Nevada Union Underground

"Chemo-Therapy" for Jordan

2011-02-16T19:50:00.000-08:00

Image by Getty Images via @daylife
The revolutionary seed has flown throughout Northern Africa and has taken root deep in the hearts of the Jordanian people. After months of low grumblings over wealth disparities, harsh economic conditions, and a lack of political agency, the Jordanian people unleashed a roar of protest after the previous successes
in Tunisia and Egypt. In a quick response, Jordan king Abdullah removed his entire cabinet and appointed ex-general Marouf Bakhit as the new Prime Minister as a gesture of appeasement. There has been great debate over whether the appointment of Bakhit and the potential for a reformed direction in Jordan is enough, or if the entire government should be scrapped in preparation for a brand new start. Regardless, protests
around the country continue. As reported by the Jordan Times, the organization of the protests seems to be emanating from the coalition of, most notably, the Islamic Action Front (Muslim Brotherhood), the leftist Popular Unity Party, Jordan Communist Party, as well as the more moderate Hashed Party. The unity of the coalition of opposition parties, however, has been fragile at best, dividing the protesters along ideological lines. Although, there is one thing all groups can agree upon: the need for reform. The most recent statement released from the coalition, published by the Jordan Times, indicates that they “agreed to give Bakhit a chance to implement his agenda” before pursuing further “popular action.” Despite this, most, especially the IAF, view Bakhit in a suspicious light, leading one to believe the marches will not cease in the near future. The tactics employed by King Abdullah over the course of this incident are of the utmost interest. As the tides of revolution washed across Jordan, Abdullah wasted no time in cutting off the dead weight, his cabinet, in order to keep his own head above the water. This symbolic act of sacrifice seeks to operate as an appeasement to the masses while also allowing Abdullah to scapegoat all of his personally complicity in the hardships of Jordan onto his administrative inferiors thus enabling him to escape unscathed with his power intact. While the response of the coalition and a great many protesters indicate a certain contentment with the king’s political pumpkin carving, a rising level of skepticism is apparent. BBC news reports that Jordanian professor Ibrahim Alloush thinks it’s notjust a question of changing faces or replacing one prime minister with another, but rather “demanding changes on how the country is now run.” Perhaps Abdullah’s appointment of Bakhit was done entirely with the welfare of the people in mind and the protests will soon end with the coming reforms. However, if Abdullah’s liquidation of his cabinet and new appointment were simply political theatrics to grasp on the cliff’s edge of power, then the thin veneer put up by the king will come crashing down as the crowds see through the façade in pursuit of freedom. This ultimately begs the question: Is reform enough or must the entire system be overhauled? Can simply cutting out tumors cure the disease, or is the body of monarchy, despotism, and oppression too diseased beyond operability? And can the doctors reforming the system even be trusted in the face of shady motives? Is the King of Jordan administering necessary chemo-therapy of a
body that can be saved or is perhaps the tumor itself doing the doctoring? While so many questions linger unanswered and the future of Jordan remains unclear, one thing’s certain: the voice of the Jordanian people will be heard.

- Comrad(e) Nomad

Tunisian Revolution

2011-02-16T19:44:00.000-08:00

Image by Abode of Chaos via Flickr
Tunisia’s revolution has been primarily about jobs. Despite having one of the largest GDPs in Africa,
most Tunisians are relatively poor. Many college graduates have been unemployed for months. Most of
this poverty can be traced to Tunisia’s former ruler, Zine El Abdine Ben Ali. Ben Ali essentially had an economic stranglehold on the country, enriching his extensive family while impoverishing the rest of Tunisia.
Economic policies that put pressure on the middle and lower classes combined with the recent global financial
crises led to increased unemployment that was finally too much for the Tunisian people. Protestors filled the streets demanding Ben Ali to step down. The protesters seemed to be divided, however, on their ultimate goals. Many protestors wanted Ben Ali removed because of his economic policies but were content to let his party retain power. Others wanted a complete change in government. There are several possible outcomes: Ben Ali’s party, the Constitutional Democratic Rally could continue to hold power; the Sufi Muslim Brotherhood, which was essentially ousted from Tunisia during Ben Ali’s regime could see a resurgence. Perhaps some form of moderate government might rise to power. Also, Ettajdid, a progressive party run by social democrats could see their ideals gain popularity. For now, the interim government is headed by many former-Ben Ali cabinet members. Tunisia’s fate may differ from Iran’s, which saw the creation of a clerical government after its revolution. Unlike its neighbors, Tunisia is not an oil state, its law is relatively secular, and women possess many of the rights that men have. Tunisian women attribute this last difference to Tunisia’s first president, Habib Bourguiba. The Bourguiba government instituted many reforms including funding public education, a state-run healthcare system, improving literacy, and female emancipation. Ben Ali ousted Bourguiba in a bloodless coupe in 1987. Since then, the country has plummeted economically and jobs have
been scarce. The West is having some difficulty characterizing this revolution. The typical response of “clerical
state versus democracy” does not quite apply in this case. Most Westerners agree, however, that Tunisia’s
fate should be democratic. Of course, this has always been the United State’s official position, even while supporting dictators. Somehow, “democracy” is often a synonym for “pro-United States.”
According to an article by Hashem Ahelbarra published on Al Jazeera’s website on Jan 14th, the US and Europe supported the ousted President Ben Ali for his pro-secular policies: “The US and France were in love with Ben Ali. They were impressed with his persecution of the Islamists, his economic agenda was touted as a brilliant model that could be replicated in North Africa. And he proved to be a staunch US ally actively involved in the controversial rendition programme. For these reasons, the US tolerated Ben Ali's long record on human rights abuses. And when young people were killed in the recent protests, Washington and Paris chose to stand by their ally. When unrest broke in the country, President Ben Ali blamed it on "terrorists" - a reaction very symptomatic of dictators completely detached from reality
who rush to lay the blame on a scapegoat to deflect attention from the core issue…” What would democracy mean for Tunisia? Does it mean Tunisia would remain a pro-U.S. state run by Ben Ali’s former party? Or does it mean that the Tunisian people would truly rule themselves with their own interests at the center of their policy? Speaking from a historical standpoint, the revolution may be more likely to achieve true democracy by staying far away from what the West labels “democracy”, and hashing it out democratically for themselves.

- Anti-Oedipi

Egypt: Brought to You By Facebook

2011-02-16T19:37:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Facebook. Twitter. Texting. MySpace. Email. All of these popular methods of communication are mostly regarded as frivolous ways the typical American teen spends their free time, and until very recently this was all they were really good for. Over the past few weeks, however, this technology has been used to start a mass

protest throughout all the major cities of Egypt. Possibly the most shocking fact is that this entire upheaval was started by people under the age of thirty. For the majority of Egyptians, President Hosni Mubarak’s thirty-year autocratic rule has gone on long enough. People from all different religions, incomes, ideals, and education levels are tired of asking for a fair deal and ready to demand what they deserve: the presidents immediate resignation, the entire regime put on trial, and changes to the Constitution or a new one altogether. The desire for change has been slowly building up in Egypt for years. Although President Mubarak has protected Egypt from involvement in many Middle Eastern issues, he has forced an autocratic dictatorship upon his people. Egyptians won’t allow this to continue no matter how safe their country may be. The April 6 Youth Movement (a group of young adult activists within Egypt) started the online campaigning and organizations that effectively created the largest protests modern Egypt has ever seen. Soon more and more people became informed and joined in demonstrations around the country, including other powerful

Egyptian groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and the Egyptian Movement for Change. From a student’s perspective, this is not only a major accomplishment but also a pristine example of why young voices should be heard and given respect worldwide. If these young people hadn’t had the bravery and intellect to do something about injustice it is likely that these protests would never have happened. While some adults may scoff at our desire for constant communication, this clearly shows that there are benefits to the new tech-generation. Some people may view Facebook as frivolous, but this shows that it depends on how and why you use it. In fact, these methods were so successful that President Mubarak had Internet and cell phone reception shut down throughout all of Egypt. The company that was responsible for shutting down the Internet is an American company called Narus who sold Egypt this technology. The irony here is brutally apparent: While Americans push for Egypt to restore the national Internet, an American company is responsible for (and making money from) selling this technology not only to Egypt, but many other governments worldwide. In a similar vein, Democracy Now! reported that all of the tear gas and riot equipment that Egyptian security forces use, not to mention the guns and grenades now at the ready, were sold to the Egyptian government by US companies. Currently, a bill is being introduced to Congress that would allow the U.S. government to shut

down civilian Internet in times of national threat. This bill (Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act) is being re-introduced by Senators Lieberman, Carper, and Collins (contrary to myths that Obama is behind

it). Although this bill may be able to benefit the country during certain instances, it also gives the government

a huge amount of power over citizens, power they aren’t legally able to take. This bill would violate the first amendment right to free speech and freedom of the press. No matter how helpful this law could be, the situation in Egypt is a clear example of exactly why the bill shouldn’t be passed and shows just how dangerous powers like this can be in the hands of anyone. Although at first glance it may seem like the protests in Egypt have little to do with the United States, a deeper understanding of all the levels at work here shows many huge ties between both countries. Ironically, America has been responsible both for creating the technology which started the protests, and stopping this same technology from working correctly. We also have a bill being presented to congress that would give much too much power to the federal government. The Egyptian protests are far from over, and America is likely to play a big role in how this gets resolved. Hopefully the U.S. will do its part and uphold the traditions that our country was made upon.

- Dubya

IOWA Testing: Investigation by Anti Oedipi

2010-11-19T17:11:00.000-08:00

“A basic tenet of a healthy democracy is open dialogue and transparency.”

