So I was reading The Boston Globe this past Sunday and I stumbled upon a front-page story about Harvard. Despite its renown as one of the world’s most prestigious universities, this story appeared conspicuously below the fold. How ironic, I thought. Harvard was not below the fold in anything, except maybe humility. Any story about Harvard University would certainly merit presence above the fold. My interest piqued by this tiny irony, I decided to read on.

The story began talking about a Professor Mansfield who taught a course on modern political philosophy. Oh, great, I thought, just what I need,

another pompous windbag telling me how worthless my state education is in comparison to the immeasurable value of the Harvard experience. As I read further, however, I was shocked to discover that this professor was criticizing Harvard. It was not just any criticism, but a most severe criticism of Harvard’s grading policy (or lack thereof). Mansfield claims that he is forced to issue two grades to students – one that reflects their actual effort and one that reflects the inflated grade that the university wants professors literally to give away. Harvard graduated 91 percent of its class with honors last June. Compare that with 51 percent for Yale and 44 percent for Princeton and you get a recipe for “we-think-we’re-better-than-you-but-our-grades-are-just-inflated” cookies.

I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I was stunned, angered, appalled, and jovial all at once. The “Beast from the East” was nothing more than a blow-up doll, a Halloween costume, and a fa