Why Nerds Need Cheerleaders Too

Andrew Young

In this staged photo, junior Mariel Barocas studies hard as cheerleaders Ivory McCulley and Jessica Torrellas celebrate their victories.

Mariel Barocas, Staff Writer

Why is it that students with athletic accomplishments have assemblies dedicated to them, morning announcements filled with their praise and countless articles in local newspapers concerning their most recent win, while the students who have achieved well-deserved goals in the academic field receive so little as the occasional pat on the back?

I am not denouncing the value athletics hold in our society; I agree that they teach vital characteristics to our kids such as cooperation, determination and the value of hard work. My reservations lie in the fact that these same values are also exhibited by determined students who sacrifice their social life to do hours of studying to score perfectly on their exams, yet no one acknowledges them.

What the vast majority of people at Stamford High School do not realize is that it takes just as much time, effort, and practice to maintain perfect grades as it does to maintain a perfect record in a sports season. One could even say that it is more demanding to maintain grades because you are not a part of a team that, quite literally, can help you when you have dropped the ball. Being a true scholar condemns you to a team of one, where all the games’ stakes are riding on the back of only one player.

So, if being a scholar is as hard as it sounds, then why don’t those kids who achieve academic excellence receive the same attention and accreditation that athletes are given? The school could host an all-school academic awards assembly, where hard working students, who otherwise would not receive any rewards, are recognized for their outstanding academic achievement. Or even a small webpage or bulletin board posted publicly which identifies that quarter’s high scoring students would suffice.

Simple rewards could provide the small incentive many students need to spur their motivation toward achieving higher academically. Stamford High, an inner city school with a diverse student body, is home to many students whose parents may have to ration their time between multiple jobs and their children. This unfortunately results in parents who, to their children, are seemingly uninterested in their achievement. So without the encouragement of said preoccupied parent, a student’s priorities may fall to the whims of society. And, when we live in a world where everyone knows the two teams contending for the NFL Super Bowl, but not the names of the intellectuals running for president, it is not difficult to see how a student may choose to spend more time working toward their athletics—rather than their academics.