Current
Granite Bay Gazette wFriday , February 7, 2020
NAMES IN THE NEWS
Page 3
Religious discussions present problems
sophie criscione scriscione.gazette@gmail.com
The representative for Girls’ State and the alternates have been announced
N
ext week is rivalry week, in celebration of multiple GB vs DO games across soccer, basketball, and wrestling. Be sure to dress up for the spirit days and go to the Rivalry Rally on Friday, February 14. Remember to also go out and support the varsity basketball teams at Del Oro that Friday night, with the girls game starting at 5:30 and boys at 7. *** Powderpuff season is approaching, and this one’s for all the junior and senior guys. You know you want to be a cheerleader and show off your true spirit, so sign up as soon as possible in the student government room. You won’t regret it! Remember that only girls who attended the mandatory player meeting are eligible to play. *** The annual GBHS talent show is on Friday, February 27. Go and see some of our talented classmates perform, including Tasia Thorsteinson, Jack Dugoni, Rathip Rajakumar and Jeremiah Onyango, among many other talented acts. *** All seniors should have their Personal Finance Course finished. Seniors should sign up for a final exam as soon as possible if they want to go to senior ball. All testing dates are in February and posted on the school’s calendar. *** National Signing Day is on February 20th. The three athletes who will be signing are May Lin to Pomona College for water polo, Trenton Schmitt to Columbia University for fencing and Jessica Varakuta to Columbia University for rowing. Congratulations to all of the athletes who will be signing. *** A big congratulations to the Girls’ State delegate for GBHS, Kate Carver. She will be attending Girls State over the summer at Claremont McKenna alongside many talented girls from other high schools in California. Congrats to the other nominees Sophia Tastor, Leah Conforti, Katelyn Sitterud, and Bella Khor. You girls are all amazing!
*** Sophie Criscione, a senior, is a Gazette assistant editor.
Gazette illustration /ASHLEY YUNG
Classroom discussions about religion causes misunderstanding in the IB English classroom, leading to a larger conversation about what religious tolerance looks like and how we as a school can work towards being more inclusive.
Understanding different cultures is necessary for a non-offensive dialogue BY MAY LIN
mlin.gazette@gmail.com
A
mong the ideas that founded the American republic was the idea that all people have fundamental rights, one of which is freedom of speech. But what happens when the right for people to communicate their ideas infringes on another person’s opinion? Many court cases relate to the issue of freedom of speech within a classroom setting, whether it applies to students or teachers. Among fraught topics is the issue of religion. The Supreme Court has ruled educators need to “teach, not preach” and “educate, not indoctrinate.’’ However, teachers can still teach religion, as it is still a pivotal part of history and current events and adds to a student’s education. David Tastor has been teaching the International Baccalaureate course in World Religions at Granite Bay High for six years and “knows the sensitive nature of the course,” so he structures his class to make everyone feel safe and comfortable. “When students phrase things in ways that are unintentionally offensive, it’s a matter of teaching them how to rephrase,” Tastor said. “We try to teach them just to understand and be aware of the language they use. (I want to) allow students the opportunity to ask questions and to make it a safe environment, to not laugh or tease when students ask questions when they don’t know.” The class starts off with three rules when discussing religion. The first is: don’t compare your best to their worst. Two, when you want to know, ask someone of that faith. And three, leave with a silence of holy envy. “(Holy envy is) when you’re look-
read the Quran and was trying to empathize with (students), but it got twisted,” Cochran said. “I think that her intentions of trying to (demonstrate) her understanding of the religion were conveyed as an attempt ing at these religions, whether you to degrade the religion.” believe it or not, whether you’re The grey area is whether a teacher atheist or religious, is to go ‘that’s has the right to voice her ideas about pretty incredible that they practice a student’s religion. or believe that,’ ” Tastor said. One student’s family hired an However, talk about religion in attorney to address the situation and educational environments is still ensure there wouldn’t be additional controversial. The Constitution supissues and to make sure the school ports both sides of the argument as was listening to their students. to what’s acceptable and what’s not. “The problem was that it started Recently, an incident related to reto get focused on me and (the other ligion happened on campus. student) and our religion,” said Phoenix Johnson, who teaches senior Nabeel Qureshi, another IB English, showed a documentary student in the IB English class. “It about Malcom X and his notorious was weird for us and uncomfortable association with a group called the because we didn’t Nation of Islam that exactly know how didn’t represent the to respond. I knew Islamic religion itself. it wasn’t of bad I knew (Johnson) The movie introfaith, and I knew duced a prophet that wasn’t trying to be (Johnson) wasn’t married multiple trying to be maliwives who were ex- malicious. I think she cious or anything. ceptionally young. just... misinterpreted I think she was just Ryan Cochran, misinformed and a senior in that IB misinterpreted the English class, said the the situation. situation that got debate started as a – Nabeel Qureshi carried away.” normal conversation. A teacher’s “(Johnson asked) responsibility is to if (the class) doubted anything with educate students without injectour own religion,” Cochran said. ing or denigrating any particular “No one raised their hands.” religion. Johnson then shared her story on “The problem was that it was how she doubted her religion, which toward the end of the period and we was Christianity, because of her experience with the treatment of and had around 15 minutes of discussion,” said Caroline Tak, another lack of women in Christianity. student in the IB class. “All of this “She then asked the two Muslim got opened up, but we never figured students in the class if they had anything out,” Tak said. “The whole opinions on the marriage of the situation started with the moral older men in the Middle East to ambiguity of religion. younger girls,” Cochran said. “The Muslim students tried to defend that “I don’t think her intentions were bad – it wasn’t to make fun of a they don’t base all of their religion religion or use her power to force off of that prophet (in the Nation of religion on anyone.” Islam).” This wasn’t a case of religious intol From that point, according to erance or ill intent, but the impact Cochran, things got confusing. of misconceived interpretation still “(Johnson) claimed to have
had its effects on students. So, how do teachers avoid having this happen in their classrooms? According to Tastor – who regularly has religious leaders of different faiths speak on campus – knowledge is enlightenment. “When I had my speakers on campus, I always invite all the teachers who have the opportunity to come to watch and then hear them speak,” Tastor said. “We have our interfaith panel … which has speakers from five different religions talking on the topic of, ‘What does it mean to believe?’ They’ll go into various questions from there that’s opened to the public.” Despite these positive efforts, this doesn’t diminish the fact that there’s ignorance on the GBHS campus. For example, the Advanced Placement and IB exams in the spring are being held during Ramadan, but compared to Christians who get Easter or Christmas off, the students who celebrate Ramadan don’t get a day off. They still have the same makeup policy as everyone else. “It doesn’t mean people are actively trying to be intolerant, but our system is built in a way where it’s kind of intolerant,” Tastor said. “Kids see it. A kid walks into the classroom and sees a Christmas tree up. Automatically, they know their difference is already pointed out.” Unfortunately, he has also witnessed direct intolerance. “(I’ve seen) groups… on campus that promote certain points of views that are actively (targeting) other groups because of what they believe,” Tastor said. The solution, for Tastor, is simple – we need to know more about each other, not less. “Whether people are purposely intolerant, ignorant or just simply don’t know and can’t define the blurry line on what’s tolerable or not,” Tastor said, “the vast majority agrees the more we can learn about people, the better off.”