-Peter Fenn

Transparency is key to meaningful education because it allows students to be active in the education process, and it ensures that there are checks and balances on administrative power. This necessity was exemplified last week when all NU students took the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED) in their English classes. Sunday, Oct. 31st, one night before the test was to be administered, Mr. Matheson called NU families, informing students and parents of the test. The message said, “...I wanted to let you guys know we’re going to be testing all of you, 9-12th graders, beginning tomorrow in your English classes for most of next week…. I just need you to do your best.... The teachers and I have chosen to do this. It’s.…core battery skills and cognitive abilities, how you process information and stuff. So it will be good for all of us. I just want you to do your best.…” Who would this test be good for? Was it the students who missed at least one full week of English? Was it the teachers who had to change their lesson plans to accommodate the missing week? There was also no discussion about the purpose of the test, what the data would be used for, who was responsible for it, or what the impact would be on students. These are important questions that both students and parents deserve to have answered before students take any kind of standardized test.
The following Monday (November 1), some teachers told students that NU had been offered quite a bit of money to be used as sort of a “test for the test.” In other words, the test’s creator, Iowa Testing Program (ITP), wanted to see how students across a broad range of backgrounds, academic abilities, ethnicities, and grade levels did on the test. This would allow ITP to create a norm or average to use for interpreting results.
If the purpose of the test was to normalize the questions, then why were students asked to bubble in their names on their answer documents? Surely students’ names do not help ITP create a normalized data base for interpreting results.
When asked, Mrs. Peterson said that student’s names were requested because individuals will be receiving their results.Yet, if students do receive their results, then the test is no longer solely for research purposes. It becomes something that is connected to each individual student. Somewhere in the administrative system, the results from this test will be traceable to students’ names.
Some students may be upset that a test, which they had no ample warning of, will now be connected to their records. These scores may not accurately represent what students have learned because it tests materials that were not specifically part of the school curriculum. In fact, that is the thesis of this test. According to ITP’s website: “there are a number of generally held objectives toward which all students are expected to progress as they go through high school, regardless of the specific courses they take or the curriculum they may be following.”
Whether or not you believe in the merits of standardized testing, a line must be drawn between the purpose of this test, as it is administered to students in schools who specifically request the test to ensure that they are meeting educational goals, and the purpose of this test, as it is administered to students in schools like NU, who are purportedly assisting ITP in normalizing its questions in exchange for financial compensation. The latter group of students has absolutely no reason to have this test connected to the individual.
On November 9, over a week after the testing began, Mr. Matheson called NU families a second time with a message, notifying parents that their students were given a consent form to participate in the testing and summarizing the test’s purposes: “The objective of this study is to create new, up-to-date test questions… The results are used for a tool for assessing student achievement…NU will receive financial compensation for each student that completes the test, and that money will go directly to support classroom instruction and instructional resources.”
The form Mr. Matheson describes references Education Code Section 51101(a)(13), and says that NU will not administer this test to students without prior, written consent. This form was sent home one full week after testing began.
Additionally, the form and the message indicate that students will be taking the Iowa Cognitive Abilities test. The previous week, students had taken the Iowa Tests of Educational Development. This apparent confusion of the test’s name would make it difficult for parents and students to research the test and render any consent ineffective.
While the form provides parents and students with some information, it does not answer the original question posed to the administration. Two weeks later, the purpose of linking this test to the individual is still unclear. The form attempts to address the question by stating that, “The company conducting this testing and study, Riverside Publishing, will maintain all individually-identifiable information that it receives through Nevada Union’s participation in the CogAT national norming study in the strictest of confidence, and no individual student will be identified by name in any publication resulting from the testing and study.” This explanation, however, does not address the purpose of requesting student names. It is merely a disclaimer. The administration appeared either to be rather uninformed or unwilling to divulge information.
What kind of mishaps lead to a situation like this? Until Sunday night, students and parents were not aware that they were going to be tested, and even then, there was no opportunity for them to ask questions or to opt out. Prior, written consent, mandated by state law, was not offered. Is it poor decision making on behalf of the administration? Is it lack of forethought? Is it simply that in a rough economy, schools are desperate for money that they will neglect the wellbeing of their students in pursuit of funds?
In an attempt to acquire some concrete information, I called ITP. When I asked the ITP representative who was funding this testing, who was profiting from it, and why ITP requested students’ names, the representative asked if I was a test administrator. I responded that I am a student. I was told that ITP would not answer any further questions. This inadequate response paralleled the administration’s inability or unwillingness to answer these basic questions. I am a student who is asking questions that they are either unprepared to answer or unwilling to answer. Why was the administration and ITP unwilling to discuss these key questions with students?
Do parents have a right to know what tests will be given to their kids throughout the school year? Do students have a right to know why they’re being tested and what their test results will be used for? Because NU is a public school and sustained by taxpayer dollars, the legal answer is yes. When students spend forty-five minutes of instruction time taking a test to help fund their school, at what point are those minutes of public education being given by the students rather than received by the students? The people who contribute a portion of their pay check to the salaries of administrators should, at the very least, be informed of what happens at school Students are trying to learn how to make smart decisions in life, and that is impossible to do without information.
Are they hiding something? Probably not. Should students have a right to transparency in their education? Absolutely.

-Anti Oedipi

AUDIO FILES

First message concerning the test

Second message concerning the test

For further information.....

ITED http://www.riverpub.com/products/ited/index.html

CogAT http://www.riverpub.com/products/cogAt/index.html

ITP http://www.education.uiowa.edu/itp/Default.aspx

November the 5th by Bokonon

2010-11-19T15:52:00.000-08:00

   A lot of kids may remember, remember what is being referenced when November the 5th mentioned. Some kids might even remember this date in the context of what happened here at school on Nov. 5 this year. For those of you who don’t, however, or those of you who didn’t get the full story, here is summary on the events of Nov. 5, 2010
   Friday, Nov.5, the police blotter read that at 8:00 am, at Nevada Union School, some suspicious flyers were hung up all over campus. Most of the flyers are cleaned up by second period. A number of kids who were found spreading flyers were called to the office, where they were told that they were going to be suspended along with other consequences for their varying involvement.
   Meanwhile, the four students who later took responsibility for the flyers were in Los Angeles. The event caused concern in the Administration and confusion in the student body. A lot of the information about this event has devolved to hearsay and rumor. NU Underground was able to secure an interview with three of the four who composed the flyers and orchestrated their distribution, Dylan Fitzwater, Stefan Stackhouse, and John Stuart
   The first question I asked them was the obvious one. Why did you distribute these fliers?
   “The thing that we were commemorating and we were speaking to was the movie V for Vendetta; someone uses that event and uses Guy Fawkes as a way of fighting this totalitarian government. Turning it into a democracy.” says Dylan Fitzwater. “We say nothing of the specific administration we say mostly of what we as student put up with. We go through 12 years of totalitarianism.” John says. “Yeah,” Dylan adds, “I was reading on the American Bar association, you know lawyers and whatnot, and they just straight up said that legally we have the rights of felons”
   We as students understand the lack of influence we have, but why should that matter? Aren’t we kids after all?
   “Most of these kids are just content to go through the system,” John answers, “The reason we think that is bad is democratic people shouldn’t be used to not getting their way for the first seventeen years of their life. They should realize that they, as social actors, have the ability to effect and change things when they take action. So we wanted to change the environment and maybe spark a new kind of engagement.” But what are posters supposed to accomplish? What was the plan? What was your intent?
   “Our intent is to get the students thinking about it and the students working together, there was no set out effect or goal, it’s a journey.”
   “That’s really what the movie V for Vendetta is about.” Adds Dylan
   Stefan continues, “It talks about in the movie about ideas vs. the man, and that the ideas are more important. So also, people just see us as just doing this to be rebellious. And this is definitely not true, where we are actually doing this for the ideas not our own noteworthiness.” Isn’t the history of this stuff blatantly violent? Perhaps that warranted the Administration’s response?
   “Yes, and we also recognize that there is a historical thing in our country with students like at Columbine and Georgia Tech, where kids have actually done things wrong,” responds John, “Also, at NU where students have done things that make them scared. But at the same time this I so far removed from what has been done at NU in the past (asking Stephan). What did they do last time? (Laughs) Oh yeah, Red paint on the walls that said NU WILL END.”
   To conclude I asked them what should happen now, what is next? The boys look at each other. Stefan makes it clear.
   “It’s going to be up to more than us to decide. As soon as he people are motivated and are moved to action.” The boys don’t want this to be about them or even what they did. They want everyone to start thinking and start acting on their own. They make it clear, you don’t have to do what they did and that definitely doesn’t mean you should hurt anyone or break anything or necessarily create disruption. It means waking up and engaging with what is around you. The problems of our situation will become clear, they say, and then it is up to the kids. “Like it should be,” the boys say.

But how is that supposed to materialize, I ask them, give us something concrete. The answer may surprise people.

The boys say learn more. Ironically, that is what their big disagreement with the way school are run in this country.

“Kids should be abele to determine what they want to spend time on and we should take this [idea] back. They say the kids that get 2.0’s, it’s because they don’t ‘work hard’.” says John, as Dylan shakes his head. “That is definitely not true.” he agrees. John concluded. “Yah, I know, I know plenty of 2.0’s who write music, who make paintings, who play baseball who do all sorts of great things. We should allow them to work hard that the things they want to work hard at. We should take that term back. Working hard is whatever we want it to be. Ultimately, these kinds of thing we need to start thinking about. We can’t just keep sitting in class and hating [learning]. We have to change it.”

VIDEO CLIP of interview

Student Union: more flyers? by Tristero

2010-11-19T15:40:00.000-08:00

On November 9th there were numerous flyers being passed hand-to-hand on this campus. The bold message on the front proclaimed that “the Union of Students Will Rise.” This, of course, was only several days after the Nov. 5th incident, where multiple kids were punished for doing something different but similar. NU Underground decided to find out more and publish an update in these special editions before the trail went cold.
Two kids were available for comment, seniors John Lawson and David Clark. It is unsure whether these two boys represent the current union movment or are part of a separate deal. At Any rate, they were able to give this statement:

"There is a major disconnect between the students and the administration, our student government is basically a figurehead and useless. The Union would be a way to have a sort of government that would influence the administration."

(Paraphrased from John Lawson and David Clark)

   There is a strong movement to create a student union on campus, particularly led by a group of seniors in AP Physics. Many schools, mostly all colleges, have student unions, some that are closer related to actual labor unions and other that aren’t. An actual labor union is an organization where certain constituency of laborers (generally unions are trade specific) form an organization to gain more bargaining power with their employers.
   A student union, according to these students, would function similarly, opening up a dialogue between Administration and student body where actual bargaining powers would be afforded to the union, along with rights to protect this bargaining process. According to www.union-organizing.com the most basic rights of a union include: “To… bargain collectively with your employer over wages, benefits, and working conditions, to discuss the union and attend union meetings and to use your Weingarten [court case regarding worker punishment] rights”.
   Given the close parallels between employees and students (a precise schedule, the possibility of punishment, and wages in the form of knowledge and education) the consequences of the first right for our school would be profound. At the very least a union representative would be able to sit at the table when school curriculum, student discipline, and scheduling are discussed. It is the second right that makes this possible by making the administration incapable of punishing us for joining the union.
   While many reacted to these additional flyers with understandable enthusiasm, not much else is known where this union is headed, indeed, whether it will even make it off the ground. All those who are interested are encouraged to seek out those involved, discoverable by the good ‘ol word-of-mouth, and perhaps find out more about what this movement will turn into.

-Tristero

Special – Nevada Union Renaissance By RedGorilla

2010-10-31T16:59:00.001-07:00

By Banksy

This asymmetrical expression of music is an apt metaphor for the situation we find ourselves in. 2500 musicians, each possessing a unique instrument, should be producing truly beautiful harmony, symphony, or simple melody.

There are over two thousands students at this school, each of them with something distinctive to offer. And yet over the din of thousands of colliding sound waves, only a loud hum reverberates throughout our campus so that we cannot tell whether beautiful music is being wrought somewhere within the cacophony. It can’t be because there is lack of passion, a lack of desire, focus or talent. We are a massive orchestra of young people. Were we to be the least talented group of musicians to be brought together in the history of the world, we still have youth going for us. Students are always the first to stand up to totalitarian regimes always the last to shut up. We are most assuredly not the worst group ever assembled, we are quite the contrary. We have, at our school, a great deal of talent, that finds itself lost and unseen. So where are the symphonies, the melodies, the clear notes that can be heard above the din? A lot of grandeur gesticulation of language to express something quite simple: we the students have nowhere to express our talent.

Did someone say express? “It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional right to freedom of speech at the schoolhouse gate.” In 1969, the Supreme Court assured students first amendment rights, in accordance to regular boundaries, considering libel etc. Forty-five years later, the first edition of NU Underground disappeared overnight, before the paper’s planned debut. In 1988, a Supreme Court case called Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier granted public school administrators greater authority to censor both school sponsored and underground publications, as long as they demonstrate an “educational” justification for the censorship. However, a rather sweet loop-hole in this precedent exists and has been enforced. The ruling says absolutely nothing of publications that have been opened as “public forums for student expression.” (Student Press Law Center 2010) Nevada Union Underground thus hereby presents itself as the proverbial soap-box from which ANY Nevada Union student may submit editorial.

However, after exploiting this loop hole, we are inclined to do more. Expression is the most fundamental right guaranteed to us as individuals, due to the broadness of its meaning. Nevada Union Underground wishes to become something more than just an underground newspaper for the student body. We want to become an underground media for the student body. The paper has always had a blog, nuunderground.blogspot.com. Here, we want video interviews, photojournalism, and most importantly discussion. Articles and editorials can be discussed, argued, and critiqued for the public to see on the web site, where any viewer may submit a comment anonymously or otherwise. In addition to discussion through the comment forum, any student can email the paper’s staff and even a specific author for questions or points of disagreement.

