Board Opts for Worst Case Scenario Doggonit!
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In the June 6 issue the Pony Express features the Class of Pony Express 2003 : collegeMay plans, 16, 2003senior • Page 1 futures, the year in sports and more Music trip detour due to High school Discovering the SARS…page 3 reunions…page 5 subconscious…pages 6–7 Pony Express Volume 34, Number 8 • San Marin High School, Novato, California • May 16, 2003 Board Opts for Worst Case Scenario By Amber Shields and Abby Yim On April 1, the Novato money in elementary and middle showed up at the Board Meeting psychology and drama, which are will be able to stay in control and Unified School District Board schools, and their next step is to on April 29 to plead to save their all UC elective classes, along with make the final decision about what Meeting was inundated with create a priority list for high school programs, the Board is still looking yearbook, leadership, and classes to bring back. impassioned students trying to programs. to make serious cuts. Senior Ali architectural design,. If the Board didn’t take these save their school’s electives. The Despite the efforts of the Mafi, who spoke at this meeting, Nine San Marin teachers precautions, control of the District largest group, by far, was music Emergency Education Fund and said, “The cuts that are affecting received pink slips in addition to could be place in the county or students. In hopes of saving the concerned students, who again our programs are disgusting. It’s all of the temporary teachers who state offices. In a moving gesture, atrocious and sad to think that will be released. Three teachers the San Marin Leadership Class people who we are supposed to from the English department, the donated $2,000 ,which look up to belittle students so hardest hit department on campus, represented $1000 collected from much.” received notices. students in their 5° classes On May 6, the Board took All concerned hope that these matched by $1000 from the action to unanimously approve the cuts are only temporarily final. Leadership account, to the EEF proposed budget cuts. The Board hopes that with state before the final cuts were This included eliminating 87 funds and contributions of the approved. full-time teaching positions and EEF, they will be able to reinstate Although the decisions made serious cut backs in the core many positions and programs. at the recent Board meeting caused curriculum and electives. At the Board Meeting, the board students to feel depressed about San Marin will face cut backs members expressed their remorse next year, the Board members in English, math, social studies, over taking these drastic actions. have asked students, parents and science, and PE. Trustee Ross Millerick described staff to remain hopeful, because It will also lose valuable these large cuts as a “safety net.” reinstatements will soon begin. elective courses like journalism, By preparing fiscally the Board elementary school music programs, the foundation of music knowledge and appreciation in the Doggonit! district, students, teachers, and By Sean Johannessen and Jamie Lummis parents shared how the music As of March 18, 2003, the 11th graders) and statewide results ond amendment in regards to un- program affected the students. If the program is given a full- canine drug-sniffing campaign (7% of 11th graders). The Safe warranted search and seizure), Other impressive appearances time slot next year, this amount was implemented and searches Schools Committee felt that this there is unfortunately not much included students from the San will be approximately double the have begun throughout cam- data could not simply be ignored. that one can do. Most of the areas Marin and Novato drama programs current rate. It seems that in this puses of Novato. Unannounced As a result, many ideas and options that will be searched (including and the San Marin journalism time of significant budget defi- searches are to be conducted at were explored in order to decrease sports facilities, rest rooms, gyms, program. The hours of cits, such a program appears to each of the high schools as well the availability and use of drugs on building perimeters, parking lots, presentations demonstrated the be an unnecessary expense. How- as the middle schools of Novato campus. A Committee member etc.) are school property and there- importance of Novato electives ever, Federal Title IV and Safe Unified School District. who had previously worked in an- fore can be examined and opened and the community’s dedication School Grants will be used to Adopted as a “temporary pilot other district suggested the without student consent. However to saving these vital classes. fund the Interquest program. program” at a reduced rate, it is Interquest program, which pro- items such as lockers The Novato PTA Emergency These funds are specifi- intended only to last until the vides the pilot service, to help pro- (which are under the Education