Respect and empathy — these seem to be the characteristics that may have been lacking in the two High School North graduates who are at the center of the horrific series of events at Rutgers.
While no one yet knows all the truths, I find it ironic that in many news reports friends trying to support the two students mention Ravi’s near perfect scores on his SAT and Wei’s experience in a number of AP classes. Good grades do not always equate to a good person. An honors student is not always an honorable student.
The fixation of our schools and community with grades and test scores seems to risk creating a group of kids who know how to compete with each other, but not how to respect or care for each other. While describing a model student, one might talk about good grades, musical talent, or athletic prowess. Until we place the terms kindness, helpfulness and, most of all, respect toward others as part of how a student is measured, we are most likely to see this same type of tragic event repeated.
Lisa Schmid
West Windsor
