fandomhigh | OPEN MIC STUDENT COUNCIL QUORUM

Entry tags:

!club: student council

OPEN MIC STUDENT COUNCIL QUORUM

((OOC: let the games begin. GO! (edit: Bingo Cards are done! Yay! Now go play.)) (second edit: This will be open for discussion until 10pm US CST, Friday, 10/7. If you want to chime in, do it before then. After that time, comments will be locked.)

"Hello and welcome to the Open Mic Student Council Quorum. This is going to be a cross between a Crossfire event, a debate, and a party. We want you to get to know your Student Council candidates - all of them - better. A lot better. To that purpose, we've invited all of them here tonight. However, as this was not a mandatory event, we don't have a roster yet of who will show up. Feel free to write your questions in, we'll make sure they all get them whether they show tonight or not.

Here's how tonight is going to work:

1) Each Student Council Candidate will be asked 5 questions from the quorum directors (that's us), and they will have 1 minute to answer the question to the best of their ability. We'll be keeping score and awarding points for how accurately each question is answered, as well as style and delivery. At the end of the night, the representative with the most points will win a prize.

2) When the 5 questions have been answered, the floor will be opened to the audience for the Crossfire section - to ask the Candidates anything they want. HOWEVER, the questions must be on topic. Questions phrased with vulgar or offensive language, or questions about personal lifestyle choices or habits will be striken - and the asker will be asked to leave. So phrase your questions carefully. We're here to learn things and have fun.

3) The Candidates may ask each other questions in the Crossfire section. Feel free to go head to head over your issues. Well, verbally, anyway.

4) I mentioned fun, and to that effect, we have Buzzword Bingo going. Each of you was handed a set of Buzzword Bingo Cards and a pencil as you entered. Here's how it works: Each card has the name of a Candidate on it, and many, many buzzwords pulled directly from the debate last night. When you note any Candidate using a buzzword in any of their answers, tick it off on their Bingo Card. The first player to declare a Bingo wins a doorprize. The first player to get Bingos on more than five cards gets the grand prize.

The Prizes:
Single Card Bingo: First 12 people will each win 1lb boxes of chocolates from Wonka's Sweet Shop
Two Card Bingo: First person to get one wins a $15 gift certificate to Deb's Diner and Retro Store
Three Card Bingo: First person to get one wins a $30 gift certificate to Deb's Diner and Retro Store
Four Card Bingo: First person to get one wins a $50 gift certificate to The Emporium
Grand Prize: a $100 gift certificate to Red's Tattoos

((OOC NOTE: For the sake of our sanity, here's how it's going to run.

The "(Candidate name) Questions" threads will be locked to only the Candidates - please, no ooc comments or non-Candidate posting in them.

The "(Candidate name) Crossfire" section will be open to any IC comments. Please direct your questions to the Candidates in their threads.

Please keep all OOC comments in the "OOC" thread" - we ask because we'll be cutting and pasting from the other threads as the night goes on.

This post will remain the same - a secondary post will be linked for people who want to catch up without scanning a billion comments.

If you have questions for the moderator - and for right now, that's me - there will be a seperate post in my non-comm journal and you can ask them there. I am turning email notification for this thread off.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

2. Rewind to a few weeks ago. Students are freaked, rumors are flying, students and teachers are packing: Fandom High smacked down with a weapons ban. But for a moment pretend you're Principal Connor. What would you have done to take care of the school?

Instituted a mandatory expulsion policy for anyone who directly threatened the life of another student or of a teacher. Secondly, I would have made that punishment cut both ways and forced any teacher promoting such behavior or threatening a student to resign. Violence has no place in an academic setting and should be limited to extra-curricular activites or hobbies.

I don't think that the weapons ban was all that bad of an idea- this is a high school, not a battlefeild. While some students may not get along, these problems shouldn't be solved by some sort of 'my sword is bigger than your sword' dick-measuring contest. You attack someone or threaten them with a weapon at school, you should be expelled- and teachers who do so should be fired.

"Exactly the same. The only freedom that comes from the barrel of a gun is one of destruction, and I will not abide that. Students who enjoy their weaponry may do so off-campus or on the firing range. Weapons serve as yokes to the encroaching forces of mediocrity. Revel in your individuality that can only be expressed when you are without such crutches!"

"I think Principal Connor did exactly what she could, given the situation. And I can't imagine handling it differently. I understand how some students feel more comfortable with their weapons, and while I do trust my fellow students enough not to attack me or anyone else without provocation, that provocation is entirely subjectively perceived. Punishment is all well and good, but detention of expulsion after the fact isn't going to help the fact that it happened in the first place. And so the only way to effectively ensure the safety of all the students of Fandom High, a weapons ban was and still is neccessary."

This is a school, not a battlefield. I admit sometimes it can be a battlefield but I don't think the occasional zombie attack is a reason for students to be armed at all times. If students must have weapons then they should be kept in their rooms under lock and key and only taken out for the firing range or an emergency. Guns can only do destruction, it has no other use.

I am not fond of guns, but to disarm one portion of the school populace while allowing those with natural weaponry seems unfair. I would have punished those responsible for creating the atmosphere of fear instead of the responsible members of the student body.

"The first thing on my agenda would have been to have an open meeting where all students would have the chance to voice any concerns they had. I would also have explained the thoughts behing my actions immediately, and did my best to keep the student body calm."

As a short-term solution, I have no problem with the weapons ban. We need to deal with the roots of the issue though. Nobody should have to feel threatened here, and they shouldn't feel the need to arm themselves against their fellow students and the faculty here.

