Inklings may 2016

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Crown Point High School @InklingsCPHS May 23. 2016 Vol. 80 Issue 8

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Read about the Best Buddies’ Friendship Walk on page 2

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FIRST foremost

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Student approval of American freedoms increases as First Amendment controversies take stage worldwide BY SAM BARLOGA editor-at-large

Over 200 years ago, the Bill of Rights was added to the United States Constitution. The document included 10 amendments that allow every American citizen a basic set of rights that cannot be repealed. Setting the groundwork for rights across the globe was the first of those 10 amendments. With rates on censorship rising across the globe and attacks on basic freedoms on the rise in the forms of terrorist attacks like the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris and the shooting in Copenhagen, Denmark, later that year, some are arguing that First Amendment rights matter more than ever. A new study by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation shows that high school students care more about the First Amendment than their adult peers. Some attributed this rise in support of the First Amendment to the fact that students did not live through the post-9/11 era, where the National Security Agency (NSA) rose to the forefront, and national security was often prioritized above personal freedoms. Jon Sotsky of the Knight Foundation confirms this in an interview he gave to The Guardian about the poll. “14 to 18-year-olds were still in diapers on 9/11. The big question is how they will respond

over the passage of time,” Sotsky said in his interview with the British publication. Excalibur Yearbook adviser Lisa Keene said it is not a shocker that students value the First Amendment more than adults. “I work with high school students, and I’ve worked with high school students for a long time now. So (them appreciating the First Amendment more than adults) doesn’t really surprise me,” Keene said. “Plus, I think that students are interested in their freedoms and their rights, and pushing the limits and figuring out what they need to do and what they can do. I think it makes sense that students are going to be some of the people that are watching and policing our First Amendment rights.” Indiana High School Press Association (IHSPA) Director Diana Hadley believes adults sometimes do not value their basic rights. “I think that sometimes adults begin to take their freedoms for granted. As high school students become adults and gain more independence overall, they embrace the fact that the First Amendment includes them and thus allows them to speak to their interests,” Hadley said. Some argue that the rise of presidential candidates such as Donald Trump has added to the tension surrounding First Amendment rights. Trump in particular has made statements that challenge

the First Amendment’s freedom of the press. As the billionaire businessman said, if elected he would “change the libel laws” to cut down on criticisms of the presidency by the media. Libel laws currently allow public citizens to sue if someone writes a false or malicious article about them. Trump is in favor of expanding these laws to block many forms of criticisms, essentially restricting the freedom of the press. Sophomore Maram Fares spent part of her life in Jordan. She stated that the experience helped her appreciate her First Amendment rights more so than she did before. Americans who do not see how life is in the Middle East can take their rights for granted. Hadley believes that the manipulation from certain politicians is hurting press freedoms in the United States and tricking people into believing they would work. “Politicians who want to change libel laws want to control the media. Citizens who don’t counter those attempts probably don’t realize how devastating it would be if we stopped supporting coverage that might not be favorable but true and important to understand and resolve issues,” Hadley said. see Amendment on page 3

Singing in spring Senior choir members take the stage a final time for concert page

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19%

of Americans know the First Amendment protects freedom of religion

10%

of Americans know the First Amendment protects freedom of assembly

2%

of Americans know the First Amendment protects freedom of petition facts provided by newseum.org

Feature

News

Knowing

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