The following story appears on Page 1 of the April 25, 2018 issue of the PPC. 

The staff decided to address the topic of diversity and race because it’s something everyone is afraid to talk about, yet it is important, and it affects everyone.

Because intellectual diversity is important, the PPC staff tried its best to include all viewpoints on all of the individual prompt pages.

We developed guidelines for the quality of student responses we thought were appropriate. They included:

1. Response is straightforward and relevant to the prompt.

2. Response draws on personal experiences and anecdotes to illustrate a point.

3. Response provides a viewpoint that is diverse in itself.

4. Response does not use racial slurs.

5. Response does not identify anyone specifically.

6. Response offers an argument that is educational or compelling.

The intent of creating this issue is to spark a conversation between opposing viewpoints.

Of course, this topic was addressed with extreme care. The reason why the statements are anonymous is because of the amount of backlash people can receive for differing opinions, especially when talking about diversity and race.

There is a lot to be learned from the stories and responses here. Throughout the production of this issue, the PPC staff learned both new information about racism and some unexpected information. It’s important to keep an open mind.

This issue was also made with the intent to share what discrimination looks like and who is affected by it. By both anecdote and fact, students can read and challenge their viewpoints.

The PPC mission statement states, “We strive to produce a newspaper that reflects the entire student body and staff at MCHS. We want to communicate essential information through responsible journalism, connect people through common interests, and promote thinking by sharing opinions and ideas.”

We believe this issue of the paper is a step toward accomplishing this.

To read about the process involved in putting together this issue, see this article.