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About The Grantonian (Portland, Ore.) 19??-???? | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 1968)
2 THE GRANTONIAN January 19, 1968 veulent relations cuith comniiiiìdi^ e^cceàtionecl “Would you please keep off my lawn, you’re tramping it down to nothing.” “Oh, shut up ya old bag! I’ll move when I ._ .... well feel like it. Ya got that?” The door slams fearfully and the housewife, thor oughly shaken, cowers inside her safe walls while the pranksters laugh victoriously. Student relations in the community, the sad but true story of how the students are becoming more and more distant from the people in the community, and the petitions and meetings with authorities be ing held by the concerned people in the neighbor hood. These meetings and petitions directly concern a very small minority of students, but reflect greatly on the en tire student body. This is the importance of this issue— the fact that the whole student body is being affected by the childish, uncalled-for actions of a few. The importance of helping to rid the school of vulgar language used to the people in the commu nity, the trash in and outside the school building, and the general misconduct being displayed each and every school day, is the main intent of publicity and action being undertaken in the community area. There are, of course, excuses for the problem. Grant is a very poorly situated school with residential areas located on every side. But the location has been the same for the past 43 years without the trouble that is arising now. Another contributor to the problem is the cigarette law which states that no student shall smoke on the school grounds or in the immediate area of the school. This law forced those students who can’t make it through the day without a cigarette to move out into the com munity. From this point their violence began. The pleas to stay off peoples’ neatly-kept lawns, and the vulgar re plies; the unlawful use and squealing of cars during lunch periods, and as the rainy season approached, the “innocent” use of peoples’ garages to stay dry. As one member of the community stated, “We don’t mind the kids being around. But if we could just enjoy this as a residential area we’d be satisfied.” Most of the people agreed that the profane language bothers them the most. Action has been taken, and more will come unless we eliminate this problem immediately. Parking has been restricted on Thompson Street and police patrols have’ been more than doubled in the area. Many violators have been suspended. Other restrictions which very well could be enforced are: no honor study hall for juniors and seniors; closed campus so that no one leaves the campus from 8:30 until 3:00 and one-way traffic on 36th avenue. Computers program student activities; tell of attendance, citizenship, grades Are you sweating it out, waiting for your grades, and thinking of alibis for your parents? Your grades are already known to the machine, a computer! It’s busy recording your grades; attendance, citizenship and other pertinent informa tion; making copies for you and your counselor. Information on almost every high school student in the Portland Pub lic Schools can be found in a matter of minutes with the use of a com puter at the Administration build ing. Every student has a number which can be programmed together with his name, subjects in letter code subject grades, grade school at tended, reg room number, last year’s GPA, home address, phone number, and birthdate. In the future it is hoped that it will be possible to re cord all attendance patterns.' All information concerning students can be found on “disks.” There is a sep arate disk for each high school. These disks must constantly be up-dated as schedules change, or as a student drops out or enrolls. During the summer the computer processor takes out all of the seniors from the disks, moves the other students up a grade, and enters the in coming freshmen. A schedule looks like this to a com puter: 5820, student number; 048, first Letters to the Editor To the Editor: It is obvious that some of Grant’s stu dents do not care what the image of our school is to the residents in the com munity. On the last day of school before vacation, many were throwing snowballs at passing cars, not only, during lunch, but also after school. This was particu larly irritating at 33rd avenue. Besides this damage to our reputation, school property, in the form of windows, Was also damaged. Just throwing snowballs at fellow stu dents is not especially harmful, if the student in question does not mind; the only setback being a slight disruption of classes that is only mildly annoying to teachers. If play were restricted to this area, I am sure there would be no prob lems. The only ones really being hurt by the actions of such a few people, are the stu dents. If we want to have sports and oth er activities in school next year, we are going to have to realize where the money comes from for such items. I hope the guilty parties will, in the future, restricct their snowball throwing to students, if they have to throw them at all. Respectfully submitted, Patty Jensen period code; 442; second period code; 010, third period code; 215, fourth period codp; Hold V, fifth period code; 705, sixth ■period code; 608, seventh period code. One of the many conveniences of the computer is that it can make any kind of list. For example, a list can be made of all the freshmen in alphabetical order, or a list can be made of all the junior boys. This can save time when tests of one par ticular group of students are given. The computer also makes up all of the schedules. If there is a conflict of classes, the counselors must make up the rest of the schedule. When the computer is making up schedules, it fills each class with thirty people and goes on to the next class. After it has entered thirty students, no more can be entered without a change in the programming. When a schedule is changed, the vice-principal sends a white form to the Administration building so that the change can be recorded on the computer. “Besides student programs and report cards, the computer makes mailing lists for the PTA and the Dads’ club, and enables the school district to obtain a variety of infor mation on any student, or combina tion of students, in a relatively short time, according to Gust Kanas, cur riculum vice-principal. The school district also has other uses for the computer, using it for research purposes, testing programs and payroll. “As in any system, the computer is only as good as people make it,” Mr. Kanas went on to say. “The computer is infallible if fed properly.” “Originally, Grant was one of the first four schools involved in