its not true... Anyways, for the original poster who started this thread, I don't believe you are an alum but rather a disgruntled parent. Here is the email which I received this past week from the headmaster.... see below and you decide if its "too pro athletics". see below!!!

Community Service

Be Brave and Shave — Forty-two members of our School community are a little balder, a little colder, but no doubt a little happier, having participated in “Be Brave and Shave.” Landon hockey players, coaches and supporters teamed up with Georgetown Prep, before their Wednesday evening hockey game, to shave their heads for charity. Together, we raised more than $70,000 for the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s National Medical Center. Assistant Coach Hans Farnstrom met his goal of $3,000 and shaved (maybe “trimmed” is a better word) the beard he had worn for more than 30 years. Congratulations to all who participated and to the Bears who defeated the Little Hoyas, 11-2, in the varsity contest and 9-0 in JV contest.

Stop Hunger Now — More than 100 members of the Landon community gathered in the Lindner Dining Hall last Saturday (2/2) for Stop Hunger Now, an international hunger relief organization. Volunteers packaged more than 25,000 meals to be sent to needy people in developing countries. Students from Madeira and Holton-Arms also joined in. Boys sold orange shoelaces for $5 a pair to help cover the cost of the meals. A generous grant from the Jay P. Okun Foundation also funded the event.

Day of Service— Twelve Middle School students headed to Burrville Elementary School in Northeast Washington on January 19, the national Day of Service held in conjunction with the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. With support from Assistant Middle School Head Laurie Sears, parents, and some girls from Holton-Arms, the group sorted books, painted murals and met the President and Mrs. Obama, who stopped in to express their thanks!

And More - Each week this winter finds our Middle School students coaching Special Olympians in the Barton Center. Our littlest Bears are collecting coins for Pennies for Patients to support the work of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The leaders of our Multicultural Student Alliance collected and delivered clothing to the Community for Creative Non-Violence this week.

Campus News

National Merit Finalists — Three Landon seniors have been named Finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Programs: Vinodh Balendran, Jack Jundanian and Harrison Voslow are among 15,000 students nationwide who are eligible for 83,000 Merit Scholarships, based on their PSAT scores and academic performance. They will hear more later this spring.

College Results — The Class of 2013 has had wonderful college news so far, with more than 60 acceptances through early decision, early action and rolling admissions for the 78 boys in the class. Almost half of the boys have made their final choices, including nine who will play Division I lacrosse next year. (Read more.) Results for the Regular Decision round are due in early April. Congratulations and good luck to the Senior Class!

Check Out the Galleries — Some of our outstanding young artists are exhibiting their work in the Landow Family Gallery and in the lobby of the Mondzac Performing Arts Center. John Wellington currently has a show in the gallery, following a solo show by Ben Berenson, and a group show in the P.A.C. by seniors Alex Harvey, John Bair and Aidan Kelso. Soon to come in the Gallery: an exhibit of works by eighth graders from Landon and Holton-Arms School. After studying Mexican artist Diego Rivera, our Lower Schoolers have done some wonderful mural work now hanging in the PAC lobby. Stop by and take a look (or click here to see their work online).

Campaign Update

$44 Million and Counting — The Landon United campaign has crossed the $44 million mark, counting the more than $5 million raised thus far this school year. It’s encouraging to see our alumni stepping up to support current students through planned gifts, and equally gratifying to have assistance from parents who see the value of the Landon experience every day. We are thankful for the generosity of each and every donor, including those annual fund gifts which all count toward the campaign. You can still support your class’s Annual Fund goal by contributing online at www.landon.net/makeagift.

From an outsider looking in, you rock PP. Thanks for putting context to the email. It really makes a difference.

[Anonymous]

10:36 - I guess you must be today's Landon teacher or administrator assigned to monitor the DCUM boards and defend Landon. Great job! Maybe have a cup of coffee with your kool-aid.