ALL THE NEWS THAT’S FIT TO TATTLE June 2015 • Estd. 1892 • Vol. 123 #5 • Published Monthly • www.ihstattler.com Ithaca High School, 1401 N. Cayuga St, Ithaca, NY 14850 • FREE
Students Lose Internet on Personal Devices, Temporarily
ICSD to Eliminate Digital Media Position; Community Responds By NICHOLAS BOGEL-BURROUGHS
By JAMES LOVETTE, Staff Writer
In mid-April, without any warning, the school Wi-Fi became inaccessible on students’ phones and laptops at IHS and LACS, which students quickly noticed. This had happened a couple times previously during the year, and initially, this instance was dismissed as a recurring problem with the crowded school Wi-Fi. However, as days passed without accessibility, it became clear that the Wi-Fi might be permanently locked for students. The lack of Wi-Fi caused discontent within the student body, but despite our generation’s dependency on connection to the Internet, there was little outcry against the new policy itself. Instead, complaints have been directed towards the lack of communication from the administration to the students. The real cause of the change to Wi-Fi has been hotly debated in the hallways and in classes. Explanations range from Continued on Page 4.
Mr.Cass provides one-on-one support to a student.
Steve Cass left Oswego High School in 2012 to work as the Audio and Visual Media Engineer at IHS. “He inspired me to pursue a career in television,” says Jonah Restuccio, a former student of Cass in Oswego. “After he left, everything just seemed to stop.” Now, IHS students may have to deal with the same loss if the Board of Education follows through with its plan to terminate the AV Media Engineer position. “I have to look other places,” says Cass, who majored in technology education and received his master’s degree in vocational teacher preparation from SUNY Oswego. “I love what I do, I love working with stu-
dents, and I’d love to stay, but it’s hard to take a $28,000 pay cut.” In the fall of 2013, Cass became a full-time television production teacher at IHS. He was also able to continue as the part-time AV Media Engineer, a position the board now plans to eliminate. For the past two years, Cass has held both jobs, enabling him to arrange college credit for the course, collaborate with community organizations, and work with students outside of school hours. In recent years, ICSD’s costs have consistently outpaced revenue, leading the district to make cuts. In the last two school years Continued on Page 4.