This week in the New York Times there was a lot of information about the increasing violence in Mexico and right across the border in the United States due to the activity of drug cartels. There were also a lot of other interesting stories that really caught my eye and that I could really relate to.
Monday- Today I read mostly about the violence of Mexican druc cartels. I had read about this a few weeks back (mainly about how there was more crime in areas right across the border in places such as Arizona), and I was very interested to learn more about it. As a student studying Spanish, I am very concerned with the levels of violence in Mexico, as I have learned a lot about the country and would love to visit there. I had even considered studying abroad there, and articles such as the one on today's front page definitely make me want to go to Spain instead. This article highlighted the increase in home invasions and kidnappings and murders going on not only in Mexico, but also in the United States due to the drug cartels. It also discussed and had a map about the different cartels that control Mexico's drugs. The map depicted where each cartel has control and also gave information on which cartels are fighting with each other and which are allies. Reading all about this made me realize just how much control these drug cartels have in Mexico, not only in the world of drugs and crime, but also simply in general. Through violence and fear, they seem to have the upperhand on even the Mexican federal government, which clearly cannot control them. This really worries me, and the fact that their violence is so rapidly spreading to the U.S. really makes me hope that President Obama does something about this very, very soon.
Tuesday- Today I read a story that really interested me and that I also thought could be turned into a local issue story around the UNH campus. This story was on the front page and discussed a 19-year-old girl who when she was 13 was strip-searched at school because it was suspected that she had prescription-stength Ibuprofen on her person. The school claimed that its zero-tolerance policy on drugs gave them the right to do this to the girl, since they had reason to believe she had drugs, however, the girl (who says she was emotionallt traumatized by the experience and had to change schools) is now sueing the school in a case that has gone all the way to the Supreme Court. This could be turned into an issue story on the UNH campus because it is something that is relevent and relatable for all students. The main question is, what are a student's rights when it comes to searches? There have been many cases surrounding this question in the past, and schools have often won, saying that they can randomly search students bags or lockers, etc. But I personally believe this school went way too far by strip-searching this child. I also think it would be really interesting to know what UNH administrators believe are their rights as regards to searching students and then to also see what the students believe their own rights to be. I think they would most likely differ.
Wednesday- Today I read a story about YouTube being blocked in China. This story really made me realize just how lucky we are in America and how many rights we really do have. The article explained that the block occurred soon after a video was posted on the site that showed Chinese police officers brutally beating Tibetan protestors, an event that caused on protestor to die. According to the article, the Chinese government routinely filters Internet content and blocks material that is critical of its policies, so I guess that is why this video was blocked. This really amazed me- that a government would really control what its people was allowed to view on the Internet. I knew that China was nothing like the United States, and that its government was always very concerned that its people only heard and say good things about it, and only spoke well of it, however, this story made me realize just how extreme it is. I think that I quite often forget that not every country is like the United States. We have so many rights and, despite its flaws, a government that really is working for us, and not trying to control us. This article helped me to remember that.
Thursday- Today I read a story about an art investor who basically turned his gallery into a Ponzi scheme, and it really made me wonder who can be trusted in this economy. It seems like more and more we are hearing about people scheming others and coming away with thousands and millions of dollars. This particular man swindled money from investors in his art and gallery, and was arrested in his home this morning. He was charged with 100 counts including grand larceny, falsifying business documents, fraud, forgery, and perjury. This sounds almost like the Madoff of art dealers. While I was reading this article I just couldn't help but think how sad it is that in this terrible economy, people are willing to steal from others, others who need money just as much, if not more, than them.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
A Sign of the "Times"
This week in the NY Times there was a lot of very interesting stories- a lot, of course, about the economy, but also a lot that really caught my eye by being out of the ordinary.
