Vol 8 issue 9

Page 1

Suspension Plan Submitted to Board student Cooncil's new disciplinary proposal designed to clarify the existing suspention system will be submitted to the Executive Board on Tuesday. According to Bill Baumgartner, C-122 Complex Leader,

"There was a need to get in writing a minimum of due process guarantee." Lynne LaJone, Student Council secretary, added, "We have to provide for appeals before punishment whenever possible."

Students Offer Reaction to Coalition and Youth Paper When News & Views first appeared, many thought it would flop, as did the Anteater. Others thought it would serve as an outlet for informing students of the progress being made by the Park Ridge Youth Coalition. The Coalition has been sufficiently covered elsewhere, however, including announcements made at the end of the daily bulletin. Now, many students are questioning the newsletter's purpose. "If kids wanted to know what was going on at the meetings, they'd attend them," says one senior. "1 read Mie issue. They asked for articles or anything anyone might have to print. I see it as a creative writing magazine," .stated one freshman. For some students, its purpose seems to be that of a bulletin of information concerning students. One student offered an idea: "Since South words has failed as a paper for open debate between students and faculty, perhaps this newsletter could serve that purpose. If the faculty let

us in on some of their views, a lot more things could be done around here." The newsletter came out at the same time the Coalition got on its feet. The editors have not restricted their paper only to Coalition news, however. As John Sasser, one of the News & Views . organizers, said, "Southwords has too many restrictions. This community paper will give the student a chance to react to the changes, faculty or anything of importance that bothers them." John, like many of the News & Views staff, is deeply involved with the Youth Coalition. The main issue now confronting the Coalition is finding a building for the estabUsbment of a youth center. One obstacle is money. The Coalition has begun an appeal to clubs and members of the community in an attempt to form the Community Service Board of Trustees. As stated by Eric Graff, Coalition member, "This board is an attempt to unite, in a coordinate effort, all civic-minded organizations in a common contract for social change."

Cast and Crew Members Remark on Upcoming Play This year's Senior Qass Play, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, will be presented in the Maine South auditorium on Feb. 17, 18 and 19. The cast will include Rick Spatafora '72 in the lead as WiUy Loman, with S a n d y Schramel '72, Dick Stinson '72 and Rick Tinaglia '73 in other major roles. Mr. Donald Martello, director, feels that this year is a good time to present the play because this is sometimes referred to as the age of the so-called "big business machine." "Today it's easy for a man to completely lose himself in his business," he pointed out, "and Death of a Salesman is the story of just such a man." Some members of the cast interpret the play differently. Sandy Schramel felt that the message within the play is that "There is a fine line between what is real and what is fantasy. For a person to have a fantasy is fine, but no one person has the right to control another's dreams." Rick Tinaglia added that "Willy's theory is that if you

are well liked, you will automatically be a success in life. The play proves the inconsistencies of that behef." According to Rick Spatafora, this year's play might be one of the most difficult plays Maine South has ever attempted. Rick also mentioned that he was having a little difficulty memorizing his lines, although he was not sure whether or not a certain degree of outside pressure might be the cause. Rick added that, "It's always hard to play someone much older than yourseU, particularly when the character has had the hard experiences in life that WiUy has." Cast members John Kersting and Kim Burson seemed to agree that the major problem with the play lay in the dramatization of the parts. "It's hard," Kim said, "to get into the mood and the feeling behind the characters." Tickets went on sale Feb. 1, at the price of $1 for students and $1.50 for adults. Some profits from the play will be used to assist the senior prom fund.

Rick Spatafora and Ann Flannery rehearse a scene from this year's senior class play, "Death of a Salesman."

Under the existing suspension system, all students may be suspended immediately. The new proposal states that a student shall be liable for immediate suspension and appeal subsequent to serving the suspension if: • He is accused of an act of violence. • He is accused of an infraction for which he has been referred twice within the same school year. • The dean ascertains that in the absence of immediate suspension he is likely to create school or classroom disruption by his continued presence due to gross insubordination or misconduct. • He is accused of an infraction for which a previous accusation is in the process of being appealed. • He admits his guilt. "In all other cases," the pro-

Vol. 8, No. 9

posals states, "suspensions will start the following school day to permit arrangements for a parent conference." According to Mr. Robert V. Simonson, assistant principal, "contact, usually by phone, is made whenever possible. A letter explaining the suspension and appeals process is mailed to the parents at the end of the day. If possible, the contact is made both ways." Parents will be able to request a formal or informal review or no review at all. The formal review "will be with a hearing officer appointed by the district, and board action may uphold, overturn or add to the suspension." The informal review will be a conference with parent, dean, and student. If the parents fail to request a review within five calendar

days, it will constitute a waiver of review. Students whose suspensions may be overturned will be allowed "to make up schopl work and not have the suspension indicated on the school record." All decisions made by the Executive Board and Student Council concerning the new disciplinary procedure proposal will be subject to agreement with Senate Bill 694 and school board policy. This proposal was first worked out by Student Council and Mr. Simonson. A first draft was then submitted to the Executive Board, through Mr. Simonson, for comments and suggestions. Later, it was sent back to Student Council. After amending and approving the procedure last Wednesday, SC will submit the final draft to the Executive Board.

