Burlington High School
Burlington, Kansas
Teacher: Devra Parker

American Excellence
By: April Cox
12^th Grade

 

 

During my sophomore year in high school, I felt like I had achieved excellence.  I’m certain not every person in my class even cared to be a part of it, but I had worked hard to get good grades to be selected for National Honor Society.  It is a club based on community service, leadership, academics, and character in which my teachers decide.  My sister had been selected for it, and I wanted to prove to my parents that I was also worthy of membership.  Once I found out I was one of the chosen few to be entered for the year, I was extremely excited that I had made it in.  Now, I know there are people that do not consider what I accomplished something to be considered excellent, because every person has different standards.  That is why a big question hangs over America; have we as a nation truly deserted excellence? 
 

 I have considered every aspect of this question and I have realized that in the 21^st Century America is very different than we used to be.  That is not to say that we have completely abandoned excellence, but it is to say that we have altered what could be considered excellent and lowered it in various ways.  As a whole, we have become less self-motivated and people have gotten lazier.  Some are neglecting even one of our most important and significant rights as an American, to vote for president, because we are too lazy to get up and go to a voting booth.  Of course, not going to vote does not mean one is not striving for excellence; I am just proving that we have become more careless.
 

 The word excellent is used so frequently that it becomes even more difficult to define.  For example, in my school some people consider getting A’s excellent, however, others may only strive for B’s and believe that is excellent when they achieve their goal.  There is no longer a set standard that all of America regards as excellent so how am I to truly judge if we have abandoned it?  For instance, people in different areas of the United States have less opportunities than others and have their own goals.  Families that live in the ghettos of America have a much lesser advantage than people of higher income or who have better developed school systems.  I consider our school to be very fortunate to have as many wonderful advantages to our benefit.  Children and adults in the ghetto alike are more likely to accept less than what most Americans consider excellent.  Taking their circumstances in account, they may feel like they cannot achieve as high as the students and workers in the middle and upper classes.  Therefore, if I took their conditions into consideration, I would probably think that some of their lower standards could be believed excellent. 
 

For me personally, I think I am with most Americans where they strive to achieve higher in some areas than in others.  For example, in school I seem to work harder in some classes more so than in others.  Maybe I do it because I find the work to be more interesting and so it is easier to focus. It could also be due to the fact that I am just more knowledgeable in those certain subjects that I attempt to achieve that much higher to make up for my more difficult subjects.  However, I could still believe that my grades in my complicated classes were close to excellent if I knew I tried my hardest on each and every task.  So, I could say that America’s academics, as a nation, is not what it used to be as far as high standards go.  However, on the individual level, I think it depends on the effort. 
 

 In other areas, I believe that America has abandoned excellence.  The No Child Left Behind Act has a good basis and President Bush had positive meaning for this, but I believe it has not completely helped everyone in the school systems as it was intended to.  For instance, it may make all of the teachers feel that they need to score kids higher so that it will actually appear that the students are improving, whether they really are or not, in hopes of keeping their jobs.  I am not saying that is really happening in our schools; I am just explaining that it could be a possibility.  Another example is that in some schools their extracurricular activities such as sports have precedence over new textbooks for the classroom.  That is especially likely to occur in schools that do not have good academics and are well known for a good basketball or football team.
 

 Therefore, I believe it depends on the circumstances whether we can honestly conclude whether America has abandoned excellence.  To achieve one’s goals, he or she just has to strive for his or her own brilliance and never accept less than what he or she is capable of.  In all aspects of excellence, I strictly adhere that we have not completely neglected it, but we have just altered what can be considered perfect and made it our own.  Even though our nation is well above other countries in most all that we have and do, that should not mean we can ease up and resolve for mediocrity just because we are on top. 
                            

Answers to Questions Re: Required Reading
 

Ask Yourself:

Q1- Am I really where I want to be?

I think that I am content right now with where I am at but I think that one should always keep striving to be better.  I know I am always going to make mistakes but learning from those mistakes makes me a better person and keeps me moving forward.
 

