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Show Highland High Students Protest Reporters Held in Office By Nick Snow Staff Writer Three Chronicle reporters found themselves detained in the Highland High School principal's reception area Wednesday when they tried to follow-up a tip received Tuesday night concerning concern-ing a "demonstration" planned by some Highland students. The tip, received from Highland student Steve Poulson, hinted that a protest, complete with picket signs, would take place in front of the school's library Wednesday morning. Chronicle photographer Phil Derby, sent to investigate, reported re-ported that a Highland girl by the door told him the demonstration had ended but would continue between first and second period. Detained Earlier, Too "While I was waiting for the period break," Derby continued, "some guy grabbed me, hustled hust-led me inside some room, and closed the door so I couldn't see anything in the hall." The photographer left the school 10 minutes later and returned that afternoon with two Chronicle reporters. re-porters. "The three of us were standing by the library," li-brary," said Derby, "when the principal came out and escorted us down to the office." One of the reporters stayed behind after receiving receiv-ing word that the demonstration's organizer had a class down the hall. Named by an unidentified student as the organizer or-ganizer was Highland senior John Rogers, who told the Chronicle reporter that the protest had started with a practical joke by some advanced placement English students who, the previous Monday, had started a run on the library. Closed Library "By noon," Rogers said, "some 480 books had been checked out in the time that a little more than 40 usually are. The librarian, feeling a little panicky, closed the library down for the afternoon." Identifying himself as an ex-officio appointed member of the school's Board of Control Con-trol and "a sort of trouble-shooter," Rogers noted that the demonstration was being organized while the student body officers were approaching approach-ing the librarian and the administration to see if the library could be reopened. "It was reopened by sixth period Tuesday," he pointed out. "However, some students were determined to demonstrate as a joke." Derby appeared shortly after the picketing students had left for their first classes and Rogers, wishing wish-ing to avert a "scandal similar to a censorship incident that achieved uncalled-for notoriety last spring," hustled the photographer into the conference con-ference room. "I realize, now, that it was a poor move on my part," Rogers added. 'Told to Wait' Derby and the other reporter, in the meantime, mean-time, had been left in the reception area of the principal's office and told to wait. Upon trying to leave, according to Derby, the pair had been approached by one of the school's vice principals and told, "we would appreciate it if you would not leave this office!" Completing his discussion with Rogers, the first reporter had started making a tour of the school, attempting to question students at random. ran-dom. He was urned away, initially, by two girls, who explained, "We've been told not to say anything to anybody." The three Chronicle staff members then left the school, having heard two, versions of what had happened earlier that day. 'The Real Story' Two hours later, a Highland Senior, Steve Poulson, came into the Chronicle office with "the real story." (Continued on Page 3) Reporters Held At Highland Hiqh (Continued from Page 1) "Actually, what happened was just a practical joke," he explained. ex-plained. "By the time we were reedy to demonstrate, the whole thing had been resolved so we decided to demonstrate anyway." any-way." Poulson added that he had been paying clcse attention to any possible administrative re-spons3 re-spons3 and hadn't heard anything. any-thing. "It's really amazing," he said. "I have seen cases, at other schools, where students have beon called on the carpet for less." Reminded of what Rogers had said about the school's image being in p:ril, Poulson added that h2 wou'd not have pursued the idea if he thought it wou'd have been detrimental to the school's image. "I am sur-prlssd, sur-prlssd, however, that Rogers felt it was necessary to detain your reporters and photographer," photogra-pher," he concluded, l.ti- |