That’s far from all though, folks. As more and more individuals stand and give a recital, as more and more students can stand and play their instruments, a greater movement can be composed. Because from passion, the greatest of all human phenomena can be born: culture. We want it all folks, not just journalism. We want poetry, creative writing, raps, paintings, graphic art, sketches, murals, short films, investigative journalism, pastel portraits, sculptures, and even music. We will find a way to exhibit your creativity, affording you the opportunity to receive critiques anonymously or to contribute to a greater symphony. With each clear note from each passionate individual, the hum of thousands of competing melodies will be transformed into a composition that will outlast both student and instrument, for it will become part of something that belongs only to us. The cultural revolution of Nevada Union will be brought on the wind of our passion, with no inherent direction, not plan, no leader. We will decide what to make of it, if anything. It needn’t be further stated, that this time in our life is special. Not because school spirit and dances. This is the opportunity to remove the stereotypical, administration sponsored, patronizingly mediated training wheels of school spirit and instead, by our own fruition, create a culture. Rather than have these school walls breathe its culture into us, directing the music of our instruments, let us breathe music into the walls of this school and own that music, a student’s music, to reverberate across the campus long after we have left.

- RedGorilla

WikiLeak on Iraq released, paint grim picture By Na Fianna Eireann

2010-10-31T16:58:00.001-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

Much recent controversy has surrounded the internet organization Wikileaks, an organization that serves as a posting space for leaked, classified military intelligence documents. Recently, Wikileaks attracted much media attention when it released some 76,900 documents that revealed details about the war in Afghanistan not publicly known. These documents painted a very dark picture, most notably providing evidence that the Taliban have actually grown stronger since 2003 (Chivers 2010)

According to ABC News, the Pentagon Press Secretary, Geoff Morrell, stated that the documents “expose secret information that could make our troops even more vulnerable to attack in the future. Just as with the leaked Afghan documents, we know our enemies will mine this information looking for insights into how we operate, cultivate sources and react in combat situations, even the capability of our equipment. This security breach could very well get our troops and those they are fighting with killed."

Daniel Ellsberg, the man that 40 years ago released the “Pentagon Papers” detailing the secret war in Vietnam, responded to the controversy with a statement to the Guardian on Monday.

“The logs reveal the human consequences of the continuing Iraq war, which have been concealed from the western public for too long: the countless instances of torture; the killing of hundreds of civilians at roadside checkpoints,” stated Ellsberg.

ABC News analyzed the documents, and in an article acknowledged that out of the 109,000 fatalities, 66,081 were “civilian,” 23,984 “enemy” (those labeled as insurgents), 15,196 “host nation” (the Iraqi government), and 3,771 “friendly” (coalition forces).

The Guardian reports that the documents reveal 15,000 civilian deaths that were previously unknown, along with details of how the U.S. authorities failed to investigate hundred of reports of abuse, torture, rape, and even murder by Iraqi police and soldiers with no apparent legal action having been pursued. The documents contain an official account of threats made by a military interrogator to turn his captive over the Iraqi “Wolf Brigade,” the widely feared 2^nd battalion of the Iraqi interior ministry’s special commandos.

The human rights group that investigates and exposes abuses worldwide, Amnesty International, has called on the United States to investigate just how much U.S. officials knew about the torture and other ill-treatment of detainees held by Iraqi security forces, following WikiLeaks’ release of documents indicating such abuse. “U.S. authorities committed a serious breach of international law when they summarily handed over thousands of detainees to Iraqi security forces -- who, they knew, were continuing to torture and abuse detainees on a truly shocking scale,” said Malcolm Smart of Amnesty International. (The UN called on Obama to do the same…)

WikiLeaks appears not to be swayed by the military brass and plans to release more documents on Afghanistan in the coming weeks.

- Na Fianna Eireann

Prop. 19– Decriminalize, vote ‘yes’ by Tristero

2010-10-31T16:57:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

Proposition 19 is perhaps one of the most controversial aspects of the upcoming November election. The proposition would legalize recreational use of Marijuana for those over the age of 21 and would have a substantial impact in our county (because, let’s face it, there is a lot of Marijuana consumption in Nevada County). The most immediate aspects of the plan that concern our community include the actual allowed amount to possess, 1 ounce, and the legalization of personal cultivation on private property, 25 square feet of the stuff, both for personal use. Here in Nevada County, the sheriff department allows those who carry a medical card to grow up to eight plants already. In addition to the logistical changes that may affect our community, another substantial aspect of the bill would allow our local government to collect a tax on the sale of marijuana. Unpermitted sales (empirically shown to be difficult to enforce) remain illicit, similar to selling alcohol without a license. It seems that much of the opposition to the bill is based on inaccuracies and that it seems, overall, the bill’s effort to decriminalize marijuana is worth its imperfections.

Opponents argue that the bill wouldn’t impact the Mexican drug cartels, that there is no definite procedure for taxation, and that it could decrease public safety due to increased driving under the influence. The majority of the current political establishment, including both gubernatorial candidates, opposes Prop. 19, but the polls show the majority of voters support it. Support has been especially evident in “robopolls” (polls that have a machine instead of an actual person asking the questions).

This trend has caused experts, including Nate Silver who predicted the 2008 election, to conclude that it is extremely likely to pass. Silver’s analysis concludes that people will often lie about their actual intentions to human pollsters because of the social stigma surrounding marijuana consumption. This is not the case however, with “robopolls.” Silver’s research found that nearly all of the polls that indicated over 50% of voters in opposition to Prop. 19 have been conducted by human pollsters.

Opponents of the initiative have cited an October 12 study by the RAND corporation. They claim that the study concluded that legalization in California would not substantially impact the cartels. However, the official news release posted on the RAND website paints a slightly different picture, saying “after legalization, if low-cost, high-quality marijuana produced in California dominates theU.S. marijuana market, then the Mexican drug trafficking organizations' revenue from exporting marijuana could decline by more than 65 percent and probably closer to 85 percent….drug trafficking organizations would lose roughly 20 percent of their total drug export revenues.”

The effect of Prop. 19 on the state budget is largely uncertain because the initiative leaves the decisions on how marijuana will be taxed up to local governments and the state legislature. However, a bill drafted by assemblyman Tom Ammiano from San Francisco provides ideas for Marijuana regulation including the establishment of “a wholesale and retail marijuana sales regulation program to be administered and enforced by the department [of Alcoholic Beverage Control].” Prop. 19 will at least generate some revenue, and anything helps with the current state of the budget.

The arguments against Prop. 19 based on health and safety are not supported by the facts. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated that alcohol related fatalities in American totaled 11,773 in 2008, with California ranking first in the country at 3,995 deaths; however, there was no statistic concerning the number of DUI fatalities caused by marijuana abuse. Also, a NHTSA study stated, “... previous research on alcohol effects alone show that alcohol at BACs [Blood Alcohol Content] around .10 is far more impairing than low or moderate THC doses alone.” Driving high, while definitely not a good idea and rightly illegal, cannot be compared to driving buzzed.

Supporters of the initiative argue that legalization would decrease the profits and influence of Mexican drug cartels, help the budget through tax revenue, and allow for better regulation of the drug. Perhaps the strongest argument in favor of legalization focuses on decriminalization. In 2008 marijuana possession arrests reached 61,388. Thousands of people were jailed merely for owning a substance that is arguably less harmful for you than alcohol. Reversing the trend of criminalizing harmless users is absolutely essential to avert the actual criminal activity that the criminalization of marijuana has obviously spawned (such as cartel profits), end unjust incarceration, and stop the stigmatization of marijuana use. However, the initiative falls short of ideal in this respect. Prop. 19 only legalizes marijuana possession of an ounce or less that was bought at a licensed dispensary (although this second part will be virtually impossible to enforce given that anyone can grow in a 5 by 5 space). Also, decriminalization of minor possession has already been accomplished by a state legislature bill that downgraded possession to an “infraction” with a $100 maximum fine. The proposition also creates harsher penalties for gifts of marijuana to someone aged 18-20. It changes the $100 fine penalty to a $1000 fine with up to 6 months imprisonment. Although any intensification of punishment seems to run perpendicular to the overall goal of decriminalization, it does have the benefit of complete decriminalization of minor possession, which would have the a substantial positive impact on minors. Even though the current penalty for minors in possession is relatively light it still goes on records and can ruin job opportunities and potentially haunt you your entire life. So the benefits of doing away with a criminal record for minor possession, a decrease in drug cartel profits and at least some tax revenue must be weighed against a higher penalty for gifts to 18-20 year olds and a possible increase in traffic accidents.

The biggest impact of Prop. 19 will be breaking down the social stigma that surrounds marijuana. If marijuana is given the same status that alcohol enjoys, we could see even more steps toward complete legalization and the end of the war on drugs that has incarcerated so many people for simply enjoying a joint. Even though Prop. 19 is by no means perfect, it is an important first step in recognizing the rights of numerous Californians, including Nevada County residents (especially those that reside near Café Mecca), who enjoy the recreational use of marijuana.

Opinion- Tea Party Grass Roots? By RedGorilla

2010-10-31T16:55:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

Genuine interrogation concerning the actual roots of the “grass-roots” Tea Party has been missing from the mainstream media, to no surprise. New information revealing the powerful lobbies behind the angry, white, middle class members of the movement displays a rather unsurprisingly congruent cast of characters.

According to journalist Jane Mayer, in an article in the New York Times published August 30 this year, two of the largest private contributors are David and Charles Koch, brother billionaires and owners of Koch Industries, weapons manufacture and the largest privately owned business in the U.S. Not only is this in itself rather dubious, Mayer quotes Bruce Bartlett, conservative historian and ex-member of the conservative National Center for Policy April 15 last year,Action think tank, who reveals the Kochs’ true intentions. “The problem with the whole libertarian movement is that it’s been all chiefs and no Indians. There haven’t been any actual people, like voters, who give a crap about it. So the problem for the Kochs has been trying to create a movement.” As Mayer points out, with the emergence of the Tea Party, Bartlett proclaims “everyone suddenly sees that for the first time there are Indians out there—people who can provide real ideological power.” Considering the way in which our system of private government historically has treated “Indians,” it seems a deleterious label.

While the interests of Koch Industries can easily be understood when Tea Party “patriots” carry assault rifles and personal weaponry to rallies, they are not the only ideological apparatus in motion. Another rather prominent tenant of the Tea Party platform is their common denial that humans are the catalyst for modern global warming. According to the British journalist Suzanne Goldenberg, writing for the Guardian on Oct. 24th, “BP and several other big European companies are funding the midterm election campaigns of Tea Party favorites who deny the existence of global warming or oppose Barack Obama's energy agenda…” The article cites a research project conducted by the Climate Action Network Europe, which discovered that nearly 80% ofcampaign donations from a number of major European firms were directed towards senators who blocked action on climate change. These included incumbents who have been embraced by the Tea Party such as Jim DeMint, a Republican from South Carolina, and the notorious climate change denie James Inhofe, a Republican from Oklahoma.”Yet again, this seems only to skim the top layer of the viscous interest that seems to be spreading across this ocean of “populist rage.” In the wake of commentators like Glenn Beck, it becomes clear that media conglomerates have a more than news to sell to readers and listeners. FOX News has become infamous for the clearly conservative narrative they offer up as “journalism,” shockingly parallel to the politics of its CEO Rupert Murdoch, Chairmen of the News Corporation, the third largest media corporation in the world. However, less known are other big names currently under Murdoch’s thumb including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post and MySpace to name a few, as well as several hundred magazines and newspapers, advertising, publishing, and broadcasting companies inside and outside of the US. A list can be found here: http://www.newscorp.com/operations/index.html.

In addition to influencing a majority of media, commentator Glenn Beck, in reference to the Tea Party, suggested that people should "[c]elebrate with Fox News" by either attending a protest or watching it on Fox News!” according to the Media Matters organization on April 15 last year.

As soon as we began seeing Tea Party booths popping up in suburban towns, we should have realized that no “grass-roots” movement has corporate-quality signs, t-shirts, and other such merchandise. When it becomes clear that big business stands behind this “grass-roots” movement,, when we realize that BP, Fox News, and Koch Industries are a just a few of the powerful interests behind this broader ideological machinery, we must be extremely wary.

