494 PDF- Herbology

Evan McLaughlin Herbology
June 7, 2009 PDF
CMJR 450
Dr. Bammert


One of the reasons I initially chose this article is because I used to live in California and several of my friends graduated from Palo Alto High School. The issue or topic at hand is the freedom of speech for students at Palo Alto High School. Each year the senior class votes on what the senior class t-shirt should look like. Previous years shirts at Palo Alto High School include references to Absolut Vodka and gambling but were accepted by school administrators. However, this year when the idea of creating a shirt came up for discussion the seniors decided that they wanted to make a different reference.
The theme the class of 2006 decided on was referred to as “Herbology” and the shirts they wanted to create read, “Paly Seniors ‘06” Were Higher Than You”. The Higher as a word had an interesting large to small letter progression design with flames coming off the top of each letter. This time, the administrators had something to say about the shirts and immediately “shut the idea down”. Student Activities Director Joann Vaars commented on the issue. “I’m surprised that the senior class would even consider that herbology would be an appropriate theme…I’m extremely disappointed”. As a response to the administrations stance on the issue, several seniors had the shirts made anyway and the school administration determined that those seniors who wore the shirts could be suspended and their class would be docked 50 points. With the Palo Alto High School taking the attitude that, “Our dress code isn’t strict, It’s pretty much situational”, what exactly was the situation?
Personally, I think the students should have the freedom of expression in designing the shirts. Especially with a situational dress code that allowed previous graduating classes to make references to brands of vodka and gambling. What I find interesting is what the understanding of the “situation” was that allowed those shirts to be accepted and the Herbology shirts to be rejected. The simple solution is that gambling and alcohol are both legal substances. However, if you think on a deeper level, the legal drinking age in the United States is 21 and the legal gambling age is 18. It could just as easily be argued that seniors at Palo Alto High School shouldn’t have been allowed to wear the shirts with alcohol or gambling references as well.
One could argue that the alcohol shirt would encourage underage drinking and the gambling shirt would encourage gambling. There is no way all the senior class was of legal age at 18 and besides teen addiction and online gambling has become a large problem in the US over the last several years. If Palo Alto’s student handbook, “outlaws any clothing that has any drug references” how did the first several senior class shirts pass? Again, these are all examples of why I think the shirts should have been allowed. It is also proof of a much large movement to de-stigmatize the use of marijuana on a national scale in the pubic spotlight. Teenage high school students smoke weed, yes they do, it happens everyday…so what? If they want to talk about it on a t-shirt they have the right to express their urges. What’s the worse that could happen? Give them a twinkie and call it a day!

Questions:
1) Do you consider marijuana to be an offensive drug reference? What about alcohol and gambling?

2) What is your stance on the Palo Alto High School Students decision? Do you think the punishment was fair?

3) Would you consider these shirts disruptive? If yes explain and if no explain? What would you consider to be an offensive shirt and where do you draw the line for freedom of expression with High School Students in general?