I don’t know what to say. How do you make being intelligent and tasteful and classy “in”? My mom was a public school music appreciation teacher eons ago and her retiree peers today also say the drive to inspire kids to refine their tastes went down the toilet in the post-sixties; that today’s music teachers just “go through the motions” teaching classical music to a generation who have zero appreciation for classic music today. Over thirty years ago Mom said having cap and gowns for pre-college graduations was a bad idea because it gave a false premature sense of accomplishment and would slacken their drive to excel further. Sounds silly huh? Well, you’d be surprised how many parents cluck at photos of 14 or 10-year-old Johnny in cap and gown on the mantle like a escape hatch of “making it” after they drop out of high school. Toady we’ve grade schoolers wearing cap and gowns at “graduations” preteen girls wearing racy college prom style proms at their “junior proms” while high schoolers who can’t find China on a map and think Project Apollo is a place in Harlem.

I don’t know what the answer is — then I actually do, but you’re called a party-pooping Victorian if you bring it up.

Downward and dumber…

James Greenidge
Queens New York

Preparations for the prom sure have changed since I was in school, back in cougfhh-ahem-hhechhh-arfgh. (Excuse me.)

Example 1: Two girls who prepared for the big night by getting an injection of Botox between the eyes. Their Fifth Avenue doctor claime