Newspapers / Grimsley High School Student … / Oct. 13, 1995, edition 1 / Page 2
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S.A.P.P. creates sticky situation for underclassmen By Anna West Reporter Grimsley has recently adopted a new security system to patrol our campus.. The Seniors Abusing Power Patrol (SAPP) is on duty each and every day to protect our seniors’ privileges. SAPP is actually just an affectionate term used by Student Council to identify their new program designed to prevent un derclassmen from getting away with going out to lunch. The privilege seniors share of going off campus for lunch is a long standing tradition at Grimsley. However, in recent years, more and more underclass men have been disregarding the rules and going out to lunch themselves or witli their senior friends. The seniors on student coun cil hope to uphold the tradition by turning in any underclassmen they see going off campus for lunch. Robert Smith, tlie senior class vice presi dent, says, “The purpose of SAPP is basi cally to make sure tliat seniors’ rights are not infringed upon, including going out for lunch during the school day.” Smitli pro posed the idea to Mr. Penland over the sum mer and was told that many teachers in the gym, vocational and music buildings had mentioned the idea before. They could see the underclassmen leaving from their class rooms and believed the administration should do more to prevent them. When Smith suggested his idea of SAPP, Mr. Penland encouraged him to begin in the fall semester. Each week, a different senior on student council is assigned to stand in the parking lot with Mr. Austin for five minutes before leaving campus themselves and to identify any underclassmen they see. The other se niors look out when they go to lunch to see any underclassmen who may have left cam pus. While most seniors on student coun cil participate, some do not. Smith says they dislike the idea of having to turn their un derclassman friends in to the administra tion and they “are not mean enough,” The underclassmen caught in the park ing lot are made to go back to campus and are put on a list that is turned in to Mr. Penland. As of yet, there is no specified consequence for the underclassmen on the list, since they were not seen by an adult. However, the administration plans to place adults in the community to watch for the underclassmen who manage to leave cam pus. Those underclassmen who are caught can be put in lunch detention for up to a month and may even get OSS. Smitli says, “Right now, since we don’t have a punish ment for them (underclassmen), it’s about 80% effective. But when a punishment is put in by the administration, it should be much more effective.” SAPP catches between 10 and 15 un derclassmen sneaking out each afternoon. Smith estimates that 90% of all underclass men caught are juniors, 10% are sopho mores, and few, if any, freshmen are seen. Many students are opposed to the pro gram, including junior Tom Neill, who says, “SAPP is unfair because sometimes tliey let their friends who are underclass men go out witliout getting caught, but other times, they bust people tliey don’t IIMiM The Right Place at the Right Time come and see why at our face-to-face reception Winston-Salem November 28 M.C. Benron Convention Center 301 West Fifth Street 7 pm Greensboro November 30 Marriott Piedmont Triad International Airport 7 pm like.” In response to tliat issue, Smith says, “There are going to be some flaws in each system. The fact that some people let their friends out hurts, but it’s a minute problem right now.” Other students think they are being too strict since many students in the class of 1996 went out to lunch as underclassmen without a similar program to enforce the rule. Junior Elizabeth Baynard says, “It’s unfair because when they were underclass men tliey probably went out to lunch and now they’re trying to bust us for doing tlie same thing. Zach Wineburg, a freshman, says, “They went out to lunch when they were underclassmen, so why can’t we?” On the other hand, some students believe the program is beneficial. Jun ior Matt Fabish says, “1 think it would help some, but any way you look at it, underclassmen are going to go out tolunch.” Keith Taylor, a junior, believes other methods would be more effective. He says, “1 think the idea behind it is good, but I don’t think people will pay much attention to other students as they would to administration.” Most seniors, however, are very supportive of SAPP. Carla Ransom, a senior, says, “1 think it’s a great idea because we can finally catch people. I’m a senior, and we don’t need little underclassmen going out to lunch.” Senior Luke Reiser agrees. “1 don’t want those little punks going out to lunch!” says Reiser. AvetU Photo Officer Robiiietfe wants to make Grimsley a safe learning enviroiuiient. Tlie majority of students are satisfied with Officer Robinette as our new Officer at Grimsley High School. Lisa Smitli, a sopho more said, “1 believe Officer Robinette is tlie man for the job. Ifeel tliat he is a nice officer and that he is the man to Grimsley tlie best andsecureplace.” Officer Robinette hopes that Grimsley stu dents will be able to come to school without being afraid of wliat is going to happen before tliey return home. He want students to feel comfortable talking witli him about llieir con cerns. “1 want Grimsley .Higli School to be tlie best, secure place where students can come to get an education,” said Officer Robinette. Law curbs teenage drinking By Anna West Reporter Free food, fun, and door prizes for juniors, seniors, and their parents. Talk with our Cluincellor, faculty, and students about your opportunities at UNCQ. Call 1-800-548-5618 tO reserve your place. Talk to a “real person” 8-5 weekdays. Leave a voicemail message after 5 pm. I THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA ';kP.T!.NSEORO Since September 15, 1995, any person under 21 driving with any amount of al cohol in his or her bloodstream can be charged with DWI (driving while intoxi cated), in addition to being charged with the criminal offense of underage posses sion of alcohol. Authorities hope that this new law, the “zero tolerance statute” will curb under age drinking. It is now illegal for any person under 21 to have any amount of alcohol whatsoever in their bloodstream while they are driving, assuming that vehicle has an open container of alcohol inside. The previous law dealt only with 16 and 17 year olds, called provisional licensees. Essentially, tlie old provisional licensee law has been extended up to 21 years of age. The school resource officer, David Robinette, says, “I think it will work well as a deterrent because it was effective as a deterrent for provisional licensees, so it should work well with everyone under 21.” Bill Wood, the Assistant District At torney for Guilford County, says, “Be cause it affects the driver directly, and not the passenger in the car, it’s a good law to keep drinkers off the road, espe cially young people who don’t need to be drinking anyway. Once a person has I driven for five years and has proven that tliey lue responsible, the iaw should be dif ferent for those people, so 'i is." Students around campus have t’aiyring opinions regarding the new law. Many be lieve it will help reduce teenage drinking and the number of accidents it causes. Whitney Wright, a junior, says, “I think it’s a good law because it will encourage people to get designated drivers.” Others think it is a fair consequence whether it helps or not. Matt Fabish, a junior, says, “I think the law is pretty fair because you’re not allowed to drink any way if you’re under 21.” “If they’re driving, they shouldn’t have any alcohol in their blood anyway,” says Elizabeth Baynard, a junior. Many students expressed concern that medicines or foods with large quantities of alcohol would show up on the tests, result ing in the punishment of innocent teens. Ursula Harper, a junior, says, “It’ll teach kids not to drink, but there has to be some type of exception for those people who take medication with high alcohol contents.” Senior Luke Reiser says, “Nyquil is 25% alcohol, so they don’t know if you drank cough syrup or alcohol and you could get charged with a criminal offense. It (the law) is right in most cases, but it’s a little se vere.” Other students agree. Sam Tyler, a jun ior, says, “Poppy seed cake gives you a blood alcohol content of .06, so you could get a criminal offense for testing positive just because you ate some cake.” A large number of Grimsley students disapprove of tire law for different reasons. Jeff Whitworth, a freshman, says, “I fhinlc it’s bad because if you had a beer, but you’re not dnink and you drive your drunk frieoi i > home to keep tiiem safe, yoi ■ ’ d ge m trouble even though that’s better tlian letting them drive themselves.”
Grimsley High School Student Newspaper
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Oct. 13, 1995, edition 1
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