Q2- Am I moving in the direction that will enable me to make the greatest contribution?

I am moving in the right direction because I am taking college credit courses in high school.  Also, I have a job to pay for my car so I already have taken on adult responsibilities.  Plus, I think that I’m headed on the correct path because I’m going to attend college next year so I’ll be able to make a great contribution to society.
 

Q3- If I could achieve my highest goals, what would my accomplishments look like?

My highest accomplishments would be to graduate from college and get a good and solid job that I have always wanted.  I’d like to be a well respected person with a respected job.
  

Q4- Do I recognize excellence and search it out or do I find mediocre acceptable and am willing to settle?

Honestly, sometimes I do find mediocre acceptable if I know that I tried my very hardest at the task.  However, I think that I also look for excellence and strive to achieve it most of the time.

 

Q5- Do I seek out people, books, movies and other things that encourage me to be the best I can be?

I do surround myself with friends that will help me maintain staying focused and on the right track to be the best I can reach.  They are a key element in reaching my goals because we keep each other motivated to continue making every effort to do a good job. 
 

Q6- Do I recognize the best in others?

I do try and find the best in everyone.  It does not help me to get any further in life if I always pick out the negatives in other people.  Some just do it to make themselves feel better but it will only bring them down, so I must look for the positives in people. 
 

Time Article

Q7- Do you agree with Morrow (paragraph seven) that: "Excellence demands standards. It does not usually flourish in the midst of rapid, hectic change. This century’s sheer velocity has subverted the principle of excellence; a culture must be able to catch its breath."

Yes I do agree with that statement.  I think that our society today is moving so swiftly that excellence is not always reached.  However, some people’s standard of excellence is not always the same compared to another, so how can we say that there is no excellence today?
  

Q8- Interpret this quote from paragraph nine: "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion."

I think that this quote means that just because I am considered excellent does not mean that I can just sit back and relax and refrain from attempting to obtain a higher goal. 

 

Q9- Argue pro and con Morrow's contention that "Americans not yet successful (the struggling, the underclass) are apt to aim at ease, not excellence" ?

In reality, this statement is very real.  Most Americans that are lower class do not feel that excellence is in reach for them.  Therefore they aim for less than the best.  However that is not true for all because some will not just sit back and accept less. 
 

Q10-  Explain what Morrow means when he says (A) "the confusion contaminates character and disables ambition."  Do you agree?

I think he means that when people begin to lose sight of their goals they become lazy and they are no longer motivated.  Also he’s saying their character is not as strong as it was when they were looking for excellence.

 

Q11- Argue pro and con the effect of over stimulation and under stimulation as discussed in paragraph 10.

The pro of over stimulation is that people strive for more and are more intensely set on excellence.  However the con is because since they are so demanding, it also makes excellence rarer.  The pro of under stimulation is that there is more excellence because people resolve for less and aren’t so picky.  With under stimulation the pro is also the con because the people are not as in tune with everything since they settle for less.      

 

Q12- Contrast practical excellence with metaphysical excellence as used in Morrow's last paragraph.

Practical excellence is all on me.  It is the goals I strive for and it is also intellect.  However metaphysical is what I can visually see.  An example is a great piece of art, it is excellently done and a beautiful piece of work but it’s not intelligent.   
 

Quotations from Key 32 found at the end of your required reading

Q13- Copy and interpret your two favorite quotes. Explain why you chose them.

“I am the master of my fate.  I am the captain of my soul.” –William Henley (1849-1903)

The quote has a good message because it is saying that only I can choose my fate.  It is saying that I am the one that has all of the control over my future and it’s up to me to reach my goals. 

“Be an individual and do what you believe in.  Take responsibility for your actions.  Take a good look at yourself as if you were someone else conducting a review.  Anything you want to change?” –Anonymous

I like this quote because it is saying for me to just be myself and not to change for what other people think.  I chose the quote because too many times, people think that they are better than everyone else but if they were to truly take a good look at themselves, they would realize they have just as many flaws that they need to correct as well.

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