What achievements did you receive recognition for when you were younger? / LJWorld.com

Asked at Massachusetts Street on November 5, 2007

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“I won a first-place trophy for the children’s tractor pull at the State Fair in Hutchinson.”

— Erin Falter, Baker University sophomore, Baldwin City

“I got two trophies for having undefeated soccer seasons and a second-place trophy for Little League.”

— Jonathan J. Kravit, Kansas University junior, Milwaukee, Wis.

“I won the spelling bee in fifth grade and lettered in cheerleading.”

— Lauren Klaus, sales associate, Wichita

“When I was in fourth grade, I got a trophy for playing baseball even though we lost every game.”

— Scott Gustafson, KU senior, Lawrence

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sunshine_noise 5 years, 6 months ago

I have about 10 trophies I won marching in various parades (back East). 2- 1st place, 7 - 2nd place & 1 - 3rd place. Plus several certificates of recognition for my clown work.

jonas 5 years, 6 months ago

Some baseball stuff, mostly. Oh yeah, and I got the highest score in my 6th grade DARE to say no to drugs test. Another proof that DARE doesn't work in the slightest.

As a curiosity, does it seem to anyone else that the news that our (cough) ally, Pakistan, has declared a questionable marshal law is being a bit buried by our media system? Because it sure seems that way to me.

trinity 5 years, 6 months ago

notable to me also, jonas-the seeming burial of developing news out of pakistan. and sad to say, that does not surprise me. :-/

heh, achievement recognition when i was younger? nada, really. i was pretty much a slacker. but once my children were born? :) that's when my star shone the brightest.

trinity 5 years, 6 months ago

oh and jonas it just struck me; there is a WRITER'S STRIKE in hollyweird, for god's sake, man! priorities! ;) no wonder world news isn't being urgently reported!

cms 5 years, 6 months ago

Do schools still hand out Presidential Physical Fitness awards? I received many of those awards. Along with being a hula-hoop champ.

jonas 5 years, 6 months ago

Das: I guess you could be technically considered as younger then. . . .

jonas 5 years, 6 months ago

Silly right-thinker, Conspiracy theories are for libs.

RETICENT_IRREVERENT 5 years, 6 months ago

Younger? Many... Some school based, some community based. Most good, a few bad...

jonas, Did you hear Musharraf quoting Abraham Lincoln who,he said, broke laws and usurped the rights of the people to preserve the Constitution? Now I hear he is taking a page from Henry VI by Shakespeare, "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers" http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/11/05/world/05cnd-pakistan.ms.650.jpg

sunflower_sue 5 years, 6 months ago

Lets just say I was a bit of an over-achiever.

mom_of_three 5 years, 6 months ago

I received a few of the Physical Fitness awards, and a honorable mention for an essay about the bicentennial. (Yes, I just dated myself) I also had trophies for winning in horseshows. My buckskin mare was the best!!

snap_pop_no_crackle 5 years, 6 months ago

I had the Blue Ribbon brontosaurus at the county fair.

H_Lecter 5 years, 6 months ago

Best dish made with unknown recipe & contents

JJE007 5 years, 6 months ago

I won a spelling bee in fourth grade. I kept it in my ear and it corrected my mistakes. It helped with grammar, too. Clever be that spelling bee. I've been looking for that particular hive of spelling bees ever since. Me and my running boards have covered a lot of miles to no avail.

Andini 5 years, 6 months ago

A trophy wife.

sgtwolverine 5 years, 6 months ago

I don't really remember anything particularly notable when I was younger. I did, however, win an award just a few weeks ago!

pace 5 years, 6 months ago

I read all the books in the 3rd and 4th. grade library, and my favorite teacher Miss Loughmiller gave me a letter with a star for every book. I was so surprised. There was about 300 stars.

preebo 5 years, 6 months ago

I was voted Valedictorian of my high school graduating class in 1997.

Pywacket 5 years, 6 months ago

Sgt~ Woo hoo! Don't be shy--what did you win for?

I was more of an achiever as a kid than I am now, more's the pity. Spelling bees, art contests, skipped a grade, used as testing guinea pig for "high end" scores on achievement tests they were developing (that was fun & got me out of regular class time), lettered in swimming & bball... I was one of those weird kids who loved taking tests--all the way up through college. Math equations are as fun as crossword puzzles or Scrabble games. But if I were actually smart, I would've chosen a more lucrative field. I'd go back to school in a heartbeat if I could afford to. Some day....

