Mira Costa homecoming king suspended after refusing title

Hobbes

Of course in Ireland two of the teachers would of taken him out back and beaten him (5 if it was a christan brother school).

Mira Costa homecoming king suspended after refusing title
By Sandy Cohen
STAFF WRITER

Patrick Griffiths wanted to make a statement.
He just didn't expect to be suspended for it.
The Mira Costa High School senior was named homecoming king Friday night at the school's big football game. But instead of celebrating his confirmed popularity, Griffiths refused the crown and walked off the field.
Then he found himself banned from the homecoming dance and suspended from school for two days.
"The reason I made the statement is because I feel homecoming fosters disunity," said Griffiths, 17. "The way homecoming is structured, it's an election by your peers. So what happens to all the people who don't fit the image of the king, who don't see any of themselves in that person?
"It discourages difference. I was trying to show respect for every student who's been alienated."
Griffiths' stunt won support from Sarah Hicks, who was crowned homecoming queen during the same ceremony. But she admits the move made her feel awkward.
"We're different from everyone who was in the court, that's why everyone voted for us, because they wanted a change," she said. "A lot of people are talking bad about him, like `why did he go on the court if he wasn't going to accept the crown?'"
School officials would not comment on the disciplinary action taken against Griffiths.
"Patrick was selected homecoming king and ended up declining the crown and walking off the field," said Mira Costa Principal Lynn McCormack. "That's basically all I can tell you about it."
Since his suspension Monday, Griffiths' mother questioned whether spurning a crown warranted her son's removal from school. And fliers have circulated around the high school attacking homecoming as "a tradition that undermines unity among students."
The flier, headlined "The Crown, Renounced," criticized the court's selection process as a "petty competition in which students are rewarded for their ability to network."
"Although the tradition of homecoming may once have had noble goals, such goals have long been lost," it reads.
Griffiths said he didn't circulate the flier, but agrees with its message. He said he's been an outcast during his four years at the Manhattan Beach campus, often called "freak," "weirdo" and "****" by others, whom he calls the "popular students."
The tall, lanky senior -- who wore a foot--tall, bleached--blond mohawk with his tuxedo for the homecoming game -- describes himself as "pretty outlandish" and "one of the punks at our school."
But that didn't stop him from getting involved with the Animal Rights Club, which led to his nomination to the homecoming court.
Each club's nominees submitted mini--biographies detailing their school and community involvement and all juniors and seniors on campus voted for the court's candidates, Griffiths said.
He played an active role in the process, even participating in a host of "spirit" activities during the week leading up to the homecoming game.
"I went through the motions of doing what I was supposed to do," he said.
The royal announcements were made during halftime at Friday night's football game against Torrance's West High School, with the six couples nominated to the homecoming court standing on the field with their parents, filled with anticipation.
The homecoming queen collected hugs from her family. But when Griffiths' name was announced, he placed his crown on the dirt field and walked away.
No surrogate king was named.
When Griffiths, a member of the school's student government, came to campus the following day to help set up for the dance, he was told by school officials to leave.
He returned home to a phone message from McCormack, Mira Costa's principal, who requested to meet with Griffiths and his parents Monday morning before class.
That's when Griffiths learned of his two--day suspension, he said. The suspension paperwork, signed by McCormack, indicated the senior "disrupted school activities or otherwise willfully defied the valid authority of supervisors, teachers, administrators, other school officials or other school personnel in the performance of their duties."
Both the teen--ager and his mom, Linda Griffiths, called the punishment unfair.
"It's unfortunate to attribute this to disruption because there was no disruption," she said. "I realize the school needs to control its students, but I don't think this was out of control."
Griffiths was also removed from his post as a student leader.
"I think the punishment was unjust but I also think they're trying to silence students," Griffiths said. "So many of the traditions and so much of our school is based around being popular and we need to find a different focus."
After two days at home, Griffiths returns to Mira Costa today. He said he intends to keep talking about the controversy.
"I had a chance to make a very powerful statement," Griffiths said. "And I think I did."

Publish Date:Wednesday November 01

Canaboid

No offence Hobo, but who gives a fu(k ?

Hobbes

Well it is the Humanities forum. I'll try and find a human intrest story with a Quake angle next time.

Excelsior

from now on canaboid i'll mail you everything i am going to post so you can vet it.
k!?

Canaboid

I'm only messin' Hobbes. But fug sake I wasted 2 mins of my life reading about some jock who wanted to make a statement about being prom Queen and how unfair it is.
Hardly general interest and certainly not up to your usual standard. As our US corespondant you do have certain responsibilities to journalistic quality. Or something

Excel, while its a good idea I feel it might impose a delay on your replying to topics in a timely manner what with proofing and redrafting for submission not to mention the drain on my own time.
I agreed with you about Country Feedback, what more can I do

Greenbean

I reckon its fairly valid - it gives an insight into american life on how petty small things which signify a popular notion of success are important to people (high school principals) who by my reckoning shouldn't be involved at all. It makes you realise how much importance is placed on stupid images of success in america. This then begs the question where do we stand on this? I reckon most people couldn't give a damn - I don't need that crap - Keepin it real etc.. but is that just the opposite end of the scale - maybe we don't care enough.

C B

Won't somebody please think of the children.

pepperkin

well being a nobody on this boards, my opinion won't count for jack, but here it is anyway.
I think it's a valid story from a Humanities point of view. It gives a good glimpse of "humanity" and secondarily "Life in these united states..."
I admire the kid for standing up for what he believes in and I think the principal needs a good lashing, the auld boitch.
However, it's also a good example of a fact...popularity runs the schools, not education here, which is pathetic but true, the jock who passes history unfairly because otherwise he'll not be able to play football, the punk who fails because the teacher didn't like his attitude tho his work was up to par...go figure.

Hobbes

I doubt it's central to US. I remember from school there were a few teachers who would quite happily screw your grades over if they didn't like you.

Also another thing which exists in Ireland which I never found out afterwards was the "A-Team" (No not BA you foo!).

Schools would select 1-2 classes from a whole year and assign the best resources, teachers, oppertunities to them. Everyone else wouldn't get a look in.

Chubby

The school I went to splitted up a year into say 6 different classes for every subject. The best teachers would obviously be teaching the best students in that subject but that kinda make sense. I don't think schools here intentionally exclude everyone else from the same oppotunities. Then again it's prob different for every school so errm...don't generalise


[This message has been edited by Chubby (edited 03-11-2000).]

pepperkin

I wasn't saying it was a sole problem of the US, I just can't speak for anywhere else having never been to school anywhere else...I can only speak for here, where I've been to a dozen schools. (No exaggeration.)
I know that ALL countries have their problems, I just don't know them firsthand as I know this one.

Hobbes

that's ok Pepperkin we aren't flaming.

To answer your question Chubby, the best teachers weren't nessary teaching the best students, or not all the best students got the same treatment.