By JONATHAN WARREN
The first month of school has vanished. Students are all in the correct classes. Routines are beginning to form and the dust is settling on another new beginning.
Although the campus has calmed, problems still loom. In this issue, we address some of the most pressing issues on campus that have not faded with the frenzy of the first few weeks of school.
Our double page spread addresses the prevalence of drugs in the campus community. The story features a student who has been caught with drugs and how her life has changed; it looks deeper into how students acquire drugs.
An issue that has affected nearly every person on campus is the newly instituted Class Size Amendment. Coming into the year, the law wreaked havoc on student schedules and the Student Services staff. In this issue’s Op Ed, two writers debate whether the law should have been implemented.
At the root of the problems caused by the law is lack of funds to have the number of teachers needed to implement such a law, an issue some community members are taking into their own hands.
The Our View praises the effort of three local mothers to raise the quality of the Florida education system according to standards set within the Florida Constitution. School funding is also an item of debate in the upcoming gubernatorial race, which is broken down in Campus and Local.
Despite the problems the school still faces, it is sometimes important to look at the positive. This issue features photos of the exciting new Amway Center which will be the home of the Magic next season. Also featured is Before You Exit, a band on the rise that was started by current Boone students three years ago.
For students, issues like the prevalence of illegal drugs and school funding, though close to home, can seem too heavy to change or make an impact on. However, the first step to change and to improving this community is awareness.
Hopefully, the articles in this issue inspire the student body to take an active role in improving our campus by simply forming an opinion on the issues we face in the coming months.