The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth - Alexandra Robbins [130]
Regan replied to the administrators, “Why is it okay to expose students to inappropriate language in text? I mean, teachers teach books here with language that’s worse than on the CD,” she said, thinking of The Catcher in the Rye and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. “Is it just because they have been approved as having literary merit? How can we determine that this album doesn’t have merit?”
The administrators eyed each other and gave a stumbling explanation that because the books had been “proven” to be appropriate for students, they were acceptable.
Who makes that choice? Regan thought. “Okay,” she said. “Another thing. There’s a piece of student artwork in the English hallway that features magazine pictures of people in their underwear. Why is that allowed?”
“I’d have to see it,” said the principal. “I’m sure it is permissible.”
“I have a picture,” Regan said, grabbing her camera out of her bag. She had come to this meeting prepared. She showed the administrators the photo. They said the art should be taken down.
“I’m not trying to get anyone else in trouble,” Regan said. “I just want to understand why I’m being singled out for ‘inappropriate’ activity. Not to mention, I was told this morning that I had broken a law, and I don’t believe that I did.” She took out a copy of the school’s Code of Ethics. “It says here that if soliciting results in ‘personal financial benefit,’ then it’s against the rules. But I made nothing out of this. I was simply doing my friends a favor.”
The administrators told Regan that she couldn’t do such favors if they exposed “inappropriate” material. “You’re young,” the principal said. “I just wanted to make you aware of the issue because I know that young people make these mistakes.”
“It won’t happen again,” Regan said, resigned. “I’m sorry. Thank you for explaining it to me.”
“Do you have any other questions?” the principal asked.
Regan shook her head and started to gather her belongings.
“Oh, there is one more thing,” the assistant principal said. “You know that administrators receive the backlash of whatever students go home and tell their parents. I’d really rather avoid those phone calls.” Confused, Regan raised an eyebrow. The administrator continued, “Whatever you do in your personal life is fine, but leave it out of school.”
Later, when Regan told her mother what happened, her mother protested, “They told you not to tell anyone that you’re gay? You’re out to people and all of a sudden, you’re getting in all sorts of unnecessary trouble, and you think that’s a coincidence?!”
Word spread quickly around school that Regan had been reprimanded again. Her students rallied around her. One student offered to tell the administration that the CD sales were his fault (Regan declined). Another wanted to organize a protest. Another asked, “How come everyone is trying to bring you down in school?” to which a classmate responded, “Because she’s the coolest teacher, and everyone else is jealous.”
“You’re one of the only teachers in this school who legitimately cares about kids,” said a sophomore.
The class nodded. A junior said, “It’s a teacher’s job to try to help kids any way they can. You’re the only teacher I have who does that. How come other teachers aren’t getting in trouble? Why are you getting in trouble for making class interesting?”
“Yeah, what do they have against you?” another student asked.
Regan didn’t know.
ELI, VIRGINIA | THE NERD
The Academic Bowl coach began to ask a question: “Indo—”
BUZZ. “Jakarta,” Eli said.
“Right!”
“I didn’t even know what he said!” a teammate complained.
The coach continued. “The Parisian mus—”
BUZZ. “The Louvre,” Eli said.
“How could you get that?!” another teammate whined. “He only said two