7 Opinion

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Staff Editorial: Support needed for students rights
Just as an entrepreneurship class
teaches students the ins and outs of the
business world and an art class equips art-
ists with techniques that will help them cre-
ate a career out of their talent, a high school
journalism program educates students by
teaching them the skills that are practiced
by professionals. The fundamental prin-
ciples of journalism arent just meant to be
taught, theyre meant to be practiced, and
practiced without the fear of interference
from outside bodies.
This being said, The Omega will never be
able to properly inform the school com-
munity, give a voice to students, or practice
sound journalism with the increasing bur-
den of prior review and censorship that has
occurred in recent months.
The Supreme Court case that limits the
rights of student press and school ad-
ministration, Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, is
confusing to say the least. The language of
the decision leaves a lot of things open to
interpretation, and has been the heart of
The Omegas recent problems. This confu-
sion over what rights administrators have
is what has most likely led to the dramatic
increase of journalistic restraint from ad-
ministrators across the nation.
A bill proposed in the Illinois House
known as the Speech Rights of Student Jour-
nalists Act would improve this situation.
Not only does House bill 5902 protect stu-
dents rights to exercise freedom of speech
and press, it also secures for students the
right to determine what is the content of the
publication.
All that we have to say about this bill is
this: its about time.
Even under the Hazelwood standard,
some administrators show more regard
for students expression rights than others.
Just because administrators have the right
to invoke prior review, doesnt mean they
necessarily should.
Excessive administrative involvement
in the editorial process creates both an
adversarial relationship between the
student press and administration and self-
censorship by the student journalists. Our
coverage of school policies and events this
year, such as the proposed Master Facility
Plan, the different aspects of Red Ribbon
Week and more recently the gender-neutral
spaces, has received an unprecedented
amount of prior review and censorship.
Between the fall of 1999 and spring of
2011, The Omega received a total of three
requests for prior review from administra-
tion. Last year, six articles were subject to
prior review. So far this year, eight articles
have been reviewed by administration
before being published.
When administrators make changes
to school policy articles before they are
published it is a conflict of interest. In the
majority of cases, it is against professional
journalistic ethics to allow a person or
group to preview an article about them-
selves before it is published. If we arent
going to allow a sports team or person to
make changes on an article about them-
selves, the administration should expect the
same.
We have a responsibility to readers to
practice sound journalism by writing truth-
fully about topics that are important to our
audience: the student body.
Earlier this month, one of our editors-in-
chief emailed a two-question survey asking
about the student bodys views regarding
proposed gender-neutral spaces. Finding
two minor errors in the survey (slightly
misleading wording of one of the ques-
tions and a problem with how the survey
was set up that allowed users to send
multiple responses and skew results), the
editor planned on re-sending an updated
version but was told by administrators to
refrain from doing so because of a pending
investigation into whether or not the survey
violated board policy 7.15.
Due to the fact that we did not receive
an explanation for the restraint or a final
decision on the investigation until more
than a week later, (requiring us to push our
publication back more than a week as well)
the Omega considered this an act of unlaw-
ful censorship. According to administration,
the survey was not considered appropriate
for all students.
However, the two questions on the
survey only included information that was
given to The Omega by the administration.
In December, during the review of an ar-
ticle regarding the proposed Master Facility
Plan renovations, administation requested
for the reporter to change quotes said by
a faculty member to ones that diluted the
meaning of the original. The Omega con-
tacted outside counsel and fought to publish
the original quotes.
The best way for administration to
confront problems they might have with
a school publications content is through that have gone through the prior review
letters to the editor and asking for correc-
tions to be published in a later issue. This
allows students to still report freely without
administrative involvement but still gives
the school the ability to voice any legitimate
concerns they may have.
Despite all our criticism of administra-
tive involvement, we get where they are
coming from. There is an understable
anxiety that comes with the possibility of a
student newspaper embarrassing a school
or administrator, but ultimately, there has
got to be a little faith that student jour-
nalists will follow their own high ethical
standards.
Having a relationship with adminis-
tration where there is a constant fear of
unnecessary involvement leads student
journalists to self-censor themselves, un-
consciously taking away some of their own
freedom of speech because of the fear of
administrative backlash. But if the student
press doesnt say it, who else will?
According to a survey conducted by the
Brookings Institution, a mere 1.4 percent of
news media coverage is devoted to educa-
tion. If student journalists do not cover
decisions and policy changes throughout
the district, these important topics risk go-
ing unreported, also risking the possibility
that the sole information about said topics
is uneducated online gossip.
There is a need in every school for a
well-educated student press to set the
record straight and be able to do legitimate
reporting, have a reasoned opinion, and
promote a more informed community.
We have a crucial role in the marketplace
of ideas and censoring does nobody any
favors.
In light of this, the Omega has decided
that it is our obligation as journalists to
inform our readers when these acts of prior
review occur. As of this issue, all articles
process will be printed with an editors
note, noting this fact.
The Speech Rights of Student Journal-
ists Act isnt just something that we want,
it is something that we need. In order for
our rights to be secured and to do the best
reporting possible, censorship cannot be a
thing. As high school students negatively
affected by acts of prior review and censor-
ship, we know that our rights have been
compromised.
We need them back.
Editors note:
A student reporter wrote and re-
searched the story. The content of
the story was subject to prior review
by administrators.

