After the publication of multiple stories in the past two editions of The Campanile deriding Paly’s student government, the student government has terminated communication with the school newspaper until “they start researching their stories and not turning everything we say against us,” senior spirit commissioner Brigid Hurn-Maloney said.

Student council has not issued a formal declaration of terminating communication, however the news first appeared on a Voice feedback letter March 15, and has traveled by word of mouth among students, and was recently confirmed by council officers.

“It’s really frustrating,” said student activities director Allison Davies who supports the policy, but wishes there were a better alternative. “There is a unanimous concern among us [student government] regarding the Campanile’s recent coverage of ASB [Associated Student Body]. What we really want is more communication, and for The Campanile to come talk to us.”

But until that happens, Davies is concerned that student council is being misrepresented.

Three stories, two of which are editorials, that have been published in the last two Campanile editions have generated high traffic and large amounts of feedback on the Voice. These stories criticize Paly student government’s management of prom, degree of financial
transparency, and failure to act on promised improvements to the Paly parking lot. (A more complete history of Campanile-ASB relations is listed below.)

“I think Campy [The Campanile] has every right to question student government, but they are just getting too focused on the issue,” Hurn-Maloney said. “They are not researching their articles well, which is really frustrating. If you only knew what you read from Campy we [Paly student council] would seem useless and like we were wasting our time.”

“The student council’s resistance to criticism sets a bad tone,” senior Campanile co-editor Malcolm Harris said. “Since so few students know what is going on with our student government, it’s the paper’s job to act as a lookout and find out what they’re doing, to inform constituents.”

“I think it is a stupid decision,” said Campanile staff member senior Anne Widera in reference to ASB’s ending communication with Campanile. “The Campanile is widely read, and ending communication with its news source is not a good idea.” Widera ran as a write-in candidate in the Jan. 2007 student council election. Widera says she heard about the election two days before it was taking place and decided to run for president because she was angry at the lack of publicity and student involvement in student council.

However, the recent sparring between The Campanile and student council has attracted many readers’ attention.

“Some individuals have a bone to pick with the student government that I don’t understand,” history and social science Instructional Supervisor Eric Bloom said. “The student council is just a group of kids that in the past have done the job just to get it on their transcripts, but now they actually want to do something and are trying to make changes.” Bloom referred to attempts to increase publicity, student involvement and efforts to rewrite a student constitution.

The Campanile stories are republished by the Voice, and have attracted much feedback. One person writes in response to “Student council needs to look up the word ‘democracy,'” (Feb. 9) “Campanile, be fair, you have been criticizing student council without getting the facts straight and with questionable motives.”

The following is a brief history of Campanile articles published on the topic of Paly student government.

Record of Paly Student Government and Campanile relations:

Dec. 14: Editorial: Student Counsel heads in right direction with new constitution

By: Campanile staff

“New attempts toward better communication and more clear-cut constitution offers hope… By better publicizing monthly lunch meetings open to all students, student council offers the student body the opportunity to participate more fully in its own government, a move The Campanile heartily supports.”

http://voice.paly.net/view_story.php?id=4870

Feb. 9: Op-ed: A student’s counsel

By Ryan Giordano, a senior Campanile reporter and ASB co-Spirit Commissioner

“Many students are angry about the apparent ineffectiveness of ASB, but as one of ASB’s Spirit Commissioners I can say that we truly do accomplish a lot.”

http://voice.paly.net/view_story.php?id=5057

Feedback to this article: “Margo Wixsom,” a photography teacher at Paly, responded, “They [student council members] certainly deserve our thanks for their commitment to working through the challenges of structures from the past that have created problems.”

Jan. 3: Senior Anne Widera, a Campanile staff member, decides to run in the 2007 student council electionas as a write-in, challenging lone candidate Mohammed Abid.

Feb. 9: Editorial: Student council needs to look up the word ‘democracy’

By: Campanile Staff

“The recent ASB elections clearly demonstrate that the student council was only paying lip service to reform, while planning to continue its status quo. The manner in which the ASB conducted the elections showed a complete disregard for the democratic process.”

Feedback March 24: “Jon” (unverified identity) “Hrm, no criticism in the past years about students voting in election sans constitution… why the criticism now? Oh yeah its because the write in candidate was tied in with Campy editors.”

http://voice.paly.net/view_story.php?id=5043

Feb.9: Editorial: Financial Transparency needed in Student Activities Office

By: Campanile staff

“…student representatives must be conscious of their roles and must ensure that the funds of the Student Activities Office are not misspent.”

http://voice.paly.net/view_story.php?id=5049

Feb. 9: Promised improvement in parking lot yet to come

By: Katie Barich of The Campanile

“The additional money [from an increase in parking permit prices] was put into a fund dedicated to making the Paly parking lots ‘beautiful.’ …When paying for parking permits at the beginning of the year, students were unable to decide if they wanted their money to go toward the mere attractiveness of the Paly parking lots… ASB is not currently working on improving the ways it is telling the students of where their money is going.”

Feedback March 6: by “Woah There” (unverified identity)

Directed towards student council:”The parking lot is still hideous, and permits cost way too much. Instead of trying to skirt around the issue and displace the blame, how about taking accountability?”

http://voice.paly.net/view_story.php?id=5039

Feb. 13 Editorial: Problems Plague ASB Elections
By: Campanile staff

“While Abid said the election went decently, he cited problems in the process, including the write-in candidacy of senior Anne Widera, who received around 40 votes from the 500 student voters. Some student council officials seemed opposed to her candidacy, and told students not to vote for Widera. Spirit Commissioners and seniors Ryan Giordano and Brigid Hurn-Maloney went even further, creating posters which read, ’98 percent of Paly students did not vote for Anne Widera,’ a parody of the ‘Most of Us’ posters on campus, which disprove Paly myths.”

Abid says, “ASB has its problems, but these existed before the current officers, we would all appreciate it if we worked together instead of against each other.”

http://voice.paly.net/view_story.php?id=5080

March 9: Editorial: ASB must provide more prom transportation options

By: Campanile staff

“The latest in a long string of disappointing actions by the Palo Alto High School Student Council is its handling of prom. The ASB’s decisions and actions regarding prom have shown the same pattern of hidden dealings and unilateral decision-making that typify Paly student government.

“Unfortunately, the ASB has hidden its expenditures from the public. Citing the value of “surprise,” the ASB has refused to explain exactly where this money is headed and why it needs an extra $10 from each prom attendee.”

http://voice.paly.net/view_story.php?id=5134

Feedback: March 14 Allye Davies (unverified identification)
Says that ASB officers put energy into everything, people should address concerns to district, not ASB. Just quote her.

March 15: Brigid Hurn-Maloney announces an end of communication with The Campanile.