Maine Township High School South, Park Ridge, III. 60068

Feb. 4,1972

Varied Committees Ready South For Accreditation Exams Soon South students shouldn't be surprised to see inquisitive strangers soon. Evaluations of all aspects of the school are coming up in the near future. State accreditation, under the jurisdiction of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, will be conducted from Feb. 8-10. Vocational and technical evaluation is slated from Feb. 15 to Feb. 17. In both cases, inspectors will observe classes and speak with teachers and students. Currently Maine South is also preparing for a third evaluation of the school as a whole. This examination will be conducted by the North Central Association. Such accreditation will be accepted at colleges as proof of a valid high school education. Procedures for evaluation entail two steps. The first is a selfevaluation. Curriculum committees and general committees of faculty and administrators, as well as some parents and teachers, are formed. Each department forms its own curriculum committee. Every teacher in a particular department is asked to evaluate all aspects of his teaching, including such diverse elements as class size, student opportunity and materials used to teach. Departments also consider educational philosophy. Mr. Otto Kohler, social science department chairman, has already chosen two students, Roberta Piccoli '73 and Cindy Sopata '74, to participate in his department's study. He added that he intends to choose one or two more sophomores or juniors. Chairman of the language department. Miss Marion Fisher, has not asked any students to help with her evaluation efforts. "We can have students," she stated. "If I knew that any students wanted to be on committee, and that they'd be willing to meet when we met, they could come." Three students have been included on the art department committee, and five others will serve on a subcommittee. General committees will investigate other aspects of the school ranging from Physical

Facilities, headed by Mr. H. Klipstein, to Purposes and Objectives, chaired by Mr. Kenneth Reese. Seven years ago, when the school was first evaluated, the Innovative Programs Committee, headed by Mr. Donald Rakowsky, did not exist. Currentiy, this group is evaluating such ideas as work programs, humanities, and large group instruction in math, science and social science. Mr. James Bonney, head of the Community, Student a n d School Committee has been coordinating surveys of student.

faculty and parental opinion. Ten per cent of the parents, all faculty members and the entire sophomore class received the quesionnaires on which this study will be based. Dr. Clyde K. Watson, principal, is looking forward to the second section of the evaluation when teams of educaters from The actual NCA evaluation begins in Feb. 1973. Dr. Watson expects an outstanding change between the first evaluation, made when South first opened, and the upcoming one.

South's SC Members React to Unexpected Resignation "I never expected it," commented Bill Dickens, Student CouncU President on last Monday's resignation of Mike Goerrs, SC vice-president Mike gave personal reasons for resigning, saying he needed more time for his responsibilities, and therefore decided to drop his Student Council position. One factor in resigning has been, Mike stated, the limitations placed upon the office. Bill said, "I'm disappointed in that. Mike never complained to me and never let me know how he felt about the office." Bill Baumgartner, C-122 complex leader, felt that SC does have structural limitations such as the case of vice-president and that "the office is simply to replace the president when he is absent." He has suggested that one way to place more responsibility upon the vicepresident is to have the two SC houses meet on different days rather than on one particular day. As in Maine East's SC, the vice-president can preside over the upper house; the president, over the lower house. "Mike's resigning would not be justified if he had resigned because of the nature of the office itself," stated Garret Walters, C-147 complex leader. "But it is justified because he thinks

that he is not doing a sufficient job with all his other commitments." Garrett also believed that the office holds no real power or responsibility. Lynne La Jone, SC secretary, disagreed with Garrett in the amount of power the office holds. She commented, "As vicepresident, you have opportunities to introduce ideas immediately to the student body through the homeroom representative." She stressed that communication, giving ideas back to the students, is a major aspect of the office. Lyim agreed with Mike in that a student can do as much in SC as he does out of SC, but she pointed out that any proposals must always be approved by SC. Both Lynne and Jay Rasmussen, SC treasurer, are presently taking over the vice-president's duties. Steve Amador, SC organizations chairman, has stated that if SC wanted a vice-president now, someone would be elected from present SC members. "Otherwise," Steve continued, "we would just wait until all the officers are inaugurated next April."


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