By Maddie Nerad
Opinion Editor
Mira Costa program advisors should be able to take appropriate steps to discipline students who are misrepresenting their programs, even if those offenses occur off of school grounds.
According to School Resource Officer John Loy, it is his job to inform the administration of any school-related crime investigated by the Manhattan Beach Police Department. Loy said he checks the previous night’s crime log to see if any juvenile crimes are connected to Costa and informs teachers, coaches and administrators about any situations related to their programs. This liaison position between the school and city is important in encouraging students to represent the school in a positive way.
According to Loy, after seeing the report of a large juvenile party with underage drinking, he contacted the patrol officers who responded to the incident. After further investigation, including tips from Costa Model United Nations students, Loy connected the party to the Model UN program and found that it involved some type of alcoholic initiation, although it was not forced.
According to Loy, even if students are not necessarily coming from a school function, possible initiation makes it a school-related issue that needs to be addressed. While the SRO can only handle legal discipline, such as citing the homeowners of the party, this position is important in addressing and, hopefully, decreasing illegal activity connected to students.
Principal Dr. Ben Dale said that his main concern with off-campus parties is students gathering together in the name of a specific student organization and possibly pressuring other students to participate in illegal activities in the name of their program. This is a valid concern in that it not only affects the school’s reputation but also the students’ well-being.
While to some it may seem it is the administration’s job to investigate these instances, the specific program advisor should have the right to determine consequences for students who they believe are not representing their programs in an acceptable way.
While Dale said that he initially wanted to suspend the MUN program for the rest of the year, he feels that MUN advisors, Wayne Knutson and Robert Timberlake, took appropriate action and that the consequences they enacted fit the infractions. Considering the circumstances, the way the consequences were determined was extremely reasonable. A system in which an administrator supports the disciplinary actions of the specific program advisor is the most fair way to handle illicit behavior.
Allowing final disciplinary measures to be handled internally by teachers or advisors is appropriate, as they know what will benefit their program. This gives the advisors the ability to advocate for their students, while still selecting the most effective punishment based on their personal experience with the program.
To avoid future controversy, students in campus organizations should be required to sign a code of conduct, similar to what many sports teams do. Advisors would treat these documents as pledges, encouraging students to represent Costa, as well as their specific organizations, positively on and off campus. These documents could also be beneficial in determining consequences should an incident occur.
Mira Costa’s prestigious extracurriculars are a privilege, and these selective programs should not allow students to participate in actions that disrespect the program or school. Despite legalities and current policies, if an advisor feels that consequences would contribute to the success of a program, that advisor should have the authority to implement them.
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