It is More Than Just a Process – It is a Loss of Innocence

Caitlin LENTZ – Guest Reporter

Just recently, I found myself at the right place at the right time. I was standing behind a small girl, aged ten, and her mother in the long lines of airport security. For such an early morning flight, the girl was neatly clothed in a black little dress with black patent shiny shoes. On the other hand, the mother looked completely out of sorts, but held her outward appearance. From the short amount of time, or shall I say long considering I was dealing with airport security lines, I overheard the mother telling her daughter the two were getting on a plane to go to their grandfather’s funeral. I was completely devastated, however, the devastation did not stop there.

The moment the two reached the security checkpoint, they were greeted, or should I say ignored, by the security personnel. The employee droned out, “ID, Ma’am,” then disgustedly looked at the ID, glared at the child, then let them through security. Being an outsider, I felt the employee’s behavior was rude and obnoxious.

Yet again, things did not stop here. It was after the two walked through security that they were separated; the mother was escorted to a line to the right, while the child was escorted to the line across from the other. It is here where I lost my respect for airport security.

The small girl continued down the line, which was the one line with the ‘air puffer’ machine. A male employee ordered the girl to step in and briefly described that it would send a puff of air to check for any explosive residue. He then stated, “You might want to hold your dress down.”

I stood there, a few feet behind, completely shocked I had witnessed such a unexplainable event. It is simply not moral for any such person to experience a humiliating event.

For all I know, airports will soon be using technology to strip search each passenger – oh wait, they already do.

The airport security process is truly stripping American’s of their dignity.

From the check-in counter at the airport to the terminal gate, Americans are stretched to their extremes with long wait lines, unfriendly customer service, and the hassle of lugging around heavy bags, not to mention the security process, where, more times than not, one ends up going through the x-ray machine stripped of her jacket, belt, shoes, and jewelry.

Consider the hassles of families traveling with small children. Strollers must be folded to fit through the small entrance of the x-ray scanning machine and any liquids (creams, bottles, or formula) must be limited to smaller containers, which can be quite an inconvenience if a passenger has to sort through his luggage to find each container of liquid, to have every bottle thrown away by security personnel because it is over the allotted limit.

Airport security, especially after the terrorist attacks on September 11, has become too invasive and too demanding upon the public. It is odd that so many Americans are compliant to the way airport security currently is- a system which robs Americans of their pride.

However, the most shocking result of all is that Americans are obedient. They stand in long lines as they slowly realize they could be late for their flight. They strip down in front of complete strangers because it has been labeled as ‘necessary’ by those in authority. They gladly answer questions of their identity, their name, and their race, and if any of these answers produce concern, Americans will obey to being searched using pat-down procedures.

When it comes to airport security, a strong sense of enforcement prevails, but it is questionable whether the enforcement measures are making airports, and flying, any safer.

Former foreign correspondent with National Public Radio and former reporter for The New York Times, Eric Weiner sarcastically says in his article entitled, “Post-9/11 Airport Security: Do You Know Where Your Dignity Is?” that “the confiscation of nail clippers and lighters and jars of peanut butter are designed to…make us all feel a bit safer.” His comical viewpoint highlights the subjectivity of the matter.

It is with ease that American’s state they feel insecure with the results of the new security.

A recent survey posted in Junior Reporter for U. S. News and World Report, Matthew Bandyk’s article entitled, “What Airport Security Costs You,” lists 46% of Americans feel the security implementations following the September 11 terrorist attacks are not strong enough.”

Others are completely fed up with the entire system and say, “Many would-be airline passengers vow to avoid flying because they do not want to deal with the long check-in lines, random searches, shoe inspections, and other security-related inconveniences they now encounter,” says freelance writer Brian Hansen in his article entitled, “Future of the Airline Industry.”

Whatever the case might be, the systems implemented are simply not appropriate.

The right to fly and travel is a privilege for Americans and this privilege is rapidly being destroyed by the current security measures.

A new system needs to be implemented that constructively combines a high standard of security with a concept of customer convenience. This system will take the form of a conveyor belt in which machines are strategically placed for passengers to quickly walk through.

The future of airport security lies in the growing field of technology. It is up to Americans to step in and fill these shoes, or else the process of removing one’s shoes at security checkpoints will continue.

