KATE KELLEY and MIA COONEY, CLASS OF 2017 When Girls Soccer Senior Captains Mia Cooney and Lucy Mahoney suggested the idea of kneeling during the National Anthem, they certainly did not expect to generate such a buzz around the school.
Earlier in the NFL season, when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick knelt for the national anthem, he created a national stir with his protest, meant to highlight the racial oppression and police brutality prevalent in our nation. His intention of raising awareness of social injustice has largely succeeded on a national. Since then, other players have followed suit, some altering the protest to raising a fist. Kaepernick’s silence protest has even spread to high school teams, most recently football teams in Colorado and Washington. The movement has gained such traction that it has been discussed by President Obama. Despite the clear effectiveness of the movement, many are angered with the delivery method of the protest. After becoming informed on the issue and movement, Mia Cooney brought the idea to the team, stressing that “I am in no way shape or form requiring anyone to kneel beside me but I just want to make sure I am not offending anyone on the team before I actually do it, but I believe we should shed light on police brutality using this platform.” The suggestion was met with varying reactions, with many thinking it was “distracting or offensive in some ways.” Upon seeing all of the drama the suggestion created, the team opted out of partaking.
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WILL LARSON, CLASS OF 2017 Among the rush of activities at Falmouth High School in spring, few would have thought that political activism would be included between exam week and graduation. An increasing number of students are getting involved in the presidential campaign, attending and protesting rallies, volunteering for candidates, and writing commentary on social media. No presidential candidates have received more attention than Donald Trump, who consistently finds himself embroiled in political tension. In April, an incident at Emory University prompted protests after students woke to “Trump 2016” written in chalk across campus. Closer to home, a sophomore at South Portland High School was reprimanded for wearing a Trump hat in school. Such events and their reactions, both by the academic institutions and media coverage, have highlighted contemporary issues of political tolerance, race, and free speech. Is there a conflict between anti-racist activism and free speech on college campuses? Can Trump’s ideals be considered political opinion, or do they constitute larger moral beliefs of race, class, and gender? MEGHAN CHAREST - CLASS OF 2016 An explosive debate developed in the South Portland school system recently, ignited by senior class president Lily San Giovanni's, who added the clause “If you’d like to” at the end of her invitation for students to rise to say the Pledge of Allegiance. The addition sparked controversy in the community and on Facebook, raising questions about free speech and the role of the pledge in schools. |