The Kokomo Tribune from Kokomo, Indiana • Page 7

Tribune Editorial Board Wayne K. Lowman Executive Editor-Publisher John Wiles Editor Dan McCaleb Managing Editor Barry Rochford City Editor Don't use new SAT formula okomo High School Senior Vanessa Barnes first WS took the Standardized Achievement Test in the sev- IX enth grade. She took the SAT last year as a junior. JL plans to take the test four times this year. As one of the top performing students in the county's largest high school, Barnes wants a high SAT score so she will be an undeniable contender for acceptance to some of the nation's more elite colleges.

Unfortunately for Barnes and many like her, If a new formula for looking at SAT scores becomes widely used, she could be bumped from a list by someone with a lower score. SAT was originally devised to give admissions officers an objective measure of academic talent that would enable them to look past issues of social class. Educational Testing Service officials have now come up with a way to ensure that issues of social class receive paramount attention. They've devised a formula under which admissions officers can look at SAT scores of students in disadvantaged circumstances and compare them to what would normally be expected from students in a similar situation. If the scores are 200 points higher than the predicted average, the students are labeled as "strivers." The point of the revised formula is to make it more likely that colleges will lower their usual standards and admit these "striving" students.

There are any number of things wrong here. SAT scores are meant to measure academic ability. If they don't do that well, the tests should be scratched or revised or used in a more limited way. But if they are reliable, the ability level KOKOMO TRIBUNE New SAT formula makes sure social class issues receive attention. OUR VIEW SAT scores should be viewed without reference to non-academic issues.

jThia Jtevfc-ilfrmula cannot possibly measure I'll -i. self-discipline and energy or ambition, if that is what it is somehow meant to do. A poor young man or woman might score higher than most immediate peers because of being born with an unusual degree of talent, even if not particularly inspired. A privileged youngster, on the other hand, might have been born with a deficit of ability or raised in a dysfunctional family, overcoming such handicaps to achieve a good test score by sheer dint of character and determina- tiohiNo formula can probe all these hooks and crannies. This new formula would be unfair because students who have worked hard to achieve may be bumped from a chosen college by students who have accomplished less.

SAT scores should not be the only means of evaluating whether to admit students to colleges and universities. The admissions department at Indiana University in Bloomington places four criteria above an applicant's SAT score. A SAT score is only considered when the status of an applicant's acceptance cannot be determined by their grade trend, class rank, senior-year course schedule and extracurricular involvement. To the extent that SAT scores are used, their value resides in viewing them without reference to non-academic issues. OPINION call us John Wiles Opinion editor, 454-8580 or e-mail: 2000 PRESIDENTIAL BJECUOltt ARE FAST APWttCHIN6 TO KNOW WHW VtU, MOST FOCUSED ON.

CO FgEL BLU HfcS A CHANCE AGWNST AU GORE, OR IS GORE MUST HIS CtCCfc Ties TO PRESIDENT CUNTON? REUSED ON GtCRSE W.805WS OR HIS POSyBtt VJSfe? WERE SWWH) HI5 SHOWING IN IOWA THIS IS You can't beat vanilla with French vanilla I Bill Bradley is bucking the trend. ASHINGTON --Bill Bradley has showed that he is not too laconic to make official his amble let others run; he hungers without seeming to for the Democratic presidential nomination. Now begins a test of the political axiom that you cannot beat vanilla with French sprawl. Bradley is earnest, with details due this autumn. So far, Bradley's timing has been as impeccable as might be expected from someone who once earned his living under the discipline of a 24-second clock.

His announcement of his candidacy comes as a New Hampshire poll shows him virtually tied with Gore there. Bradley, who was the subject of presidential talk as a Princeton undergraduate, says he now is "ready" to be president This being the age of empathetic politics, he has come to empathize with Iowa's thirst for ethanol subsidies. In 1995, Sen. Bradley said it is "outrageous to consider a (tax) exemption for ethanol when its subsidy is already greater than the total selling price of other fuels." He now explains, "I was fighting for the interests of my state." A president must think of the nation, which, he evidently believes, needs something outrageous. SYNDICATED COLUMNIST He speaks most earnestly about As senator he supported modest from public schools such as Cleveland's, which have failed to meet any of Ohio's 18'proficiency standards, which may explain why data from earlier in this decade showed that almost 40 percent of Cleveland public schoolteachers with school-age children were sending them to private schools.

