PAGE TWO
ROGUE NEWS
THURS.. OCT. 8, 1970
Upper Left Hand
Corner Column
Neiv AHS Imprisons All
by Jerry Scanned
America was built and exists on
elected officials representing the
people who are self-governing.
Self government by the elected
officials depends on the freedom
of speech and freedom of the
press.
The student council needs the
students to exercise their rights
in speech and the press to the
job for which they were elected.
In all forms of government,
including Ashland High School,
all too often the complainers
attempt to avoid the council and
go to non-elected officials to
gain their point and by doing so,
add a little more to the
beaurocratic way. That is to do
away with the right of the
people to goern themselves.
When the people allow
administrators who are not
responsible to the voters, in our
case the student body, to make
decisions for them the students
themselves are destroying their
right to self-government in their
affairs.
Let's use our student council,
and let's use our freedom of
speech to air our grievances and
let's use our school paper to
allow all to be heard. The abuse
of freedom of the press can
constitute a denial of freedom of
speech since the minority may
not be heard causing them to
distrust the government and not
the printed word. The
newspaper should be a
constructive force in the student
council's business. The student
council should, and will, in turn
answer the students and express
its goals so that the students
may know what is going on. The
student government is there for
the students and it cannot
function without complete
support from the students.
Poll Shows Changes
Unpopular At AHS
The voice of Ashland High School student body was heard in an
opinion poll recently taken by the Rogue News. The survey
pertained to the recent changes at Ashland High School this year, in
particular, seven periods, citizenship grades, and study halls.
The poll indicates that students are basically unhappy with the
changes excepting the seven periods. In answer to a request to put
comments on the survey a great number of students responded with
reasons for their opinions.
Among reasons noted in favor of seven periods were that they
allowed for more credits, included a wider tange of subjects, and
classes which could not have been fit into the schedule with six
periods could be with seven.
Those against the seven periods cited reasons of more work for
both the teachers and students, including homework, days seem
longer and slower, and the similarity to junior high.
Other comments pertaining to nothing at all, included they
preferred the no-period system, wanted longer lunch periods, and
wished for a three-month school year.
Those in favor of citizenship grades cited the reason that without
them citizenship will be considered with the academic grade. It was
also noted that it may shape up disruptive students and bring about
more order in classes.
Students against citizenship grades had a variety of complaints.
Those most widely presented were arguments of showing favoritism,
teacher's opinions on good citizens usually vary, the standard of
judgement is arbitrary, and it is reverting back to junior high. Two
major points brought out were that a bad mark on a card is not
going to turn a person into a good citizen, so the grades lack little
value, and that a good citizen usually amounts to one of two things
in a teacher's eye: A. A good student; B. A student he likes. Some of
the adjectives used in citizenship grades description included
juvenile, silly, dumb, worthless, ridiculous, and childish.
The subject of study halls brought the greatest number of
comments. Those in favor of the new method this year stated that
they could study better as the atmosphere was more conducive to
work. It was pointed out that last year it was virtually impossible to
find a quiet place for study, and those who did were treated like
weirdos. They questioned whether students had enough
responsibility to be allowed more freedom in study halls and if they
had demonstrated that they did last year.
Some suggested that the new system should be changed to one
containing three study halls. One could be for those who wanted
quiet study alone, one for those who wanted studying together, and
the cafeteria for those who wanted to eat, drink, or mess around.
In wishing to return to the old methods students had a diversity
of complaints towards the new system. They felt it was like being
babysat or in prison. Many compared it to the junior high, grade
school or kindergarten. Others wanted the student lounge to be put
into use.
Most bitter comments in complaint were that it was for the birds,
or even trout mask replicas. One student complained that he
couldn't even go to the restroom without a pass. Another student
felt that it was the worst thing that could happen and noted to his
teacher that it was even worse than English. Others gave votes in
favor of George, saying they preferred him to their present teachers.
One bright student indicated to the Rogue News that comments
had been spelled in the poll with one "m" instead of two.
The results of the poll are as follows:
Should Ashland High School have the proposed citizenship grades?
YES - 165 - NO - 524
Should Ashland High School go back to the old method of study
halls?
YES - 522 - NO - 143
Should there be seven periods a day?
YES -424 - NO -235
by Connie Bulkley
For some inexplicable reason, Ashland High
School has reverted back to the prison camp of
junior high with study hall teachers as wardens,
and the citizenship grades as walls. High school has
been changed from a "as high school students you
ought to be responsible and mature" policy to one
similar to the junior high's "we don't trust you"
policy.
Two major changes in the form of study halls
and citizenship grades have been made in this
year's curriculum which bring about the prison
camp atmosphere. Last year students were given
relative freedom in the study halls, but this year it
has been completely reversed. We now have three
separate classes with teachers as supervisors.
I am told the reason for the change is to give
students a chance to study and to let some
semblance of order prevail. But it seems carried to
excess when we are not allowed to talk in the
study hall, and must go to the library to do so.
