Anonymous wrote:I saw the "feature" too and asked DD about it. Apparently it is a very self-selecting group that is featured and is looking for that 15 minutes of fame. The sad thing is that Sidwell offers so many other positive ways by which these young ladies and men can distinguish themselves. I found it cringe-worthy as do several other parents.

Many of the kids who are featured are also "distinguishing themselves in other positive ways," but, you know, they're teens -- they're entering the part of life when we all spent a great deal of time thinking about sexuality, physical attraction, romance, etc. If that makes you cringe, you're going to have a very hard time for the next decade or so as your kids progress through adolescence and young adulthood. You'd be a lot better off talking to your kids about this stuff -- preferably with some sense of humor and perspective.

Anonymous wrote:Why do either? (Not OP.)

Weren't you ever in high school, dipshit?

Seems to me like someone is try to stir the pot right before admissions decisions are due.

I'd bet everyone posting here has a high school yearbook with similarly offensive entries like "Best Looking." Here is one local high school with entries like "Best Ass (backside)" and "Best Body." http://issuu.com/tjtoday/docs/seniorissue.2013 I'd find the supposed moral outrage more compelling if it weren't directed at such a common and obvious target.

It is gross.

So are they not allowed to be plain old high school students and have a little fun? Should they only be running features on the most selfless hotties, or the most politically correct?

I can't believe the school allows them to print that. Pretty soon they will have a gossip column.

Omg seriously! What the heck? That is just awful. I can't believe the administration condones this sort of thing. So gross.

Yo, this is stupid, but it is old news...

So for that amount of money, students are not taught to behave with reasonable decorum at school, and in writing in the school newspaper?

Ridic.

So inappropriate!

I saw the "feature" too and asked DD about it. Apparently it is a very self-selecting group that is featured and is looking for that 15 minutes of fame. The sad thing is that Sidwell offers so many other positive ways by which these young ladies and men can distinguish themselves. I found it cringe-worthy as do several other parents.

Anonymous wrote:Why do either? (Not OP.)

+1. I would not want my son or daughter featured this way in the school newspaper! I guess it's the influence of reality t.v.?

Why do either? (Not OP.)

Lighten up, Francis; they also do a bachelor of the month feature.

We were surprised to see this headline in the Sidwell student newspaper (October 15 issue). The article profiled 4 girls--freshman to senior--calling them "babe" "sassy" "sexy" "feisty" "hottie" and urging boys to "hurry up" and "get in line." I had to double check to make sure it wasn't the April Fool's issue. Can anyone provide context? Seems a weirdly sexist and patriarchal viewpoint from what should be a progressive school...