Catholic School Bans Myspace

[Showtime]

Catholic school bans pupils from MySpace
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007703220463
Shawn D. Lewis / The Detroit News
BLOOMFIELD HILLS -- Students at a suburban Catholic school are being ordered to take down their photos, snappy comments, or anything else they may have posted on MySpace.com.Friday is the deadline for students at St. Hugo of the Hills Catholic School to follow orders or risk suspension. School Principal Sister Margaret Van Velzen sent letters home to parents this week saying, in part, that if families allow children to continue their MySpace.com sites, they will not be allowed to return to school.

The school plans to use its computer-savvy staff members to monitor the site for student activity.The principal declined comment, but St. Hugo office manager Judy Martinek said the principal just wants to keep the students safe."We've stated our position and we hope all students are in the process of taking down their sites by tomorrow," said Martinek.
MySpace describes itself as a free online community that allows users to share information about themselves and people in their lives. The minimum age for use is 14, but some teens have run into trouble posting on the site, including Katherine Lester, the Michigan girl who flew to the Middle East to be with a 20-year-old man she met on MySpace.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard hails the school's decision.
"By taking a proactive approach, it eliminates the biggest factor, which is peer pressure," he said. Jerry Herron, Wayne State University professor of American Studies, thinks keeping kids off the site may just offer a false sense of security."They may heave a sigh of relief and think maybe this problem will be solved, but a predator who wants to violate children will find a way, electronically or otherwise, sadly," he said.Joanne Walle of Troy agrees with the school's decision."I absolutely, unequivocally agree," said Walle, who has a fourth-grader and an eighth-grader at the school. "My children have never had a MySpace page. There's too much out there."

 

[kainedamo]

I agree with the last statement. A predator will always find a way. Banning myspace won't keep kids safe.

If the school is serious about protecting their pupils from Internet predators, then what they need to do is work along with the parents in monitoring what the children are doing. Parents need to be responsible and keep a close eye on the activities of their kids on the net.

That is all.

 

[Matt]

That is absolutely ridiculous. It would be one thing to ban them on their school computers, but the school cannot control what the students do in their own time.

 

[Matt]

If the school is serious about protecting their pupils from Internet predators, then what they need to do is work along with the parents in monitoring what the children are doing. Parents need to be responsible and keep a close eye on the activities of their kids on the net.

The school has no right to protect its pupils from internet predators. The school is not a parent. When they are within those walls for 7 hours a day, they should keep those kids safe, but the second that final bell rings the children are no longer their problem.

 

[04nbod]

thats stupid. My college banned myspace in the building but its up to the parents to tell them not to make a page not a school

 

[Showtime]

I found this to be overbearing and overstepping boundaries, I understand that there are good intentions behind it but isn't it up to the parents to look out for their children?

 

[kainedamo]

The school has no right to protect its pupils from internet predators. The school is not a parent. When they are within those walls for 7 hours a day, they should keep those kids safe, but the second that final bell rings the children are no longer their problem.

So you're against a school saying to the parents "Hey! We're concerned about Internet predators! What can we do together to help make our kids safer?"

 

[04nbod]

So you're against a school saying to the parents "Hey! We're concerned about Internet predators! What can we do together to help make our kids safer?"

no but if the parents are fine with their child having a page the school should be too. The school is overstepping the mark

 

[Showtime]

So you're against a school saying to the parents "Hey! We're concerned about Internet predators! What can we do together to help make our kids safer?"

There is a difference, they could certainly send a memo homo or schedule a town meeting style forum to educate the parents on the dangers of Myspace and let the parents be the judge. To dangle suspension over the students heads if they don't wipe out their myspace accounts is ridiculous. Also, don't you think these kids will ban together and form myspace sites undercover with fake names and what not. I am sure they don't have Chloe monitoring the pupils from CTU.

 

[Matt]

So you're against a school saying to the parents "Hey! We're concerned about Internet predators! What can we do together to help make our kids safer?"

Schools are a means of education, not protection. The school has no authority of its students once they are outside of the walls and thats the way it should remain. What you are saying sounds like a good idea in theory, but it will simply lead to policies similiar to those stated in the article posted by Showtime. This school is simply skipping over the initial steps and going straight to totalitarian policies. I'm sure it will be overturned in a court.