Monday: Today the story that really caught my eye was on the front page and it was about an assault against British soldiers and two pizzamen by suspected Irish Republican Army dissidents. This really got my attention because I feel like people are always so focused on the violence taking place in the Middle East that they forget that violence occurs elsewhere, too. I know I sometimes forget about the terrible violence that occurred between the Catholics and the Protestants in Ireland, and the Irish fighting against British rule in their country, and often think of the country as a happy and peaceful place. And while there has been a lot more peace in the past several years, this attack is a reminder that peace is never perfect. I think it is important for people to not only focus on problems that occur in some places in the world, such as the Middle East, but also remember that there are other places in the world that need help and attention. And I really hope the violence does not escalate any further.
Tuesday: Today I read a very interesting story that links having an older father with having a lower IQ. This article said that when children were tested at 8 months old, 4 years old, and 7 years old, the children of older fathers scored lower on IQ tests and other cognitive tests, highlighting some of the risks of postponing fatherhood. In contrast, children with older mothers scored higher on such tests. Researchers say that while the differences between the children of older fathers and younger fathers were slight, they were common. This really surprised me, since I never would have really thought that the age of a parents could affect the intelligence level of their child. I always thought older parents might have a harder time conceiving a child, but I definitely never would have thought it would make a difference like this. According to the article, the decrease in IQ scores could be due to a steady mutation of men's sperm over the years. Still, I would have guessed, if anything, that having a young father might lower a child's IQ score, if only because younger parents may not be as mature and responsible about educating their child early on. It seems, however, that nature might win out over nurture in this case.
Wednesday: Today I read a front-page story about a debate in Europe over the castration of sex offenders. Apparently, sex offenders in the Chezch Republic have been surgically castrated, removing some of the tissue that produces testosterone, which has helped stop their sexual urges that have caused them to commit crimes. The debate involves whether this punishment is too cruel, some people believing it should not even be offered to prisoners as an option for them. While I believe that no sex offender should be forced to be surgically castrasted, although this would make children and other possible victims safer, I do believe that the option should be available. One sex offender was extremely glad he had the procedure done, and I think that other sex offenders would make the decision to do the same on their own, especially if it would help them to go back into society sooner. Still, I definitely think this should be the choice of the prisoner and nothing that could be a forced punishment.
Thursday: Today I read about the FBI raid of the office of Vivek Kundra, the 34-year-old named by Obama last week to oversee the government's computer systems. While the article said that Kundra was not the target of the raids, a few other employees of the office were arrested and an investigation is in the works involving bribery, fraud, money-laundering, and conflict-of-interest violations. It seems to me that Obama has had a lot of problems with his nominees for various positions and I wonder if this last appointed official will be next. While it does not seem like Kundra is not part of the corruption, I hope that the FBI and the White House do a full investigation in order to be completely sure. Having another corrupt politician in Washington is not something our country needs.
Monday: Today the story that really caught my eye was on the front page and it was about an assault against British soldiers and two pizzamen by suspected Irish Republican Army dissidents. This really got my attention because I feel like people are always so focused on the violence taking place in the Middle East that they forget that violence occurs elsewhere, too. I know I sometimes forget about the terrible violence that occurred between the Catholics and the Protestants in Ireland, and the Irish fighting against British rule in their country, and often think of the country as a happy and peaceful place. And while there has been a lot more peace in the past several years, this attack is a reminder that peace is never perfect. I think it is important for people to not only focus on problems that occur in some places in the world, such as the Middle East, but also remember that there are other places in the world that need help and attention. And I really hope the violence does not escalate any further.
Tuesday: Today I read a very interesting story that links having an older father with having a lower IQ. This article said that when children were tested at 8 months old, 4 years old, and 7 years old, the children of older fathers scored lower on IQ tests and other cognitive tests, highlighting some of the risks of postponing fatherhood. In contrast, children with older mothers scored higher on such tests. Researchers say that while the differences between the children of older fathers and younger fathers were slight, they were common. This really surprised me, since I never would have really thought that the age of a parents could affect the intelligence level of their child. I always thought older parents might have a harder time conceiving a child, but I definitely never would have thought it would make a difference like this. According to the article, the decrease in IQ scores could be due to a steady mutation of men's sperm over the years. Still, I would have guessed, if anything, that having a young father might lower a child's IQ score, if only because younger parents may not be as mature and responsible about educating their child early on. It seems, however, that nature might win out over nurture in this case.
