On the front page of the Sept. 14 issue of the Mercer Island Reporter, there is a small picture of the MIHS cross country team members with a follow-up story in the sports section. In this same issue, buried on the bottom of page 9, there is a tiny article listing the names (no picture) of the five MIHS National Merit semifinalists with a directive to a Web site.

Our society places athletes on a pedestal, but in a community such as Mercer Island, one would expect high academic achievement to be similarly revered. I hope that in the future, the MI Reporter will reflect that value.

Pauline Reiter