Page 2 The Clarion February 17, 1988
Freedom of the press abridged
when principals become editors
by April Woods
Question: Do students in public schools have the same constitutional
rights as adults?
Answer; Not by a long shot.
Dress Codes, closed campuses, punishment without a trial, search of
student possessions without a warrant, these are just a few of the ways
student rights are curtailed in order to maintain an orderly school en
vironment. According to past Supreme Court decisions, all of these
things are legal.
However, up to a certain point, student freedom of expression has
been upheld by the courts. So far as that expression did not interfere
with school work or discipline, it was to be tolerated.
Recently, the Supreme Court overturned a decision which could
severely shortchange students’ rights for free expression.
In January, the Supreme Court ruled in the Hazelwood School District
vs. Kuhlmeier case that high school plays and publications can be cen
sored at the discretion of the school principal.
As a result, high school students will no longer be in a position to
decide what is and what is not newsworthy; that decision will no longer
be theirs to make.
It is conceivable that ethical reporting may no longer have to be
taught at the high school level since controversial issues can simply be
banned from publication. Distasteful plays about whatever the school
principal decides are distasteful issues that may no longer be perform
ed. America’s youth may grow up in a school environment which refuses
to face real issues, and the students may follow suit.
There are several possible outcomes. One is that America’s children
may grow up misinformed because of the absence of a media at school
to focus on informing them properly. Another possibility is that they will
grow up disillusioned; automatically dismissing from their thoughts
anything of a negative nature. A possibility forseen by several people is
a surge in a so-called “underground” newspapers since these do not fall
into the Supreme Court decision’s category.
Choices: Disillusionment or rebellion. History is forced to repeat
itself.
In December, the Brevard Middle School principal forbade the sale of
one issue of the high school paper. The Broadcaster , in the Middle
School. The reason? Unacceptable language. The staff of The Broad
caster was outraged and believed it was within its rights to protest the
situation. They were right- they were within their rights to protest but
now, It appears the principal’s decision was prefectly acceptable l^al-
According to Brevard College President Billy Greer, BC students
don t need to worry about the Supreme Court decision. Greer says he
can t imagine a situation where the copy had to cross my desk first.”
He fwls that taking away decisions from the student editors and writers
would be a defeatist measure since he believes very strongly that “you
learn by doing , and that’s what we’re trying to do here— to make iour-
nalists out of these people.”
It IS doubtful any College or University has anything to fear from this
decision No precedent has been set applying this ruling to a college or
university. This is strictly a high school case. In the past, decisions af
fecting high schools have not usually held for colleges or universities
since most college students, unlike high school students, are not minors
The Mellon Patch
Biar Orrell
Assistant Editor Rim Belanger
Ass^iate Editor Kenny Monteith
F eature Editor Jeff Turner
Kd.tonal Editor ,vpH| Woods
F acult\ Advisor Jock l>auterer
In praise of women
by Pat Mellon
Well, another Valentine’s Day has come
and gone, and in honor of the Day of
Hearts, I’d like to pay a special tribute to a
group of individuals who make that day,
and every day, wonderful.
Women.
What would Valentine’s Day be without
women? Women, women, women. Girls,
chicks, broads, dames, babes — whatever.
I’m talkin’ females. You gotta love ’em. I
know I do.
The purpose of this article is not just to
praise the female sex, and recognize
women as the beautiful individuals they
really are, and kiss-up to the girls of socie
ty, hoping one of them will be moved by
my literature and want to go out with me
because she thinks I’m a sweet, sensitive
guy. I’m going to offer some constructive
criticism as well.
First of all, ladies, why does it take girls
so long to get ready to go out?! I’m speak
ing mainly of high-school days, when pick
ing a girl up for a date meant going to her
house, going inside, meeting her parents,
feeling awkward, sitting down in the
living-room, telling some strange couple
what my father does for a living, and try
ing to reason with a poodle named Cocoa,
all because my date can’t decide what to
wear.
And speaking of clothes, why do girls
like to wear other girls’ clothes? Guys
would never do that. I was dating a girl in
high school, and she refused to wear my
class ring, but she was wearing someone
else’s dress when she said “no.” I’m still
trying to figure that out.
I'm still looking for a girl who can play a
video game besides Centipede or Ms. Pac-
man. For some reason, girls can’t play
video games. Hey, but guys can’t fold
shirts with collars or make up beds, so I
guess it’s even.
If you think about it, guys, we wouldn’t
be here if it wasn’t for girls. Mothers are
girls, sort of, right? I can’t remember
back that far, but I’m sure my mother
played an instrumental role in my birth.
I do, however, remember that it was a
girl (a nurse) who delivered the first sting
ing slap of life to my behind. I think girls
have a slapping-gene; the same gene that
makes it impossible to roll a good fist.
Pregnancy is a facet of womanhood that
I, personally, am happy I don’t have to
deal with. That’s why I can’t figure this
surrogate mother stuff out. All the burdens
of pregnancy for money and nothing else?
Nothing could be worth that.
Marriage is a thought that creeps into
my mind every now and then as I’m grow
ing older. Just me and one girl — forever
— for better or for worse — for richer or
for poorer — until death do us part — to tell
you the truth, I think the whole marriage
idea is way too strict. They ought to
change the rules a little and maybe the
divorce rate wouldn’t be so high. That
“richer or poorer” concept may work in
marriage, but not in divorce. Just look at
the word ALIMONY. It’s obviously some
ancient (female) tribe’s translation of
ALL THE MONEY, that evolved
throughout the years but was never chang
ed, for purposes of deception.
Somebody must have paid my sister to
be the proverbial pain in the unprintable
posterior place when we were growing up.
Ann, two years older, was angered greatly
by the biological rule of nature that boys
are taller than girls, regardless of their
age, and retaliated by constantly introduc
ing me to her friends as her “baby
brother.”
If you look back through history, you’ll
see that majority of mishaps were because
of women.
John Hinkley, the guy who shot Reagan,
attributed his actions to actress Jodi
Foster.
Jessica Hahn had more than a hand in
the collapse of Jim Bakker and PTL.
Now, I’m sure some guys declared some
wars and sank some ships, but women
have had their share of disaster — pro
vocation, too.
Well, it seems that I’ve drifted from the
theme I started with. Don’t misunderstand
me — I really do love women, but I just
don’t understand them sometimes.
Anybody wanna wear my class ring?
Poets Corner
To Dust
Power over all
And the cold is to the bone
To the bone —
Humana! structure
Soulbound
By faith
In the air we breathe
— Can be warm in the house
Of Goliath
’s
Young Killer, ■
But winter
Is the real giant
The beast.
So close to the death
Lived for
The words now
Were once unheard
Oh!
The things that are final
ly revealed —
Power over all
Yes
And the cold is to the bone
No matter though —
The soul is gone.
W.D. Newton