Blogging into Blobs

Breanna JOHNSON – Sophomore Editor

Technology is on the rise. The world has entered a stage where everything people use to gather information, communicate, and work involves some sort of technology. It is an age that allows people to have entertainment and socialize with easy-to-use wireless devices.

No longer do people have to go outside and milk a cow, buy postage stamps to send a package, or even socialize face-to-face, everything is done using technology.  It has made life more immediate, and a lot easier.

This is not necessarily a good thing. People have become so dependent on having technology that they feel the need to use it for any and every possible reason. It has become a distraction for some people, and an excuse for teens to become lazy.

What makes this assertion worse is that people recognize this fact.

“In the future, it’s only going to get worse because technology is only going to keep improving and advancing over time.” said junior Malisa Rawks-Jones.

In the past, people relied on experiences such as sports, board games, family time, and outdoor activities to keep them busy and entertained. Now it seems that teens get their entertainment from videogames and the Internet.

And, many teens have become so inactive, most are forgetting about important things such as getting exercise and staying healthy.

According to Sciencedaily.com, statistics show that 60 percent of teens spend almost 20 hours a week in front of the television and computer screens. On average, about a third percent spend 40 hours, and seven percent of teens spend close to 50 hours a week watching T.V, playing video games and using the computer.

People even use calculators for simple math just because instead of having a need.

“In my Algebra 3-4 class, I found myself punching in 14×8 into my calculator,” said Heba Elsaad, 10. “I just don’t see the need to multiply simple problems that can easily be punched into something that can do it for me.”

Since technology has advanced in many ways, items including textbooks, dictionaries and encyclopedias have become almost unnecessary. An abundance of teens have resulted to using websites to gather all the information needed.  They are not sure how to use reference books, have forgotten the Dewey Decimal System, and don’t know what a library looks like unless a teacher drags them through the double doors.

Technology and science has improved so greatly that a person only has to push a few buttons to get things done. Most people can admit that they love the benefits that the recent technology offers, and they enjoy not having to work as hard to accomplish things.

However, years from now, when people having become huge blobs and are sitting around with their laptops, Tivo-ing their favorite shows, playing video games and using facebook to communicate, people will eventually realize how lazy society has really become.

New legislation passed for ‘sexting’

Linnea Bennett
Magazine Editor

UPDATE: The House Judiciary Committee voted 5 -3 on April 8, on the bill regarding minors using cell phones and other electronic devices to send and/or receive pictures that include nudity.  Although under current Arizona law, a teen can be arrested for felony sexual exploitation of a minor, Arizona Attorney General and some prosecutors don’t think the punishment is what it should be.  Senate Bill 1266 proposes that juveniles would be charged with a misdemeanor.  According to azcentral.com, “some committee members say the new law is still too harsh and could be applied unevenly across the state.”

Arizona State legislature wants to crack down on teens’ inappropriate sharing of sexually explicit photos. In other words, they are working to put a ban on what is commonly known as sexting.

On Wednesday, February 3, the Arizona State Legislature endorsed a bill that would make it a misdemeanor for minors to share or keep any kind of sexually explicit material, whether it is obtained through cell phones or the internet and is in the form of photos, videos, or chats.

This bill has come in response to an increase in inappropriate messaging between young adults. It is also a solution to handling the punishment of teens in possession of such photos. Typically, someone is listed as a sex offender if he or she is found guilty of obtaining or distributing sexually explicit photos of a minor. When it comes to adults, the punishment seems to fit the crime, but the same cannot necessarily be said for teens who are exchanging pictures of their peers.

However, state officials are adamant.  They want to make sure a punishment is served for sending or being in possession of nude photos. With the new bill, teens would be issued a misdemeanor, but would not face as extreme repercussions as the label of “sex offender” on their life’s records.

According to a statement on Akvoa.com, the Arizona Prosecuting Attorney’s Advisor Council executive director, Paul Ahler, said, “There’s enough of this child pornography out there already without having minors contribute to it.”

To some, the endorsement of this bill may seem random, but the new legislation is only keeping up with what seems to be a growing fad. One recent poll put on by the Associated Press-MTV was released with statistics saying that more than twenty five percent of young adults surveyed claimed to have participated in sexting of some kind while ten percent were have said to sent nude photos of themselves to peers. According to kvoa.com, Arizona is following the footsteps of six other states that have adopted laws banning sexting. Pennsylvania and Kentucky are also in their own processes of passing similar bills

Not all are on board with this bill, however, as some believe young adults engaging in such inappropriate activity should be left to deal with the same consequences as those that deal in child pornography. Others agree with the bill.