We cannot afford to treat this as we have treated “catastrophes” like BP, like Watergate, and like Bernie Madoff. The media frenzy that all of these events caused, while revealing and correct, will forever display these injustices as anomalies, as glitches in an otherwise indisputably perfect system. Our in-depth journalism needs to develop into a broader criticism and more global investigation: a new systemic analysis must be undertaken. If we don’t, we will see another Watergate, where the media becomes epileptic in rage at the injustice of this instance of foul-play, ignoring the fact that this is merely business as usual. So many problems cannot be coincidences, not when they are so similar and frequent. These problems seem to be like symptoms. Leaves do not turn brown and die individually. Generally, it has something to do with the roots.

RedGorilla

Underground Youtube Channel

2010-10-28T21:38:00.000-07:00

Come check out the Underground Channel, a place for us to post video journalism, slideshows, and even artistic nonsense sent to us from the student body. Send us your videos, keep them Pg-13 and we'll post them.

http://www.youtube.com/user/nuunderground is the new place to subscribe to...now all we need is some videos...get going and welcome in.

Renovations!

2010-05-27T20:44:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody, it's been a while since we last posted. The hiatus lasted a lot longer that initially anticipated due to the fact that two of our members are seniors and are planning for college etc.

Now, a renewed call for INTERESTED FREELANCE WRITERS AND POTENTIAL PERMANENT STAFF MEMBERS. Membership is down, but morale is high. We all know who Nevada Union relies on for news and satire. If you want to be a part of something that is unique and part of something where you get to ACT rather than just exist at school, email me at liberal.thinker.nuunderground@gmail.com or nevadaunion.underground@gmail.com.

If you want to publish as a free lance writer you are welcome and if you want to become a staff writer you are especially welcome. Because only staff writers get pseudonyms or code names. That's half this paper anyway.

What a drought.

2010-01-19T23:56:00.000-08:00

So, obviously, we haven't been around. Sorry about that, we're on hiatus for the month of January. We have a few internal issues we need to sort out, not the least of which is the loss of out printing facilities. Printing five-hundred issues is sort of an expensive venture for a couple of high school kids with no backing. Please bear with us; we'll be back in February.

Oh, and since I'm an idiot and didn't post the articles from the last two issues, here's something better: all of the back issues are now available via Google Docs. How convenient!

PK

Nevada Union collecting student data in cafeteria

2009-12-03T21:28:00.000-08:00

Phoenix T

Nevada Union unveiled the remodeled school cafeteria last school year, to a variety of reactions from students. I don’t often venture into the cafeteria myself, but on the rare occasions that I do, I am always met with the same discomforting experience. As any student who buys lunch from the cafeteria is aware, students are required to enter their ID numbers into a small terminal, thus identifying themselves and linking the information related to their purchases to their respective school accounts.

I contacted Paige Moore, the Budget and Finance Coordinator for the district, to find out the reason for the practice. She told me that the reasoning behind the system has to do with funding. Nevada Union participates in the National School Lunch program, which entitles them to compensation based on the number of free, reduced, and paid meals served, provided the school reports the number of meals served.

“Every four years we are audited by the State and have to prove that we have a system that accurately records what students are receiving meals. Their main concern is to be sure we are not over-reporting,” says Moore. “This system also allows parents to go online and add money to their student’s account and monitor what they are purchasing.”

Aside from allowing parents to access their children’s accounts, there is no reason for students’ names and accounts to be tethered to the number and types of items bought in the cafeteria. Says Moore, “As a district, we are not interested in the individual purchase of the students. We only total the meals served and report it.”

Essentially, students’ names are not attached to the reports to the state, but the school has a record of each student’s purchases from the cafeteria, and that makes me a little uncomfortable.
It is true that as minors, most of us have far fewer rights than adults. When we set foot on campus, those rights are even further abridged, so there is no real legal basis for the abolition of the current system. I believe it, however, to be a gross invasion of my and my fellow students’ privacy. If the state does not need this information for the audit, I don’t believe there is any reason for anyone, let alone the school, to know what I eat, how much, and when, if I don’t choose to share it.

It was explained to me by Moore that, “If we don’t keep track by students, there would be no way for us to prove that we only claim one meal per student.” While I understand the reasoning, I can’t help but be a little disappointed that it seems to have crossed no one’s mind that perhaps people can be trusted to keep an honest tally after all. Beyond this, however, there are certainly alternative methods of tracking the number of lunches sold other than tethering each student’s purchases to his or her record.

Besides the apparent lack of trust for those who run the cafeteria, the principle of the issue remains clear: we are old enough to make some decisions on our own, and if we choose to keep certain aspects of our lives private, we should not have to forfeit access to a school service designed to be accessible to everyone. Regardless of our constricted rights on campus, this is an unnecessary invasion of privacy.

Alleged 9/11 mastermind's trial set

2009-12-03T21:25:00.000-08:00

Phoenix T

On November 13, General Eric H. Holder, Jr., announced that the self-proclaimed mastermind behind the September 11 attacks would be tried in federal court, just blocks from the site of the 2001 bombings. Gen. Holder has said that the prosecutors will be instructed to pursue death sentences for Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and the four alleged co-conspirators who will be tried alongside him.

While the general consensus is that it is time for the horrific crimes of 9/11 to be atoned for, there have been objections to the decision to bring the trial to the United States. Many believe that those responsible for the attacks do not deserve the protections of the U.S. legal system, and some say that holding the trial in New York may provoke another terrorist attack.

Says Representative Peter King, a Republican from New York, “We should not be increasing the danger of another terrorist strike against Americans at home and abroad.”

Another consideration is the choice to hold the trial in a federal court rather than using a military commission. Many civil liberties and human rights groups are satisfied; Anthony Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, called the decision “an enormous victory for the rule of law”. Some, however, are worried that holding the trial in a federal court is not only a threat to security, but will not provide the defendants with an unbiased jury.

Many people, including the families of victims of the attacks, support the decision to hold the trial in New York and some family members have even indicated interest in witnessing the trial.

“It is fitting that 9/11 suspects face justice near the World Trade Center site where so many New Yorkers were murdered,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, New York City Mayor.

Others believe the decision to be a positive reflection on the United States itself. Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a Democrat who believes strongly that the Obama administration and Gen. Holder have made the right choice.

“By trying them in our federal courts,” Leahy said, “we demonstrate to the world that the most powerful nation on Earth also trusts its judicial system.”

The detainees will not be moved immediately, as Congress requires a 45-day notice before prisoners at Guantanamo are moved to the U.S.

Defense lawyers are expected to argue that the CIA illegally tortured the defendants during interrogation, as the CIA has already admitted to using waterboarding, a simulation of drowning classified by the US as torture. Holder is confident, however, that the five detainees will be convicted.

Said the general on Friday, “Today’s announcement marks a significant step forward in our efforts to close Guantánamo and to bring to justice those individuals who have conspired to attack our nation and our interests abroad.”
Quotes collected by the The Los Angeles Times and the New York Times.

Patriot movement gaining momentum

2009-11-04T19:20:00.000-08:00

Phoenix T

About a decade ago, a group of U.S. calling themselves the members of the “Patriot” movement faded from public attention, due largely to the election of George W. Bush in 2000. The “Patriot” movement was made up mainly of tax-defiers, self-proclaimed “sovereign citizens,” and members of paramilitary antigovernment militias and emerged as a result of dissatisfaction with the government. In the months since the election of President Barack Obama, the movement has been gaining momentum once more, fueled by rampant conspiracy theories and propaganda spread by the media and political pundits.

Although it is true that the members of the “Patriot” movement do not nearly constitute a large enough portion of the population to pose a threat to American security, there is an unnerving number of militias and training groups forming around the country. A single law enforcement agency uncovered fifty new militia training groups, and, while these groups have not acted yet, many believe violence could explode at any moment.

"They're not at the level we saw in '94-'95," says one law enforcement officer who wished to remain anonymous. "But this is the most significant growth we've seen in ten to twelve years. All it's lacking is a spark. I think it's only a matter of time before you see threats and violence."

Bart McEntire, the supervisory special agent for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in Roanoke, Virginia, agrees. "You see people buying into what they're saying. It's primed to grow. The only thing you don't have to set it on fire is a Waco or Ruby Ridge,” he says, referring to the incidences of violence in Waco, Texas, and Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in the 1990s.

The main concern of the members of the “Patriot” movement is what they see as the inevitable eventual takeover of the United States by a tyrannical government. Former FBI agent Ted Gunderson told a gathering of “Patriots” that the government is hiding 1,000 internment camps across the country, along with 30,000 guillotines and a half a million caskets in Atlanta, Georgia, for the days when the government declares martial law and comes to “round up dissenters.” “They're going to keep track of all of us, folks,” he warns.

An especially prominent Patriot group, the Oath Keepers, is made up of military men, veterans, and law enforcement officers, and swears to defend the Constitution by whatever means necessary. The group was founded by Stewart Rhodes, a Yale Law School graduate and former aide to U.S. Rep. Ron Paul. Rhodes is particularly worried about the potential for a dictatorship in the U.S. and told radio host Alex Jones, “"We know that if the day should come where a full-blown dictatorship would come, or tyranny … it can only happen if those men, our brothers in arms, go along and comply with unconstitutional, unlawful orders.”

The calls for violence among these “Patriots” are growing louder and more frequent. The Idaho Citizens Constitutional Militia recently posted an opening for a “field sniper.” In Washington, a man was charged with keeping an illegal cache of weapons that included a machine gun, four silencers, and two guns made by a local gunsmith and inscribed with "Christian warrior" and “NObama.” In Nebraska, a member of a conspiracy group called the Prophecy Club was found to have been hiding dozens of containers of explosive powder, fuses and other components that could be used to make up to 93 grenades.

It is unlikely that the various organizations and groups under the umbrella of the “Patriot” movement will ever rally enough support to overthrow or even significantly influence the government. It is unfortunate, however, that there are those with so little faith in our system of government as to believe that violence is the only solution to the problems we all face every day.

Media wins right to publish untruths

2009-11-04T19:08:00.001-08:00

Freedom of the press is a concept that we associate with the freest of nations. As a country, we take pride in the fact that news outlets are always free to print the truth and that no publication, radio frequency or television station is under the government’s thumb. It’s a sign of a truly free nation when their reporters are free to present the facts and offer commentary on them.
We have such confidence in our media’s freedom to report that we’re pretty willing to trust what major outlets say and assume that the necessary fact checking was done. Sometimes we forget that even though the government isn’t free to adulterate the truth, there are agents who are perfectly willing to.
This goes beyond cries of bias within news outlets. Contrary to popular belief, there is legal protection for news organizations to publish information that may not be truthful.
In 1997, Jane Akre and Steve Wilson, two former journalists for a Fox Network-owned affiliate, were doing a story on the bovine growth hormone rBGH and its effects on humans who consume products that contain it. The report proffered that rBGH is known to cause cancer and products containing it were able to be sold without a label informing of the chemical.
Akre and Wilson presented the story to their bosses at the news station, but were immediately greeted with resistance. The station was under pressure from the Monsanto Corporation (the company that produces rBGH) to either ensure that every part of the report was unequivocally true or to withhold the report altogether. Monsanto has an aggressive, capable legal department that will attack any weak links a piece concerning the corporation. The story was rewritten by Fox’s lawyers some seventy times before the two journalists were simply terminated when they refused to air the edited segment.
Akre and Wilson both sued the Fox affiliate for the loss of their jobs. Wilson, who acted as his own lawyer, lost his suit, but Akre won some $400,000. In 2003, however, Fox appealed the decision, claiming that it was their First Amendment right to report whatever they liked. The case was overturned and a Florida appellate court decided in 2006 that the Federal Communications Commission’s position against news distortion is only a “policy,” not a “law, rule, or regulation.”
The whole case leaves the nations journalists in a pretty tricky situation as far as precedent. Suddenly, every news outlet in the United States has legal backing to publish untrue stories. There is a fine line between freedom of the press and total impunity to publish whatever a media company feels like. There’s a difference between censorship and journalistic standards of truth and proof.
What is really interesting is that this case concluded about three years ago and it’s still “circulating,” as it were on the net. It has received little to no coverage from mainstream news and is only surfacing on a few blogs and sites like Digg and reddit. This is to be expected; a mainstream news outlet has no reason to want to publish a story that runs the risk of sparking public outrage and threatening their newfound trump card.

