Image provided by: Charlotte Berkham; Portland, OR
About The Grantonian (Portland, Ore.) 19??-???? | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 1967)
Rumor root of controversy 0 k«» D «art IPovnOcf by Barbara Earnest Never underestimate the pow er of . . . rumor. During the past two weeks, rumors have spread throughout the school. “Race riot” and “endorse ment” have become the pass-words to hours of un verified discussion and speculation. An offhand statement before Christmas, vacation, taken by many of the staff as a joke, was the beginning of the controversy over the endorsement of candi dates by the editorial board of The Grantonian. Somehow this information was learned by members of a Students to meet during art festival held by university The eleventh annual high school Speech Arts festival will be held January 26-28 for ad vanced speech and drama stu dents at the University of Port land. Sponsored by the univer sity, the festival is for stu dents throughout Oregon and Washington. This year four $200 scholarships will be awarded to students by a board of judges from the University of Portland and recommendations of their teachers. Approximately 32 students from the speech department and 35 from the drama department will be in attendance. Speech students will compete in a series of three rounds in oratory, ex temporaneous, oral interpreta tion, and radio commentary, “Drama students will pre sent single and dual cut tings,” commented Mrs. Betty Foster, drama instruc tor. “The single cuttings are divided into boys and girls, but the dual can be mixed.” Cuttings for the festival must be based on Americai Heritage from the 20th century. Only oral interpretation in the speech sec tion is limited to the American Heritage. “The University of Portland festival is tremendous,” stated Mrs. Opal Hamilton, speech in structor. “Last year we won the speech sweepstake and brought back all of the trophies.” Some of the dual cuttings to be presented at the festival are Casey Coughlin and Alex New ton, “A Patch of Blue;” Terry Cunningham and Rita Rusen, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf;” Marilyn Best and Chris Curry, “The Children’s Hour;” and Pete Borho and Jeff Perel, “Inherit the Wind.” Single cuttings include Judy Ransom, “He;” and Dan O’Don nell, “Bury the Dead.” Friday— BB, Grant at Cleveland, 8 p.m. Wrestling, Cleveland at Grant, 8 p.m. End of grading period. Saturday— Winter Semi-formal, 8-11 p.m., old gym. Tuesday— BB, Grant at Wilson, 3:45 p.m. Wrestling, Wilson at Grant, 3:45 p.m. Election Assembly. Wednesday-Thursday— Elections in reg rooms. Thursday-Friday— Speech, drama meet at University of Portland. J.. — 11 • — A w x* _ . . •• the student U body and, x upon their actual qualifications. ” returning from vacation, the They felt the editorial board staff was surprised to hear is not “well enough qualified to that they were definitely fairly judge all candidates and planning to endorse one make choices.” candidate for each office. At no time did Jack visit We next learned that peti The Grantonian staff to find tions, initiated by Jack Mishler, what the “plan” was. He were being circulated protesting later withdrew his petitions, the endorsement. and sent the -letter printed This plan was termed as on page 2 to the staff. “highly discriminatory and At no time did any candidate unfair toward those candi for any office inquire of The dates not supported.” Those Grantonian staff what our plan signing felt they could con was. ceive a “ ‘backlash’ result Up to Monday, three stu in the complete rejection of dents had visited the jour the Grantonian-supported nalism room. One of these candidates, regardless of students visited Principal ¿lax* a - <■ a • - ._ Roy O. Malo before bother ing the staff. The Executive Council also inquired into the question. Another petition, sponsored by Virginia Bailey, circulated among the candidates. Those signing “respectfully protest en dorsement by the Grantonian of candidates in the coming elec tion. This includes ourselves as well as our opponents.” Again this was not presented to the staff. We received it only through John Stuckey, activities director. The petition was signed by twenty-five of the twen ty-seven candidates. Since . - - then, one has withdrawn his name and one signature has been found to be illegal. The subject of the proposed endorsement was brought up in the General Council January 11. At this time, a resolution oppos ing the plan was introduced. After approximately thirty min utes of debate, the meeting was adjourned with no decision reached. Letters from students, either opposing or condoning the en dorsement have been received by the staff. Most of them are from people who have never visited our room and inquired of our policy. On Monday, a special meeting of the General Council was called. After another twenty minutes of debate, a vote was called for. A motion to have a roll call vote so that only mem bers of the General Council could cast a ballot was made, but defeated. The original resolution, which was “We, the General Council, oppose the proposed endorse Vol. 69, No. 16 U. S. Grant High School, Portland, Oregon Friday, Jan. 20, 1967 ment of candidates by The Gran tonian,” was voted upon and passed by a margin of nineteen to six. Even assuming that these twenty-five votes were legal, a quorum of the. General Council members was not present