Disney's image, No more valedictorians

A Sikh man is suing the Disney corporation, claiming he was turned down for a job at Disney World because his turban and bushy beard didn’t “fit the Disney image.” Sukhbir Channa, 24, who studies music at the University of South Florida, had previously worked at Disney World playing trumpet in a toy soldier costume that covered him from head to toe. But he says that when he applied for a summer job as a non-costumed street musician, “they told me anything that involved me being seen by the audience wasn’t possible.” Channa is seeking $1 million in damages.

A high school in Fairfax County, Va., has abolished the concept of class valedictorian, out of concern that ranking students makes some of them feel inferior. Henceforth, any graduating senior with a GPA of 4.0 will be designated an “honor graduate,” rewarded by a front-row seat at the graduating ceremony and dinner with the principal. Senior Tom Nysetvold, who would have been the valedictorian of Oakton High School, said that while “it would have been nice to put it on my college applications,” he wasn’t overly disappointed at missing out on the honor. “I’m glad I don’t have to give a speech,” said Nysetvold.

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