Technology not utilized on campus

2009-11-04T19:05:00.000-08:00

I returned to Nevada Union after travelling across California to check out colleges during fall break. After spending time at two UCs, two private universities and a high school in southern California, I began to wonder why NU doesn’t have WiFi access like the majority of college campuses and a rapidly growing number of high schools. At an institution that is supposed to be preparing us for college and the world beyond, why aren’t we learning more about increasingly digital solutions to modern problems?
The average NU student’s access to technology and the web is really sort of pitiful. The school has banned iPods and thereby opportunities for options like educational Podcasts and easy web access; the doctrine on laptops is unclear at best and restrictive at worst; library computers always available for quick access are hopelessly out of date; PCs that are even a generation behind current are only available via reservation and only usable under the watchful eye of a staff member; and the internet filter blocks the vast majority of Web 2.0 socially-created websites like YouTube, reddit, Digg, Blogger and Facebook that could potentially offer exciting new educational opportunities.
When I ask Nevada Joint Union School District Superintendent Ralf Swenson what the official line on web access at NU is, he quickly produces the official policy and reads it off: essentially, students are not to have access to personal emails, videos, MP3 files or chat rooms. He pauses to laugh. “This was approved by the [school] board in 1998. It may be time for an update.”
Swenson, at the top of the chain of command of the district, is not even remotely opposed to integrating modern tech concepts into NU’s curriculum, a stance that’s a little surprising given the current state of affairs. Listening to him talk, however, one does not get the impression that he wants to crack down further or keep things the way that they are; indeed, he’s nothing but optimistic about the average student’s capacity to access information for the benefit of the educational process. He speaks of advisory committees of tech-savvy students and grants from Apple to open an “iPod Lab” on campus (a school-owned set of iPod Touches to be checked out to individual students for web, audio and video access).
Then why the hard line on tech from the administration? According to Jill Sonnenberg, NU librarian and co-chair of the local Intellectual Freedom committee, it stems from technologically-challenged instructors. “Teachers need professional development to feel comfortable using Web 2.0 concepts,” she says, pointing to the removal of a twenty-one hour tech-education mandate for all teachers as one cause of the restrictive attitude. “So much of meeting time is spent on explaining how to work [the school’s information infrastructure] eSchool when it should be put towards discussions of how to integrate these concepts.”
There’s certainly departmental support in certain places for further campus technology access, so the next step, as it so often is, seems to be a demand from the population. As more and more students become increasingly tech-savvy and capable of accessing huge amounts of information, the divide between access concepts on and off-campus shouldn’t remain so wide; in other words, internet-capable students shouldn’t have to dumb down their research abilities when they come to school.
Agree? Outraged? Think we’re full of it? Send your thoughts to NellPK.nuunderground@gmail.com and keep your eyes on NU Underground for further coverage of technology on campus in the coming weeks.

Student Works on Moore's New Movie

2009-11-04T18:26:00.000-08:00

Molly Hardesty-Moore on Capitalism: A Love Story

Film director Michael Moore has been the subject of more criticism from the conservative party than nearly any professional filmmaker in America. His controversial documentaries have managed thus far to rally support, and yet have also drawn the ire of many who believe he “hates America”. To date, Capitalism: A Love Story will be Moore’s twelfth documentary since Roger & Me (1986). Moore is most famous for his two recent documentaries, however: Bowling for Columbine (2002), which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary, and Fahrenheit 911(2004).
This article however, is not about Moore. Well, not Michael anyway. Molly Hardesty-Moore is Michael Moore’s niece and she is a junior at Nevada Union High School. Ms. Moore served as an intern in the making of as part of the archival team responsible for the hundreds of old video clips in the movie. Ms. Moore was kind enough to offer an interview for the paper. She was however, slightly apprehensive.
“Being related to Michael Moore affects how people like me or not. Sometimes they decide to hate me because I am related to Michael Moore.”
We discussed the film and I asked whether there was anything she thought the movie lacked.
“Well, I really think there should be a little more of what we should do, at the end of the movie I was sort of left with a ‘well, what now?’ feeling. I think also think there should have been a little bit more on socialism, because the movie is about how capitalism is flawed, so I think it needed to explore some other alternatives or an least something for us to do."
The word “socialism” has become a buzz word in America, especially with the far-right. It has been made to conjure up similar images as Nazi Germany, except instead everyone is Russian. The mention of the word has the similar affect on most people as being addressed with a swear word.
“Yah, I have definitely noticed that.” Moore replies to this with a laugh. “Like all different kinds of ruling systems, there are flaws here. I think people need to start thinking some more, considering some other things. Money doesn’t have to rule our lives, that if just the norm here, that is just kind of expected, I mean it doesn’t have to be like that. There are other alternatives and that’s what I think Michael should have addressed.”
I asked a little about Michael himself. After all, there aren’t many who can say that have an Academy Award-winning director for an uncle.
“Well, I know Michael like you know an uncle, he is family, and it has never seemed any different for me that that. He is of course, naturally a funny man. Yah, sort of the family clown, but the humor is just him. He isn’t trying to be funny. He doesn’t even really think of himself as all that important; he is definitely humble about the whole thing. But he is usually the center of attention when the family gets together.”
The movie is debatably Michael Moore’s best, packed with wicked, top-notch humor, to soften the blow of the powerful images and stories the movies delivers. Mr. Moore’s message is this: we can no longer be content with a system that works for the rich few, using our tax money to increase their privilege, while the many watch as people get kicked from their houses, lose their jobs, and starve in the richest country in the world. And who better to begin this new thinking process than the nation’s youth. The environment at Nevada Union must become less dense when it comes to thought and opinion since we, as the next generation and like Ms. Moore says, need to begin imaging another world and think of new possibilities.

Homophobia a strong influence on campus culture

2009-10-08T15:48:00.000-07:00

Phoenix T

The term “homophobia” originally referred to a person’s irrational fear of sexual attraction to a member of the same sex, but over the years, has come to represent all aspects of the oppression of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. Homophobia was the root of the 2,875 hate crimes in 2006 and 2007 based on sexual orientation-bias, according to hate crime statistics collected by the FBI under the Hate Crimes Statistics Act of 1990.

Harassment, both verbal and physical, is one such way in which homophobia manifests itself and, while it is not always apparent, homophobia plays a role in the student culture at Nevada Union. The experiences of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals at Nevada Union often go unexamined, but the effect of biases against those who form a very small minority of our student population is one indication of the state of the social culture in our school.

Andrew Bristow, a former Nevada Union student who took his General Education Development (GED) Test and left high school after three years, was president of GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) at NU his junior year. He now works with the organization Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) in the community.

Andrew is gay and “came out” during his time at Ghidotti High School. He transferred to NU in his sophomore year. He spoke of his experiences with homophobia in an unnervingly matter-of-fact voice that seemed to indicate that he has come to terms with the things he has had to deal with.

“I was hit, spit on, told I was going to hell, called a fag almost on a daily basis. It was hard, but you have to keep on living.”

Unfortunately, many people, especially students, don’t realize that things they say on a daily basis can be hurtful and insensitive. Namely, the use of the word “faggot,” which has become a derogatory term for a gay male, has become common, even casual. The word represents centuries of homophobia, and yet in recent years its meaning and implications have been forgotten or ignored.

Amanda Jarmillo, a senior at Nevada Union, identifies herself as bisexual, but says, “The way I see it is more I just like whoever I like and I don’t care what’s down the front of their pants.”

Amanda came out in her freshman year on National Coming Out Day, October 11, and, while her friends were supportive, other students made the experience uncomfortable. “Freshman year, when I came out to people at school, girls in the locker room were freaking out. They tended to think that because I like girls that I would like them specifically, which I find quite conceited and rude.”

Of course, not everyone has experienced homophobia in the way that Andrew and Amanda have. Matt Murray, also an NU senior, says of being gay at NU, “It’s been easy. I haven’t really gotten a lot of crap here. People don’t give crap to people who are just themselves. I love being gay. I’ve had a few bad experiences but I’m a strong enough person that I can deal with it.”

Matt’s story is encouraging, but it seems to be a rare one for homosexual students at NU. High school should be a place where students can feel comfortable about themselves and live without fear of harassment from others. The effects of our words and actions on others are worth taking into account and it’s our obligation as people and classmates to acknowledge them.

Council Decides on Medical Marijuana Dispensary

2009-09-24T18:31:00.000-07:00

Last week, the possible opening of a medical marijuana dispensary was being investigated by City Council. One member of the council, Vice Mayor Robert Bergman, had asked for a moratorium on the subject, saying he wished to investigate the subject further. His vote was the deciding one in an apparent tie amongst the Council members.

After both sides were weighed, and community members voiced opinions, the Council voted on the proposal, with a 3-2 decision against. Vice Mayor Robert Bergman cast his vote against the proposal, aligning with council members David McKay and Sally Harris. Council woman Coffman and Mayor Senum, who voted ‘yes’ on the proposal, did not hide their disappointment.

“We can walk away today and ban dispensaries and pat ourselves on the back, and all we've done is put a Band-Aid on a hemorrhage,” said Senum, in reference to the ignorance concerning medical marijuana in Nevada County.

Council Member Harris voted ‘no’ but for a different reason.
“This is about whether this fits in this community,” Harris said. “It's not that I'm against people using it for medical purposes, but I don't think we're big enough to have it.” She instead suggested those in need go to dispensaries in Colfax or Sacramento.

Council Woman Coffman also voiced her dissatisfaction with the Council’s decision.
“If it's the will of the council not to go forward, then I think it's a cowardly act,” said Councilwoman Barbara Coffman even before the vote was taken.
Other community members expressed their sorrow, citing personal and local situations that would have benefited from the dispensary here in Nevada County.

“It's very sad because, with my friend with cancer, there's no time for her to wait for a plant to grow,” said Ryan Landers, the senior adviser for the Compassionate Coalition, a medical cannabis advocacy group. “Using this message of trying to prevent kids from getting drugs is just saying we want to lie to you kids so bad, we want to make these things sound terrible, and that we're willing to hurt our community.”

Now that the council has spoken, the future in unsure for medicinal cannabis in Nevada County

Oh you didn't think we could do it again!

2009-09-23T23:22:00.002-07:00

But we're back! YEEHAW.
Issue four is out. Glee. Don't have anything else to say tonight. Still looking for writers and committed newsies. Again, hit me up (NellPK.nuunderground@gmail.com) if you wanna help.

Peace OUT. I'm going to bed.
PK

Blue Tuesday Buzzes Boozy Boomers

2009-09-23T23:21:00.000-07:00

The members of the Blue Tuesday file out as guitarist and lead vocalist Phil DiLeo dons a Navy Admiral’s jacket and a pair of shades. They break into the opening chords of “Simple Matter,” the first track from their latest album, “In Anticipation.” They keep a low-key pace through the first verse of the song, until the tempo jumps suddenly and their energy spikes. The group leaps around the stage with an energy that I don’t expect from a local high school band.

That’s not the only thing that surprises me about the evening. Blue Tuesday is playing this evening at the Center for the Arts with local musician Bri Anne Michelle, who has a more pop-country sound, to a crowd of largely middle-age ladies and gentlemen. It’s all seemingly out of place for the high school rock band.

I ask them about the crowd after the show and keyboardist Eli Kirshbaum laughs. “Yeah, that was weird. It’s such a different show from anything that we normally play. I mean, we’re used to playing mostly to people we know with bands that have similar music. But we’re here tonight with Bri Anne playing to a crowd of old people we don’t know. That was weird.”

Blue Tuesday is certainly a recognizable name for a contingent of Nevada Union students. The band has been together since seventh grade when they banded together to perform in the Seven Hills Middle School Talent show.

“We really didn’t know that we’d be together this long,” says percussionist Dawson Timpany. “I think that we really did just get together for that talent show.”

