Junior clearly did well academically his freshman year. How does he both highlight and downplay his success?

He highlights his achievement through his cartoon of his report card. Remember, his artwork is his preferred form of communication (Black Eye of the Month Club) to everyone and anyone. The cartoon is a standalone chapter and it stands out. The cartoon is simple: a drawing of the report card that shows his high marks in all of the academic courses. Yet Junior adds other elements in the drawing that downplay his achievements. He renames Reardan High as Reardumb (& High) He adds the title PhD to his name but it stands for "Pretty hot Dude" instead of the academic (and correct) title of Doctor of Philosophy. Another example of Junior downplaying his achievement is his reaction to his parents' praise. It's a muted response on both sides.