Hopes are still high as the Arizona legislature pushes to pass this bill. Junior Lauren Crider agrees with the idea and said, “I think the new law will be effective and it should be effective because sexting is just completely classless and shows no self respect.”

Freshman, Tate Lewis, also thinks it is a good idea and said, “I think that this bill is a good idea because laws regarding currently child pornography is kind of harsh.  Young people should not be labeled as sex offenders.”

The ugly truth about beauty

Breanna JOHNSON - Sophomore Editor

Though media hype, people have come to terms with the idea that being a size zero, and having a pretty face is what is important. Society has made up an image as to what the ideal person looks like, and into what he or she should be able to fit.  If one fails to meet the often time elusive number, hair color, look or height, he or she is considered ugly, and it should not be this way.

Today, the American culture places a great deal of emphasis made on appearance, weight and size. Most people, especially girls, begin at a very young age believing that worth is based solely on physical appearance.

In an article entitled, “Body Image,” (http://www.snac.ucla.edu/pages/Body_Image/Body_Image.htm) an assertion is made that being thin, muscular, and good-looking is associated with being “strong, popular, hard-working and  successful.” On the other hand, the article continues and says being fat and unattractive is associated with being “lazy, ignorant, hated, and weak.”

Sophomore Sasha Miranda is aware of this perception and said, “Appearance discrimination is a really big problem, especially in high school.”   She continued and said, “For some reason, it’s important to wear the right clothes, use the right words, and act a certain way just to be accepted.”

Senior Ashton Arnsperger agreed and said, “I don’t understand why people waste their time trying to be something they are not, especially when you could just be yourself.”

This type of unfair, and uncivilized  behavior is not just going on with teenagers in high school, but it happens on a daily basis with adults, as well.

Hofstra Associate Professor Comila Shahani-Denning’s article entitled, “Physical Attractiveness Bias in Hiring:  What is Beautiful is Good,” suggests that those who are considered more physically attractive are more likely to be hired. These people are more likely to get promotions, be picked in an interview, be the star of a movie, date, and make friends.

The article said, however, that this scenario is more often true for a women than a man.

“We all want to pretend that we don’t think this way, but in all reality we do. The first thing we do when we meet someone new is see what they look like; it’s the honest truth,”  said freshman Taylor Dahl.

So, what happens to the people who do not live up the “ideal standards”?  In some cases, a lot.  Statistics show that people who are considered “unattractive” are not only more likely to be passed over for a job, they are two to six times more likely to be laid off.

This makes is harder for this generation to escape the what is acceptable perception because of the unrealistic standards set up by television shows, magazines, and movies, to name a few.

Young children’s influence increases with the daily exposure. For example, young girls can easily be convinced that the Barbie Doll is how a woman is supposed to look. The Barbie is toothpick skinny, pretty, has long hair, wears the latest fashion, and the only fat she has on her body is her over-sized breasts.

“I think it’s kind of noticeable that there aren’t any fat superhero’s or plus sized Barbie dolls, or anything like that. It is kind of obvious that they are trying to set an image, and I think that it’s unfair that people are mostly picked and judged because of their look,” said junior Jessica Lujan.

What the media displays as normal keeps getting thinner for women, and taller and muscular for men. This can only makes society assume that it should do whatever it takes to keep up with what is “normal” and change to fit in with society.

In all unjust reality, people solely base their first judgment on looks, and how well they fit into what the media calls “beauty.”

Until society takes the initiative to change perceptions, those who possibly could do more than the pretty person is doomed to remain easily overlooked.

Artists control people’s lives

Alex CURRY - Senior Editor

With symphonies and operas in the 1700s and 1800s, to ragtime, jazz, swing, rock and roll, punk rock, rap, and what people listen to today, artists have always had one thing going for them – the tunes they play and the vocals they warble control how people think and act.

In other words, the type of music artists have put together throughout history has always affected the way people live and learn.   In fact, a study done by emedexpert.com concluded that listening to music is one of the few activities that involve using the whole brain. It enhances brain development and improves learning skills, but it also influences people, especially teens.

For example, when students listen to a song that talks about being promiscuous and having drugs, then the odds of the listener doing the same things increases as this becomes a contributing factor in behavior.