Fund is taking a cally allotted to use for end of the 2003 school year. mote increased school safety. The joint control of both proactive approach by trying to school safety programs Upon the completion of the Safe Schools Committee reviewed the student and the save programs in Novato in a only. year, the Board of Trustees will the program and decided to use a district) and cars re- district-wide fund-raising While the program has make the final decision on pilot program this year. Searches quire the presence campaign. Spearheading the not a significant whether or not to continue the have been and will continue to be of a school official group, Elizabeth Sleathe feels amount of find- program for the future. conducted randomly twice a month before a search hopeful about the plan to raise ings on cam- Prompted by the alarming for the remainder of the school is com- three million dollars by the end of pus, Assis- number of vandalism cases year. menced. the school year. “Our solution is tant Princi- taken in recent years, the pro- Students are understandably Searches only a very quick band aid. A pal Toni gram is expected to increase furious at the thought of their ve- will only be al- hundred sixty four teachers got Beal has safety at schools. Earlier this hicles, lockers, and personal be- lowed in unoccu- pink slips; what we are trying to do found that year, the Safe Schools Com- longings being searched by the pied classrooms. is get the teachers back by funding the threat of a mittee reviewed a Healthy Kids dogs. “I think that the searching is Students will never be the programs.” The response has random search survey taken among 7th, 9th, and a violation of student privacy. asked to leave a class- been very effective, with one on campus has dis- 11th California students in the There must be other options the room to have their anonymous family donating couraged students year 2002. Among other school school can take,” commented one personal belongings $50,000. Not every family needs from bringing il- related questions, the survey junior girl. Some students, how- searched. Individual- to be so generous, Sleath said, legal substances contained questions pertaining ever, are in favor of implementing ized searches are also “Ten or fifteen dollars would be on campus. “The to the use and availability of such an invasive program. An allowed but at least one helpful, just as long as everyone is ultimate goal is to drugs and alcohol on school anonymous sophomore feels that administrator and one district em- involved in helping students in keep drugs off campus. This campuses. According to the the program will make San Marin ployee must be in attendance. Strip Novato get the best education program is a minor inconvenience survey, 10% of eleventh grade a safer environment. “It’s not that searches and body cavity searches possible.” As of May 6, the Fund considering the seriousness of students in the NUSD re- I am afraid to come to school, but are strictly forbidden. announced that they had raised the situation.” sponded that they had used al- the dogs do put me more at ease.” The short-term pilot program $270,000, short of their goal of $3 The consequences for drug cohol at school within the last Although the program may that is currently in effect was of- million. They have already made possession or use within school 30 days. This is higher than seem like a violation of our consti- fered a reduced price of $2700 for a priority list of how to spend the grounds include suspension and both the Marin County (9% of tutional rights (especially the sec- the months of April, May and June. police involvement. Pony Express OPINIONSOPINIONS May 16, 2003 • Page 2 Pony Express NEWSNEWS May 16, 2003 • Page 3 The War in Iraq: Success or Failure? SARS Ravages Asia, Forces Cancellation of Music Trip By Michael Lovejoy By Zack Kinyon By Kevin Kahn The San Marin Jazz Band and tivities included touring lieved to have originated in the all schools for two weeks and all the death rate can vary with the minority, enjoys the support of the “Once again, we see terrorism, we With the war in Iraq over, it immediately cancels out the Mass Destruction is why we now Choir’s long-anticipated summer Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall, Guangdong province in Novem- entertainment venues, including severity of the strain and the weak- silent majority, with nearly 80% see terrorists, people who don’t many people still voice their memory of that suffering, replac- eat Freedom fries. Weapons of trip to China has been canceled. the Chinese Acrobatic Theater, and ber 2002, on the southeast bound- theaters, cinemas, and karaoke ness of the individual’s immune of Americans supporting Bush’s opinions that it was a terrible believe in democracy, people who ing its own picture of despair with Mass Destruction is the concept The culprit: Severe Acute Respira- the Ming Tombs, in addition to ary of the nation with Hong Kong, decision to go to war in Iraq.