Newspapers / Meredith College Student Newspaper / Jan. 29, 1988, edition 1 / Page 2
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Meredith Herald edit o r i a 1 Staff EdItoHn-Chlef: Elizabeth G. Almond Business Manager: Suzanne Gwynn Advertising Managen Meredith Gaiehn Staff Writers: Ellen Belk Be(% Butts Jennifer Com Maty Fracker Alison Hilton Sarah Pace Nancy Weatherly Photographers Anne Bailey Linda Newsom Advertising Staff: Kim Lee Brandie Norris Janice Plain Elizabeth Spivey Advisor Dr. Robert Kochersberger, Jr. The Meredith Herald is located in the basement of Jones Chapel. Address correspondence to: The MerediU) HerBld, box x133, Meredith College. Raleigh. NC 27607-5298. Phone (919) 829- 8599. Advertising rates available upon request. Edttorlal PoBcy The Meredith Herald \s published by the students of Meredith College during the academic year. The paper Is funded by the college and through advertising. The Herald'^\\\ not print material containing personal attacks, insults, ridicule, or libelous statements. All letters to the editors must be signed unless otherwise discussed with the editors. The opinions expressed on the editorial page do not necessarily reflect those of the college administration, faculty, or student body. The welcomes criticism and will respond promptly to any submitted In writing and signed by the writer. 2 January 29.1988. Mw]ecUth.Herald When ttie staff of a high school news paper dedded to run two artides about teen sexuality and divorce in their publica tion. their prindpal wouldn’t allow the stu dents to print the artides In the paper. Outraged, the student staff took their prindpal to court, and lost. After all. what does, a bunch of high school students know about freedom of the pr^ and other Con- stitutionaVrighte? -, • Undaunted, the students pleaded their case before the Supreme Court the highest judicial branch of our government and the guardian of our Constitutional rights. In a landmark dedsion. the Court ruled that school administrators have a right to decide what Is appropriate reading for their stu dents. and can edit school publications acconjingly. Obviously, the Supreme Court doesn't know much about Constitutional rights, either. The Rrst Amendment of the Constitu tion guarantees all American people the right to free speech, freedom of the press, and other rights claim elevate the qual ity of life in the United States. Now. the Court’s ruling says that high school stu dents do not possess the "emotional maturity to enjoy that Constitutional right by printing articles that deal with the issues that concern them most especially ones like the runaway teen pregnancy rate and the difficulties of dealing with divorce. To what degree must the "emotional maturity” of American citizens be developed so that they can claim their Constitutional rights? At what age? Sixteen? TWenty-one? Thirty-five? Not only has the Supreme Court clouded the Issue of when Americans can daim their Constitutional rights for Rlghtto-LifB ad vocates who base their arguments against abortion on the rights guaranteed to ail dtlzens. they have blatantly furthered cen sorship in this country. January has been designated by the fied- eral govemment as "Freedom of the Col lege Student Press Month.*’ The Supreme Courts njllng. which has serious implica tions for college papers also, negates the Importance of having a free press any where. After all. the purpose of having a free press is to allow an avenue for Individuals—high school students, college students, labor leaders. Rlght-to-Ufeis—to express themselves freely without fear of censorship. Thats one of the freedoms that distinguishes the United States from Rus sia or other communist or toteliterian governments in the worid. No Supreme Court justice will say that by voting for this ruling (five of them did) that they are advandng communist doc trines In this country. What they will say Is that they believe few high school students are mature enough to read frank, but not obscene, stories about birth control, sex. or divorre. isn’t a high school newspaper a lutile place for the Supreme Court to try to pro tect teenagers frc»m "objectionable" mate rial? If statistics on divorce are accurate, by the time these students get to high school, half of them have most likely experienced the trauma of divorce first hand. And what teenagers, by the time they’ve reached high school, don't know more about sex and sexuality than their parents did at their age. simply because they've been bombaitied by advertising, movies, and music videos that sell sex at every opportunity? A thoughtful, well-written article composed by a peer about teen pregnancy and how to prevent It could probably do more to Influence teens not to be sexually active than all the lectures given by school administrators and terrified par ents ever will. Student newspapers, whetiier In high school or In college, are outlets thmugh which young people can sp^k out about Issues that concem them or aspects of administrations with which they disagree. Imagine the wasted potential if tiiey—If we—are forced to work under the shadow of school administrators ready to censor anything they deem objectionable. The high school journalists In St Louis are to be applauded fbrteklng their case all the way to the Supreme Court a move that shows how dear we hold our Consti tutional rights, regardless of our emotional nnaturity. Here at the Meredith Herald, we like to think that our publication is an autonom ous one. Vl/hlle we fwl a need to uphold the reputation of our institution by not print ing libelous stetements or yellow journal ism. we would not and do not hesitate to print the opinion of students wrfio object to college polldes or practices. And yet certain administrators remind us often that the Herald Is not a student nev^paper, but. rather Is only a rwwspaper published by students. There’s a big difference. A FREE PRESS IS FOR STtlDINTS. TOO // *T'; V/ K ^ W M m letters to editor Dear Editor. 50 A and the Luminary Committee chairs would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who contributed money bought luminaries, and helped In selling, fil ling. and distributing the bags over the Meredith campus. Without the help that was given, the glorious event could not have taken place. Many new Ideas and plans are being made for the 1988 Luminaries, and hope that It v^ll be just as exciting and funfilled as this year was. Many thanks' again! Ws couldn't have done It without youl
Meredith College Student Newspaper
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Jan. 29, 1988, edition 1
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