 

[Matt]

There is a difference, they could certainly send a memo homo or schedule a town meeting style forum to educate the parents on the dangers of Myspace and let the parents be the judge. To dangle suspension over the students heads if they don't wipe out their myspace accounts is ridiculous. Also, don't you think these kids will ban together and form myspace sites undercover with fake names and what not. I am sure they don't have Chloe monitoring the pupils from CTU.

Student: *Called into the principal's office* Principal Smith...why am I here?
Shadowy figure: Have a seat.
Student *Sits down* wha...whats going on?
Jack Bauer: *Steps from the shadows* Where is your Myspace page?
Student: I don't know what you're talking about!
Jack: *shoots the student in the leg and shoves his thumb into the wound* WHERE IS YOUR MYSPACE PAGE!?!?!

 

[Machx72]

Myspace Is Satan!

 

[kainedamo]

There is a difference, they could certainly send a memo homo or schedule a town meeting style forum to educate the parents on the dangers of Myspace and let the parents be the judge. To dangle suspension over the students heads if they don't wipe out their myspace accounts is ridiculous. Also, don't you think these kids will ban together and form myspace sites undercover with fake names and what not. I am sure they don't have Chloe monitoring the pupils from CTU.

I am against the extreme measures the school has taken.

Their hearts are in the right place but they have went about this the wrong way.

 

[Darthphere]

The school has no right to protect its pupils from internet predators. The school is not a parent. When they are within those walls for 7 hours a day, they should keep those kids safe, but the second that final bell rings the children are no longer their problem.

I agree with all of this jusy wanted to point this out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_loco_parentis

But everything you said is correct. Once outside the school, they have no right to tell kids what they can and can't do.

 

[Calvin]

What we need to do, is locate some of the myspace pages of these students, save the information, pictures, etc. Once they take down their page out of fear of suspension, we jump on the opportunity to grab up the same name, and post up the same profile info and pictures, but then add in a ton of content making fun of catholicism, in as offensive a manner as possible. Suspensions galore!

 

[black_dust]

What we need to do, is locate some of the myspace pages of these students, save the information, pictures, etc. Once they take down their page out of fear of suspension, we jump on the opportunity to grab up the same name, and post up the same profile info and pictures, but then add in a ton of content making fun of catholicism, in as offensive a manner as possible. Suspensions galore!

yes you do that........

 

[Matt]

I agree with all of this jusy wanted to point this out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_loco_parentis

But everything you said is correct. Once outside the school, they have no right to tell kids what they can and can't do.

I don't think you can apply In Loco Parentis Doctorine to this case.

 

[Matt]

What we need to do, is locate some of the myspace pages of these students, save the information, pictures, etc. Once they take down their page out of fear of suspension, we jump on the opportunity to grab up the same name, and post up the same profile info and pictures, but then add in a ton of content making fun of catholicism, in as offensive a manner as possible. Suspensions galore!

Haha, brilliant

 

[Darthphere]

I don't think you can apply In Loco Parentis Doctorine to this case.

You can't. You can only stop them from using Myspace on their school computers, which most schools do already I think.

 

[Matt.S99]

lol my school library wont let us go on myspace,facebook etc but people still go on it lol

 

[SapphirePrima]

What we need to do, is locate some of the myspace pages of these students, save the information, pictures, etc. Once they take down their page out of fear of suspension, we jump on the opportunity to grab up the same name, and post up the same profile info and pictures, but then add in a ton of content making fun of catholicism, in as offensive a manner as possible. Suspensions galore!

I love it!

Seriously it's a parent's job if they don't care then there's not too much a school can do about.

 

[Darthphere]

lol my school library wont let us go on myspace,facebook etc but people still go on it lol

Its banned from my college's computers, but all you really have to do is open up Frontpage and open it through there.

 

[Showtime]

Student: *Called into the principal's office* Principal Smith...why am I here?
Shadowy figure: Have a seat.
Student *Sits down* wha...whats going on?
Jack Bauer: *Steps from the shadows* Where is your Myspace page?
Student: I don't know what you're talking about!
Jack: *shoots the student in the leg and shoves his thumb into the wound* WHERE IS YOUR MYSPACE PAGE!?!?!

Student: You're hurting me.
Jack: Trust me, I'm not.

 

[Motown Marvel]

should this catholic school also ban the kids from going to church so they dont get molested by priests?

 

[Showtime]

should this catholic school also ban the kids from going to church so they dont get molested by priests?

Heh Heh. Line of the day.