Wednesday: Today I read a front-page story about a debate in Europe over the castration of sex offenders. Apparently, sex offenders in the Chezch Republic have been surgically castrated, removing some of the tissue that produces testosterone, which has helped stop their sexual urges that have caused them to commit crimes. The debate involves whether this punishment is too cruel, some people believing it should not even be offered to prisoners as an option for them. While I believe that no sex offender should be forced to be surgically castrasted, although this would make children and other possible victims safer, I do believe that the option should be available. One sex offender was extremely glad he had the procedure done, and I think that other sex offenders would make the decision to do the same on their own, especially if it would help them to go back into society sooner. Still, I definitely think this should be the choice of the prisoner and nothing that could be a forced punishment.
Thursday: Today I read about the FBI raid of the office of Vivek Kundra, the 34-year-old named by Obama last week to oversee the government's computer systems. While the article said that Kundra was not the target of the raids, a few other employees of the office were arrested and an investigation is in the works involving bribery, fraud, money-laundering, and conflict-of-interest violations. It seems to me that Obama has had a lot of problems with his nominees for various positions and I wonder if this last appointed official will be next. While it does not seem like Kundra is not part of the corruption, I hope that the FBI and the White House do a full investigation in order to be completely sure. Having another corrupt politician in Washington is not something our country needs.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Big Cat Causes Big Trouble
A 146-lb. Romanian spotted leopard named Fluffy was discovered missing from the Durham Zoo when it opened at 7:30 a.m. today. The animal was last seen at 9 p.m. on Tuesday when the zoo closed.
“We have no idea what time Fluffy escaped or where she went,” said Gerry Durrell, the director of the zoo. “We are searching the grounds of the zoo but so far we haven’t a clue. She may have left the area and she could be walking around Durham at this point.”
While confusion was high at the zoo grounds this morning, police and witnesses helped to piece the story together.
According to Newmarket resident James Petronkis, 36, he noticed something was wrong with Fluffy’s cage when he arrived at the zoo at 7:3O a.m.
“Fluffy usually draws the straw up into a nest when she sleeps, but there was no nest- there wasn’t even any straw,” Petronkis said.
Petronkis told a guard he believed something was wrong with Fluffy but the guard ignored his concern. Feeling sure that something was wrong, he pulled a fire alarm and talked to another guard, Petronkis said.
Zoo officials finally checked the animal’s cage and found that Fluffy was indeed missing.
“All hell broke loose,” said Petronkis, who hid behind a building to watch while other visitors were being forced out of the zoo. “Police cars come from every direction...Cops with guns drawn were everywhere. People were screaming. It sounded like a thousand cars squealing their tires. It was mayhem.”
While police and zoo workers searched the zoo grounds for Fluffy, armed with guns, the zoo’s chief biologist, Kitty Smith, warned the public that Fluffy could be dangerous.
“If these cats are cornered—encountered on a dark night—their defense is to kill, and to kill quickly,” Smith said. “We urge anyone who encounters Fluffy to get to the ground and lay still.”
Police Chief William Blair also spoke at the press conference, and said that because the zoo is near a residential neighborhood and elementary school, the police are determined to find the animal before 3 p.m. when school lets out.
“We have asked the New Hampshire State Police and the state wildlife department to help in the search,” Blair said. “We’re going to find this cat if it kills us.”
Softer Lead:
The Durham Zoo opened this morning with one very important resident missing- Fluffy, a rare Romanian spotted leopard.
The visitors that usually fill the zoo were soon replaced with police armed with tranquilizer guns and high-powered rifles as the search began for this 146-lb. cat.