Maybe I was taught wrong, but I always learned a
library was a place for quiet study, rather than
student visitation. It seems that the study hall
teachers have reversed the roles of libraries and
study halls. It is a bit ridiculous when two students
cannot leave study hall at the same time to go to
their lockers, and one must wait for the other to
come back before he leaves. Also, students are not
allowed to go to the student lounge or cafeteria
during study hall, which is a complete waste of
both the jukebox and food machines.
The citizenship grades are .even more
outrageous than study halls. They remind one very
much of the U's at junior high. The major
argument given for citizenship grades is that
teachers often count citizenship into regular
grades, and thus the two should be separated. Yet
if a teacher does not like a student or the way he
behaves, it is impossible for him to totally separate
himself from his feelings, and the grade will reflect
them whether or not he gives a citizenship grade in
addition. Citizenship should not be separated from
the regular grade. Part of the learning experience
in school involves proper behavior in class. If he is
not working or learning to his potential, then he
does not deserve the same grade as a student who
is cooperative. Besides, a person who does not
behave as a good citizen in class is not going to
suddenly start being good because of a bad
citizenship mark. In fact, it might work the
opposite way by separating citizenship and grades.
If high school students cannot be controlled
except by handing them bad citizenship grades
then one should worry how they are going to
become responsible citizens after graduation.
What the changes basically amount to is a lack
of faith in the AHS student's maturity. If we
cannot be trusted to act more responsible than
junior high students then we certainly will not be
mature enough to be turned out into the world
after graduation. If the administration cannot
handle high school students without resorting to
junior high tactics then something must be wrong
with both students and teachers.
To the Editor:
We think that this is a good
opportunity to bring a problem
to the attention of everyone. We
are referring to the "nasty"
subject of drinking at school
activities. At this point some of
you automatically "turn-off.
This subject gets crammed down
everyone's throat each year and
it gets old in a hurry. We are
personally upset about this
problem because whatever new
idea or activity that we attempt
to get through the
administration is shutdown
immediately because of the
threat of a drinking problem. We
can hardly blame the
administration for this because
what is against the law is against
the law! It's the fault of the
students themselves. They gripe
about not enough activities,
dances, etc., but what they don't
realize is that some of the
students are trying to do
something but can't succeed. An
example at this point is the idea
suggested about having a
"get-together" for seniors at the
lake this last September. Before
we even discussed the matter the
subject of drinking was brought
up and the conversation was
considered null and void. The
problem couldn't be denied
because it was true, and this 1
article isn't being written to
"scare" you into believing that
all school activities will be
cancelled. We'll probably always
have dances but what we are
trying to point out is that the
drinking problem stands in the
way of anyone who tried to get
things going as far as NEW
activities are concerned. The
administration can only say,
"look at what goes on now and
if you add activities you arc
multiplying the problems." Can
you see their point?
Condemning the drinkers is
not our motive. We just want to
see more fun activities going on
because we do not have them
now. You can drink at other
times beside school activities if
you want to, but when you
drink at the school functions,
you are hurting others by
causing restrictions on other
school functions.
We feel as though we're
talking "down a rain barrel", but
as seniors we would like to see
many more activities than have
been had in the past, and this is
possible with a little help and
consideration on everyone's
part.
Signed:
Diane Jensen
Linda Brown
Mark Engle
Tim Slap nick a
Sue Travis
Harley Dixon
Billie Hays
Jerry Scannell
Madame Editor:
As students at Ashland High
School several of us have already
found a problem arising in the
new year. Complaints have come
in about the amount of study
material available to the student
body. As an example, this year
in the English department there
are few books issued to students.
The shortage of books tends to
hamper the student's ability to
refer back to the source of
information the assignment
came from in order to
comprehend more.
An example is, recently we
went into the English building to
check out a book so we could
finish our homework. But to our
dismay, we were informed that
we could not check out these
particular books. We were told
"no one" can take one of these
books home. We feel that this is
totally unfair. We realize that
most of the English teachers try
and give us time in class to finish
our assignments, but we find
that not all students can
complete the work in the time
given.
One reason that was given to
us for this action was that
students would not return books
or they would lose them. We can
see where this might happen
once in awhile but we feel that if
a person is responsible enough to
come in after school to get a
book then he is responsible and
reliable enough to return it.
We have one question that we
would like to ask: What is the
seven dollar book rental fee at
registration if we can't even use
the books on our own time?
Sincerely yours,
Linda Brown
and Cindi Dale
Dear Editor,
As one who has experienced
the informality of the old study
halls and the present classroom
situation of the study halls I feel
it would be best if we could
combine the two types and this
would produce better study
halls. It would be to everyone's
advantage if you had a study hall
which you could either go to
and study or another one, say in
the cafeteria, where one could
go to talk, get cokes, etc.
I don't favor a return to the
way the study halls have been in
the past for it was far too
informal and Einstein couldn't
have thought let alone actually
have done any work in that
atmosphere. The present study
halls are far too stifling. Who
wants to work all the time? By
having two different study halls
each period the school would be
fitting everyone's needs. I do
hope that something of this sort
will be done instead of going
from one extreme to another as
we have in the past.
Sincerely,
Jacque Leigh