Students at Carlmont High School in Belmont will once again publish a newspaper now that school officials have appointed a journalism adviser.
School officials shut down the paper, the Scots Express, last month after a student wrote a facetious opinion piece about his own sex appeal. A Carlmont vice principal handed the student editor, Alex Zhang, a letter saying the paper was being closed because of the article. Despite the letter, school officials said the paper was closed because its adviser unexpectedly stepped down.
The new adviser is Raphael Kauffman, a teacher who has a degree in broadcast communication. Kauffman has met with the journalism club at Carlmont and has set up a publication schedule for the spring. He’s also working to revitalize papers at three other high schools in the district (Menlo-Atherton, Woodside and Sequoia in Redwood City). Kauffman will be working with members of the Press Club, which asked Superintendent Pat Gemma to reopen the Carlmont paper.
Links:
- • Dec. 2, Student Press Law Center, “California high school re-opens newspaper after new adviser hired”
• Nov. 11, San Mateo Daily Journal, Nov. 11, “School shuts down paper”
• Nov. 13, San Mateo Daily Journal, Nov. 13, Plans to restart Carlmont paper in place