“I knew something was wrong right away,” said Newmarket resident James Petronkis, who said he arrived at the zoo when it opened as he always does to see Fluffy. “Fluffy usually draws the straw up into a nest when she sleeps. But there was no nest- there wasn’t even any straw.”
After ignoring Petronkis’ first warnings that Fluffy was missing, zoo officials checked the animal’s cage and realized Fluffy was gone.
“All hell broke loose,” said Petronkis. “Police cars came from every direction…cops with guns drawn were everywhere. People were screaming…it was mayhem.”
Police Chief William Blair outlined the search plan to find Fluffy at a press conference held at the zoo at 9 a.m., saying that if the animal was not found at the zoo, police would begin to search the surrounding residential neighborhoods.
This search plan, however, was not needed. After canvassing the zoo grounds, the leopard was finally found- asleep under a pile of hay in its cage.
“We have no idea what time Fluffy escaped or where she went,” said Gerry Durrell, the director of the zoo. “We are searching the grounds of the zoo but so far we haven’t a clue. She may have left the area and she could be walking around Durham at this point.”
While confusion was high at the zoo grounds this morning, police and witnesses helped to piece the story together.
According to Newmarket resident James Petronkis, 36, he noticed something was wrong with Fluffy’s cage when he arrived at the zoo at 7:3O a.m.
“Fluffy usually draws the straw up into a nest when she sleeps, but there was no nest- there wasn’t even any straw,” Petronkis said.
Petronkis told a guard he believed something was wrong with Fluffy but the guard ignored his concern. Feeling sure that something was wrong, he pulled a fire alarm and talked to another guard, Petronkis said.
Zoo officials finally checked the animal’s cage and found that Fluffy was indeed missing.
“All hell broke loose,” said Petronkis, who hid behind a building to watch while other visitors were being forced out of the zoo. “Police cars come from every direction...Cops with guns drawn were everywhere. People were screaming. It sounded like a thousand cars squealing their tires. It was mayhem.”
While police and zoo workers searched the zoo grounds for Fluffy, armed with guns, the zoo’s chief biologist, Kitty Smith, warned the public that Fluffy could be dangerous.
“If these cats are cornered—encountered on a dark night—their defense is to kill, and to kill quickly,” Smith said. “We urge anyone who encounters Fluffy to get to the ground and lay still.”
Police Chief William Blair also spoke at the press conference, and said that because the zoo is near a residential neighborhood and elementary school, the police are determined to find the animal before 3 p.m. when school lets out.
“We have asked the New Hampshire State Police and the state wildlife department to help in the search,” Blair said. “We’re going to find this cat if it kills us.”
Softer Lead:
The Durham Zoo opened this morning with one very important resident missing- Fluffy, a rare Romanian spotted leopard.
The visitors that usually fill the zoo were soon replaced with police armed with tranquilizer guns and high-powered rifles as the search began for this 146-lb. cat.
“I knew something was wrong right away,” said Newmarket resident James Petronkis, who said he arrived at the zoo when it opened as he always does to see Fluffy. “Fluffy usually draws the straw up into a nest when she sleeps. But there was no nest- there wasn’t even any straw.”
After ignoring Petronkis’ first warnings that Fluffy was missing, zoo officials checked the animal’s cage and realized Fluffy was gone.
“All hell broke loose,” said Petronkis. “Police cars came from every direction…cops with guns drawn were everywhere. People were screaming…it was mayhem.”
Police Chief William Blair outlined the search plan to find Fluffy at a press conference held at the zoo at 9 a.m., saying that if the animal was not found at the zoo, police would begin to search the surrounding residential neighborhoods.
This search plan, however, was not needed. After canvassing the zoo grounds, the leopard was finally found- asleep under a pile of hay in its cage.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
A Sign of the "Times"
This week in the New York Times, there were lots of really interesting stories, it was hard to just pick a few to write about! But I guess I will give it a go.
