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Show Sid Lynn Minton: Are you saying that the kids Should pick the principal? Sabrina: Notreally. But we felt that our opin- ions didn’t really count. LM: Did you know Mrs. Mullen? GETS RESPET? | Theissue of respect cameupduring a recent | conversation at Mount Pleasant High School | in Providence, R.1., with Colette D. Cameron, 18 | Sabrina Clarke, 15, and Alvaro Paredes, 16. Colette: There was a show on Ricki Lake. They hadthis girl who A RhodeIsland teenageradds his story to our series: . It used to be that when I wentto a club with friends, my mom would interrogate fe) Alvaro: That was the problem. We didn’t. Andthere were a lot of rumors—kids were saying that she wanted uniforms, jackets on during schooltime, no book bags in thehallways. So a few of us asked Mrs. Mullen about all of this on a radio show. And she answered Our questions for us—the rumors were false. LM: It soundslike she was showing you re‘spect. Colette: Yes. we like her. We all think she’s doing a great job. tt wasn'ta probiemof not wanting her. We just wanted our assistant principal. And we wantedour opinions to really matter—we wantedto be treated with = wants to have a baby. She's 13 Tespect, years old. Andher mother goes, them: “What are you going to do? Do you have carinsurance?” But not anymore. | Because now call in—I boughta cell phone. Now,if I goto party, | don’t have my mom knocking on the door, “Okay, where's my son?”One time we were at a party, and she came in, and it was, “Okay, let’s go, let’s go. Time to go home.” And I was like, “Oh, my God.” Now she’s loose with me because, while I’mout, I’! call her and leave a message: “I’m all right,” and “I'l be home at such-and-such a time,” and “I've got enough gas in my car.” And if [know I’m goingtobe late, I'll call her so she »on't freak out when I get home. —Jupesi Gonzalez, 17, Central Falls, Ru. “Well, I'mnot takingcare of that baby!” Andthe girl was like, “Yes, you are!” AndI'm like, “Whar?” If Before Babe. Before Gordy. that was me, please! I'd be smacked from New York right back to Providence! The way they talk to their mothers ontalk shows! America fell in love with Sabrina: | see kids who show no respect for their parents—talk back to them, swearat them, say, “Tecan do whatever I want.” Kids these days, they act so out of Wilbur! hand. That's why I think there should be corporal punishment In Singapore, nobody is out of hand, because they know there's discipline. Thekids in Singapore, you wouldn't see themtalking back to their mother, swearing at i> their teacher. Butinthe U.S., they don’t haveany kindof discipline whatsoever. I believe if you talk back. if you swear at your teacher, you should be hit with a switch or a ruler or something. Colette: And| think it should be done in public. But speaking ofrespect. | also think that the school should have respect for us. Whenourformerprincipal wasretiring, anotherprincipal, Mrs. Mullen, was picked to take her place. We had nothingagainst Mrs eg PN cel ”~ Mullen. But we wantedourassistant principal to get the job—wecall ourselves “the Mount Pleasant family,” and he’s part of our family Sabrina: We gave our opinions at a public fo- rum, but I guess they didn’t really count Colette: So we petitioned, we sent letters to the mayor, the superintendent of schools. Sabrina: We marched down to the superin: CHARLOTTE’S WEB tendent’s office. We were onthe news Colette: There were 200, 300 of us. The superintendent met with a few of us. But we learned fromthat experiencethat they don’t W listen to kids—his mind was madeup. Sabrina: We're the ones whohave to spend four years with the person youput with us. W7 DY wo Based on the beloved classic by EB. White, this is the video your kids will go hog wild over! Available Wherever Videos Are Sold AHANNL-RAIGERE THN ER SHTES ‘Story by EARL HAMNER JR. ascan Lesby ACARDMSHERMAN ROBERTB SHERMANMsc Soprisandaneby IRWIN KOSTA NE. amn ARM. BRONEMAN A PARAMOUNT PICTURE. PARADE MAGAZINE - MARCH 31, 1996 - PAGE 15 (0177HbPrion,Sgirs Pd"VCore C18 by Perea Pears A gesRee a |