As a presidential candidate, will Bradley be sympathetic to school choice programs? In the 1995-96 campaign cycle teachers' unions, which oppose such p'ro- grams, are estimated to have spent at least $50 million on political campaigns, and at the Democratic National Convention the teachers' caucus included 11 percent of the delegates-a cohort larger than the largest state delegation (California's). To the extent that regionalism still matters in this mobile and wired nation, Bradley is bucking a trend. In 2000 it will have been 40 years since the country elected a president (Kennedy) from the Northeast Since 1964, when the choice was between a Texan and an Arizonan, all nine elections have been won by Southerners or Westerners (counting Nixon as a Californian). Republicans have nominated only one Northerner, Ford, an accidental incumbent Dukakis was the only Northeasterner nominated by either party since 1960. On health care, gun control, campaign finance reform and other matters, Bradley may amble to Gore's left, the locus of Dernocratic energy and restive- restiveness Gore pst will be among reading polls that show George W.

Bush beating him handily. Gore currently does well with "super delegates" to next summer's convention-elected officials and other grandees who will comprise nearly 20 percent of the convention delegates, nearly 40 percent of the total needed to nominate. Their loyalty to Gore will vary inversely with Bush's lead over Gore, and if Bradley wins New Hampshire, thereby producing a protracted nominating contest, they can provide either man the margin of victory. The chastening fact for candidates and political analysts is that familiar political certainties may need revising. Watch a few hours of television and you will see a slew of advertisements for products and services that did not exist a decade ago.

One reason for that fact is this: Half of all Americans aged 18 to 29, and half of all with household incomes of more, go online for information every day. Letters TO THE EDITOR Care fishing tournament We at Jack's Tackle Center have carried on the tradition of the We Care Benefit Tournament the last ew years. Aug. 29 was the 15th tournament. We thank the (okomo Bass Anglers who sponsored it along with us this year, which provided the insurance which will allow that much more be donated to We Care.

Jack's Tackle gives every fisherman a mt. There is only a limited num- )er made, and some of the fishermen have all 15 of them. The fol- owing merchants were kind enough to donate door prizes, in merchandise, certificates, or services to help with this undertaking: Bucks Sporting Goods, Peru; Scoo- ay's Outdoor Sports; Jim'l Tackle, Marion; Chrysler Union Half-(don2jted money to buy doughnuts! and soclas or fishermen); Kokomo Marine; Cub Foods; Krogers; Papa Johns; Big K-Mart; Burton Ultirnate Outdoors; Corner Pub; Hacienda; Captains Cove; Mississinswa Marine; Waffle House; Pizza Hut; Maple Crest Shell; Grocery Sack; Rethlake Marathon; Burnettes Service Center; Martinos; Shenanigans Pub; Sycamore Grill; Olive Garden; Trott's Catering; Chuck's; Mid Central Trophy; Outback; Colorado Steak House; Erik's Chevrolet; H.E. McGonigal; Wiese Oldsrno- bile; Jeff Way Car Wash; Gordo's Taco Shop; Jack's Boat Sales; Wal-Mijift; Jacks Pizza; Texas Road House; Richard's Restaurant; Mancinos; Damons; Ponderosa Steak Hous'e; Conkle Pontiac; Fast Lube Oil Change; Paul Crow; Laughners; Country Cat Fish; Jim's Pizza. Jack and Shirley Vaught Kokomo Scouts say thank you Way of Howard cial' day 'when of Howard County are asked to donate some of their time and expertise to help a United Way agency or a person in need.

The Sagamore Council of the Boy Scouts of America is indeed proud to be a member of the United Way of Howard County. I express my deep appreciation to the employees of Conseco and the Kokomo Fire Department for giving up their Saturday to help at our office. These marvelous people, our staff, and their spouses completed a number of projects. They repainted our parking lot, assembled packets of information for our popcorn sale, posted signs for our staff in the parking lot, mounted our Boy Scouts of America sign on the building, and did yard work. They also painted an office, a stairwell, and our trading post It was a pleasure to work with these people.

And to each and every one of you who helped on Saturday, THANK YOU. Joseph E. Vollmer Scout Executive Sagamore Council Taking down baby cribs is bittersweet moment for dad My daughters are growing up. had a major mile- tone in our house the ther day, I took our ribs down. My twin daughters are two and a half and it was time for them to move on to real beds (albeit with the same mattresses).

It was a bittersweet moment because it means my daughters are growing up, and the white crib had been in use by one of my girls since 1992. My good friends Steve and Cindy Sewell lent us their crib when we had the twins and I'll bet they never imagined we'd use it for so long. I learned new cuss words while assembling our original crib, as the directions were some vague Chinese to English translation and there was only one picture of a completely assembled crib to refer to. Every step of the way, the instructions said "refer to figure refer to figure I mpde my wife promise never tp buy another item from the manufacturer. Ever.