computer data processing,” stated Mr. Kanas. Lincoln was the first to begin in about 1963. Its first effort was restricted to report cards and programming. Now there are eight high schools in the data processing program, the “home base” computer located at 631 N.E. Clackamas, in the Administration build ing. The computer isjrun by Bob Rintoul and Charles Hadduck. Portland has had its own computer for less than two years, but still it is not elaborate enough to handle the schedul ing of Jackson and Marshall, which have module scheduling. Because of lack of funds, there are no plans for a more complex data processing system in the future. “They’re working on a system to have separate numbers for each individual, so that as long as a student is in the Port land Public School system, he will keep the same number from kindergarten through high school,” stated Charles Orr, counselor chairman. by Cecile O’Rourke During the midst of the introduc tions, one candidate stands up and trips across the stage. The audiehce laughs. He wins. The contenders for the office of student body president give their speeches. One boy tells of his plans, qualifications and future hopes for student government. Another boy stands up, tells a few jokes, whips out a fancy slogan and sits down. The jokester wins hands down. On what do students base then- selections? Just because a candidate is a “good guy,” does this qualify him to represent us in student govern ment? When accused of always choosing the funny guy, one student said, “Who cares? Student govern ment is a farce anyway!” If it’s only a “farce,” why even bother having government? And if some students believe this, what are they doing to help make the councils what they should be? The same student was asked why he didn’t run for office in order to help change it. “I Wouldn’t win any way. No one knows me. I’m not popu lar enough.” So, are students considering popu larity as a prerequisite to running for office? Isn’t it enough just to have good ideas and a willingness to serve? Maybe not, but if not, perhaps some values and ideas need to be changed. Voting is a student’s only real chance to alter the course of present government and should be taken seriously, choosing one’s representa tives and leaders wisely and with much thought. James Monroe is renewed name of Girls Polytechnic by Julie Ferry The apparent set rule of naming high schools after presidents or well-known men has again been displayed. Girls’ Polytechnic has recently been renamed to James Monroe high school. “The officials of the school felt that the school really didn’t have a name. The idea of changing the name had been thought about for many years, since the program at the school has been chang ing,” stated Mrs. Nancy Russell, vice principal at James Monroe. Voting to change the name of the school was a committee of teachers, members of the PTA and various mem bers of the alumnae. The name change was then submitted to the school board for approval. .The final approval by the board was made December 11. Standards committee completes assignment of evaluating dress by Marilyn Leonard “The Student Standards committee was charged with the task of evaluating the current school policy regarding the various aspects of student conduct, dress, and grooming,” reported John Stuckey, student adviser. Student members of the committee are George Yerkovich, Tom Zell, Julie Dil ley, Kim Martin, Artie Wilson and John Thompson. Adult members include Mrs. Phyllis Pittman, PTA president, Mrs. Marty Zabelan and Mrs. Carol Anderson of the PTA; Mrs. Doris Hanlon and John Stuckey, faculty. “The PTA members were selected by Mrs. Pittman. Students were selected by myself. Regarding student selection, I selected students who would represent all viewpoints; that is conservative and liberal,” continued Mr. Stuckey. The committee used the U. S. Grant Hand book (1967-68), “Rules and Regula tions,” pages 14, 15, and 16. In a few cases we adopted whole paragraphs from this publication. In most instances we completely rewrote the existing rules. Within the committee’s report are rec ommendations dealing with community relations, cafeteria conduct, care of school property, assembly conduct, smoking, drinking and use of drugs. The decisions on dress and grooming were particularly interestina. The final vote on this issue was 9-2. On all other issues, the vote was either unanimous or only one dissenting vote prevailed. The following is the committee’s decision on dress and grooming: As a matter of general policy, all pu pils are to be neat and clean in appear ance when in school or participating in school related activities. Dress and grooming must be consistent with inter ests of health and good taste. Extreme, bizarre and conspicuous styles in groom ing and dress are not permitted in the school. Though allowance is made for evolutionary changes in dress styles and grooming, radical changes resulting in extremes which violate currently ac cepted rules of good taste and propriety are not acceptable. The responsibility for seeing that stu dents meet these standards rests pri marily with parents or guardians. How ever, the school will also help students to develop standards of good taste which are compatible with a climate of disci pline and learning in the classroom. “I was delighted to work with the members of the committee although we differed in opinion with each other con sistently. Everyone was mature, polite and respectful with each other,” ex plained Mr. Stuckey. “It is the principal’s option to accept, modify or reject the committee recom mendations for it is the principal only who has this responsibility,” he con cluded’. The final school policy will be released at a later date, after the administration has the opportunity to analyze the com mittee’s recommendations. The committee met with Dr. Roy O. Malo to explain its viewpoint. ZJlie (jrantonian Published bi-weekly Fall semester and weekly Spring semester by the advanced journalism class of Ulysses S. Grant high school, room 203, 2,245 N.E. 36th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97212. Phone 288-5975. Printed by Modern Typesetting company with a circulation of 3000. Sec ond class postage paid at Portland, Ore. Subscription cost $2.00 per year. Vol. 71, No. 10 — January 19, 1968 Editor............... ............. Cecile O’Rourke Staff Members........ June Ammon, Steph Daly, Cynthia Froom, Jan Kelley, Mari lyn Leonard, Julie Ferry Advertising Manager ... .Bonnie Brown Circulation Manager .... Kathy Walton Assistants ..........Marlene Feves, Gerald Holmes, Lisa Rose, Diane Sweet Photographers .. Sterling Bennett, Tami Brandt, Raylene Erickson, Nancy Mc Cready, Helen Wall Advisex1............. . ............... Willard Mohn
