Hello all, and sorry I haven't posted in a while (I've been busy), but now I'm back at it (partially thanks to my new Palm Keyboard- Yay!)and my boredom for the last hour. Thanks to David for becoming a poster! Now, I have an interesting topic, primarily one that deserves more media attention.
The climate, as far as student rights is concerned, is shaping up, although we still have a long ways to go. The issue I am specifically concerned about is freedom of speech and the press, an area where my local CJSHS is lacking. To quote the student code of conduct, "Posting and/or distribution of printed matter shall require prior district approval". Yes, there are creative ways around that, but I sense a high level of censorship in the "public forums" of the school. Perhaps the way around this is excercising your freedom of speech at home in the form of posting materials online, then communicating the web address by word-of-mouth. There have been several higher-court cases which ruled in favor of the students on such occasions. "Why do I want freedom of speech and the press?", some would ask, and I hope to inspire you to yearn for it.
I begin with a question: What do you hate most about your school? Most of you probably come up with a split-second answer, whether it's the instructional staff or administration, or perhaps something less obvious such as transportation or cafeteria food. Whatever it is, it's soething you'd like to change, isn't it? Maybe you've talked to your friends about it and they concur. Maybe you've tried to discuss it with the staff and it's fallen on deaf ears. Now, according to the United States Constitution, the ideal way to address the issue is to introduce it to public forums, spread the word. The problem with most of today's schools is that they punish students for this on a regular basis, another issue that needs to be corrected. It is unconstitutional for you to be disciplined for exercising your freedom of speech. If you're interested, see me or check out a good book from the LMC, "A reference guide to Student rights" or some-att like that. See y'all tomorrow