From parents reading their kids bedtime stories, to college students frantically scanning through their textbooks, reading is always present in our lives. But what things should people not be able to read about? Can a book have topics that are so vile, so unreasonable, so inappropriate, that no child should be able to read it?
“I think the idea of educating students from a book that maybe has been banned or challenged is more about allowing a reader to have a discussion with somebody who maybe doesn’t feel like they should be reading that book,” said Drew Mundsinger, the OH Library Department Chair.
There are a number of groups across the country that believe that all books containing certain topics should be banned. Groups like Moms for Liberty and MassResistance claim that books with controversial topics should be banned from school and public libraries for the protection of their children. Some of the most commonly banned books are those that discuss race, sexuality, and gender identity. The Village of Oswego has encountered attempts to challenge or ban books, none of which have been successful. In short, Oswego is with the banned.
Every October, the MLB playoffs heat up, and everyone is invested on who will bring home the Commissioner’s Trophy. Most people wonder if it will be the teams that open their checkbooks the widest, or those that rely on smart decision making, investments, and management that will make history.
While money certainly helps, it’s good team management — not excessive spending — that matters most for making a deep playoff run.
The temptation to expect the champion to be big spenders like the Dodgers and Yankees makes sense. They repeatedly appear in the playoffs and both are in the top 5 for spending money on their team payroll.
“History is filled with examples of high-spending teams that came short in October,” said OH senior Nate Muellner.
The essential purpose of the Bill of Rights is to guarantee certain rights that the Founding Fathers deemed necessary to grant all citizens free. This makes it nearly impossible to take away these rights.
The First Amendment guarantees the right to a free press. To me, this ties hand in hand with freedom of speech. Journalists should be allowed to share exactly what they see and they feel about what occurred. Journalists get to see angles of things the average citizen does not, making their outlooks extra valuable.
If you think football season is just about the scores, you haven't had looked at the student section lately.
Tonight, look for the Pink Out at Joliet West and be prepared to see the loud, stylish, and exciting Driven by tradition and led by Orange Crew, themes like “Neon” and “Frat” have turned ordinary Friday nights into highly anticipated events.
“I really love going to the football games, especially going [[into]] my senior year,” OH senior Mak Hill said.
Each year, OH students anticipate the themes to be announced. Some notable themes this year include “Frat,” “Blue Out,” and “Neon.”
Juniors report disappointment and seniors were surprised by a significant change that has been made this school year: late arrival and early dismissal options have been unexpectedly taken away from juniors. And they should have that option.
“I took certain electives so I would have enough credits to do it," said OH junior Jake Hernandez, "and then they took it away at the last minute.”
As senior students who had late arrival last year, it was very surprising to see this change, especially because it had been standard for juniors for quite some time. The unexpectedness of the decision is what is really bothering us and other students.
How unexpected was this change? Hernandez was not even aware of this change until the first day of this school year when he set up a meeting with his counselor.