Thursday’s thumbs

Short work week turns into all-up thumbs

Is it Thursday already? After the Memorial Day observances on Monday, which unquestionably earn a big thumbs up, it seems the week has just flown by and another weekend will be here before we know it. And this one includes Razorback baseball (hopefully lots of it) in the NCAA Regional at Baum Stadium.

Other recent events and issues have earned a spot in our weekly thumbs, too:

Finally, a corporate public relations department that makes use of its creative muscles to actually say something worthy of its mission. After comedian Roseanne Barr blamed the insomnia drug Ambien for contributing to her controversial Planet of the Apes reference to a black adviser to President Barack Obama, drug-maker Sanofi took to social media to say “while all pharmaceutical treatments have side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication.” Talk about making a point with clarity. When it came to the company’s response to Barr, nobody was asleep at the wheel.

We and plenty of our fellow Arkansans are proud of the three young students representing the state this week at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., where we doubt anyone was asked to spell “S-W-AM-P.” Bentonville’s Pavani Chittemsetty, 12, and Jonesboro’s Dasha Blalock, 12, continued on after Wednesday morning’s round, while Weston Sills, from Randall G. Lynch Middle School in Farmington, got tripped up by the word “meringue.” Chittemsetty, of the Northwest Arkansas Classical Academy, remained in contention after correctly spelling “wight” while Blalock made it through the word “reclamation.” The finals happen today, but further eliminations were scheduled later Wednesday. However it turns out, these three young people have reflected well on their state and communities. Finals will be broadcast on ESPN — that’s E-S-P-N, we think — this evening.

The Benton County Election Commission and the county’s elections crew deserve kudos for the conscientious and trust-building job they did in reaffirming two close races for the state Legislature. Jana Della Rosa and Dan Douglas, both incumbents, barely fended off challengers in their efforts to keep their elected posts. The election commission’s thorough recounts confirmed the Election Day outcomes and delivered confidence in the county’s systems and procedures.

This really goes without saying, but we’re going to say it anyway. Jason Seaman, a teacher in suburban Indianapolis, is credited with stopping an armed student who entered his classroom at Noblesville West Middle School. The 29-year-old former college football player charged the shooter in the midst of flying bullets and tackled the student. Seaman was shot three times in the process. It’s often true, and understandable from a news coverage perspective, that a shooter’s name gets lots of ink, but today let’s celebrate educators like Jason Seaman, a great example of a teacher who demonstrated in a moment of terror that he’s ready to stand up for the kids he’s chosen to teach.

It’s outstanding to read that 24 elementary schools in Arkansas — including Elmer H. Cook Elementary in Fort Smith, Booneville Elementary, Cedarville Elementary, Lamar Middle School, Magazine Elementary and Midland Elementary — will participate in a pilot program through which students will get 60 minutes of free play time a day, compared to the current 15 minutes. One education leader said the change will give kids “time to run and be kids.” Education is vital, but so is creative play and addressing the growing problem of obesity in Arkansas’ children. It’s long been a complaint that kids get very little active time during school. This “recess revival,” as one official called it, is welcome.