Chris Cubillo notes his experiences confirm this notion.  He said, “The majority of my friends who are good listen to good songs most of the time. So, I know from experience that music can definitely affect the way people react.”

The Media Awareness Network refers people to a study done by the American Academy of Pediatrics, 1999, which concludes that after doing many tests “heavy metal music may be a significant marker for alienation, substance abuse, psychiatric disorders, suicide risk, sex-role stereotyping or risk-taking behaviors’ during adolescence.”

Heavy metal is just one of the many types of genres that could produces these affects.  Another one is rap.

In Rap Music’s Psychological Effect, author Jennifer Copley says that students who listen and watch rap are “more accepting of violent actions, particularly against women.” Not just that, but people begin to act up around their parents and teachers, get bad grades, and follow the wrong crowds.

Senior Bobby Hilton said, “Just listening to rap songs about sex and drugs is nauseating and the fact that artists think it is alright to sing about it are wrong. Those kinds of songs could never bring anything good out of it.”

Luckily, for every negative, there is a positive, and where there is filthy music, there is also good music.

Appropriate music can calm people down, make people smarter, and reduce depression. It helps distract the body, gives one the feeling that he or she is in control, and helps “release endorphins to counteract pain.”

Sadly, much of the music students listen to today does nothing to help anyone’s body in anyway. In fact listening to songs like these only encourages students to do immoral activities.

If people would change the genre of music that surrounds them, their lives might improve and change for the better.  Senior Ty Melee knows this is true and said, “Sometimes when I do my homework, I listen to classical music because I usually do better on my homework. I am more focused, and understand more.”

Music does have the ability to sway people, as well as enhance brain development.  It can steer people in the wrong direction, but it can also improve learning.  It is a person’s choice what the tune of their future will be.

Pending Bill – Arizona students graduate high school in two years

Justin TIBBITT - Staff Reporter

Arizona High School students can now have the opportunity to graduate high school in only two years.  The students can now walk with the senior class on graduation night at the end of their sophomore year.  They will not earn a regular diploma like the rest of the students, but will, instead, earn a different one called the “Grand Canyon Diploma.”

High school students who choose this route can take difficult exams for their core classes.  If they pass all tests, they will be able to graduate at the end of sophomore year.  However the “Grand Canyon Diploma” is not meant to prepare students for four-year colleges.  The diploma is meant for those students who want to start work or get a jumpstart on a career.  If those students still want to go to college, they can enter a community college or a vocational school.

The “Grand Canyon Diploma” will exempt students from taking the required AIMS testing that is taken during the sophomore year.  This fact, alone, has advantages senior Nick Kelly thinks.  He said, “The students who earn this diploma will love the fact that they will get late start and a day off when the rest of their sophomore classmates will be taking the AIMS.”

The “Move on When Ready Bill” (HB 2731) is awaiting the State Senate’s approval right now.  Legislators and educators want to make sure the bill will advance students to the next grade only when they are academically ready.  People think the bill will raise the graduation rate in Arizona by 70%, which is a significant amount. While some people are patently opposed to this idea, junior Kayton Wilson thinks this is a good step for some students.  She said, “More students will stay in school [if they] know they only have to spend their freshman and sophomore years before being able to graduate.”

The tests students will have to take in order to pass are difficult, but are intended for all students not just for those that are advanced.  If the bill is passed, high schools could put the “Grand Canyon Diploma” idea into their curriculum as soon as the 2012-2013 school year. The first graduating class with this diploma could be as early as 2014.  The students who use this diploma to try and speed through high school will have the opportunity to test if this bill will be a big success or something that needs more time to improve.

There are eight other states that are offering the same kind of diploma as the “Grand Canyon Diploma.”  Junior Tyler Carmean is glad that although Arizona is ranked almost last in education, “it is cool that Arizona is now offering students the “Grand Canyon Diploma” just like other states have.  It will be interesting how voters feel about this new bill and if they decide to pass it or not.”

For students who do end up graduating with this bill, there will be worry about getting accepted into community colleges right after graduating.  Community colleges will be required to accept students who have secured this diploma.  Junior Caleb Brown thinks that this, at least is a good idea.  He said,  “It is a good thing that the Community Colleges are required to accept the students so none of them are left out and have nowhere to go after high school.”

This whole plan does not come without worries.  One is whether students will be allowed to participate in sports of clubs if they choose this route.  The answer is yes as students are always encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities.

