From the Desk of the Editor: Referendum Edition

by Saafia Masoom
 

Platteville School District's referendum will fund updates in all our buildings.

    On the day of the Newtown shooting, we walked to our last classes of the day with heavy hearts. We’d just had an assembly to discuss the horrific tragedy, and I’ll never forget the grief that I saw in one particular teacher’s eyes as he told us how brokenhearted he was to know that his kids might not be safe at school.

    There are a lot of reasons to care about the district’s referendum on April 7th, and this is one of them. You can’t put a price on safety in Platteville Schools.

    If this “Blueprint for the Future” doesn’t pass, we’ll deny the next classes to walk PHS’s halls safety, but also the chance to have top-notch science labs. We’re telling the kids at Westview and the middle school that it doesn’t matter that they’re crowded and going to school every day in buildings that are falling apart. It really doesn’t matter that they have gym class in the same space they eat lunch.

    There are a lot of reasons people may say no on April 7th, but I’m asking you to look past the “I won’t even be here, so why should I care?” Let’s look beyond the politics, the volleyball controversies, and the even simple costs that are worth it at the end of the day. (Taxes are not going up with this plan. They’re simply not decreasing like they were supposed to when the 1996 referendum was paid off.) What we’re doing here is defining the direction our district will head in for the next 20 years.

    It’s a common occurrence to hear during passing time that our school “sucks” or is “so lame.” Maybe we can do something about that. We have the capability.

    So rather than harping about consequences, let’s talk possibilities. As mentioned before, the science labs are a major component of the renovations funded by the referendum. Biology teacher Ms. Kroncke has said she’ll be able to do more labs with her classes, and Mr. Heer will do the same with his physics classes, something he can’t even think of without any lab space now. I’ve even heard one former PHS student note that the science education we get now feels somewhat incomplete because of the current state of the facilities.

     If you’re still not convinced this is the best option, frame it this way: building on Westview and moving 1st and 4th grade there sounds a lot better than addressing capacity issues by moving 7th, 8th, or even pre-K to the high school. When considering operating costs, re-opening OE Gray isn’t a logical choice, either.

    For our future students, teachers, and community members, it’s time to show our Hillmen Pride. This referendum is worth it.

    Sure, a lot of us don’t even know what a referendum is. And why should we? Most people in this school can’t vote. It’s fourth quarter; we could care less.

    But I’ll ask you this: Will you ask your friends, your parents, your neighbors, your grandma’s hairdresser’s son’s dog’s friend’s owner’s sister’s uncle to vote yes? Are you willing to take just a minute to fight apathy because you can?

Madison Shooting Sparks Controversy

by Claire McMannes

     On March 6th a Madison police officer, Matt Kenny, shot 19-year-old Tony Robinson, and since then the controversy of the story is still hot to the touch.

     The story starts with a call from a source saying that a young male was yelling and jumping in front of cars. Another call came in saying Robinson was getting physical and tried to strangle someone. Shots were fired only seconds later. Four minutes later Kenny showed up and forced his way into the apartment. The shooting reportedly took place in the stairway of Robinson’s apartment when the officer fell off balance and shot the unarmed man out of self-defense. Robinson died in the hospital. He had three bullet wounds: one to the head, another to the torso, and one in the upper body.

     Protests broke out in Madison over the controversial shooting, much of which stems from the “Black Lives Matter” movement. Several protesters chanted “Black Lives Matter” while others seemed to be protesting police brutality against unarmed civilians at the Dane County Public Safety Building.

     Madison police chief Mike Koval stated during a conference, “He was unarmed. That’s going to make this all the more complicated for investigators, for the public, to accept.”

     For many, this is the exact mindset they have. With the many recent deaths of unarmed African Americans, people are starting to believe that there is a major problem with the police force. Although it is claimed that Robinson had prior criminal activity, one of which was an armed robbery that took place in April. He pleaded guilty in December and was put on probation. But despite his history, people still rally around his cause with over hundreds of peaceful protesters outside of where the alleged shooting took place.

     Cases much like Robinson are starting to catch the news scene more and more as they pile up with controversy and protests. One of the most famous ones was the Ferguson, Missouri shooting where an officer killed an unarmed Michael Brown.

     At least a thousand people attended Robinson’s funeral at Madison East High School Saturday. The number of people exceeded space so much that many had to watch the procession on screen. Many came over two hours early to get a spot to pay their respects to the young man and his grieving family. People were asked to leave their protesting signs outside to show respect for him.

     The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Justice was to give its reports in late March following an investigation.