The Beacon: Four points to ponder

Point One: Yes, Esra Ozturk, there is a generation gap: it is the knowledge and experiences that separate the adult from the child. Sadly, the adult appears to be absent from district public schools. You and the rest of the student body are actually missing essential learning due to the absence of adults as teachers. For that, I apologize. I should have done a better job vetting administrators during my time on the board. You will better understand this when you begin to raise a family of your own.


Point Two: Julie Feasel proves that some people are not up to the task of being a board member. If she were fit to serve, she would have known about court decisions that define First Amendment Rights relative to student publications; decisions that leave the final judgment of appropriateness to the board of education. Had Feasel done a little research, she would have learned that reviewing the content of the student newspaper for appropriateness is not an issue of constitutional censorship; it's simply a function of her job as a board member. If Feasel feels that the articles are appropriate, have the newspaper posted on the district website for the community to read. Other districts publish their student newspapers on the web, why not do the same here. Let the community read that which does not bother her.


Point Three: Mardy Hanlon-Stolte shows that she alone defines the line of subject matter appropriateness. Those who claim the content of the student newspaper cannot be censored have never talked to Hanlon-Stolte. One can only wonder what level the Hanlon-Stolte's of the Olentangy staff feel is appropriate for someone else's children. She certainly failed in her self-described mission of teaching students how to make “decisions on journalistic content.” It appears the decisions were non-decisions; everything is fair game for the students to publish.


Point Four: Superintendent Davis is sorry “the articles came across as being in poor taste” to some in the community. That comment certainly implies Davis believes the articles are appropriate, but those, such as this writer, took them the wrong way. So, Davis, where is your line? You have certainly come a long way from the booklist incident of last summer. And you've taken quite a turn from the mission of facilitating learning. Unless, of course, this is the type of learning you intend to facilitate in the future.


Summary: There are your tax dollars at work. And, there is the professional stance of the Olentangy School District. A public good? Hardly.