Thread: Teen Reporter Threatened For Reporting the Truth.

It's getting worse for Trent. Read where the school is planning on punishment for him.

Then read to the bottom of the article and see what the Hispanic students are demanding out of the school system (celebrations of their holidays in the schools???)



Friday, June 10, 2005
Last modified Thursday, June 2, 2005 11:34 PM PDT


RYAN GARDNER/Gazette-Times
Corvallis High School students carried a Mexican flag through campus Thursday afternoon as part of their silent protest of a recent editorial column that ran in the school's newspaper, the High-O-Scope. Students described the school as less inclusive than the community as a whole.

Column sparks protest

By BECKY WALDROP
Gazette-Times reporter

Corvallis high Latino students object to editorial in High-O-Scope

About 50 Latino Corvallis High School students marched during a lunchtime demonstration wearing T-shirts promoting respect and cultural pride as they observed a day of silence in protest of an anti-immigration opinion column printed in the school newspaper.

The column, which was published in the May 19 edition of the monthly school-sanctioned High-0-Scope newspaper, included characterizations of Mexican people as "drug dealers" "happy little Hispanic agricultural workers" and described "the single greatest problem facing our country" as "open borders and the resultant unchecked human tide that surges from Mexico every day."

Principal Jay Conroy said the school newspaper is a forum for free speech, but that the "happy little Hispanic agricultural worker" wasn't protected by the First Amendment because it created what he called a significant disruption to the learning process.

"Our problem is in his generalization," Conroy said.

Conroy said those words weren't in the two drafts the student submitted to his two student editors and the High-O-Scope advisor, CHS teacher Melody Castle. Articles are to be reviewed and approved for appropriate format and content.

Failing to follow these guidelines is grounds for loss of credit for the assignment, detention, loss of position on the newspaper staff or being removed from class, Conroy said.
"I cannot go into the behavioral issues, if any, that surround the writing and publication of the article," he said.

Conroy said he didn't expect school policies regarding the school paper to change as a result of what happened.

"We see the newspaper as an excellent opportunity for learning," Conroy said. "We're committed to helping students learn about the rights and responsibilities of printing a newspaper."

The last issue of High-O-Scope will include an article by reporter Trent Demarest that explains his column and an apology for his comments and the generalizations in the first article, Conroy said.

Latino students at CHS say that's not enough. On Thursday before lunch, six student representatives met with a reporter and two Corvallis School Board members to talk about racism at Corvallis High. Students described the school as a less-inclusive than the community as a whole.

"I want people to get to know each other better," said sophomore Nancy Ayala through a translator. Ayala moved to Corvallis 11 months ago and is learning to speak English.

"Everybody deserves respect. Everybody has feelings. People are entitled to an opinion, but not to address each other with insults."

The students gave numerous examples of incidents they feel were racially motivated and targeted students based on race and ethnicity. About 10 percent of Corvallis High's 1,400 students are Latino. Many of them refer to themselves as Mexicanos.

Junior Joe Polanco said that he was involved in a fight that broke out at a lunchtime dodgeball game last fall between a team of all white students and a team of Latino students. Student behavioral issues regarding the fight were not disclosed by high school administration. The Latino students said they think the incident was covered up.

Polanco said he and other Latino students were assaulted at school and police should have been called. He said he was tackled and that he tried to walk away.

"I said, `Why are you doing this?' " Polanco recalled.

After the dodgeball incident in December, Conroy said he invited student leaders from the teams to his office for pizza to talk about how they could work things out and avoid future confrontation.

"The principal had lots of meetings talking to me. He thought that pizza was the solution. That's not enough. The cops should have been called," Polanco said.

Junior Mariela Vidrio said school administrators wanted proof that racism had occurred, which is why students decided to use the article as a catalyst for changes.

"We finally have proof," Vidrio said pointing to the High-O-Scope.

Senior David Vidales said when he read the editorial it felt as though the author was referring to his family as terrorists and drug dealers.

An apology won't change the school atmosphere, students said. They'd like teachers and school employees to have cultural sensitivity training. They want others to be more inclusive of their celebrations and traditions.

They'd like administrators to allocate money in the school budget for an ethnic studies class in addition to U.S. history and global studies. They want someone who speaks Spanish to help students and their families prepare for college and life after graduation.
They want respect and not to feel intimidated for just being at school.

