Steve Frey
On Tuesday, the Virginia High School League announced the schools receiving the Claudia Dodson VHSL Sportsmanship, Ethics and Integrity Award.
Only 24 high schools in the state received this award, and four of them are right here in the NRV: Auburn High School, Blacksburg High School, Eastern Montgomery High School and Radford High School.
Auburn and Blacksburg have won the award three times each, and Eastern Montgomery and Radford have each received the award eight times. The awards are presented by Wells Fargo.
High schools complete a self-assessment and ask at least three other schools to assess them, also.
“I consider this to be the Virginia High School League’s most prestigious award,” said VHSL Assistant Director Chris Robinson in the news release.
Isn’t it exciting to see so many local schools and students recognized for those criteria areas?
In a time when name-calling, denigration and abusive behavior have become the norm for many adults, students are still learning solid lessons about honorable, civil behavior.
Character begins at home, but other places like church, scouts and schools also help to create a solid foundation that will carry students through life and aid them in becoming respectful, honorable adults.
These well-behaved, courteous students don’t just learn qualities of decorum in high school; those attributes are developed from the youngest grades.
Elementary schools all have character education programs that teach traits such as honesty, citizenship, respect, fairness, cooperation, forgiveness, diversity and many others.
Students learn about the meaning and value of the characteristics, but even more importantly, they learn to put these qualities into action. The training, of course, continues right through middle and high school.
In addition to learning about these traits, they see them modeled by adults. Or they don’t. Adults have to remember that young people look up to them.
They are always watching and learning. They will repeat the words and actions of the people they respect and see each day.
That is why it is critical that we think about the things we say and do. If we spend our time degrading others, children learn that that is okay.
If we make derogatory comments about other people’s religion, nationality or other demographics, our children will do it, too.
It is interesting that people who claim to believe in “treating others as we wish to be treated” throw that concept out the window in the heat of the moment.
Obviously, some people say that but don’t believe it, or they wouldn’t berate those with different religious beliefs, or a different race or whatever.
Our leaders on the highest level have taught our children and us that it is okay to call people names.
They demonstrate that the way to get what you want is to tear people down, to out-yell them or to make them feel small.
The Christian tradition talks a lot about the Good Shepherd and taking care of the “flock.” In Jeremiah, scripture says, “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the flock of my pasture…”
Then, in Mark, “When He disembarked and saw the vast crowd, His heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.”
These are two very different forms of “shepherding.”
Adults are called to be “good shepherds.” But raising children is more than feeding, clothing and providing shelter; it is also about helping them to grow, as with the Dodson award, ethically and with integrity.
When a leader teaches prejudice by putting down another person or her beliefs, he is not caring for his “flock.”
When an adult lies, he is teaching that lying to get your way is okay. When a leader calls people names, she is not teaching tolerance.
Some people are racist, and through their actions, they teach racism. Some people are violent, and through their actions, they teach violence. Some people think it’s okay to be abusive to women, or Latinos, or Muslims, so they say things and do things that are not ethical or in accordance with integrity.
On the other hand, adults can also model respectful, civil debate about issues. They can make points using facts and their values. They can listen as well as share beliefs.
Fortunately, based on this high school award, there are many young people in the New River Valley who are learning to “love thy neighbor as thyself.”
They are learning to accept all other people, regardless of religion, color, nationality or any other characteristic.
They understand the importance of speaking to others respectfully and that being abusive in language or action is not a sign of strength, but actually a sign of weakness—a sign of poor character.
As adults, we have a huge responsibility to help young people know that the world is diverse and that there are wonderful people in it who might be different from us, and that’s okay.
In reality, we are all connected. The Jewish religion teaches: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor.” Buddhism: “Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” Christianity: “In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you.” Islam: “Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself.” Hindu: “This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you.” Atheists would probably say to “treat others as you want to be treated.”
There are many other religions that have the same variant of The Golden Rule. Some of them have a God-figure, and some don’t, but all have the common theme of treating all others, regardless of background, with kindness, compassion, respect and yes, with that often heard word: civility.
Perhaps we should stop focusing on religious dogma and concentrate more on how we treat each other in everyday interactions.
What kind of adult, “shepherd,” leader or teacher (we are all teachers for young people and fellow community members.) will we be? What kind of world are we helping to create by our words, actions and example?
Some teach that “winning” is everything, regardless of how one wins. Fortunately, many realize that “winning” isn’t as important as “how we play the game.”
Ends don’t justify degrading means. Our young people are demonstrating a high level of sportsmanship, ethics, and integrity. Are we, as adults, doing as well?
Steve Frey is a writer and CEO of Ascendant Educational Services based in Radford.