“I think what’s kept us together is that we have common ground beyond the music.” says Kirshbaum. “We’re actually sort of known as Blue Tuesday beyond the band; it’s just sort of a name for the group of us. If anything ever gets tense at rehearsals, we can always walk away from it and find something else to do.”

“We were in the police blotter once,” he remembers, and laughs. “We were selling Oreos to old people for a dollar each. Some lady called the cops.”

“We didn’t have a permit,” bassist Chris Griggs points out.

Blue Tuesday has two full-length LPs, “Welcome to Sealand” and “In Anticipation,” but what catches my eye at their sales table after the set is the piles of CDs individually packaged in unique construction paper sleeves, each labeled “Three Wishes.” When I ask about it, DiLeo joyfully leaps into the conversation. “Basically, if you had three wishes, anything you want, and mashed them into a song, that’s what the ‘Three Wishes’ EP is.”

Timpany explains: “What it actually is is a collection of reworked songs that we played in Phil’s garage between recording ‘Sealand’ and ‘In Anticipation.’ We made individual cases for each one, and they’re only three bucks. We thought we’d sell out, but this is the big spending crowd, I guess.”

I ask about a chance of a new album sometime soon and the group looks to Timpany. “We’re thinking of doing a five-song EP sometime soon, before the end of the school year.”

Guitarist Jeff Baldock continues: “I think we’d really like to rework some of our favorite older stuff and add that to a few new songs. This’ll probably be our last release for a long time, unless we finally get that recording offer.” He looks around at the rest of the band. “I mean, we’d take that right?”

Drug Dogs to Search NU Campuses

2009-09-23T23:08:00.000-07:00

The Nevada Joint Union High School district is going to begin randomly searching high school campuses districtwide with the assistance of drug dogs. The final decision was passed at an NUHSD board meeting at Bear River High School on September 16.

NJUHSD has entered into a contract with Interquest Detection Canines. The private security company works at a myriad of facilities throughout California and has a reputation for training dogs who detect all manner of illicit materials with a high degree of precision.

“The way it was explained to me was that a student could have a six-pack of beer packed in ice in an ice chest in the trunk of their car, and the dogs would be able to detect it,” says Trisha Dellis, assistant superintendent of schools for NJUHSD and principal of Ghidotti Early High School. “The dogs are able to ‘sight,’ or detect, illicit substances incredibly accurately.”

The dogs are able to identify all manner of illegal drugs, as well as tobacco, alcohol, and gunpowder.

Dellis explained the general search schedule, or lack thereof. “The district has contracted Interquest Detection for a certain number of search days for the semester. After the first search day, they will randomly arrive on campus and alert an administrator. At that point, they will determine what they will be searching that day, whether it’s classrooms, lockers, the parking lots, etc.”

The dogs are extremely accurate and able to sight on any of their trained substances. They can also detect residue, which is to say that they can sight on substances even when they aren’t being carried.

Interquest Detection will be visiting all NJUHSD campuses on September 22 and 23 to explain the system to students. After that, they’ll commence their random search schedule.

The response from students has been less than glowing. Some are calling it a violation of fourth amendment search rights, but the district cites the California educational code that gives them certain search privileges that don’t exist off campus.

“The national and state judiciary has ruled time and time again in favor of school administrations’ right to search so long as it’s in the best interests of students,” says Dellis.

Other critics are voicing disapproval for the manner in which classroom searches are conducted, saying that they are ripe for misunderstandings and damaged reputations. A classroom is selected at random by the Interquest Detection agents once they are on campus. The students and teachers of the class are asked to leave while the dogs search the room. In the event that a dog sights on bag or piece of clothing, the owner of the item is asked to report to campus administrators.

“We understand that a situation can potentially be misread; what if a student’s parent accidentally spills a glass of wine on their bag? That’s why we’re doing the assembly and explaining the policy ahead of time, so that everyone has a chance to get their act together and understand the risks of being around illicit substances and the precautions necessary,” said Dellis.

“We don’t want the program to be thought of as a ‘gotcha’ concept.” Dellis says. “More than anything, it’s a deterrent. We’re not trying to catch students for the sheer purpose of getting them in trouble. We simply want to offer another barrier to students considering trying illegal substances.”

Grass Valley Quiznos works to keep teens away

2009-09-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

Phoenix T

About a year ago, the Quiznos on Neal Street in Grass Valley installed a device called “Mosquito” at the front of their business. This device emits high-frequency ultrasonic sound waves with a range of about sixty-five to a hundred feet that is designed to be audible only to those under twenty-five years old.

The motivation for putting up the Mosquito was to discourage the juveniles who have a tendency to loiter around the Quiznos storefront. Many customers and business owners in the area have complained at length about the youths who spend what is, in their opinion, too much time in the Elizabeth Daniels Park and the shopping center on Neal Street.

Relatively recently, the owners of Quiznos took their efforts to curb loitering to a new level. In an article written for The Union in December of 2008, Caitlin Murphy, one of the owners of Quiznos, was quoted as saying, “It’s meant to annoy them. That’s our small defense.” She said that groups would loiter on the steps of her business, making it difficult for customers to enter. “Most of them are entirely disrespectful. Customers have said, ‘We won’t be coming back.’ It’s that bad.”

The “Mosquito” Teen Deterrent is sold by a company called Compound Security Systems. Their website describes the Mosquito as “the solution to the eternal problem of unwanted gatherings of youths and teenagers in shopping malls, around shops and anywhere else they are causing problems.”

Quiznos absolutely has the legal backing for the installation of such a device on their property. Some youths, however, argue that it’s open discrimination. “It’s actively a teen-deterrent; it’s advertised as a teen-deterrent. It’s clearly discrimination. They might as well put up a sign saying ‘No one under 22 allowed,’” says Alicia Parker, a senior at Nevada Union. The argument is that Quiznos discriminates against an entire demographic, whether their presence is disruptive or not, by making it uncomfortable and even painful for them to be around the store.

The fact that the noise from the Mosquito can be heard from the street, an area outside Quiznos property is also worth considering. The legality of projecting a disturbing sound that makes it difficult for people to enjoy public property is questionable.

There is, of course, a certain defensible quality to the installment of the device. An employee at Wild Birds Unlimited, a business located a floor below Quiznos says, “[The owners of Quiznos] had their business affected; people were panhandling outside their business and making people uncomfortable. I wouldn’t call it discrimination; that’s not its purpose.” She also said, however, that there hasn’t been much of a problem for about a year. “At the time, they needed it. Once the problem’s gone, though, you can turn it off,” she said.

Ultimately, it seems unlikely that Quiznos will take down the Mosquito or that juveniles will stop loitering in and around the business. As one community member said in reference to the issue of hearing the noise on the street, “The fact that it may disturb innocent young people as they’re walking by is an unfortunate byproduct of what the owners saw as a necessary measure to keep their business alive.”

Unfortunately, the proprietors of Grass Valley’s Quiznos declined to comment.

Fun times.

2009-09-12T14:10:00.000-07:00

Thought everyone may enjoy this. I certainly did.
PK

wooo hooo issue three's OUT

2009-09-10T22:00:00.001-07:00

Two days late, but here we are. Issue three came out on Wednesday this week. Yeehaw.

Bit of housekeeping: we've avoided stepping forward and putting a face to our names since we started for a few reasons. a) I thought it made us look badass, but more importantly, b) we wanted to avoid getting screamed at in a highly trafficked part of campus.. As neither one of those worked out, we're openly promoting our work at this point. We're gonna keep with the pseudonyms at this point because we really like them for some reason. It's not too hard to figure out who we are; just ask around.

Next: stepping forward has allowed us the delightful opportunity to address everyone openly and ask for your help. Our initial strategy with the distribution of the paper was for me to show up on campus at 3 AM with hundreds of copies and sort of... leave them lying around. Suffice to say, insubstantial. So we've got a new plan, one that some of you may already be familiar with. We're asking any of you who are willing to basically take a stack of papers and hand them out. Even with a pretty uncoordinated effort on Wednesday, we got the issue into more hands than we ever have before. We can do even better; hit me up at NellPK.nuunderground@gmail.com if you can help us out.

Finally: NUUG is looking for writers. Here's how we see it: your commitment to the paper can be as big or small as you want it. Start by sending us something you wanna see in print; we'll help you clean it up, and if we think we've got it in a fit state to print, we'll absolutely put it in the paper and on the blog. Likewise, if you're interested in becoming a fulltime editor, start by contacting me with something you've written. We'll go from their. This is as much all of your project as it is mine; I implore you, PLEASE send us your thoughts and feelings and full articles. Hit me up at the above email or at NevadaUnion.Underground@gmail.com.

Alright, I've rambled enough. I'll see you kids in two weeks. Thanks for your support this week; things are just gonna get stronger and stronger. Peace

PK

Nevada Union iPod ban met with enthusiasm

2009-09-10T21:58:00.000-07:00

Nevada Union High School announced last month that they would no longer be permitting the usage of iPod music players on campus. The move was a departure from the former policy of allowing students to carry and use iPods outside of class, during lunch and passing periods.
The announcement has been praised by students and faculty alike as a bold statement against Apple Inc, creators of the popular device. Apple has dominated the portable music player industry for years, to the point that the brand has become almost synonymous with MP3 player.

“I think that it’s a fantastic decision,” says an NU student, speaking of the ban. “I bought a [Microsoft] Zune MP3 player and it’s haunted me ever since. Now, I don’t have to feel ostracized on campus for not owning an iPod.”

Indeed, many seem to feel that the Apple domination of the market has given rise to a caste system among MP3 player owners, where owners of other brands make up the lowest level of society. Said one administrator, “We want to encourage a learning environment in which all students feel on equal footing and this is simply impossible when some are rejected for not being a part of the Apple brandscape.”

Members of the radical pro-Microsoft group “Windows Knights of Nevada Union” came forward in support of the move. “We thank Nevada Union High School for exercising some discretion and protecting music-player owners who do not want to buy into Apple’s overpriced bullshit,” said an anonymous member of WKNU.

Nevada Union principal Marty Matheson has emerged as the spearhead of the anti-iPod policy. He has been quoted as saying that he “needs all his kids helping him on this one.”

“You’re all my pals, and I’m gonna need my pals behind me,” Matheson said to thunderous applause at teachers meeting one week before the school year began. Matheson has also been quoted as saying that he uses a SanDisk Sansa MP3 player, along with the comment that, “it’s not even the same thing as an iPod.”

However, some critics have stepped forward to question the ban. “I really want to know how the staff intends to enforce a policy like this,” said a student who wished to remain anonymous. “I’m not saying that banning iPods isn’t a great idea, but I question whether some of the older NU staff can tell them apart from useful teaching tools like calculators and cell phones that remain legal on campus.”

The decision has seen owners of all varieties of MP3 players coming out of the woodwork to celebrate. “It’s sort of ironic,” said an observer. “All of this partying sort of looks like an iPod commercial.”

Medical marijuana debate rages

2009-09-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

Liberal Thinker & Cellar Door

In Nevada County, a recent debate has been sparked by a proposal, labeled proposition 215, for the opening of a local medical marijuana dispensary.

The dispensary would allow medical cannabis prescription carriers access to medical marijuana locally. Currently, federal law prohibits the sale of medical marijuana in all states. However, California state law has no such rule, conflicting with the federal legislation. Statewide raids of private marijuana farms have caused tension to rise between medical marijuana beneficiaries and state policy makers. Currently, many people agree that the political climate is right for this discussion to be held. In Nevada City, a proposal to open a legal medicinal marijuana dispensary was read to City Council on July 19.

One side opposes the measure, asserting that there is not really a need for a dispensary here in Nevada County. There is currently a medical marijuana dispensary in Colfax, not even twenty minutes away, and the need for one here, they say, is not really that great. They feel that the change will bring more harm to our small community than good.

“Why do we even need one?” One community member asks. “It’s not like [medical marijuana] isn’t available. They can drive to Colfax, it is less than twenty minutes to get there. What’s the big deal?”