In Principal Connor's place I probably would have had the same initial reaction. But I also would have tried to have some sort of school-wide assembly to try and assess the situation and address the underlying issues. Even if nothing changed, the students ought to at least be allowed to have their voices heard on this evidently controversial issue.

I can totally understand her reaction, but man, guns are the least of the worries around here. You got people who can use magic and other weird stuff, and people who can probably improvise a weapon out of seemingly harmless objects. So we should be punishing the ones who, you know, break the rules, not everybody in the school.

"I think I would have taken the time to show that the ban was implemented in order to protect the students. I would have also not have been as heavy handed and... shall we say dictatorial over the ban and taken some time to explain why. One of the platforms the Batsh*t party is endorsing is to initiate town hall meetings and a debate club so issues such as these can be addressed by the student body and bring their issues and concerns to the administration."

"If anyone doesn't know that I didn't agree with the weapons ban when it happened, they probably haven't met me. If you want to know more about who I am and why, ask. Please. You might be surprised by my answer.

"I think Principal Connor and I are a lot alike. She didn't like the weapons ban anymore than I did. My guess what I would've done two weeks ago? Exactly what she did. Ban every weapon and hole myself up in my office or go out and find someone who wanted to spar." At this she smiles wryly. Some students undoubtedly will remember her sparring match with Camulus.

"Today looking back? I'd have banned all carrying of weapons in public spaces. I'd let students keep them in their rooms until we'd had a schoolwide assembly. I'd have set Rover on patrol and expelled every student or teacher found carrying a weapon, no exceptions. I'd have looked into registration, responsibility training, disciplinary actions, and if none of that resolved the fear factor, I'd have banned the mechanical weapons. Every. Last. One.

"It’s a lot harder for most people to kill with their hands than with a pulse pistol. In an environment of fear and hate? It’s far too easy for a wrong move to lead to someone getting wounded or killed. I get that. That’s why I’ve been talking so much about trust and communication.”

"I thought as treasurer, I was only taking care of the money. Not the whole school. For god's sake I don't know how to take care of all you people in crisis," she answers honestly.

Phoebe thinks for a second.

"Honestly? If I had been in Principal Connor's shoes, I probably would have done the same thing. People were hysterical and there were problems. However, I would have also been in support of training for students not well-versed in how to handle such weapons. We have a lot of people here from different realms and universes. To some of them, their weapon is an extension of themself. They have lived a life centered around weapons and defending themselves. To suddenly have them banned must have been a real shock to them. Maybe instead of banning them completely, I might have said they could have them in their rooms, because they feel secure with them nearby. However, there would have been no weapons allowed in the classrooms or anything like that. There was a lot of anger and mistrust directed unfairly towards the administration after that. Principal Connor acted in what seemed to be the best interest of the school. She wanted to protect her students and her teachers. When the zombies attacked, there were a lot of students who had ill will towards the administration because the weapons they had always used to protect themselves were locked away from them. In the end, it's not a democracy. This is Principal Connor's school and she is the final word. If it had been a decision I had to make, I still might have banned the weapons in the heat of the moment, then again, I might have tried to phase them out slowly so the students that had always needed to have a weapon in their hands would feel safe."

Phoebe takes a drink and then continues. "However the ban only affected physical weapons. There are magic and force users --- myself included --- that have things about them that could be considered to be weapons. Those cannot be fairly regulated and the weapons ban did cause tension between the two groups of students."

The problem with the carrying of weapons is that it perpetuates a continuous cycle. He's carrying his, so I must carry mine.

We are a unique school, yes. But school massacres, such as Columbine cannot and must not be forgotten. For those of the student body and faculty who are unaware of this reference, in 1999, two teenage students of a high school in Colorado armed with two sawn-off shotguns, a 9mm semi-automatic carbine and a 9mm AB-10 semi-automatic pistol, shot twelve of their fellow students and a teacher dead and injuring a further twenty-four, before committing suicide themselves.

*pauses for a moment*

Consider what weaponry had been allowed freely in this school before the weapons ban. And while you may tell yourself that something like that wouldn't happen here, don't you think that's what the students of Red Lake High School would have thought?

The idea behind guns, and similar weapons is to cause pain and death. This is not what you want to have in a school. Unchecked weapons in the classroom is just asking for disaster. I have no desire to attend the funeral of anyone in this room when it could have been prevented by banning the weapons.

I believe that Principal Connor made the correct choice, and it's one I continue to support.

The answer is fairly simple. I would have shown anyone who thought that they could get away with something the portal to their home universe. High school is often complicated enough without extra complications from those who cannot restrain themselves.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

OPEN MIC STUDENT COUNCIL QUORUM

QUESTION 2 - CANDIDATES ONLY

Re: QUESTION 2 - CANDIDATES ONLY

Re: QUESTION 2 - CANDIDATES ONLY

Re: QUESTION 2 - CANDIDATES ONLY

Re: QUESTION 2 - CANDIDATES ONLY

Re: QUESTION 2 - CANDIDATES ONLY

Re: QUESTION 2 - CANDIDATES ONLY

Re: QUESTION 2 - CANDIDATES ONLY

Re: QUESTION 2 - CANDIDATES ONLY

Re: QUESTION 2 - CANDIDATES ONLY

Re: QUESTION 2 - CANDIDATES ONLY

Re: QUESTION 2 - CANDIDATES ONLY

Re: QUESTION 2 - CANDIDATES ONLY

Re: QUESTION 2 - CANDIDATES ONLY

Re: QUESTION 2 - CANDIDATES ONLY

Re: QUESTION 2 - CANDIDATES ONLY