True, it has been a month and a half since RHS was vandalized, but there is a bigger issue at work here than a few disgruntled students acting on their prejudiced thoughts. Although we certainly do not want to downplay the vandalism or its consequences, the issue has now changed from how to cope with the immediate effects of the situation our school experienced to how we can use it to make long-term changes and prevent a similar incident in the future. Although it must have been difficult for school administrators to determine how to operate on the morning of March 15 and the following days, mistakes were made- and now is the time to acknowledge and learn from them.

The assembly held on the morning of Monday, March 18 for all African-American students was intended to unify Roosevelt’s African-American community and, although it may have done that, it left many other concerned and upset students feeling as if we were not to be part of the solution. When a conflict arises concerning race, the solution is not to separate people by race, especially in such a secretive manner as this assembly.

Principal Roger Sidoti made the decision to bar all media from the March 18 assembly in order to respond to what has been called a crisis situation. Although this decision was made before the assembly, The Colonel was in no way made aware of it (an oversight acknowledged by Sidoti), and we sent senior reporter LaTeefah Burns (an African-American student who was invited to the assembly) to take notes on the proceedings.

Burns was approached during the assembly by teacher Nikki Marchmon-Boykin, who asked her if the notes were indeed for The Colonel. When Burns said yes, Marchmon-Boykin physically took them from her. Although Marchmon-Boykin’s actions were justified by the administration’s decision regarding media presence, the unavoidable fact is that, no matter what the justification, Marchmon-Boykin performed an illegal action when she removed the notes. According to Adam Goldstein, Attorney Advocate for the Student Press Law Center, Marchmon-Boykin’s actions were “illegal for two reasons”: censorship and theft. Because the notebook was the physical property of Burns, Marchmon-Boykin had no right to take it; doing so constitutes theft. According to Goldstein, as far as First Amendment rights, Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District and Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier do not allow school faculty to force student journalists to stop taking notes or collecting information.

Hazelwood provides for the right of school administrators to stop publication of material only when “they could demonstrate that the expression in question would cause a material and substantial disruption of school activities or an invasion of the rights of others,” according to splc.org. This clearly was not the case with Burns. Even if it was, taking the notes was still theft. Period.

“Nothing gives them a right to steal notes from a reporter or non-reporter,” Goldstein said. According to Goldstein, no justification made by the school changes the legality of Marchmon-Boykin’s actions.

Sidoti’s decision to close the assembly to media was, although perfectly legal, not advisable- especially concerning The Colonel. The job of student media is to report happenings mainly within the school- and this was certainly newsworthy. To bring this case to a more personal level (ignoring the media aspect for a moment), The Colonel, which we represent, was attacked at this assembly- and we were not there to defend it or answer questions. By not allowing us to attend and report the facts of the proceedings, the likelihood was increased that inaccurate information or, worse yet, no information at all, would reach the rest of the student body.

Everyone makes mistakes. It is how one handles those mistakes that really matters. The March 15 vandalism was a terrible occurrence and decisions had to be made in the midst of pressure and high emotions- but the situation is over now. It is time to give back the notes and acknowledge the mistakes that were made.