There are concerns associated with the bill including how to develop the examination, how to develop the program of study, where the money will come from for a new program, and the fact that the bill is ambiguous about the curriculum and course of study.

More information can be found at http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/hb2731p.pdf.

Take Off your Bloomin’ Hat

Marilee EDEL (English Teacher – MPHS) – Guest Columnist

Andrew NGUYEN - Guest Columnist

Opinions are like noses, everybody has one.  So, here is mine: chivalry IS, in fact, dead!  Now that I have your attention, albeit at the expense of several clichés, I have an actual important point.  Here it is: take your bloomin’ dirty hat off when you’re in a building.

I realize that teachers and administrators are constantly after students to remove their hats in the building.  I further realize that students believe that teachers and administrators have nothing better to do than gripe about wearing hats, but there is a reason, rather – several reasons, to remove your hat indoors.

Before we get too far into my opinion, let me tell you what I found by doing a little research.  Emily Post (Oh, right, you don’t know who she is…she is the leading expert on etiquette – you don’t know what that is either?  Hhhmmm – manners), in 2004 provided some historical information on the origin of the courtesy of removing a hat in a building.  She said, “Hat traditions and manners may have originated in medieval times when knights lifted their face guard to show who they were, or in the days of the cowboys when a hat was lifted and removed to show there was no weapon hidden underneath. It became a sign of respect to others that has always remained.”

To my knowledge, we don’t still wear armor today, so why do we still remove our hats?  The current answer is common courtesy.  It is considered chivalrous or polite to remove your headwear when you enter a building.  As teachers and administrators, we are no longer charged with the simple job of teaching students reading, writing, and arithmetic (I’m trying to see how many clichés I can include in one article), we are now also responsible for teaching character education.  As a result, we teach the courtesy of removing a hat in a building.

Some would argue against such an old fashioned tradition.  I found one post on a blog, about wearing hats indoors, that said, “There was a time when a man or woman wasn’t “fully dressed” without a hat, so what is so rude about covering your head indoors, especially when the woman next to me may be showing cleavage?”  Good point.  That’s why we have a dress code, too.

So, back to my opinion…I have three thoughts.  The first is that it is still considered common courtesy, so why not take your hat off indoors?  Is there anything offensive about taking it off?  No.  So just do it.  If someone asks you to do something, it is polite to respect their wishes.  The wishes of the school are that you lose the hat.

Second, have you ever driven on an old, two lane country road in west Texas between several small towns?  I have – and something special happens on those roads.  When you pass an oncoming vehicle, the driver of the approaching vehicle will barely lift his hand off of the steering wheel and give a slight wave.  He will also look into the eyes of the other driver as he passes.  And, he will nod his head.  This is the west Texas way of saying, “Hi” to fellow drivers.  It feels nice.  People there are kind and they consider others.  I would not be writing this piece to post on a blog at a school in rural west Texas.  They know.

Finally, and this is the reason my students all hear, there are flags displayed in every classroom of our school.  It is considered disrespectful to wear head covering where the flag is displayed.  My grandfather fought in World War II, my father-in-law in Vietnam, my brother in the first Iraq conflict, and my nephew in the current war in the middle-east.  I have the utmost respect for those who fight for our freedoms.  When my grandfather died, his casket was draped with the American flag because he fought for us to have the freedom to wear hats.  He fought for us to have the freedom to wear a hat indoors, or when the National Anthem is played, or when a flag is flown.  He fought for our freedom to burn flags in protest, and a whole list of other stupid practices.  But having freedom shouldn’t mean having ignorance.

So, why does all of this matter, you ask.  Because chivalry really isn’t quite dead, yet – it’s on the brink of extinction.  American society has thrown manners and etiquette out the window and we need to hang on to what little we have left.  If that means removing your hat when entering a building, then do it.  It shows respect to our ancestors and respect and admiration for our country.  No one is asking you to go fight in the Middle East or clean landfills in Zaire or collect bodies in Haiti.  I’m simply asking you to please remove your hat.

Hope Really is Real

Marissa Villarreal – Junior Editor

The World Health Organization says that 121 million people worldwide suffer from depression, and 18 million are people who live in the United States.  Of those, 2/3rds never seek treatment.  While life, at times, seems hopeless, it’s really not.  And while it seems that the only way to escape rejection, anger, hurt, loss, disappointment, is self-injury, it really is not the answer.  The answer is that depression is treatable, and there is a nonprofit organization called To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) that can help.