District Attorney Cliff Newell has voiced his opposition, stating that the opening of a local dispensary would bring an unnecessary and potentially dangerous element to the county. The aforementioned community member summarized his position, stating, “What happens is this: people come from the city with guns and rob these farms. It happens all the time."

From the perspective of city planning, the opening of dispensaries here has the potential to increase traffic, crowding already congested areas of Nevada City and Grass Valley. Fears have arisen over the prospect of commercializing small, quiet neighborhoods near schools. In general, the increase of medical marijuana dispensaries in non-commercial areas could cause unnecessary growth, threatening to damage the tranquility of our small residential, suburban areas.

Other community members go as far as to voice concerns involving the kind of people that will be attracted to the city if the dispensaries were opened. They worry that the potential crowd that will be attracted to the newly opened dispensaries will not be of a savory sort, possibly spiking crime or even just disturbances of the peace.

In conclusion, the debate isn’t as simple as deciding whether medical marijuana is bad or good. Many other factors affect our community, making the decision much more complicated than a simple rejection or acceptance of the proposal.

Bennett defends against medical cannabis attacks

2009-09-10T20:25:00.000-07:00

Liberal Thinker & Cellar Door

Proposition 215 was first proposed by Harry Bennett, a Nevada City resident, who wants to open the dispensary himself as a non-profit. He has acquired a business permit and is the leading voice for the proposition, backed by other community members. In previous interviews he has said, “We want to be totally legitimate. We're going to do more than what's required, and more. This will be a community endeavor that will have a lot of people involved.”

The dispensary, if managed correctly, would be legal following state regulations. Bennett said he has no plan to depart from state law.

"Breaking state laws is nowhere in our business plan," he said.

Bennett, a businessperson by trade, said he plans a well-run business that will employ as many as twenty people, including security personnel.

Bennett wants to name the dispensary “Organic Compassion”, embodying his desire to be helpful to the community. “The real reason I want to do this is for compassion, to get this really beneficial medicine to people who are not getting it now, have a hard time getting it, can’t get it in the forms that will benefit them the most, or have to go too far to get it.”

The state laws and regulations could cause contentions between local government and Bennett. District Attorney Cliff Newell has stated that he would keep a close eye on whatever Bennett opens.

Bennett, however, is not alone. Jim Henry of Colfax has owned a dispensary there since 2004. The success of the Colfax dispensary provides a model for the potential dispensary here in Nevada County. Henry has not released the specific amount of sales tax revenues his dispensary contributes to the Colfax City treasury, but he has been quoted to say that on some days, the non-profit has raised more tax revenue than the local McDonalds restaurant. However, Henry has also been quoted in previous interviews as saying, “We've had a model over here for the last five years that we're very proud of. It's not about making money -- it's about helping people."

Henry has had a prescription for medical marijuana since the Compassionate Care Act of 1996. The prescription helped him through the pain of cancer, something he needed daily. Cannabis has been proven in recent research to have the same or superior medicinal affects of many strong, often harmfully addicting painkillers. As Henry has said in the past, “Almost every patient that comes in here is taking our candy, and they're replacing OxyContin," Henry said, referring to the powerful painkiller. "The pharmaceutical companies have ruined us. What we get to do (here) is help people. Never in the history of the world has anyone overdosed from marijuana use."

Bennett also has said his dispensary would not sell paraphernalia, and smoking or ingesting products on the premises would be prohibited, provisions likely to be included in a City Council ordinance. The Colfax shop has never had any problems with crime, says the Auburn Journal in an article featuring the dispensary.

“Troy Minton-Sander, Placer Sheriff’s Colfax substation sergeant, said since the Colfax collective’s 2004 opening, there have been no crimes or arrests related to the shop.”

The model of the Colfax dispensary implies that the Nevada County Dispensary would be similarly successful.

Bennett said he knows of dozens of people who are ready to use his services: people, he said, who now have to travel to San Francisco and Oakland to fill their prescriptions.

“I refer to it as medicinal cannabis,” he said. “I abhor the use of the name ‘pot.'”

The opening of the dispensary here in Nevada County could potentially be just as or even more successful than the Colfax shop. The benefits and smoothness the Colfax dispensary has been experiencing bode well for Bennett and prescription carriers here in Nevada County. The debate is passionate on both sides of the issue. The most important thing is that people get the facts and think about what is going on here in our town. This is something the whole community should be involved in and it is important for everyone to be informed.

New film raises questions of Holocaust portrayal

2009-09-09T21:36:00.000-07:00

Phoenix T

“We’re in the Nazi-killing business, and cousin, business is booming,” says Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine in the new Quentin Tarantino movie, Inglourious Basterds. Tarantino’s latest blockbuster is something of a revenge fantasy centered on a group of Jews in Nazi-occupied France whose purpose is to kill Nazis in the most gruesome ways they can possibly think of and generally spread terror in the Nazi ranks.

Since its release, the film has generated a wide range of reviews and been both hailed as Academy Award material and dismissed as an embarrassment to the film industry. One thing is certain, however: like many other World War II films before it, Inglourious Basterds raises questions of the social morality of creating entertainment based on the Holocaust and Nazi Germany. Can we, in good conscience, spend money and make money exploiting what is described by many as the most horrific event in human history?

There are all kinds of arguments used by proponents of the film, such as the assertions that people need to be familiarized with the subject and because it is not taught adequately in schools, entertainment in the form of movies and theater is crucial to ensure that people remember the Holocaust and the Nazi regime for what they were. Indeed, many of those affected most personally by the travesty have stepped forward in support of the film and others like it; Amy Small is a Nevada City resident and daughter of a Hungarian Holocaust survivor. Speaking on the subject of Basterds, she says that “seeing this film was a cathartic experience for me. It’s what we all would have loved to have done, and while all Holocaust films are not necessarily historically accurate, they are important to understanding the events and their repercussions.”

The counterpoint, of course, is that the terrors of these events cannot and should not be conveyed through fictitious plots and by actors who never experienced the events they are portraying. The argument goes that in attempting to keep the memories of the dead and the survivors alive, the cinema industry has created a way to help us forget. I spoke with Joseph Goldberg, a member of Congregation B’nai Harim in Grass Valley, who says that he believes the exploitation of the Holocaust and Nazi Germany is a disgrace. “Entertainment from such a travesty in human history,” he said, “is the lowest that we, as a society, can possibly sink.”

During my viewing of Basterds, a large portion of the audience was made up of high school students. Seeing these young adults, who largely have not been exposed to the Holocaust beyond the basic coverage that it gets in American high schools, made me consider the fact that our generation will be the first to live without survivors. When we are adults, there will be no survivors left who remember their sufferings. If these films are all the exposure we get to the Holocaust, will we be able to guard the memories of the dead against the dulling effect of time or those who would have us believe the Holocaust is a myth?

This issue has been struggled with by artists, survivors, and Jews all over the world since it has become socially acceptable to even reference the Holocaust and Nazi Germany in pop culture. It is an extremely complex issue that may never be settled satisfactorily, but perhaps deserves more consideration than it gets from most of the moviegoing public.

Nevada County Voices website

2009-06-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

About Nevada County Voices

Purpose: The Nevada County Voices website is meant to serve 2 functions -
1. To provide in one place as much info as possible about our county, by pulling in information from other websites and from Nevada County web blogs of all interests and political viewpoints.
2. In future, to feature daily original content.
(be patient…)

Hear the voices of the community at ncvoices.us.

YOUTH: Visit http://utrn.org/
Become the media, become the voices of this county, become the future.
This page offers interesting possibilities for interested and intelligent youth, tired of watching from the sidelines. Contact Greg Zaller, email on the site.

Thanks for everything Greg.

Nevada County Teen Clinic Closes

2009-05-31T22:59:00.001-07:00

The Nevada County teen clinic was officially shuttered last week after a unanimous vote by the county board of supervisors. The decision came a week after the county public health agency recommended the closure of the clinic to help alleviate an expected $762,000 budget shortfall.
The teen clinic was originally opened in 1997. It has grown since then and up until two weeks ago, provided contraception, counseling, drug assistance, information pamphlets and other resources to local teens. At its closure, the clinic serviced over four-hundred regular teens. Additionally, the clinic provided a mobile service van that visited Park Avenue Alternative High twice a month and Earl Jamison High occasionally.
The closure of the clinic has, understandably, been met with disappointment and anger from the community. Said Hannah Limov, a Nevada Union senior and vocal proponent and volunteer for the teen clinic, “I am deeply upset that the county feels the need to pull the plug on this resource in order to cut back on fees.” Limov was one of the many community members that spoke at the board of supervisors meeting decrying the closure of the clinic.
Unfortunately, says county health department head Jeff Brown, keeping the clinic operational is simply not feasible at this time. “This is a straight cut,” says Brown. “The funding is not being reallocated to another program. There is simply no money to keep the clinic open.”
Understandably, however, this explanation has done little to assuage the concerns of proponents of the clinic. Alexa Curtis, a local family nurse practitioner and assistant professor at Sacramento University, decried the closure of the program a failure of the health department. “[The community] is fed up with funding for human services departments that fail to provide services for humans,” she said at the board of supervisors meeting. Her impassioned words received enthusiastic applause from the small crowd that had attended.
NU senior Jesse Triplett spoke at the meeting as well, making an appeal to logic. “The teen clinic’s closure may lead to more unwanted pregnancies. This will cost the county even more in entitlement costs for teen mothers on welfare than it costs to operate the clinic,” said Triplett. The argument was compelling, as many board members recognized.
But the board recognized how dire the more immediate financial situation is. With no real alternative programs to cut and a creeping deficit, the board voted unanimously to approve the ending of funding to the teen clinic, albeit with some reservations. “This is only the beginning because of what’s coming down from the state of California,” warned supervisor John Spencer. “All of you may be the first, but you will certainly not be the last.”
Health department head John Brown, who presented the proposal to the board, also had conflicted feelings about closing the program, one that he helped to form back in 1997. “Today we’re making very difficult recommendations. The services are very important and our dedicated department staff has performed admirably. However, like all agencies, we’re facing shortfalls in funding and we have to restructure to fit the current economic landscape,” he said at the board of supervisors meeting.
Brown also had some possible solutions to offer. He stated that the teen clinic will be offering referrals to Miners Health Clinic and Women’s Health Center here in the county. Miners Clinic is also going to be adding two afternoon teen clinics a week while the Women’s Health Specialists will be adding one and a half afternoons. Additionally, Chapa-de Native American Clinic is applying for the credentials from the state legislature to be able to offer teen clinic-esque services to the community.
Some of the defenders of the teen clinic spoke out at the meeting against this alternative, however. “The Miners Clinic does not have the ability to assist the nearly 500 teens who are serviced by the teen clinic regularly,” argued Limov. The general sentiment was that if the situation isn’t broken, there’s no need to fix it.
Though the situation ultimately came down to dollars and cents, Brown remains optimistic about the solutions the county is attempting to provide. “We’re looking for ways to tailor these services to the teens who normally go through the teen clinic,” he says. “We’re trying to piece together as much as possible. Again, it’s not a 100% solution. We feel terrible, but we absolutely have to find ways to cut back.”

Thoughts on the "Three R's"

2009-05-31T22:06:00.000-07:00

by Phoenix T

The idea of global warming, an impending and dramatic increase in global temperature, has brought with it into the twenty-first century a frenzied wave of non-profit organizations and campaigns to combat the negative effects of humans on the environment. While some of these organized efforts have been somewhat successful in achieving their goals, it often seems that rather than approaching the problems and solutions from an objective point of view, there is a profound overuse of scare tactics such as dubious statistics and, more than that, a zealous promotion of recycling.

Most people, including a vast majority of high school students, seem to be under the impression that recycling is the solution to problems of resource scarcity and waste management. This perception is perpetuated by wide access to recycling resources and lack of reliable information regarding the real cost of recycling.

