Thread: District may ban student-run event

District may ban student-run event
By Tanya Sierra
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

November 19, 2006

NATIONAL CITY – Sweetwater school district officials are considering prohibiting students from hosting live political debates after two National City men disrupted a mayoral debate at Granger Junior High School in October.

Martin Ortega, a parent of a Granger student, was one of the men who yelled when the students who organized the debate allowed each of the mayoral candidates to ask each other a question. He said he was also angry the student newspaper used the term “illegal alien” instead of “illegal immigrant.”

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The other man was not as loud and stopped yelling after Ortega began speaking.

After Ortega was escorted out, the debate resumed.

District administrators discussed the incident at a superintendent's cabinet meeting on Oct. 31, according to minutes of the meeting.

“Students were exposed to negative behavior and disrespected by adults at the debate,” the minutes read. “Cabinet concurred that students should not be subjected to this type of behavior. Need to create or revise policy.”

Karen Janney, an area superintendent for the Sweetwater Union High School District, said last week that nobody from the superintendent's executive staff attended the debate at Granger nor did they contact school staff members to ask about the disruption.

“(The Superintendent) heard that this possibly might have happened,” Janney said. “If it did happen, do we really want students to be facilitating debates of adults?”

Shakeyla Mitchell, a 14-year-old freshman at the school who moderated the debate, said that although Ortega was rude, it should not affect future debates.

“Nobody would have guessed that would have happened,” she said. “Nobody knew that he was going to start ranting and raving. Instead of the district saying we can't do it anymore, they should say we can do more. I think because of this people went out and voted.”

This is the third political event Granger students have hosted in National City. In May, students hosted a debate on the city's sales tax initiative featuring Richard Rider, chairman of the board of the San Diego Tax Fighters. Rider debated city officials and residents regarding the proposed tax increase, which passed in June.

In April, students took on the immigration issue, which was erupting nationwide. Students participated in an assembly, then marched to a nearby park.

At last month's mayoral debate, students came up with questions about city issues and kept the candidates to time limits. About 500 people attended.

Granger Principal Susan Mitchell, who hopes the debates aren't in jeopardy, said nobody from the district office has contacted her about the issue.

“The mayoral debate was very important,” Mitchell said.

“The students themselves put these debates on via their social science class. Yes, sometimes there are some community members who don't understand democracy,” she said. “Sometimes it may be negative but that's democracy at work.”

Mercedes Richardson, director of student services at the district, said a committee of social science teachers will evaluate debates and form guidelines. District officials haven't told Granger administrators they are discussing the issue, Mitchell said.

“Every school should be hosting community events to get the students involved in civics,” Granger history and journalism teacher Craig Kelso said. “They're trying to put a chill on anyone who wants to do this in the future.”

Tanya Sierra: (619) 498-6631; tanya.sierra@uniontrib.com

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metr ... anger.html

Really now..........

Mercedes Richardson, director of student services at the district, said a committee of social science teachers will evaluate debates and form guidelines. District officials haven't told Granger administrators they are discussing the issue, Mitchell said.

and WHAT guidlines would that be? Something such as "THE TERM ILLEGAL ALIEN is offensive and not acceptable behavior?"
Hmmmmm?

What will you attempt to force these kids to do or NOT to do? Give up their right to free speech in order NOT to get ILLEGAL ALIENS upset?

BTW, isn't "Mercedes" an hispanic name? Wonder if you prefer your "hispanic heritage" over our DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC????
We shall see, Mercedes. We shall see if race wins out over free speech and the American civics education of our children.

.

National City! Remember the mayor not long ago declared it a 'sanctuary city?'

Alien may be offensive to some but the word is correct.

Definition of 'alien' from The Scribner-Bantam English Dictionary

al-ien - adj 1. foreign; 2. strange; 3. living in a country not one's own without rights of citizenship; 4. belonging or pert. to non-citizens; 5. different; hostile n. 6. foreigner; 7. person living in a country other than his own without rights of citizenship; 8. stranger; one estranged.

Granted, I copied this from an old dictionary. Bet newer ones may be more pc.