School Board Delays Publications Action

A petitïÓn frorn the Pioneer High School Student Council requesting that the Ann Arbor Board of Education change its policy and allow the publication and distributïon of offcampus and other non-schoolapproved newspapers nearly was put on the agenda for action last night. A "no" vote by Trustee Paul H. Johnson delayed immediate action on the petition, however. It appears the petition will be acted upon at the board's next regular meeting. The petition, if approved, would allow so-called "underground" newspapers and publications other than the official school newspapers ("The Optimist" and "Emery") to be distributed on campus to the student body. This is forbidden according to present policy, and any students who distribute such papers are automatically suspended. Supt. W. Scott Westerman Jr., who worked closely with the Student Council on the resolution, said he and Pioneer High School Principal Theodore R. Rokicki were "enthusiastic" about the proposed change. He said they feel it is a "good" way to allow student thought to be expressed outside of the regular channels. Johnson said he voted against putting the petition on the agenda because he wants to investígate the problem more thoroughly. He also asked whether the request for change was "motivated by the SDS" (Students for a Democratie Society), and said he couldn't understand why the Optimist isn't sufficient to "express the views of the students." Pioneer Student Council President Robert Cooper, who presented the petition, said he did not feel the request for change was motivated by the SDS. Cooper also contended other channels of communication are necessary because of the small size and staff of the school newspapers- the result of financial limitations. Cooper said the Student Council feels "the present policy of denying publication and distnbution of news and information by other Ann Arbor Pioneer High students besides the staff I of the one official school paper has become outmoded and has out-lived its usefulness . . .tt. is our contention that high] school students of today live in a mor,e complex and demand-' ing world than high school students of yesterday. Consequently, some of yesterday's regulations do not ïit the shape of today's world." The Student Council's petition suggested a number of conditions for off-campus newspapers, such as the articles must be signed, a system of distribution on campus acceptable to the administration must be followed, and the prime purpose of such publications could not be advertising. Trustee Hazen J. Schumacher Jr. "very strongly commended" the Pioneer Student Council for formulating the petition. Trustee William C. Godfrey suggested, however, the reasons for the requested change be "nluch more thoroughly presented." Godfrey said the students "have not made a convincing case by simply saying times have changed." . A Hurón High School spokesman said a similar petition also has been passed at lus school. Nearly 70 people- many of t h e m high-school students- crowded into the Board of Education meeting room to hear the discussion on off-campus newspapers.