Summan 5 years, 6 months ago

My proudest recognition was a top blue ribbon (in 4-H) for my now "famous" poppy seed bread. To this day I don't serve it without letting folks now it is a WINNER!!

sgtwolverine 5 years, 6 months ago

Py, I won an award for some of my sports photography that has appeared in my local paper.

http://burrillstrong.com/wordpress/?p=351

dajudge 5 years, 6 months ago

I won $100 at a casino once. And a pig on a pedestal trophy for brisket. And a trophy for high scratch game in the bowling league. And won the 3rd grade spelling bee. And the Ambrosia Chocolate Award. And I won a wastebasket in the church basement playing bingo. I'm still winning affection from my friends.

badger 5 years, 6 months ago

dajudge said:

"And a pig on a pedestal trophy for brisket."

Please tell me the trophy had a pig on it as a 'generic farm animal made of meat' representation, not that you made brisket out of pig.

My own awards list highlights the secret shame of my total geekery:

Lots of little spelling trophies over the years First-place softball team in the league three years running Got to the regional finals for the National Spelling Bee National Honor Society achievement awards National Merit Scholar First place, NW Missouri State Science Olympiad - Advanced Biology (it came with a scholarship, but who wants to go to NW Missouri State University? I'd been aiming for second place, which got a really cool graphing calculator) Employee of the Month and Employee of the Year at various jobs in college Annual and semi-annual raises and performance bonuses since college

Azure_Attitude 5 years, 6 months ago

Urban Chicago schools didn't seems too encouraging to me so my achievements have been in college (honor roll) and as an adult.

When I was 12 I saved a kid from drowning in Lake Michigan and was so honored with a b*tching out by the life guard who failed to notice what was happening

Jonas, are you kidding? That Pakistan business has been all over CCN this weekend and today. And leave it to R_T with his rectally asphyxiating self to give the partisan reach around.

Bladerunner 5 years, 6 months ago

Best Mullet in Kansas 1985.

Pywacket 5 years, 6 months ago

I nominate Bladerunner for Most Mortifying Award Ever Won! ;-)

Several cooking awards amongst this illustrious crew. Care to divulge any recipes?

Sgt~ Thanks for sharing--those shots were every bit deserving of their winnalicious achievement.

gogoplata 5 years, 6 months ago

I drove trucks, broke arms, and arm wrestled.

Summan 5 years, 6 months ago

Pywacket (Anonymous) says: Several cooking awards amongst this illustrious crew. Care to divulge any recipes?

I would, but I really would have to kill you. My poppy seed bread (winning loaf) recipe stays with me. :)

Oh yeah, I once won a dance-a-thon contest, decades ago, while raising money for Jerry's kids. It was amazing how none of us got too tired shaking our groove thing for 24 hours!

badger 5 years, 6 months ago

prospector:

Brisket should be made of cow, not of pig. It should be coated with dry rub and smoked for a minimum of six hours, more preferably 12. It is to be eaten with a moderately spicy sauce served to the side for optional dipping, jalapenos, sliced raw onion, and white bread. Pickles are allowed by special dispensation only.

Pig brisket is an affront before god and man. I'm sure pork belly is a fine food, but 'brisket' it is not.

RETICENT_IRREVERENT 5 years, 6 months ago

badger, Does your dry rub include cherry jello by any chance?

Pywacket 5 years, 6 months ago

Awwwwwwww, Summan...... sigh... I am particularly fond of poppyseed bread but I understand how you wouldn't want your prize-winning recipe to get into the wrong hands.

And a dance-a-thon contest!? Does that require massive infusions of caffeine?

That reminds me--if anyone wants to see an unusual and very cool documentary about someone winning something, rent (or buy--you can probably get it used, cheap, on Amazon) "Hands on a Hard Body." It's about a contest to win a pickup truck, wherein the last person to keep one hand (gloved to keep the truck pristine) on the vehicle wins it. They get (I believe) 10 minutes' break every hour, then a longer break periodically. As fatigue sets in, people will just space off, take both hands off, and drop out of the competition. At least one makes a conscious decision not to return after a break...

As the days (yes--plural!) progress, the lack of sleep has predictable, but still fascinating, effects on people. All those competing have very different approaches & philosophies. They think out what to wear, what to eat, how to spend their break time, how to stay alert. Lots of extremely funny moments, a little heartbreak (as those you're pulling for drop out), some satisfaction (as those you don't like drop out)....just a quirky, fun, slice-of-life little film. The narrator is great.