Said junior Ramon Obledo: "I would like to feel safe."

Becky Waldrop covers public policy and education for the Gazette-Times. She can be reached at becky.waldrop@lee.net or 758-9510.


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Copyright © 2005 Corvallis Gazette-Times

Said junior Ramon Obledo: "I would like to feel safe."

Shouldent I have a right feel safe as well?

Originally Posted by ChrisF202

Said junior Ramon Obledo: "I would like to feel safe."

Shouldent I have a right feel safe as well?

American citizens are not allowed to have an opinion on the matter. We've had it too good for too long, and it's your turn to feel the fear and persecution that the oppressed in this country have to endure.

Brian503a said

American citizens are not allowed to have an opinion on the matter. We've had it too good for too long, and it's your turn to feel the fear and persecution that the oppressed in this country have to endure.

Hey, Brian...what gives with this statement? Am I not reading it correctly?

Please elaborate...

Originally Posted by Bobb

The worst part of this, IMO, is the 'teachers' who've demanded that he retract everything he's written.

Corvallis parents should publicly chastise them, and remind them who pays their salaries, and for what it's paid.

Real teachers would pull him aside for the 'little agricultural workers' comment, gently 'chew in private', and then encourage him to continue presenting the unvarnished truth, about every subject, in his high school newspaper.

And BTW, where was the adult supervision and leadership that should have reviewed his article, not for censorship, but to catch 'the poor choice of words' which inexperienced writers sometimes choose.

A young writer made a young writer's mistake. Those who could have prevented the problem didn't. And some adult 'teachers' are acting like children as a result.

To twist current phraseology--You go boy!

I sent an email. You make a very good point. This really speaks to the ineptness of the school district as a whole and the parents in the town. Sadly , it sounds like most of the people protesting the first day were white middle class kids. A bunch of little brain washed prepies.Correct me if I am wrong. Then they let these miscreants march with the mexican flag? This is the next generation? DAMN!!!

Originally Posted by Judy

Brian503a said

American citizens are not allowed to have an opinion on the matter. We've had it too good for too long, and it's your turn to feel the fear and persecution that the oppressed in this country have to endure.

Hey, Brian...what gives with this statement? Am I not reading it correctly?

Please elaborate...

Not if you're taking it literally. I'm just pointing out how the self centered pro illegal supporters only see their side of the issue, and have no consideration for anyone other than themselves. They expect United States citizens to simply rollover and ignore they are breaking our laws.

Teachers get their pay raise every year regardless of if the budget passes or not; so the excuse of "we pay your salary" is useless. Voting down the budget will only hurt the kids as the district admin will do everything possible to cater to the teachers/staffers and board of education members as well of admin staff. Meanwhile my school is falling down, the bathrooms are never cleaned, TVs attached to the ceilings are falling down and taking the ceiling tiles down with it, small chunks of staircases are falling off, the cafeteria is so dirty and dicusting its better to not go to lunch and cut and leave school property (and risk 5 days of in school suspension) or wait till after school (like me).

"American citizens are not allowed to have an opinion on the matter. We've had it too good for too long, and it's your turn to feel the fear and persecution that the oppressed in this country have to endure."


Brian, what about the wealthy sweatshop owners who are on your side. According to your views they do not have a right to advocate open borders.

Have you been telling the corporate lobby that is on your side that they need to shut up and leave it to those of you on the left to do the advocacy?


That is the thing that is most wrong with Brians statement. The ones that have had it the most "too good for to long" are precisely the greedy sweatshop owners that are on Brian's side.

And the ones that are suffering the most from open borders are precisely those low-income Americans, disproportionately minorities such as Latino Americans and African Americans, that have in no way "had it too good for too long."


It amazes me that the open borders advocates of the left take the side of corporate greed against low-income workers struggling to improve their standard of living.

And another point that shows that it is we immigration reformers are on the side of the working poor:

Cesar Chavez was on our side.


I can understand why the left is so angry about the immigration issue. They are working hand in hand with the most corrupt and greedy members of the corporate world, and they are spitting on the memory of great civil rights leaders like Cesar Chavez and Frederic Douglass.

I forgot the punchline?

Why is the left so angry about immigration reformers?

Because the open borders leftists are filled with self-hatred.