Staff Editorial: Boys track puts academics first

Tuesday study prevent this.
A DGN athletic program has decided
to change this. Recently the boys track
our workouts, recovery time is im-
perative to let fatigued muscles recover
properly to limit the risk of injury. We
school, and during resource periods to
get the help they need, Buhot said.
If all athletic teams in added separate
sessions keep team has incorporated a new drill into
their practices.
had a recovery day each week where
practice was light and short. While
study tables during practices for those
close to ineligibility, less students would

athletes eligible Instead of circuits and stretches,

this new addition involves pencils and
making the training plan this year, it
occurred to me that this could be an op-
fall behind in school, and more would
perform well for their teams.

for participation
notebooks. portunity to get our athletes a chance to
Coaches have begun to take ath- both recover and use the time on school
letes on the verge of ineligibility, out work. For students who need extra help,
of practice in order to study and do it opens up time for them to see their
Athletics and academics go hand
homework. Taking these students out of teachers or go to strive, Buhot said.
in hand, so when one goes down, the
practice is in no way a punishment. Whether there are student athletes
other one goes too. The infamous ineli-
When an athletes opportunity who do not have time to get their
gibility form appears when a student
to excel in their sport is taken away, schoolwork done, or are having trouble
is no longer passing five of his or her
they should strive to do everything with the material, its important that
academic classes. Once this happens,
in their power to begin participating the teams at DGN help to reinforce the
one cannot participate in said sport or
again. Thats why this study session for idea that academics come first.
activity until the grade changes.
students is the perfect way to keep as If an athlete is not meeting these
Too many times, good talent goes
many grades up as possible. expectations they will sit out of meets,
to waste throughout the school year
Coach Eric Buhot, describes his rea- but they are still expected to practice.
as students become ineligible, and
soning behind accommodating the time If a student is slipping academically,
although this penalty is necessary,
for studying during practices. they have many opportunities includ-
not much has been done in the past to
Because of the nature of some of ing Tuesdays during study table, before

The Omega is a monthly publication ence. The Omega operates under the
Editorial Staff

any letters deemed inappropriate.

of Downers Grove North High School jurisdiction of the educational code, All letters, questions, or comments
which has a student population of which requires it to practice only should be sent to the Omega office, Editors-in-Chief A&E Editors Photography Editor
2,100 and 250 staff members. The objective, ethical, and responsible room 213, or emailed to dgnomega@ Katie Callaghan
Staff Box

Dominic Galli Madi Chudzik

mission of the Omega is to report journalism. The Omega is a member csd99.org. The Omega publishes cor- Abbe Murphy Lucas Naber
and promote school issues as well of many scholastic press associations rections monthly. The Omega Twitter
as explain their impact on the stu- including NSPA, CSPA, JEA, and the is student-run and monitored . It can News Editor
dent body with exceptional writing Quill and Scroll. The views expressed be found at @dgnomega. Graphic Editors
Julia Zita Opinion Editor
and visually appealing design. The in The Omega do not necessarily Katie Callaghan
newspaper is produced by journal- reflect those of the administration. Kileen Dietrich
Ryan Pustelnik
ism students and is designed to be Topics for staff editorials are chosen Wednesday, March 23 , 2016 Feature Editor
a learning experience. The Omega by staff consensus through an eq- Volume 46 Issue 6 Fletcher Peters
Sports Editors Faculty Advisors
prints 1600 copies and distributes uitable brainstorming session. The
Downers Grove North
during lunch periods. The writing is Omega encourages letters to the 4436 Main Street Downers Grove, IL, 60515 In-Depth Editors Wyatt Effrein Elizabeth Levin
based on a wide variety of research editor and freelance articles. The edi- Natalie White Eric Landschoot
(630) 795-8304 Katie Callaghan
for a broad and often critical audi- tors reserve the right to edit or omit Jasmine Abdallah