TWLOHA, founded in March of 2006, by Jamie Tworkowski, is a “movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.”

The idea for the organization came to Tworkowski when he was attempting to help his friend, 19-year-old Renee Yohe.  Yohe was addicted to drugs and depressed, used blades to cut her skin, and attempted to take her life.  Fortunately, for Yohe, Tworkowski and a few of her close friends were there to help. They took her in for five days and attempted to help her check into rehab.

Unable to get her into a treatment center, friends offered support.  They also created TWLOHA and sold shirts to help her pay for treatment.  They also launched a MySpace profile spreading the word about their friend.  Renee is now doing better than ever and is in school in Florida.

TWLOHA, which became non-profit in October 2006, now seeks to help additional people by presenting hope for those “struggling with self injury, suicide, depression, and addiction.”  The organization works to find connections with treatment centers, books, support groups, and other resources, so people can get the help they need.

The group not only has exposure on their MySpace page, but bands including Switchfoot, Anberlin, Paramore, Mayday Parade, Boys Like Girls, and The Rocket Summer, among others, wear their shirts during performances. These groups also perform benefit concerts all over the country.

Students can get incolved.  They can make a small donation at twloha.com or buy a To Write Love on Her Arms shirt at zambooie.com/twloha. Shirts are also available at any local Zumiez or Hot Topic, as well.

Get involved and raise awareness in the Ahwatukee community by hosting a fundraiser, organizing benefit concerts, school events, penny drives, etc. Information can be found on the “Events to Benefit TWLOHA” Facebook page.  People can also email benefit@twloha.com for more information.

The organization believes that “community is essential, that people need other people, that [nobody was ever] meant to do life alone.”  Hope is real.

The Right to Know Your Rights

Nicole Schulke – co-Editor-in-Chief

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an organization dedicated to protecting the rights of individuals. Originally formed in 1920 by Crystal Eastman, Roger Baldwin and Walter Nelles, it currently has two separate factions of the organization.  One of the organizations is for litigation, and the other for lobbying. These two distinct sections of the ACLU protect the people’s rights by helping to pass certain bills, and enforce the rights of citizens in court. However, many believe the ACLU is specifically designed to help only adults. Students are supported, as well, by the ACLU, and in many cases, have been defended by this non-profit organization.

In Arizona, the ACLU organized itself in 1959, when a group of civil libertarians realized that it would be important to have an organization available to “stand in defense of liberty in the state.”  And, while their stance is called into question for their defense of Nazis and the Klan, burning of the cross, censorship, the avoidance of drug testing, not supporting gun ownership or gun control, it is also committed to protecting students rights, and have prepared a Manual for Arizona Public School Students.  The ACLU claims they “defend [The Bill of Rights] principles – basic rights of citizens – whenever they are threatened.”

This guide “serves to provide general information on students’ rights at public schools.”  It excludes the rights of private and tribal schools, public colleges and universities.

I remember my freshman year doing an activity in my Honors Freshman English class where students had to physically research what rights they had. This related back to the novel entitled, To Kill a Mockingbird, but, from what I heard, the curriculum has changed since then. No longer do students have a chance to learn what civil rights are available to them, and, aside from one or two classes, there is little opportunity to know what freedoms one possesses.

On the ACLUAZ.org website, there is a section for youth, and a handbook entitled, The Students’ Rights Handbook, designated to answer pressing questions that individuals may have.

I decided to research what questions I had about my rights. Using the handbook, I looked for answers to questions that I had always had.

The first question comes from the school newspaper being review before it is printed or made available to the general population.  While no complete articles have been censored while I have been here, there have been times articles have been rewritten for misinformation or inappropriateness, and that is usually at the request of the adviser. My question, however, is can the adviser or administration do that?

Here is what I found:  the First Amendment guarantees people the right to free expression.  According to the ACLU, this means “the government cannot forbid us from having certain beliefs or stating our opinion,” whether it is written or spoken words, although students do not leave their rights at the schoolhouse door.  In fact, this was fought in 1969 in the Tinker v. Des Moines School District.  However, expression can be limited if it causes any disruption in the school’s activities and/or classes.  According to the handbook, the administration and adviser can censor the Voice of the Pride Newspaper “if it is reasonably related to an educational purpose, and that the material is not consistent with the goals or mission of the school.”  In other words, “the principal may only censor the student newspaper for a valid educational reason.” In fact, “courts have allowed schools to censor controversial topics like teen pregnancy, alcohol abuse, or sex education for being ‘inappropriate.’”