I had the opportunity to interview an environmental consultant who has been in the business of urban recycling for 20 years and was instrumental in the implementation of the first citywide curbside recycling program in San Francisco. He also recently taught a course at UC Berkley entitled “The Economics of Solid Waste.” We discussed the process of recycling as well as the intrinsic and extrinsic costs with regard to labor, fuel, and energy.

The process of recycling, I discovered, is actually a good deal more complicated than many would guess. Nearly all the household recyclables collected in Northern California end up in the Sacramento Valley or Bay Area in a processing plant called a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) through a lengthy and expensive process. From the MRF, they are separated by machines that are highly expensive to own and operate, and approximately 80% of them then leave the Port of Oakland on ships bound for China. Once the recyclables are overseas, they are sent to mills, where unusable portions of the materials are often released as effluent into rivers. The remaining material is mainly turned into packaging, which is then used to package consumer goods made in China and sold back to consumers in the United States.

Besides being time-consuming and complex, recycling is also extremely expensive and has a surprisingly large carbon footprint. Every employee involved in the process of recycling has to be paid, the machinery in the MRFs and the overseas mills must be maintained and occasionally replaced, the overhead costs of the facilities must be paid, and in addition, the ordeal of transporting recyclables from each point in the recycling process to the next uses an incredible amount of fuel. New recycling trucks cost approximately $250,000, service only about 4,000 homes each week, get four miles to the gallon, use 10 new truck tires every six months, and are operated by expensive employees.

In a single MRF, processing materials for 500,000 people, machinery may cost $10 million, the land and structures themselves may cost $20 million, and the facility may use about $1 million worth of mobile equipment. Just in collection, electricity to run an MRF, and transportation of recycled goods to the market, an average household will put out about sixteen kilograms of carbon dioxide per year. My contact in the recycling business stated, “Recycling is hugely expensive. We could solve a lot of social and environmental problems with the money we spend on recycling if we just consumed less.”

It is important to remember that while recycling may not be as detrimental to the environment as disposal and may make people feel better about consumption, it is not a positive way to deal with the environmental issues caused by waste. Recycling is not good for the environment. It does not help reverse the damage we’ve done to our planet thus far, and even if everyone everywhere recycled everything they could, we would still be headed in the same direction we are now; we might just be going a little slower.

At this point, the best way to make sure we don’t do more damage to the environment than we can help is to simply cut down on consumption. It is, admittedly, difficult to see through all the pro-recycling media being hurled at us constantly, but the simple truth is that recycling should be a last resort. Most people have heard of what is commonly referred to as the “waste hierarchy”: reduce, reuse, recycle. What too often goes overlooked or unnoticed is the fact that “reduce” and “reuse” come before “recycle,” and there is a reason that they come first.

Conserving is actually much easier than it sounds. We, as minors, don’t generally have the power to make the big decisions about conservation; we can, however, do small things that help cut down on the amount of waste we produce. Most people bring their lunches to school in plastic or paper bags; think about investing in a lunchbox. The school sells bottled drinks, but also has drinking fountains that, besides being free, don’t waste plastic. The possibilities for conservation are infinite but it is our responsibility to look for them and learn to be environmentally responsible in the aspects of our lives that we can control.

If we all use only as much as we need and reuse what we can, there is a chance that we can start to rebuild what we have destroyed. Before we can do that, however, we first need to educate ourselves and begin to break down the clouded and uninformed perceptions created by those who would have us believe that all we need to do is throw our soda can into that little blue bin to have done our part for the world. Recycling is not enough, nor will it ever be.

Issue one is OUT.

2009-05-12T22:28:00.000-07:00

And so it begins! Issue one should be hitting newstands right now. You can find a copy at one of our stands around campus or in the library if all goes according to plan. Hope you all enjoy it!

Campaign Film Raises Free Speech Questions

2009-05-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

On March 24, 2008, a conservative non-profit advocacy group called Citizens United released a highly controversial film that has become the subject of a current Supreme Court case. The film is called Hillary: the Movie and spends a full ninety minutes of interviews and clips attempting to prove that Senator Hillary Clinton is inept, insecure, and absolutely the wrong choice for President of the

United States

.
The film was released during the 2008 Democratic primary, but was not advertised or shown on television, due to the Federal Election Commission’s assertion that the film was purely a negative attack ad designed to damage Sen. Clinton’s campaign. Citizens United promptly took the decision to court, and since then the case has progressed through the courts system to the Supreme Court.
Of course, public interest in the controversial case has dropped since the defeat of Clinton in the Democratic primary, but it remains a pressing issue with regard to the future of campaigning and, indeed, the future of free speech. At the core of the case is the fundamental debate between free speech and campaign limitations. The Federal Election Commission aims to heavily restrict campaigning methods, especially negative campaigning, but at what cost?
One of the greatest prides of Americans is our right to free speech; while we may not always appreciate or respect what others have to say, it is the basis of our existence as a country to respect their right to say it. The

United States

practically pioneered the guarantee of individual rights to freedom of expression in written federal law and has upheld the protection of these rights for over 200 years. The Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case focuses on a very specific issue: whether a full-length documentary or movie is to be seen as and subjected to the regulations of a campaign ad, but decisions like this need not be broad and well-publicized to have an enormous effect on the way our society functions.
Citizens United claims that the FEC is claiming authority to regulate “activity that attempts to sway public opinion on issues.” “This is a movie,” states the appeal, “not one of the broadcast ‘ads’ that gave rise [to the enactment of Section 203, a decision banning corporations and unions from using their own funds for campaign ads].” So what is the difference between a 90-minute documentary and a one-minute campaign ad? For this particular documentary, some say, not much. And yet the fact remains that campaign ads are not traditionally made by non-profit organizations, shown in movie theaters, or made into DVDs.
A decision from the Supreme Court as to whether campaign restrictions should be adjusted to include full-length films is pending, but the decision may be rather rushed; Citizens United is planing for another critical film about President Obama, which will, no doubt, be released in time for his (possible) second presidential campaign.

Notes From Underground

2009-05-12T22:01:00.000-07:00

So we go. After a few years of contemplation and false starts, we arrive here at the first issue of the Nevada Union Underground. Welcome in. We hope that you’ll find us to be an intelligent and thought-provoking publication. Our goal here is to make you think about the things happening around you that you may not notice or much care about right now. Don’t worry about that: you will care. Because believe it or not, things happen that affect you whether you are involved in them or not. As members of the greater student population, we here the Underground have stood around for a few years and watched our friends and peers make the passage through their high school experience, utterly apathetic towards the happenings around them. It’s a sad, scary trend, and it’s one that we feel we have a duty to combat.
But let’s back up a bit. Let’s have a talk about what the Underground is and where it came from. I first started thinking about the idea of an underground school paper a few years ago. I’m sort of a whiner by nature, one of those guys that has an opinion on everything and gets burned up about every little perceived injustice. It’s this trait, I guess, that’s led me to want to write and, more importantly, forced me to develop very strong thoughts and feelings about the content that we all consume. We absorb so much media simply as a product of existing in the world today, the majority of which is useless PR and advertisement, and so little of which is useful or productive in any way. In the face of this, it’s now more critical than ever that there be some sort of editorial group that serves as a source of independent information and personal thought. Now, there are all sorts of channels that a savvy reader can glean information from, but as high school students, it only seems natural to me that we’d have a student-run publication to report on and discuss the goings-on locally, nationally and globally. A student-run paper has the unique ability to tap into the thoughts and feelings of their own population and pontificate on topics that resonate. It’s through reporting and analysis that a publication derives its greatest strengths and responsibilities, those of a watchdog organization, a voice with the power and clarity to challenge those responsible for questionable decisions. The best channels for news and editorial challenge conceits put forth by those in power. They question and they analyze. They fulfill their duty to their readers by making them think about what is happening around them.
Which brings me in a sort of roundabout way to the subject of the Goldpan, the officially sanctioned Nevada Union newspaper. Now I need to be careful here: there are a number of extremely bright and capable people currently staffing the Goldpan. However, it is safe to say that the Goldpan is not producing the sort of content that we crave. It doesn’t challenge, it doesn’t question and it does produce a lot of inane content. That’s not necessarily the fault of all of its writers. I get it: it’s simply easier and faster to transcribe a regurgitation of the school administration’s line on any given event. Headlines like “Go Green Assembly a Huge Success” or “Excitement Grows for New Cafeteria” inevitably leads this newspaper to become a glorified, irregular bulletin. It’s all too easy to take the class, write some easy stories, get the grade and slap “Journalism” on your resume. But the fact is that the Goldpan is a by-and-large highly complimentary publication and has been for years. Now, it’s important to note that some brave souls have made pushes for change; authors from both within and without the paper have submitted stories that were a little more investigate or critical of the choices that school administrators had made. These articles are generally not run in the paper. Apparently, the editors and advisors of the Goldpan consider these pieces of content unprintable. Maybe they run too much of a risk of ruffling somebody somewhere’s feathers. But I can’t really blame the people who run the publication for making that choice either. I mean, why run something controversial that may draw the ire of anyone ever when the paper has been able to go unnoticed and, therefore, unfettered for so long? There is a well established cycle of production, approval and release that has ensured for years that editors and journalists for the Goldpan receive a positive activity grade for their resume and that faculty involved are able to regulate what comes out in print. It’s cycle that’s sweet and simple for most involved. They’ve got a sweet system going and I can’t blame them. But that attitude does define how the paper is perceived by the student population. It’s certainly not a stretch to say that readers of the Goldpan are far in the minority of the student population. And much like the writers of the paper, anybody who opts to not read it can be forgiven. Why should you take the time to consume what largely amounts to a collection of puff pieces? I don’t blame you.
But that’s just it. There’s this vortex of apathy that’s been spinning for years now. Something useless gets written, something useless gets published, something useless isn’t read. So we go, and everyone seems to be okay with that. But here’s the thing: I’m not okay with that. We’re not okay with that. And the NU Underground is our solution. We’re finally doing what we should have done a long time ago: taking the task of assembling a legitimate publication into our own hands. We’re going to put out something worth reading every week, something worth thinking and talking about with your friends and colleagues. This is our chance to produce something useful.
But that’s just the beginning. Let me tell you a bit about how this is going to work. We’re going to put out the Nevada Union Underground paper around the school regularly. The paper is a collection of articles from both our regular contributors and other points of reference. Next, you can find our news blog online at NUunderground.blogspot.com where we’re going to be posting stories over the course of the week, as they are written. We have a few different ways for you to get in contact with us. First of all, you can always comment on any story on the blog. We’re really hoping to see some cool dialogues start to grow between people through these comments and that you’ll be exposed to some different ways of thinking about different topics. Additionally, you can submit your thoughts, feelings and articles to us at NevadaUnion.Underground@gmail.com. We’ll read all the mail we receive and we’ll try and respond to questions and counterpoints. If you submit a well-thought out and researched story, we’ll even run it in the paper. Finally, if you want to correspond with any individual contributor for the paper, you can find all of our names and emails on the Back Page.
It’s also important to note that we don’t want to replace or dismantle the Goldpan. If anything, we’d like to provide an alternative voice and hopefully challenge them to step up their game a bit. Here’s hoping that they’ll improve as the weeks go by as well.
One last thought: this is a project that is going to change and evolve in the coming weeks and months. We ask that you watch us as we progress. Keep in contact and send us your thoughts, whether they be positive or negative. The Underground is a project for everyone to participate in and contribute to. We will do our very best to provide intelligent discourse and content. This is only going to get better with time. So sit back, read what we have to say. Watch the movement grow. Take part and make this project yours too. We’re happy to have you.
Thank you. Welcome to the Underground.

About.

2009-04-22T18:03:00.000-07:00

The Nevada Union Underground is an independent source of news and editorial. We report on the goings on and happenings around NU High and beyond. We publish the paper once a week and you can find it lying arond the different parts of the campus. You can also find our daily blog here at NUunderground.blogspot.com where we’ll post all the articles in the paper as they are written.
You can contact us with comments, questions, stories, or whatever strikes your fancy at NevadaUnion.Underground@gmail.com
Thanks. Welcome to the Underground.

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Notes From Underground

About.