I have no doubt that, barring the president of the company being an otherwise extraordinarily good person, that he will be, in the hereafter, assembling CHRIS HARBAUGH GUEST COLUMNIST cribs for eternity. When Steve and Cindy lent us their crib I was horrified to see that it too, was going to require assembly. Of course it did, as all parents know, cribs won't fit through the average doorway. I used our assembled crib as a guide, and got the second one up in less than half the time it took to do the first one. Then we redid the floors in the babies' room and I had to take both of them down, and then reassemble them in another room, and then again when the babies' room was ished I did it all over again.

So after I took them down the final time, it only caused a minor coronary when my wife asked me to reassemble ours for a garage sale. My twin darlings are growing up. I will miss the snugly stage when you pick them up and they hug you and just try to burrow into the crook of your neck. I'll really miss that And they still believe in magic kisses to cure various cuts, scrapes and booboos. I can actually carry on a conversation with them, although they tend to be rather one dimensional (Where's And perhaps the greatest benefit of growing up more diapers.

By now, most of the valuable stuff in our house is either put away, up high, or broken. The other day I was napping with Katie in my lap. I glanced over at Claire and saw she had applied lipstick to her face. Liberally. And to the couch too.

Naptime over. Most of the dishes in our kitchen have a cartoon, character on them. Disney characters and Scooby Doo predominate. Most of our drinking glasses are plas- tic. You hardly notice as kiddie stuff gradually takes over your household, Another milestone came recently when I gave up, peacefully, watching the evening news so that my six-year-old could watch the Backstreet Boys on the Disney Channel.

Back- street and Nsync are the hot groups now. Spice Girls are already I can't really com- plain, they are no worse than the Monkees when I was a kid, although I do feel guilty because my kids will watch, with total concentration, The Partridge Family and The Brady Bunch. I wish I could have back all the hours I wasted watching those two shows when I was a kid. Which brings up another point. Virtually all Warner Brothers cartoons are hilarious.

If I had had the cartoon Network on Cable when I was a kid I might never have left the house. So what is my daughters' favorite show? Scooby Doo, That show came out when I had just about outgrown the Saturday morning cartoon marathon and I never watched it. I thought it was dumb. I still think it is dumb. As far as I am concerned, the only saving grace of Scooby Doo is that it means my kids like Kings Island better than Disney World.

But I'm telling you, my six- year-old Caroline will watch Scooby Doo like it is Masterpiece Theater. She actually came through the room the other day on the way to a Scooby marathon and asked, rhetorically, "I wonder what mystery Scooby Doo will solve today?" I never watched it as a kid so every episode is new to me, except that every episode is the same, I kept thinking they were showing the same one over and over until my wife clued me in that the dog and his pals solve a different mystery every episode. And God help me if I am ever in a serious accident because now, thanks to my daugh- infatuation with Scooby Doo, chances are that when they wheel me into the emergency room they will say, "This guy is wearing Scooby Doo boxer shorts." Clean ones, though. Thankfully, with four daughters, their mother is naturally responsible for a lot of activities that we both agree I would be rather Incompetent to handle. Things like buying them shoes and clothes or if they want their ears pierced or their hair cut.

Last night my daughter asked me to paint her nails. I think I did a pretty good job. If they want their hair braided, that's out of my league. I'm saving my energy until they start dating. So far my questionnaire for potential suitors to my daughters is seven pages.

And my oldest girl is now six, I think one of the primary purposes of fathers of daughters is to protect them from boys. When my girls come crying to me because some neighbor boy knocked them down or broke their toy I tell them "Boys are bad." Gangs of boys are worse. And it pains me, being of the male persuasion myself, but I know how the game My best analogy is thisf when I was in college and we'had a good snowfall, we would go and throw snowballs at the sororities' windows, We would, throw snowballs until we broke a window, and then move on to the next house. We never set ouf to break windows, but that's it worked, I tell my girls, the boys don't set out to break yoiif, toys, but that is just the way it works, When my girls are 18,16,141 and 14, something tells me I'm" really going to have boy prob- ft lems. I'm going to have to loot into having my neighborhood turned into a gated community.

Darn kids will probably give me a heart attack, They'll wheel me into the emergency room and some nurse will be saying "Hey, check out the Scooby Doo boxers." (Chris Harbaugh of Kokomo can be reached at Char-.