My third hour teacher requests that her class stands for the Pledge, whether the students recite it or not.  Other teachers request that students recite the words, or in a few cases, allow students to disregard the pledge all together.  Do I have to say the Pledge of Allegiance?  According to the handbook, the courts say that “students have the right to sit silently during the Pledge of Allegiance, as long as they do not disrupt the pledge, they can refuse to participate.”

People wonder if a school can stop students from wearing certain clothing in school, because they cry freedom of expression.  The manual says that the “courts don’t interfere with the authority of the school officials to impose dress codes because” they are necessary to “prevent distraction or disruption, to prevent gang activity, or to promote safety.”  The only deviation from the dress code is for religious or medical reasons.

Can my teacher assign me to read religious passages for a class?  The short and simple answer is, yes.  Religion can be “studied at school, and be looked at for its influence on history or literature.  However, teachers cannot assign reading or use class time to teach that one religion is better than another, or to disparage any religion.”

Can the school officials read students’ text message?  The ACLUAZ Handbook states that if the school has a policy against using cell phones during the school day, then a “school official may confiscate the phone because your friend violated school rules. However, in order to look through her text messages, the teacher must have reasonable suspicion that the messages themselves will reveal a rule violation. Even though you are at school, you still have a right to privacy in your belongings.”

But, what is reasonable suspicion?  It is a suspicion of “wrongdoing based on specific facts and not on a mere hunch or rumor.”

Most astonishing to me, however, was when I read that Arizona law says that teachers can “use ‘corporal punishment.’”  But, “school officials may not use physical punishment that is excessive or cruel or unusual.”  However, the handbook says that a student “may be expelled for continued defiance of authority, continued disruptive behavior, violent behavior.”

The ACLU website was a great place to start researching and everyone should know his or her rights in case he or she is someday in a situation where they are needed to defend them. The MPHS social studies teachers do spend a great deal of time explaining student rights.  Unfortunately, some schools, I have been told, are not educating students on this, most likely because they do not want any possibility of facing costly court cases and slander against their institution.  While it appears that students at MP are lucky, the fact remains that it is not fair for some schools to keep students ignorant.

To learn more about the ACLU Student’s Rights Handbook for Arizona, visit http://acluaz.org/youth.htm to access the material.

Looking Through Wonderland

Jordan Laughlin – Junior Editor

Most people know about the original Disney movie Alice in Wonderland. The movie is freckled with fantasy and coded life stories. Tim Burton takes this story one step further and enthralls people with his adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s tale.

People’s favorite characters including the hookah-smoking caterpillar (Alan Rickman), the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry), and Tweedledee and Tweedledum (Matt Lucas) are back in Wonderland along with 19-year-old Alice (Mia Wasikowska), as she returns to defeat The Red Queen’s Dragon, to make peace in Wonderland once again.  Helen Bonham-Carter’s, at time humorous, adaptation of the Red Queen is enjoyable, especially when she is on the warpath.

Wasikowska’s character fears that she will be married off to live a life she does not care to live.  When she leaves after the awkward proposal, she falls down a hole and lands in the mystical land where she faces not only the Queen, but also the evil Jabberwocky is set free.

Wasikowska was not the first Alice who came to my mind, but after watching the film, she did a great job with her character, but really made it her own. However, the real star of the show was Johnny Depp, who played the Mad Hatter. After seeing Depp in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and several of his other roles, I was excited to learn that he was going to be taking on this character. Everyone knew that he was going to give an amazing performance, and, to me, he definitely delivered.

Additional stars who bring the unbelievable to life include Anne Hathaway, who portrays the White Queen, and Crispin Glover who is the Knave of Hearts

While some people think the movies is bland, pointless, weak and forgettable, I find it was enjoyable.  Most thought it was going to be like the original Alice in Wonderland, when in fact it was completely different. The movie took on elements from another of the other Alice book, Through the Looking Glass, however.

While some may have been disappointed with some of Burton’s previous movies, this one is solid, and maybe one of his best. Whether one gets to see it in 3-D or regular film, the movie is an exciting adventure.