Monday- Today I read a really interesting story about the conterfeiting crackdown in China, specifically in Beijing's Silk Street Market where many vendors sell knock-offs of designers purses. This crackdown, involving five major design companies, Prada, Burberry, Gucci, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton, suing the Silk Street Market, has caused much unrest and many protests from the vendors. The vendors' lawyer claims that the vendors are "too ignorant" to realize what they are selling. To me, that sounds like a poor excuse. The vendors are looking to receive compensation for the money that they have lost with this recent crackdown, and I find this a little ridiculous. China is a place where so many goods are counterfeited and pirated, and while it is unfortunate if that is the only way these vendors can make money, what they are doing is illegal, and I don't see how they deserve any compensation. If anything, the companies whose goods are being copied and sold for very little money deserve compensation.
While this article interested me just because of all the controversey and the two distinct sides to this issue, I also found in interesting that China is actually doing something about stopping pirated goods from being sold. I feel as though here in the U.S. people are constantly stealing music and movies offline and yet almost nothing is done about it. Yes, some people have been find thousands of dollars for getting pirated music offline, however, out of the many, many people I know, pretty much all of them have stolen music. And I do not know one person who has ever been fined or even warned of a fine. Perhaps the United States should also try to crack down on vendors who sell pirated goods, or find a more efficient way to keep people from getting pirated goods online.
Tuesday- Today my eye was immediately caught by the story involving the secret letter that Obama sent to Russia's president. The letter supposedly said that if Russia helped to stop Iran from developing long-range, nuclear missles, that the United States would not deploy a new missile defense system in Eastern Europe, which Russia did not want built. While I realize that stopping Iran from making nuclear and long-ramge missiles is very important, I fear that not deploying the missile defense system is just as dangerous as Iran with weapons. Also, it is obvious in the article that Russia did not want the missile defense system built, or, if it was to be built, wanted it on their turf so that they could ultimately help to control it. This makes me wonder what Russia is so worried about. And while we are on better terms with Russia than we are with Iran, seeing the conflict between Russia and Jordan last year, it makes me wonder if we should be so willing to make deals with them.
The defense of our country is just so very important in this day-in-age, and while I am sure this deal was meant to help protect our country from Iran, I wonder if this is the best way to go about it. If the United States, one of the most influential countries in the world, has not been able to keep Iran from making weapons, who is to say that Russia will be able to?
Wednesday- Today I read about a very interesting new frontier of the debt collecting business- collecting from the dead. The article discusses how a new group of employees at debt collecting companies are trained to be empathetic listeners, and then go out and start collecting from either the estates of those who have died and still owe payments on credit cards or utilities, or from the relatives of these dead people. This is apparently the area of debt collecting that is the most succesful, in fact. Because relatives often feel compelling to grant the last wishes of a loved one or want to honor their memory, they are often more willing to pay the debts of their passed on realatives than living people are willing to pay their own debts.
While it is important that at least one area of the debt collecting business is healthy and strong, I was a little disappointed to read that debt collectors do not make it totally clear to relatives that they are not required by law to pay their loved one's debts. While they will tell them they are not legally bound to pay if someone asks, a lawyer whose firm handles deceased debt collection said that if a relative does not ask, they won't tell. This does not really seem fair to me, and I hope that more people realize they are not legally bound to paying the debts after reading this article.
Thursday- Today I read an article that went more in depth about the salmonella outbreak and the third-party audits that occur at major food production plants across the country. The article mainly focused on one auditor, Eugene Hatfield, who last year inspected the Peanut Corporation of America, the plant that was the original source of the salmonella outbreak that sickened thousands of Americans. I was shocked to read about the details of this inspection. For one, the plant knew in advance that Hatfield was coming and so had time to clean the plant, making it better than usual actual conditions. Also, even though Hatfield was going to the plant on the request of Kellogg, who uses the plant's peanuts, he was paid by the plant itself, which in my eyes would make him more likely to favor the plant. Also, he did not even test any of the food products for food-borne pathogens, which seems to me should be a very important aspect of the inspection. This lack of testing is apparently common procedure for testing by third-party auditors, which doesn't really seem to make sense.
