By: Meadows and Orrick

Well, first off, what is Envirothon? Envirothon is a statewide competition to showcase conservation and preservation in Arizona. Each student becomes an expert in one of five areas. Those areas are:

• Wildlife

• Agriculture

• Forestry

• Soils

• Aquatic Ecology

The Envirothon team finished 6th in the state this year at The State Envirothon contest in Tempe, AZ. The team consisted of five members– Bailey Cluff, Katherine Curlin, Skyler Guardado, Brooke Muzzy, and Hunter Stewart and were coached by Mr. Walker and Mrs. Clayton. The team is celebrating their success with an ice cream social next week. If you’re interested in the Environment, please see Mr. Walker about the new Environmental STEM class or Envirothon next year.

Before their competition, we interviewed the members of Envirothon about their experiences so far.

What got you to join Envirothon?

“I’ve always had an interest in the environment, and I had friends who were also joining, so I joined along to.” ~ Katherine Curlin

Why do you think the environment is important?

The environment is important because that’s what we inhabit and contribute to every single day, and everything we do directly affects it, so we have to take care of it in order to take care of ourselves.” ~ Skyler Guardado

Do you plan on joining Envirothon next year?

“I’m a senior, but I’m the only returning senior, and the only returning member from last year.” ~ Hunter Stewart

What is/was your favorite part so far?

“I have to say my favorite part was identifying skulls.” ~ Brooke Muzzy

Bonus Question: What is your favorite animal and why?

“My favorite animal is horses because I’ve grown up around them all my life, and I've been taking care of them all my life.” ~ Bailey Cluff

Congratulations to the Envirothon team and a special shout out to Mr. Walker and Mrs. Clayton for helping write this article.

By Farrah Muhammad

While attending school in Illinois, my English 2 teacher made it a point to include a frequently banned book into the class coursework. That year, her book of choice was The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. The novel was written in 1970 but is set during the Great Depression. It depicts issues regarding poverty, race, self-image, and abuse told through the eyes of a 9-year-old girl.

Of course, the contents of this book were very heavy; which likely contributes to its ranking amongst the top 10 most challenged books in 2021. However, I don’t think classrooms should shy away from hard topics. Classrooms provide a safe space where students can engage in discussions with their peers and teachers to critically analyze a book's content and historical context.

For some students, these subjects are so much more than in-school discussion topics. They could very well be a part of their lived experiences. By being exposed to difficult topics, students could better empathize with their peers and understand various perspectives.

Historically, pushes to ban books date back to before the Civil War. According to the Freedom Forum Institute, Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom’s Cabin was one of the first documented attempts at book banning. The book was said to be, “pro-abolitionist and aroused debates over slavery.”

This is a testament to the importance of literature. At the time of its publication, abolitionism was considered a controversial topic. The spread of the novel played a key component in creating the political climate that sparked the Civil War and changed the country for the better.

Over 100 years later, in 1982, the Supreme Court ruled in Board of Education v Pico that, “the Board could not restrict the availability of books in its libraries simply because its members disagreed with their content.” However, school boards reserved the right to remove certain books from class curricula.

Today, efforts to ban books from both libraries and classrooms continue throughout the country. From science fiction books, like Harry Potter to novels that feature LGBTQIA content, such as Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison.

In states like Tennessee, these measures include proposed bills that would criminally charge teachers and librarians with a Class A misdemeanor for distributing certain books.

Earlier this year in Arizona, bill 2495 made its way through the House of Representatives. The bill would ban books with “sexually explicit” material. Except, the language within this bill was so vague that it could have banned classic novels such as The Great Gatsby or I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Luckily, many of these proposed bills never go on to become laws. However, it speaks to the unfair amount of politicization that schools have been subject to. Educators with history and experience in their fields should have agency over their classrooms and students' learning should not be disrupted by political disputes.

Learning is about widening your worldview and acquiring new information and perspectives. Book bans and censorship go against the values of education.