From The Editor's Desk

Dec. 20, 2002

RELIEF FOR PARKING WOES? NOT QUITE.

Valuable student parking spaces continue to be a source of controversy at DHS. With the second semester on the horizon, changes to the parking assignment system are being considered. The issue was discussed by the Student Government officers and Mr. Domergue last week, and the PTSA discussed the possibilities on Tuesday evening. While several recommendations have been discussed, no completely fair system has been proposed.

Several worthy ideas have been brought forward -- allowing the parking committee discretion on a certain number of parking spots, so that students with extenuating circumstances could receiving a spot; saving several spots for a weekly raffle, allowing honor roll upperclassmen a chance at temporary parking; and a first-come, first-serve policy for students who are assigned spots. These options are worthy of consideration by the committee.

Several other suggestions do not seem feasible, however. Random selection of students meeting core requirements would be very unfair to the active, achieving members of the student body; and carpooling, while often discussed as an option for students, may prove to be more than a hassle than anything else. Similarly, it would likely be impossible to reach consensus on any changes to the weighting of clubs and sports. Do students deserve more than one point if they are active in more than one club? Probably, but could the points ever be awarded fairly? No.

Changes notwithstanding, students should prepare to arrive at 6:30am to secure a spot, beginning on January 29th, as the start-of-semester parking spot madness begins once again.

HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEWS LATELY?

Have you read a newspaper or watched a television news broadcast recently? If not, you may be out of the loop with an increasingly fractious world.

A sample of recent headlines: The President plans to inoculate the military against the deadly smallpox virus; The United States is at odds with Iraq over alleged weapons of mass destruction; North Korea has admitted to an active nuclear weapons program; and the USA has recently accused Iran of building two nuclear sites that could be used for building nuclear weapons. Here at home, the FBI director says that nearly 100 terrorist attacks have been thwarted since 9/11, including some aimed at American targets.

Why should you care? In mere months time, the United States may be actively engaged in a war with Iraq; meanwhile, the two other members of the "axis of evil," North Korea and Iran, wait on the back burner. Al Qaeda, and its leader, Osama bin Laden, is apparently still alive and well. Should America be preemptively attacking other countries? Where should our war on terror go next?

Students should become more involved in international affairs. We should all be aware of the world around us. And the school should do its part, as well. Perhaps a week of global awareness in social studies and English classes would be appropriate. The classroom should be a gateway to the world, not a way to avoid it.