Monday- Today I read a really interesting story about the conterfeiting crackdown in China, specifically in Beijing's Silk Street Market where many vendors sell knock-offs of designers purses. This crackdown, involving five major design companies, Prada, Burberry, Gucci, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton, suing the Silk Street Market, has caused much unrest and many protests from the vendors. The vendors' lawyer claims that the vendors are "too ignorant" to realize what they are selling. To me, that sounds like a poor excuse. The vendors are looking to receive compensation for the money that they have lost with this recent crackdown, and I find this a little ridiculous. China is a place where so many goods are counterfeited and pirated, and while it is unfortunate if that is the only way these vendors can make money, what they are doing is illegal, and I don't see how they deserve any compensation. If anything, the companies whose goods are being copied and sold for very little money deserve compensation.
While this article interested me just because of all the controversey and the two distinct sides to this issue, I also found in interesting that China is actually doing something about stopping pirated goods from being sold. I feel as though here in the U.S. people are constantly stealing music and movies offline and yet almost nothing is done about it. Yes, some people have been find thousands of dollars for getting pirated music offline, however, out of the many, many people I know, pretty much all of them have stolen music. And I do not know one person who has ever been fined or even warned of a fine. Perhaps the United States should also try to crack down on vendors who sell pirated goods, or find a more efficient way to keep people from getting pirated goods online.
Tuesday- Today my eye was immediately caught by the story involving the secret letter that Obama sent to Russia's president. The letter supposedly said that if Russia helped to stop Iran from developing long-range, nuclear missles, that the United States would not deploy a new missile defense system in Eastern Europe, which Russia did not want built. While I realize that stopping Iran from making nuclear and long-ramge missiles is very important, I fear that not deploying the missile defense system is just as dangerous as Iran with weapons. Also, it is obvious in the article that Russia did not want the missile defense system built, or, if it was to be built, wanted it on their turf so that they could ultimately help to control it. This makes me wonder what Russia is so worried about. And while we are on better terms with Russia than we are with Iran, seeing the conflict between Russia and Jordan last year, it makes me wonder if we should be so willing to make deals with them.
The defense of our country is just so very important in this day-in-age, and while I am sure this deal was meant to help protect our country from Iran, I wonder if this is the best way to go about it. If the United States, one of the most influential countries in the world, has not been able to keep Iran from making weapons, who is to say that Russia will be able to?
Wednesday- Today I read about a very interesting new frontier of the debt collecting business- collecting from the dead. The article discusses how a new group of employees at debt collecting companies are trained to be empathetic listeners, and then go out and start collecting from either the estates of those who have died and still owe payments on credit cards or utilities, or from the relatives of these dead people. This is apparently the area of debt collecting that is the most succesful, in fact. Because relatives often feel compelling to grant the last wishes of a loved one or want to honor their memory, they are often more willing to pay the debts of their passed on realatives than living people are willing to pay their own debts.
While it is important that at least one area of the debt collecting business is healthy and strong, I was a little disappointed to read that debt collectors do not make it totally clear to relatives that they are not required by law to pay their loved one's debts. While they will tell them they are not legally bound to pay if someone asks, a lawyer whose firm handles deceased debt collection said that if a relative does not ask, they won't tell. This does not really seem fair to me, and I hope that more people realize they are not legally bound to paying the debts after reading this article.
Thursday- Today I read an article that went more in depth about the salmonella outbreak and the third-party audits that occur at major food production plants across the country. The article mainly focused on one auditor, Eugene Hatfield, who last year inspected the Peanut Corporation of America, the plant that was the original source of the salmonella outbreak that sickened thousands of Americans. I was shocked to read about the details of this inspection. For one, the plant knew in advance that Hatfield was coming and so had time to clean the plant, making it better than usual actual conditions. Also, even though Hatfield was going to the plant on the request of Kellogg, who uses the plant's peanuts, he was paid by the plant itself, which in my eyes would make him more likely to favor the plant. Also, he did not even test any of the food products for food-borne pathogens, which seems to me should be a very important aspect of the inspection. This lack of testing is apparently common procedure for testing by third-party auditors, which doesn't really seem to make sense.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Detention May Soon Replace Saturday Morning Cartoons
Students at Portsmouth High School may soon have a new reason to behave- special Saturday morning sessions for students with disciplinary problems.
