2008 Woodie Awards
High school students fought for their rights
Joel R. Paramo
Issue date: 12/6/06 Section: Features
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It's funny how some students will grasp their education better than others. People tend to treat kids like their opinion doesn't matter and figure they're inexperienced.
Almost two years ago now, I recall when my high school administrators treated my newspaper staff and me just like that at East Bakersfield High School. They put us into a position that forced us not to print a section of the newspaper that we as a staff very much believed in.
It was the April edition of The Kernal, our high school newspaper. I was on the staff for four years by this time, and we had won first place for general excellence in Bakersfield for three years consecutively. I was editor in chief that year. It was my passion and usually the only reason I'd wake up in the morning to endure the long school day and the counterfeit friends.
I understood my rights as a student journalist thanks to my extensive journalism journey with my adviser Randy Hamm. I would attend workshops, read from stylebooks, and read the online Student Press Law Center's page that always had great stories on censorship in other states and laws being passed.
I had always heard and read about censorship, but when it finally happened to me, I was shocked. It was a Tuesday morning, first period journalism, second day of our page- layout process. Mr. Hamm greeted me as he usually did and then informed me that the principal and dean were going to be in the classroom to read a few of our stories.
The administration had gotten wind of our feature focus for that month on homosexuality. I became concerned and I began to look through my notes and I met with the editor of that department making sure that all of our bases were covered. The stories were objective, well written and had both sides to every story. We had the facts right and had permission from the students and the parents to write about them being homosexual. They read the stories, said they were fine and left the classroom.
The next night, day three of our layout process at approximately nine o'clock, the principal walks in and asks to speak with our adviser. The next thing I know, my adviser tells me that he was just informed by the principal that if we printed our focus on homosexuality that the edition would be locked away before distribution. Our hearts fell to the floor, and everyone felt that sad tingle inside of them. Many of us began to cry.
Almost two years ago now, I recall when my high school administrators treated my newspaper staff and me just like that at East Bakersfield High School. They put us into a position that forced us not to print a section of the newspaper that we as a staff very much believed in.
It was the April edition of The Kernal, our high school newspaper. I was on the staff for four years by this time, and we had won first place for general excellence in Bakersfield for three years consecutively. I was editor in chief that year. It was my passion and usually the only reason I'd wake up in the morning to endure the long school day and the counterfeit friends.
I understood my rights as a student journalist thanks to my extensive journalism journey with my adviser Randy Hamm. I would attend workshops, read from stylebooks, and read the online Student Press Law Center's page that always had great stories on censorship in other states and laws being passed.
I had always heard and read about censorship, but when it finally happened to me, I was shocked. It was a Tuesday morning, first period journalism, second day of our page- layout process. Mr. Hamm greeted me as he usually did and then informed me that the principal and dean were going to be in the classroom to read a few of our stories.
The administration had gotten wind of our feature focus for that month on homosexuality. I became concerned and I began to look through my notes and I met with the editor of that department making sure that all of our bases were covered. The stories were objective, well written and had both sides to every story. We had the facts right and had permission from the students and the parents to write about them being homosexual. They read the stories, said they were fine and left the classroom.
The next night, day three of our layout process at approximately nine o'clock, the principal walks in and asks to speak with our adviser. The next thing I know, my adviser tells me that he was just informed by the principal that if we printed our focus on homosexuality that the edition would be locked away before distribution. Our hearts fell to the floor, and everyone felt that sad tingle inside of them. Many of us began to cry.
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