A local high school principal prevented a class of students from hanging a banner for Buy Nothing Day. Below is a commentary on this by Salt Lake Tribune columnist Paul Rolly. It appears that this principal values capitalism over the environment and conservation.
Paul Rolly: Red scare at Viewmont High School
Paul Rolly: Red scare at Viewmont High School
Article Last Updated: 11/21/2007 01:32:17 AM MST
if(requestedWidth > 0){
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} The advanced placement environmental class at Viewmont High School in Bountiful seems to be succeeding at making some of the school’s best and brightest aware of the need for conservation.
Just so long as they don’t become Commies.
RyLee Stowell says she and her fellow A.P. students, as a class project, created banners promoting “Buy Nothing Day,” an environmental alternative to “Black Friday,” which falls on the day after Thanksgiving and is touted by merchants as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.
“Buy Nothing Day” encourages conservation rather than consumerism on that day.
But Stowell says when the students wanted to hang the banner on a balcony overlooking the commons area – where dances, programs and other student activities are advertised – they were told that the anti-consumer message would offend sponsors that promote their goods and services throughout the school.
Principal Scott Tennis, however, says the students were never censored. They were allowed to put their message on bulletin boards throughout the school and displayed their banner in the lunchroom.
But he was concerned that the students were unclear about what the message was trying to convey – if it was anti-capitalism, pro-socialism, or what?
document.getElementById(‘articleViewerGroup’).style.width = requestedWidth + “px”;
document.getElementById(‘articleViewerGroup’).style.margin = “0px 0px 10px 10px”;
} The advanced placement environmental class at Viewmont High School in Bountiful seems to be succeeding at making some of the school’s best and brightest aware of the need for conservation.
Just so long as they don’t become Commies.
RyLee Stowell says she and her fellow A.P. students, as a class project, created banners promoting “Buy Nothing Day,” an environmental alternative to “Black Friday,” which falls on the day after Thanksgiving and is touted by merchants as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.
“Buy Nothing Day” encourages conservation rather than consumerism on that day.
But Stowell says when the students wanted to hang the banner on a balcony overlooking the commons area – where dances, programs and other student activities are advertised – they were told that the anti-consumer message would offend sponsors that promote their goods and services throughout the school.
Principal Scott Tennis, however, says the students were never censored. They were allowed to put their message on bulletin boards throughout the school and displayed their banner in the lunchroom.
But he was concerned that the students were unclear about what the message was trying to convey – if it was anti-capitalism, pro-socialism, or what?
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 