Eagle Era

Reinforcing our commitment to uncensored student journalism

By Aruna Harpalani & Tegbir Kaur

Editors-in-Chief

Dear readers,

In a couple of our most recent issues, the Eagle Era has faced administrative pressure to censor the work of staff writers to varying degrees. This goes against our purpose as a student publication—to uplift your voices as AHS students. 

We spend weeks interviewing, writing, revising, and copy-editing articles as well as designing and distributing the newspaper because we believe in the power of student journalism to allow young people to express authentic perspectives in a primarily adult-led school environment. 

In our formative years, it is crucial that we learn to value our thoughts and opinions—to learn to speak up when we dislike what is going on around us. As previous staff writers, we have personally experienced the empowerment of seeing our names in print next to a story that matters to students like you. Now, as editors, we consider it our responsibility to create an atmosphere where the next generation of Era editors and staff writers get to feel it too.

In our February issue, we included a photograph of the slogan “F*ck ICE” written in chalk by students in a collage covering the January 20th anti-ICE walkout, but we were asked to censor the profanity in the digital edition over concerns of upsetting parents.  

Before publication, we heavily discussed whether to include the uncensored slogan. Because the word was used so frequently and prominently throughout the demonstration, we concluded—and still maintain—that censoring the profanity softens and thus distorts the sentiments of student attendees.

Then in March, we published an opinion article critiquing an English 11 timed writing assessment, and the piece received pushback for perceived bias among concerns that it leaked the sources used in the assignment. While we have made compromises with administration on this piece, we maintain its importance as a student evaluation of the curriculum to which students are subjected—a perfect example of what our opinion section is for. 

We recognize the effort teachers put into the assignment; the piece was in no way intended to undermine them. Still, we are proud that our writer addressed a commonly discussed complaint among students without fearing reactions of adult audiences. 

We welcome both disagreement and accountability when perspectives of administration, teachers, and students differ from what we publish. It is part of our job at Eagle Era to spark conversations about all aspects of AHS student life—including the uncomfortable ones. 

While we do not expect the entire AHS community to agree with every opinion we print or decision we make, we worry that these requests from administration perpetuate an interest in prioritizing comfort over preserving an authentic platform for student expression. We hope that this pattern of top-down pressure—happening 2 months in a row—does not become a normalized occurrence.

This space is so unique in part because students make editorial decisions. Every article, every graphic, every small drawing in centerspread in the paper exists because a student believed it was worth including. We are deeply thankful to Mr. Savoie as well as all of you amazing readers who support us in asserting our independence as a student publication. As we move forward, we plan to remain the same as we have: student-led, student-centered, and dedicated to informing and empowering students.

Cordially,

Eagle Era Editorial Team