Now What? Clayton Schools Lose Accreditation

Dry. Too dry. I needed water, lots of water. Lost it? How? 

I couldn’t believe that Clayton County had lost its accreditation. I had been told for so long that we wouldn’t, so this was like a kick in the stomach. I remembered back about six months ago when the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SACS, told us that we had until September 1st to straighten up our act, or it would be bye bye accreditation. 

My head began to ache as I held back tears. A huge lump filled my throat. I covered my face with my jacket to hide my true emotions. I replayed the scene in my head. 

Monica’s mouth moved slowly as the words flowed from her lips: “We lost accreditation. Man, I don’t wanna go to Fayette!” 

I said nothing. I was utterly speechless. I felt like I was in a Charlie Brown episode as my biology teacher, Mrs. Hutson, tried to explain what would happen to us. Her words were like a stick trying to penetrate a solid brick wall. 

Water, I needed water. I felt like I was drowning in sand. I had to get out.

My thirst was quenched when the bell rang for fifth period. I didn’t feel safe going to French II; I knew a mini riot would form in the small trailer. I needed answers. I was confused about why my principal, Dr. Young, wasn't announcing what had happened like he promised. I learned later that the county had put a “gag” on the administration. They also restricted Internet and TV usage. They were supposedly trying to keep the students under control. 

To avoid the French Revolution that was bound to happen, I went to the tech lab, mostly so I could call my mom, who works in the counselor’s office. She tried to reassure me that everything would be OK and that Governor Perdue was trying to fix it. Did it really matter? My thirst returned, and this time I felt fire instead of sand.

Rage flooded my body. Fire began to burst through my veins. It angered me how every adult promised that it was going to be OK, but their promise was never fulfilled. I was not even angry now about our accreditation. I was angry that the adults were still making promises that they knew they could not keep. How dare they say that it would be all right when they had no idea? 

After fury, I felt grief. Most of my friends would be leaving soon, and I would be stuck in my high school without the only people keeping me sane. 

I then was overwhelmed with confusion. They said that we were only losing our accreditation temporarily. What did that mean? It seemed like the adults were trying to make this seem more complicated than it actually was. Why can’t the adults just look us in the eye and tell us the truth, the plain old truth? That we are screwed!

—Raven Hathcock | VOX Staff and Riverdale High junior.

What are you hearing or not hearing about Clayton County Schools, and what do you think of it?

A Weapon of Rape in Darfur

Place yourself in a Sudanese teenager’s shoes. You are a 16-year-old girl who has been forced to abandon her village and separate from her family. Finding food is a struggle, and every day you risk being captured, raped or killed by armed militiamen. Many teenagers are raped multiple times by militiamen while running errands, like collecting firewood, humanitarian relief workers in Sudan said in a CNN article. Rape victims in Darfur are as young as 4 years old, but millions of others have been affected by the crisis. “It's the scene of the world's worst humanitarian crisis, the biggest U.N. aid operation and the 21st century's first genocide,” reports CNN.

Sudanese president, Omar al-Bashir was charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in mid-July with war crimes, ordering genocide and crimes against humanity. This decision was considered a big step to help the people of Darfur; however, not everyone is happy with it. Many Sudanese and peacemakers fear that arresting President Bashir could destroy peace efforts and even plunge the country into civil war. President Bashir continues to deny his involvement in any crimes happening in his country.

Unspeakable horrors have been happening in Sudan since 2003, yet many of us continue to go on with our lives like genocide isn’t happening in that corner of the world.

There are many things teens can do:
1. Educate yourself about Darfur. Don’t know where to start? Click here.
2. Raise awareness. Start a humanitarian group at your school.
3. Fundraise for the Genocide Intervention Network.

Click here for more ways to take action.

- Chernail Arnold | VOX Staff