<<  <  >  >>

half of the other females up in there that

to the Columbia Scholastic Press

was half-naked was disruptive, too."107

Association--which gave an Edmund J.

· Logansport--Veterans were outraged when

Sullivan award honoring "student jour-

nalists who have fought for the right to

Logansport High School administrators

speak their minds" to the Triangle's

banned flags of all nations from being

staff--the row eventually resulted in calls

brought to school on Cinco de Mayo.

for newspaper adviser Kim Green's resig-

Many Hispanic students brought Mexican

nation, and left "clergymen, community

flags to school on the holiday the previous

members, and school board members"

year, and administrators feared a repeat

divided.105

would lead to fights because of the intense

· Noblesville--Perhaps inspired by the work

national debate over rights of illegal immi-

grants. "I hope it never comes to the day

of the Columbus North Triangle, in February

when [the American] flag is banned any-

the staff of the newspaper at Noblesville

where in this country," said veteran Brian

High School attempted to run its own

McAllister, "Especially at a school that is

article on the hazards of oral sex. This

supported by taxpayer money."108

time, though, the controversy broke out

before the article was even published.

Upon learning that a senior had prepared

Multiculturalism

· Perry Township--Performance of the play

a story about oral sex, Noblesville High

School Principal Anetta Petty instructed

Ragtime revealed fissures all over the com-

the newspaper's staff to delay publication

munity served by Perry Meridian High

of the article and assembled a committee

School. The play, which includes swearing

of students, community members, and

in God's name, discussion of masturba-

the newspaper's adviser to discuss

tion, and use of the term "nigger," was

whether or not to allow the article to run.

stripped clean of the former two contro-

In late February, the district elected to

versial elements, but the latter remained.

prohibit publication of the article on the

This angered many African Americans in

grounds, according to Superintendent

the district, especially a group of black cler-

Lynn Lehman, "that it's not an article

gy who called for removal of the "notori-

that's appropriate to be published in a

ous N-word." The clergy also alleged that

high school newspaper in Noblesville,

the swearing and sexual references were

Indiana." But the debate was not yet over;

removed at the request of white parents

after the district first blocked the story it

while concerned black citizens were

gave the newspaper's staff a chance to

ignored. The play--which is intended to

appeal the decision, and the district even-

depict racism and ethnic tensions in early

tually changed course, giving the nod to

20th century New York--also seemed to

publication after all. At the end of May,

split the black community along age lines,

the article ran.106

with opponents of the show largely over

· Gary--Despite having worn women's

age 50, but many black students and

younger community members support-

clothes to school all year, gay West Side

ing the performance. "The people older

High School student Kevin Logan was

than me," said radio talk show host

kicked out of his prom in May for wear-

Abdul-Hakim Shabazz, 35, "they tend to

ing a dress. District officials said the stu-

pick fights where there are none."109

dent was ejected from the prom for

being out of dress code, not because he

was gay. The ACLU of Indiana respond-

Iowa

ed that that action was a violation of the

Homosexuality

· Cedar Rapids--When a forum addressing

student's First Amendment rights. Said

Logan: "If my dress was disruptive . . .

the bullying of gay students was scheduled

28