“I am bipartisan and choose my candidate mostly based on who reflects my views best.”
“I’m not really into politics, actually. I care who our president is and I make judgments based on their campaign speeches.”
“My beliefs are very liberal. I believe in equality of all people, gender, race and religion. Mine is not to judge.”
“I am very conservative and lean more toward Republican beliefs.”
Judging from comments made by four of the nine members of our new youth editorial board, political viewpoints are all over the board.
But when it comes down to their reasons for volunteering to give up one afternoon a week during the next two months of their summer vacation, these area high-school students are of one accord.
“I love to write, and I want to express my opinions.”
That sentiment, written over and over on the questionnaires we handed out to our new youth board, is why I’m looking forward to getting to know these teens.
A few months ago, during a Globe editorial board meeting, Dave Woods, our new media editor, suggested the formation of a youth board. Joe Hadsall, who has changed hats from education writer to assistant features editor, took the lead, and contacted area high-school journalism and English teachers looking for members. We were delighted by the response.
Last week, nine teens sat around our conference room table eating pizza, getting to know each other and writing the editorial featured on this page about end-of-course exams.
Members of this board — a first for the Globe — are Lindsey Gilbert and Sabra Gaskill, both Diamond High School; Zakk Huddleston and Maxwell Pierce Cramer, both of McAuley Catholic Regional High School; Charlee Bond, Sarcoxie High School; Rodney Chowning, Joplin High School; Rachel Calandro, College Heights Christian School; and Emily Wooten and Tiffany Elliott, both of McDonald County High School. We may even be joined by a few others next week.
Besides seeking out ideas for their own school newspapers, members of the youth board said they were interested in becoming more informed about current issues and learning more about the opinions of people their own age.
Editorials written by this board will, in the future, be featured on our Saturday Opinion page.
We think it will be an interesting summer for everyone.
Carol Stark is editor of The Joplin Globe. Address correspondence to her, c/o The Joplin Globe, P.O. Box 7, Joplin, Mo. 64802 or e-mail cstark@joplinglobe.com.
Opinion
Carol Stark: Globe introduces youth editorial board
- Opinion
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Our View: Victims should come first
Millions of dollars in donations have poured in from around the world since the May 22, 2011, tornado. Those donations represent money from lemonade stands, charity auctions, corporate gifts and celebrity checks, just to name a few. In fact, one year later donations continue to come to Joplin.
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Beth Meeker, guest columnist: Same-sex marriage battle a quest for equal rights
I would like to take a moment to reply to guest columnist Anson Burlingame’s, “The Marriage Debate” (Globe, May 13).
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Sunday Forum: 2012 graduation speakers key on tornado, mall school and president’s visit
Editor’s note: In addition to speeches by President Barack Obama and Gov. Jay Nixon, Joplin High School’s top students addressed graduates, faculty, parents and other guests packed into the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center on the Missouri Southern State University campus. Following are the text of those speeches.
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Geoff Caldwell, guest columnist: Pack mentality takes truth as a casualty
President Obama’s Joplin graduation speech Monday showed that while there’s the political “right,” there’s also a very active “rabid” political right.
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Your View: ‘Study’ can mean anything
A few evenings ago, I watched a television program on the science of marriage.
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Our View: Support for museum
How can you tell the story of Joplin without the accounts of its mining history?
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Our View: Finding middle ground
The G-8 summit held last week in Camp David ended as expected.
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Anson Burlingame, guest columnist: Class of 2012 upholds character, hope
My oldest granddaughter was part of the class of 2012 from Joplin High School, and I attended the ceremony on Monday night.
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Scott Charton, guest columnist: 'Deadline in Disaster' film a story about storytellers
Local newspapers are at their best when they help their communities confront, understand, endure and overcome shared challenges.
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Our View: Make voting easiser
This year’s ballot will not include a proposed constitutional amendment that photo identification be required at the polls in Missouri. Good.
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