The Matrix is published six times a year.

Six times a year, every Matrix staff member comes to brainstorm with five different ideas prepared for articles.

Six times a year, I wait until eighth period to come up with my ideas, for ninth period.

This means, that six times a year, I ask whoever I happen to be sitting next to wherever I happen to be what they would like to read an article about.

Sometimes there’s a bit of variety, but for the most part, it’s all the same. Teacher A assigns too many assignments and doesn’t have the time to grade them all. Student 1 breaks all the rules and Teacher B never punishes them. Student two sleeps in class and Teacher C yells at only them and nobody else. Everyone has there opinion about how things should be, and how others should act.

The fact of the matter is, it does not matter how interesting the latest gossip is, or how unfair a certain teacher’s grading policy is, there are certain things that as a high school newspaper, Matrix just cannot publish, by law.

To an extent, I think that is a good thing.

Before each issue of the Matrix goes to print, we send Mr. Meek a copy to read. He goes through and makes sure we aren’t breaking any laws.

Freedom of speech does not apply to high school newspapers in the same way that it does to other publications. And that is because we are minors.

To me, that just makes sense. We’re kids. You don’t open The New York Times and read articles that tear down kids. That’s the job of tabloids, and even then, they keep it to a minimum.

But I always get asked, “Why can’t you just write one little thing about said student?” And I always think to myself, “Because who would want to read an article that’s all about his or her mistakes, especially when you’re a teenager?”

I for one would not.  It’s hard enough hearing people talk about you, so why should you have to read about it? Why should you have to watch everyone else read about it?

We try our best to put out a newspaper with articles that interest the students and teachers of Athens High School, but at the same time, there are laws to abide.

wants