NEWS

Community Members Join Protests at IHS - By Eva G.

The recent rallies and protests at IHS attracted Cornell and Ithaca College students as well as community members. Many of these visitors complained that they were not well received. Some of these protesters violated the school’s visitor policy, provoking the IHS administration to begin monitoring visitors more carefully.

IHS Holds Forums to Discuss Racial Tensions - By Aisha F.

On October 18, two forums were held at IHS, in Kulp and York Auditoriums. The forums included students and members of the administration and were meant to address concerns about racial discrimination and the Kearney court case.

ICSD Receives Grant for Model Transition Program - By Andrea Y.

In April, the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) was awarded a $700,000, three-and-a-half-year grant for a new Model Transition Program (MTP) at IHS. The program, which will begin September 1, aims to provide students with disabilities a successful transition from high school to post-high school education, adult living, and employment. The program will also attempt to reduce the dropout rate for disabled students at IHS.

Tensions Attract Media to IHS Grounds - By Matthew S.

Media coverage at IHS intensified greatly this past October due to the tensions and protests surrounding the Kearney case and other racial issues. These events were covered extensively by the local media, especially The Ithaca Journal, and have also attracted more widespread attention. The New York Times ran an article entitled “Tension Tied to Race Percolates in Ithaca,” which commented on the Kearney case, and the situation has also spurred discussions on certain racist online forums.

Weissburg Steps Down as Math Department Leader - By Larry G.

During the summer of 2007, IHS math teacher Steve Weissburg stepped down from his position as leader of the Mathematics Department. Weissburg has been a teacher at IHS for 16 years and a math department leader for three years. Although Weissburg was chosen for the position again this year, he declined to take it.

Trip to Greece Brings Ithacans Together - By Sana S.

On October 3, IHS social studies teacher Maryterese Pasquale-Bowen and nine other travelers from the Ithaca area embarked on a nine-day “Getting to Know Europe” trip to Greece. The trip was made possible through a grant of about $100,000 from the European Union to Cornell’s Einaudi Center for International Studies. Candidates were selected for the trip based on an essay they wrote. The chosen travelers represented a cross section of the Ithaca community; aside from Pasquale-Bowen, they included a Cornell professor of Greek, a Lansing elementary school teacher, and a Cornell librarian.

Administration Excuses Absences Amid Rumors of Violence - By Rachel Z.

After rumors of a possible shooting spread throughout the school, the IHS administration excused all student absences on Thursday, October 18 and Friday, October 19. Of the approximately 1,600 students at IHS, over 750 students were absent Thursday, and roughly 525 were out on Friday. Exact records are not available because some teachers did not take attendance.

Spencer-Van Etten Student Sent Home for Shirt Supporting Gays - By Hannah De J.

In the midst of racial tensions at IHS, questions have arisen at another local high school regarding students’ rights to self-expression. On September 21, Heathyre F., a sophomore at Spencer-Van Etten High School, was sent home from school for wearing a t-shirt reading, “gay? fine by me.” Investigations continue into whether the school administration handled the situation appropriately, and community members have expressed mixed opinions regarding Heathyre F.'s efforts to gain more acceptance for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. Tattler reporter Hannah De J. ’10 interviewed Heathyre about the incident.