and by Maty Jane Hulett year in their evaluations,” stated The counseling staff will host therefore, the decision was nei Eighth grade visitation is one Gust Kanas, curriculum Vice the eighth grade teachers on ther legal or binding. these visits and will have oppor part of the totla “Bridge the Principal. Another eleven General “They will be organized into tunities to discuss matters of Gap” efforts that are put forth Council members would in activities to make the transi smaller groups for better com mutual concern in such things have had to be present in tion of eighth graders to high munications and control and they as forecasting, grading, curricu order to form the required will undoubtedly derive more lum and other areas in which school easier. fifty-one per cent of the Beginning on Monday value during the brief but well eighth grade teachers will be body. seeking information. morning, eighth graders planned visits.” One of the main objections of from schools feeding into the General Council to the pro Grant will begin visitations endorsement was that no 'Starlight in Rhapsody'to be theme posed to help them become orient other organization could offer ed to high school life. their opinion. It was pointed out Each school will meet for two of annual council dunce tomorrow to the General Council that it hours and begin the program by had been and still was the policy “Starlight in Rhapsody” is cil President Vance Hodnett.” gathering in the auditorium for of The Grantonian; to print all Bids are still on sale for $2 a signed letters-to-the-editor. a general orientation by the ad the theme for the second Gen ministration. They will then be eral Council dance to be held couple. Studehts from other In this case, the rumor came taken in groups of ten to twelve tomorrow in the old gym from schools may be taken with no partially true. Our endorsement previous signing up necessary. students on a tour of courses 8 to 11 p.m. of several candidates, not neces Ross Marsch and the Starlight which are electives rather than sarily one for each office, ap ers will be playing for the semi- required courses. pears in the editorial on page Honor group names two. Led by student guides, formal dance. Committee chairmen for the mostly from National Honor The second example of society, the eighth graders dance are Jeri Cohen and Caro four semi-finalists the influence of rumor is will Visit the music, art, lyn Cohen, decorations; Michelle more serious than the first. Semi-finalists in the National home economics, industrial Rex, refreshments; Vance Hod On January 11, two boys arts, and language depart nett and Kim Patterson, bids; Honor Society Scholarship pro fought in center hall and at ments. Each visit will last and the General Council officers gram are Jerianne Cohen, Steve tracted a large crowd of observ from ten through fifteen and the Art department, pub Hiebert, Robert McCrae and ers. These boys were suspended Paul Pferdner. licity. minutes. from school, arrested, and taken “A princess to represent each The program is sponsored by to court. “The program this year has been revised to take into ac class will be voted on for the the National Association of Sec The next morning, another count several constructive rec dance,” commented Kim Patter ondary School Principals and is fight 'occurred. From then on, ommendations for improvement son, General Council secretary. based on the result of the Pre rumors of approaching “race of the “Bridge the Gap” pro “During the dance a queen will liminary Scholastic Aptitude riots” spread quickly through gram, made by the teachers last be announced by General Coun- test. out the school. That same Thursday and the following Friday, large crowds of students gathered after school. “Some desired to see if any thing would happen, others wished to see something hap pen,” commented Dr. Malo. Selection of the new editors The presence of a large group and editorial staff of The Gran of people adds to a potentially tonian have been announced by dangerous situation. advisor Willard Mohn. “Some people are unaware of the fact that the laws read that Co-editing the paper for the if there is a riotous situation, second half of the year will be yoür mere presence makes you part of it,” continued Dr. Malo. Gayle Fleming and Elaine Wolfe. “Some people take great de They will alternate between ed light in spreading rumors of any iting the paper and editing the and all types. Some are always second page. ready to believe without ques tion,” Dr. Malo concluded. “In Other new page editors are, sum and substance, you have emotion prevailing over reason.” Cecile O’Rourke, first page; In view of the surprising num Mary Jane Hulett, third page; ber of petitions circulating and Cynthia Froom, fourth page. around the school, I would like to add one of my own. Changes in the paper include “We, the responsible students changing the first page from a of Grant High School, respect five column to a four column fully protest the policy of cer tain students which allows them page and changing the sports SPRING LEADERS of the Grantonian have been announced. to spread rumors, and therefore page from the fourth to the third They are Lorna Viken, business manager and Co-editors Gayle confusion, throughout the stu page. Fleming and Elaine Wolfe. dent body . . .” Grantonian « Bridge the Gap’ program to include visits Staff announces new leaders