September 16
...serving up your daily dish.
Ahhh...to be back at a school newspaper. In the Caldwells, kids fought for their right to talk sex and won. From today's Star Ledger...
Two articles about teen sexual attitudes and experiences will be published in the James Caldwell High School newspaper next month, after an agreement was reached between the school district and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Students from the staff of the high school newspaper, The Caldron, fought their principal's decision in April not to allow an article titled "Let's Talk About Sex" and a second story about sexual myths to be published in the school newspaper.
The school did score some editing privileges, namely getting students to remove some of the more graphic terminology from the articles.
Among the changes drafted in the settlement is that students will take out the phrases "oral sex" and "pulling out" and clarify the number of students that were interviewed for the articles.
However, she said the school board will consider drafting rules to govern student publications, but does not want them to be so stringent that it inhibits good journalism.
And just so we're clear kids -- Ann Landers always said you can get pregnant even if someone "pulls out." Sadly, that's where I got my sex ed from; perhaps the Caldwell kids will learn better. Because we all know where heavy necking and petting leads to...
September 16, 2005 in Those Crazy Kids | Permalink
"It only leads to trouble and seat wetting." - Rocky Horror
Posted by: State Street Pete | Sep 16, 2005 10:03:53 AM
It'd be hard to live up to the name "Cauldron" without getting some sex in there.
Posted by: walleroo | Sep 16, 2005 10:37:24 AM
Pat Paulsen on "The Smothers Brothers" TV show (boy, was that avant garde then) started one of his editorial essays "And now some plain talk about S-E-X."
Perhaps if Bob Seger was writing "Night Moves" today he would update the '60 Chevvy to an '06 Lexus. "Workin’ on mysteries without any clues..."
Posted by: Conan the Grammarian | Sep 16, 2005 11:21:57 AM
Thank you, Conan. I haven't thought of Pat Paulsen in at least 30 years. My mother used to laugh herself silly at him, God rest her soul.
Posted by: walleroo | Sep 16, 2005 11:57:02 AM
Pat Paulsen was a riot...that deadpan delivery of his...:-)
Posted by: Miss Martta | Sep 16, 2005 12:01:29 PM
I thought his Presidential Campaigns were terrific. How can you not like the slogan "Vote or Get Off the Pot."
That was s-o-o-o '60s!
Posted by: Conan the Grammarian | Sep 16, 2005 12:25:53 PM
Actually, I just found the text from his Editorial on Sex Education. It is on http://www.paulsen.com/ and it starts out:
"The time has come to stop whispering...THE TIME HAS COME TO STOP WHISPERING about the biggest issue facing our educational system today...an issue which must be discussed boldly...courageously and in an adult manner. I am referring of course, to the whole subject of S. E. X."
He was as dry as my dad's martinis....
Posted by: Conan the Grammarian | Sep 16, 2005 12:34:38 PM
What were you doing sipping your dad's martinis? He's going to tan your hide if he finds out.
Omigod, I had forgotten about Paulson for Prez. I must have early onset Old-timers' disease.
Posted by: walleroo | Sep 16, 2005 12:53:49 PM
Actually, Maman and Pere were Manhattan fans. I was the one who liked martinis because they were great excuses to drink straight gin.
Once, in the Monkey Bar at the Hotel Elysee, I ordered "an exceptionally dry Plymouth Gin martini, straight up with a zest of citron." The bartender said "one Loudmouth Soup, comin' up." And I used to love New York...
Posted by: Conan the Grammarian | Sep 16, 2005 1:24:11 PM