At a meeting of the Portsmouth School Board Monday night, School Board member Tim Steele made a motion to approve this new policy that would replace in-house suspensions with Saturday sessions on several weekends during the year.
Steele said that the new policy is being proposed in order to decrease the number of in-house suspensions, which require that students spend a school day in an empty classroom and miss class time. The new policy would no longer require that students with disciplinary problems miss any class time.
Still, many parents and high school students are not pleased with the proposed plan, saying that it is inconvenient for the students and their families.
“I’ve never served a detention and I don’t intend to,” said Lisa Gallagher, a senior at Portsmouth High School. “I think it’s just being done to make life easier for the faculty, so they don’t have to deal with detentions during the week. “
Peggy Bacon, a parent of a Portsmouth High School student, also spoke out against the new policy Monday night.
“I work six days a week- including Saturday morning,” said parent Peggy bacon during a discussion of the proposal. “It’s bad enough to get my son off to school Monday through Friday…I just don’t think it’s going to make any difference, and the parents are going to pay for it-in higher taxes as well as in ruined Saturdays.”
Steele responded to these doubts, saying that the Saturday morning sessions will make students think twice before breaking school rules.
Portsmouth resident Bob Farley agreed with Steele and the new policy, saying that he liked the idea of the new rule.
“Parents can whine all they want about this, but maybe it’s time parents in America were made to take a little responsibility for their kids,” Farley said. “Maybe if [students] have to miss a few Saturday morning cartoons they’ll start wising up.”
After discussing the policy and hearing from the public, the School Board requested that Steele return to the next meeting on March 7 with figures on in-school suspensions so far this year. The proposal will be kept on the table until that meeting after a 5-3 vote.
The agendas of all School Board meetings are available on the City of Portsmouth website: www.cityofportsmouth.com
At a meeting of the Portsmouth School Board Monday night, School Board member Tim Steele made a motion to approve this new policy that would replace in-house suspensions with Saturday sessions on several weekends during the year.
Steele said that the new policy is being proposed in order to decrease the number of in-house suspensions, which require that students spend a school day in an empty classroom and miss class time. The new policy would no longer require that students with disciplinary problems miss any class time.
Still, many parents and high school students are not pleased with the proposed plan, saying that it is inconvenient for the students and their families.
“I’ve never served a detention and I don’t intend to,” said Lisa Gallagher, a senior at Portsmouth High School. “I think it’s just being done to make life easier for the faculty, so they don’t have to deal with detentions during the week. “
Peggy Bacon, a parent of a Portsmouth High School student, also spoke out against the new policy Monday night.
“I work six days a week- including Saturday morning,” said parent Peggy bacon during a discussion of the proposal. “It’s bad enough to get my son off to school Monday through Friday…I just don’t think it’s going to make any difference, and the parents are going to pay for it-in higher taxes as well as in ruined Saturdays.”
Steele responded to these doubts, saying that the Saturday morning sessions will make students think twice before breaking school rules.
Portsmouth resident Bob Farley agreed with Steele and the new policy, saying that he liked the idea of the new rule.
“Parents can whine all they want about this, but maybe it’s time parents in America were made to take a little responsibility for their kids,” Farley said. “Maybe if [students] have to miss a few Saturday morning cartoons they’ll start wising up.”
After discussing the policy and hearing from the public, the School Board requested that Steele return to the next meeting on March 7 with figures on in-school suspensions so far this year. The proposal will be kept on the table until that meeting after a 5-3 vote.
The agendas of all School Board meetings are available on the City of Portsmouth website: www.cityofportsmouth.com
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